Yarmouth woman named regional employee of the year 

Among several accolades announced by New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland at its annual employee appreciation celebration in March, the hospital’s Outstanding Employee of the Year award was given to Physical Therapy Team Leader Laura Young, of Yarmouth.

“Laura leads with empathy and by example as she approaches patient care with empathy and respect,” said Kellie Selberg of NERH in a news release.

In addition, Young was selected as Encompass Health’s Northeast Region Outstanding Employee of the Year and will attend a ceremony in Birmingham, Alabama, in May, when the national Employee of the Year will be announced.

The Comfort, Professionalism, and Respect Award was given to Mike Davis, RN, of Portland, who demonstrated extraordinary care and kindness to patients and their families, as well as demonstrating vision and leadership qualities. 

The Rehabilitation Services Award, which spotlights employees who work to improve patient care and contribute behind the scenes, was presented to Rehab Therapy Tech Specialist Seth Ball of Portland. Pharmacist Vicki Legere, of Falmouth, was awarded Clinician of the Year, which recognizes outstanding employees that represent a commitment to exceptional patient care. 

Red Cross honors real heroes at annual ceremony

The Southern Maine Chapter of the American Red Cross recently held its annual celebration of those community members who go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of others, including notable local firefighters.

The First Responder Award was given to the South Portland firefighters who rescued an unconscious woman from a burning Kincaid Street home in October. Some went into burning building and helped carry her out. Others worked to put out the flames, administer first aid, get her into the ambulance and bring her to the hospital. The firefighters credit their training and cooperation for the successful rescue, saying that each element of their response fell into place.

The Blood Services Award was given to Tara Artinyan and Roger Guay of Portland, who are the father and stepmother of Jacob Thompson – the 9-year-old boy who inspired thousands of strangers to send him cards for Christmas, a holiday he loved but didn’t live to see in 2017. Jacob had been diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma four years earlier and had more than 100 transfusions. Not long after his death, the couple began holding blood drives in Jacob’s memory to help others who need blood or platelets.

Open for Business

Local area businesswomen Anne Hussey, Colleen McCracken, Maureen Costello Wedge and Elizabeth Fagan have partnered to launch Quad Group, a consulting firm focusing on all aspects of family business.

As advocates, believers and experts in family business, the women of Quad Group say they are dedicated to helping their clients navigate a variety of business challenges, from raising a family in the business, working within a closely-held family business and more.

Each partner in Quad Group has had a specific area of business focus in their career, allowing Quad to also offer a multi-disciplinary approach to solving family business challenges. Costello Wedge, along with other members of her family, is a former co-owner of The Forecaster group of newspapers. Her area of expertise is human resource strategies.

Hires, promotions, appointments

Portland Ovations is expanding its Ovations Offstage programming by welcoming Portland native Sarah Coleman, who is the new co-director of Engagement/School Programs and Atiim Boykin, formerly of California, as the new co-director of Engagement/Community Programs.

Kaleigh Deering of Scarborough was hired by Bangor Savings Bank as a vice president and mortgage loan officer at the bank’s Scarborough branch.

Portland Wheelers, which provides outdoor adapted biking fun for people with disabilities, welcomed John Grew to the board in March.

Girls on the Run-Maine welcomed four new board members earlier this year: Kim Hendry of Falmouth, Katie Hawkins and Sara Murphy of South Portland, and Mariah Mitchell of Yarmouth.

YoungMembers of the South Portland Fire Department were honored with the First Responder Award at the American Red Cross Real Heroes Awards Breakfast in Portland on April 11 for saving a woman from a burning home. From left are Deputy Chief William Collins, Lt. John Sheetz, Luis Tirado, Christopher Swenson and Philip Rumery.ChenziraGrew