Thanks to Bangor, St. Joseph Hospital

Forty years ago this month I arrived in the Bangor area to begin orientation for the University of Maine. To my surprise and pleasure, I immediately felt like I was home. And, despite leaving four years later for advanced medical training that lasted a decade, that feeling has persisted for 25 years.

Indeed over the last quarter of a century my wife and I raised three wonderful children and took advantage of all the benefits of living in a community like Bangor (e.g. great health care, low crime, fantastic schools, and numerous outdoor opportunities). We, like so many others, also became part of a bigger community which we fondly call the “small town of Maine,” defined predominantly by the kindness, insight and compassion of Mainers from all walks of life. Our recent decision to leave Bangor, and St. Joseph Hospital, for southern Maine was one of the most difficult we have had to face.

Change is hard, particularly at our age. But this opportunity presented a new challenge and a chance to teach as well as to translate findings from our laboratory into effective treatments for people suffering from osteoporosis. In the end, both my wife and I felt buffeted by the realization that we were moving across town, rather than across the state.

In southern Maine, the topography and the economy differ, but not surprisingly, Mainers remain the same. We have already found some lost friends from the university and from our early days at Eastern Maine Medical Center. So despite our sadness about leaving, our transition has been softened somewhat.

Still, I don’t want to forget how much this community and its people gave back to me. I owe much of my professional success to Sister Norberta and St. Joseph Hospital for providing me with an opportunity to develop a clinical research program and deliver the highest standard of care from a small but intensely committed community hospital. For that, I will always be thankful. I also owe a debt of gratitude and thanks to all my patients and research subjects who gave so much of their time and effort to help find “cures” for osteoporosis.

Indeed, one of my regrets is that I could not tell people individually or in a letter that I was leaving before the article of Aug. 15 appeared on the front page. But I want to reassure my patients that they will soon be contacted to discuss future options for their care. If anyone has questions they can contact me electronically at rofe@aol.com.

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As I noted, change is difficult but it is also what sustains us and eventually makes us stronger. In that vein, I believe new directions are needed in three areas that are essential for growth in the Bangor community: research and development, transportation, and natural resources. First, growth and development of the nascent Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health should become a major focus for the state. It is still in the beginning stages and is certain to require more resources and a greater commitment at many levels to achieve some of the lofty goals set out by its new director. But the rewards could be immense both from an economic as well as an academic perspective.

Fortunately we are blessed with a very strong university and several great legislators who have and will continue to help achieve this goal.

Secondly, lack of reliable mass transportation (air and rail) is a major concern. If Bangor International Airport is not sustained, the region will suffer. If a researcher cannot get to Washington, D.C., and the National Institutes of Health from Bangor, Maine, in one day, how can we expect to recruit the best and brightest individuals to this region?

Many friends and colleagues who use other airports because of cost would prefer not to drive, especially at night, to Portland, Manchester, N.H., or Boston. To change that dynamic will require major efforts. It should start with a thorough review by City Council to see if we are getting the most we can out of the airport, its management, and the services it provides.

On another transportation front, The Jackson Laboratory is a major research center that uses Maine people to fuel its growth in the biomedical field. Without decent transportation to and from Mount Desert Island, that growth could be stifled. It’s time to think about light rail or other means to get employees from long distances who can’t afford to live on the island back and forth to Jackson Laboratory.

Lastly, this region is blessed with great natural resources. Unfortunately, in Bangor those features are dwarfed by the erection of more and more big boxes. It is time to consider promoting Bangor, not for shopping at huge discount stores, but as a place for recreating during the four seasons. Bangor Land Trust has been a great beginning, but we need to do more to support its goals and promote ecotourism as a means for enhancing economic growth.

In summary let me express once more my sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone in the area who has made my 25 years a huge success.

Clifford J. Rosen, M.D., is director of the Maine Center for Osteoporosis Research and Education at St. Joseph Hospital, senior staff scientist at The Jackson Laboratory, and professor of nutrition at the University of Maine. He soon will become a senior scientist at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute in Scarborough.