I came to Central Maine Medical Center in 2002 as Director of Cardiology to help start Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute. At the time, there was substantial controversy over the new cardiac program in Lewiston. Some local doctors and politicians said we would fail and worked hard to make that prediction come true. Fortunately for our program, and the community, CMHVI succeeded by every regional and national measure.

Not only were we able to meet the standards set by our profession, we helped change the way heart attacks were treated in our state, thanks, in no small measure, to the dedication of emergency services such as LifeFlight, United Ambulance and, eventually, all the regional EMS providers in the area, not to mention the commitment of our nurses and hospital staff.

The current turmoil at CMMC is a major concern to me. Although I retired from full time practice several years ago, I still live in the Lewiston-Auburn community and call it home (unlike many in the current administration). However, I can assure people and the patients of CMMC that I have absolute confidence in CMHVI. The cardiac and vascular providers are top notch.

People can be grateful for the vision of the prior administration and the dedication of the staff for raising the standard of health care in Lewiston-Auburn.

I hope the community will realize that every hospital goes through difficult times. I hope that CMMC’s board of directors and administrators will find a successful path forward.

William Phillips, Auburn