Dennis Brockway of Winslow is president of North East Mobile Health Services and a member of the Maine Ambulance Association. The views expressed here are his own.
I want to voice my strong support for Sen. Susan Collins.
As a member of the Maine Ambulance Association and president of North East Mobile Health Services, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand the challenges facing emergency medical services in Maine, particularly in our rural communities. Over the years, Sen. Collins has sponsored, co-sponsored or supported numerous pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening EMS and improving access to emergency medical care.
Her commitment to rural healthcare goes well beyond words.
Sen. Collins played an important role in securing $50 billion for the Rural Health Transformation Program during congressional negotiations and pushed to expand the program and broaden the range of rural healthcare providers eligible to participate. Maine subsequently received approximately $190 million in first-year funding through the program.
When Maine’s award was later placed in jeopardy after the state missed federal milestones and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) raised concerns about implementation, Sen. Collins personally intervened with CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz in an effort to help preserve Maine’s funding.
Her work on behalf of rural EMS extends much further. Sen. Collins helped author the SIREN program, which provides grants to rural EMS agencies for recruitment, training, equipment and other critical needs. She has consistently supported efforts to strengthen the EMS workforce and improve access to emergency care in rural communities.
My support for Sen. Collins, however, is based on more than legislation.
In my dealings with her over the past 20 years, I have found her to be honest, respectful and willing to listen, even when people disagree with her. That matters to me. Maine has a long tradition of independent-minded public servants who put their responsibility to the state ahead of partisan politics. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith embodied that tradition, and I see much of that same Maine independence in Sen. Collins.
I recognize that many Mainers disagree with Sen. Collins on important issues. They have every right to do so. But after decades in public life and numerous hard-fought campaigns, she has been subjected to an extraordinary level of scrutiny. Through it all, she has maintained a reputation for integrity and a commitment to serving Maine.
Seniority also matters. Sen. Collins has accumulated decades of experience, relationships and influence in Washington. Maine is a small state, and having a senator in a position to influence federal policy and funding can have very real consequences for our rural hospitals, ambulance services and communities.
For me, this election should not simply be about party labels. It should be about who can most effectively represent Maine.
Based on what I have witnessed personally over the past two decades, I believe Susan Collins has earned the opportunity to continue doing that work.
Read the Op-ed: Portland Press Herald