Millinocket Community Hospital

              “Millinocket Area Residents to Get Advanced Look At Magnificent New Hospital Today” reads the BDN headline on the story of the opening of the new Millinocket Community Hospital in 1955. The story continues, “Positive proof that dreams can come true stands on the hillside just off the Brownville Road overlooking the town of Millinocket and people of the area behold the realization of their dream for a much- needed community hospital.” Four years prior (1951), the original corporation was formed for “the purpose of obtaining a hospital for the Millinocket area.” The group was made up of “prominent local men and paper industry officials.”

            Dot Lavert’y book Magic City of Maine’s Wilderness explains how the whole community was involved. GNP’s labor unions were persuaded to pledge one week’s pay per man. Local businesses, individuals, and more all donated. GNP gave $150,000 and later added more. A Maine State Survey estimated the new hospital would serve approximately 8,234 people from the towns of Millinocket, East Millinocket, Medway and Norcross.

            Construction began March 31, 1954. The new hospital was completed in just under one year. A two-day open house was held on March 12 and 13, 1954. The 38-bed facility officially opened for business on April 4 with the first admission arriving at 9 A.M. Also on opening day, the first baby was born there. It was a girl! The first boy was born the next day, April 5.

            A board of trustees was formed (consisted of seven men). The first medical staff consisted of four doctors, Dr. Herbert C. Gilman, Dr. Ernest T. Young, Dr. Richard F. Desjardins and Dr. Rand Dunham.

            A supplement to the Katahdin Times, twenty-five years later, tells of some of the changes that had occurred within the hospital over that span of time. The radiology department had grown from a one-room X-ray department staffed by two radiological technologists to a staff of four technologists, a Nuclear medicine technologist, a receptionist and a couple of part-timers. The medical records department had changed in 25 years, to a staff of two full-time and two part-time employees.  The hospital lab had started out as one room tucked away on the first floor and in 25 years had grown to a five-room automated facility. All other departments had also experienced change.

            The Millinocket Community Hospital Auxiliary also grew during the first twenty-five years. Organized in March of 1956, there were ten women present at the first meeting and by the fifth meeting there were forty members. The group’s primary aim was volunteer service. Hundreds of hours were dedicated to sewing, mending, helping with patient charts and in supply, plus manning the desk. Many other changes occurred over those first 25 years and since then to the present day.

            When the hospital first opened its doors on April 4, 1955, a new era began in Millinocket…a new hospital plus Granite Street School opened and construction began with houses in the New Development