The New Hospital

                Millinocket Regional Hospital is currently undergoing some major changes to better serve the Millinocket area. Through the years, the Magic City has had hospital care available at different sites and as was the custom, early hospitals were located in private homes. GNP also had some medical services on site from the early days.

Dr. Bryant bought a house from Dr. Cody and turned it into the town’s first private hospital shortly after WWI. After Bryant’s death in1938, the hospital/home become the property of Dr. Morey under the name Morey Osteopathic Hospital. Doctor Ernest Young and Dr, Martin Grumley, in that same year, opened Millinocket General Hospital in the former Curran house on Maine Avenue.

Two nurses, Mrs. Ted Ames and Mrs. Everett Wyman, who had worked at the Bryant Hospital, opened small private lying-in hospitals in their homes for a short time. Lying in hospitals were generally for maternity cases. The Wyman home was at 62 Katahdin Avenue and a one-year State of Maine license for the Wyman Memorial Hospital was issued January 24, 1940.

By the late 1940’s talk began about establishing a community hospital. A larger hospital with more beds was needed. Funds were raised (GNP, the unions, state, local residents, government programs etc.) Ground breaking occurred in the spring of 1953. The location, across the tracks, at that time was fields and trees.

Millinocket Community Hospital opened its doors in 1955 with a permanent staff of physicians. The name was later changed to Millinocket Regional Hospital as it served Millinocket, East Millinocket, Medway and more.

The Laverty book states that after the construction was completed, it took time to get all the equipment, furnishings, supplies etc. in place. She noted that on opening day, April 4, 1955, all was supposedly ready to accept patients. However, the nurses discovered that there were no boxes of toilet paper in the entire hospital!

A large-scale model of the 1954 hospital, was made by Larry Bouchard in the 1970’s. It has a glass top and the top floor lifts off to view the lower level. The model was displayed at the hospital for several years before being donated to the Millinocket Historical Society. At that time, the museum was located on the municipal building’s third floor, so the model was stored (Great Northen barn??) and later moved and stored at the by then closed Millinocket Middle School (original Stearns HS). Hopefully, the model will be displayed either at the museum (when 2nd floor is ready to open) or donated to MRH when the new construction is completed.