LEWISTON, Maine — Team members at Central Maine Medical Center gathered Friday to commemorate the first anniversary since tragedy struck the Lewiston and Maine community.
Last year, on Oct. 25, 18 people lost their lives and several were injured in mass shootings in Lewiston. The events happened at local restaurant Schemengees Bar & Grille and the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley.
Immediately following the shootings, 15 severely injured people were taken to CMMC. Two people were pronounced deceased upon arrival, one person died after being admitted, and 13 lives were saved by hospital staff, CMMC said Friday in a news release.
According to the release, the commemoration ceremony took place in the hospital's main hallway, where the final patients who were injured in the shootings were escorted after discharge while team members lined up to bid them farewell.
During the ceremony, the hospital's staff chaplain Claire Curole held a moment of silence and invocation before the senior leadership team gave a speech.
"Whether you were at CMMC that night or in the day or days after the lockdown was lifted you made a difference," Steve Littleson, president and CEO of Central Maine Healthcare, said. "And here we stand together, grateful that we are here at this hospital that, for almost 140 years, has cared for our community."
The night of the shooting, hospital staff worked quickly to assemble a large team of surgeons with expertise across several specialties, from orthopedics to cardiovascular to plastic surgery.
"What was most touching about the past 12 months was the way we came together," Dr. John Alexander, chief medical officer of Central Maine Healthcare, said. "And although it’s hard, and we will never forget, we now make our way to the future carrying this with us along the way."
More than 100 nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other Central Maine Healthcare professionals, all of whom had extensive training in mass casualty incidents, also worked to care for those wounded in the shootings, according to the release.
"In all the chaos, we were nurses," Kari Paradis, vice president of nursing and patient services at Bridgton Hospital, said. "We put our training and skill to the test and into practice. We assumed roles, took charge, stayed focused and saved lives."
Following the shootings, Central Maine Healthcare created the Compassionate Care Fund, which provides resources for trauma response and support. Those resources include emotional and behavioral health services for the surrounding community and first responders, as well as trauma care for patients who cannot pay, the release stated.
You can learn more about the fund or donate by visiting the "Ways to Give" page on the Central Maine Healthcare website here.