After 40 years of service, a nurse at Pen Bay Medical Center, part of Portland-based MaineHealth, retired Jan. 6, the Courier-Gazette reported.
Barbara Young joined Rockport, Maine-based Pen Bay Medical Center in 1983. She began as a night shift team leader and quickly developed a passion for GI. During her tenure, Ms. Young has seen the hospital's endoscopy department grow from using Polaroid cameras and performing about five endoscopies a week, to using high-definition technology to complete around 125 to 150 procedures a week.
"I had the good fortune of working with [Barbara] during my almost 30 years at Pen Bay," Neil Smith, MD, a gastroenterology specialist who oversaw development of Pen Bay's endoscopy program and has since retired, told the news outlet. "During that time, she made significant contributions to the development, growth and management of the unit, and deserves much credit and thanks for what it has become today. Although she will be retiring, I'm confident that the results of her dedication and efforts to improve the quality and delivery of GI care to patients will continue to have positive effects on the health of the Midcoast community."