Press Release from BIRHC

[Marie LaFreniere]

I was asked to post this.......

It is with great regret that the Beaver Island Rural Health Center announces that Nurse Practitioner Connie Harris has accepted another position and will be leaving Beaver Island at the end of her contract in September of this year. Since she arrived at the Health Center in August of 2004, Connie has worked tirelessly to provide the highest standard of care for all of her patients, always going the extra mile to ensure their physical and emotional wellbeing. Along with her partner, Nurse Practitioner and Medical Director Sue Solle, she has demonstrated outstanding initiative and creativity in finding ways to expand services available at the Health Center. These efforts have benefited the entire community and we expect them to continue after Connieâ??s departure.

The Board of Directors wishes that it had the financial resources to match the offer that Connie has accepted, but unfortunately that is not possible. However, we are happy that she has this wonderful opportunity for advancing her career, furthering her education and being closer to family. We are grateful for all she has contributed to the recent successes at the Health Center. The BIRHC Board and Staff are planning a going away party for Connie and her husband John in September so that the entire community can say good-bye and express their appreciation for all she has done. Details will be announced soon. In the meantime, patients who have been seeing Connie on a regular basis will be contacted personally.

The Board will also immediately begin to look for a new health care provider with substantial nursing experience who meets the high standards we have come to expect from the BIRHC medical staff. Until the right person can be found, Nurse Practitioner Sue Solle, along with visiting relief care providers and our partners in Beaver Island Emergency Medical Services (BIEMS), will continue to provide continuous 24/7 access to local health care. Sue came to Beaver Island to make this her permanent home. We are very fortunate to be able to count on her long-term commitment to the Island and BIRHC, and are especially appreciative of her 20 years of nursing experience, including over 8 years as sole practitioner at a clinic in the Upper Peninsula and 9 months as sole practitioner on Beaver Island.

For further information, please contact Connie Wojan, President of the BIRHC Board of Directors.