Brown receives Leadership and Vision Award

REGION- Med-Care Ambulance recently held their annual Christmas party at Black Mountain of Maine and took the opportunity to present Steve Brown of Carthage with the Leadership and Vision Award.

It was in July of 1988 when Brown, first selectman of Carthage, came together with such area residents as Jim Pulsifer, John Madigan, Betty Barrett and many others to form the regional emergency service, Northern Oxford Regional Ambulance, otherwise known as Med-Care.

“The vision came from the whole group of us,” noted Brown. “It was a real community effort. We wanted a high level of service and we held true to the approach of forming a regional service that had the best interest of the whole area in mind.”

The ambulance service started out based in a small apartment with a “chainsaw-modeled second bay for the garage,” laughed Brown. When the mortgage company that held the title to the building was going bankrupt, we negotiated and purchased the place. It's to this day that Med-Care is still housed in that location.”

Dean Milligan, Med-Care Director of Services, stated, “Steve has been with the organization since its inception and has held the position of president for the past 20 years on our board. He has been instrumental in the beginning phases of pulling off such an endeavor as a regional ambulance service which was truly revolutionary in the industry that long ago and remains a model that others currently seek around the state and country.”

“Throughout his years of service to this organization he has remained a visionary in areas of funding mechanisms and formulas, advanced equipment purchasing, intricate staffing and education needs, and overall, has been instrumental to the success and longevity of Med-Care Ambulance. He continues to be forward thinking and a strong advocate in many forums on behalf of this organization.”

“He has volunteered countless hours of service with no compensation over the past 21 years and his spirit and compassion for our future success remains unchanged from how he was at the inception. He has been a mentor and a true inspiration to me over the past 10 years as director of the service and has been and continues to be a great resource for me at any time that I need assistance on any matter.”

Brown, being as selfless as many have come to know him, expressed that there have been many people that have served on the Med-Care board through the years and done a fantastic job. “But the true credit goes to our personnel. Without their dedication to the work they do, we wouldn't have the presence that we do. Our employees have consistently earned the respect from our region as well as others, for the roles they take on every day. They are constantly working to better the relationship within the communities we serve.”

Brown noted that Med-Care has made a presence for themselves in the hospitals, schools and local organizations to further educate citizens on the importance of emergency services and all they have to offer.

Milligan added, “Steve received this award for his dedicated service to Med-Care Ambulance. For having the vision over 20 years ago to regionalize and consolidate services. To have the vision to create a financially viable company that provides Advanced Life Support Services 24-hours a day in a very rural setting is truly unbelievable.”

“Add to that, his ability to interact with eleven different community’s boards of selectmen and keep them all satisfied and on board with this regional approach has also been a great undertaking. If you chart the path of this organization’s history it becomes very clear just how much of a visionary and leader he has been and also the positive impact of his presence is clear that he is, in most cases, personally responsible for the success of this organization.”

The plaque awarded to Brown reads, “For over 20 years of dedicated service and leadership to Med-Care Ambulance. As a founding member of this organization you have been a visionary and personally instrumental in ensuring that the citizens of the River Valley have received exceptional pre-hospital emergency medical care and been afforded a first class ambulance response system in a rural setting. Med-Care hereby recognizes you with the Leadership and Vision Award.”

Brown receives Leadership and Vision Award Photo:

Steve Brown of Carthage was recently awarded the Leadership and Vision Award for his 20-plus years of dedicated service to Med-Care Ambulance Service. (Times photo by Cherri Crockett)