While many retirees seek warm climates in places like Florida and South Carolina, Lowell “Tim” Thomas and his wife, Judy, are happy to live year-round on the Blue Hill Peninsula. “We talked about retiring to Maine for many years,” says Judy who explains that their love affair with Maine began with her husband’s family home, Pen Bryn, on Little Deer Isle. The Thomases currently divide their time between this home, and a cottage in the Parker Ridge Retirement Community in nearby Blue Hill.
Both Judy and Tim are patients of Blue Hill Family Medicine. Judy has had some complex medical needs in the past, having survived both cancer and triple bypass surgery. Most recently, however, it was Tim who required a procedure from urologist S. Ramanatha Rao, MD. Judy, like many Blue Hill patients and family members, glows as she speaks of Dr. Rao’s gentle expertise and commitment to his patients. “He was very respectful of the family, pleasant, and approachable,” she recounts. When a logistical issue delayed the arrival of specialized surgical equipment in Blue Hill on a Saturday, Dr. Rao conducted the procedure the following day. Judy notes that the surgical staff did not appear reluctant to give up their Sunday to help Dr. Rao’s patients in the operating room. “All of them said ‘we would do anything to help Dr. Rao’ and I know they meant it,” she recounts. “This was a big help to Timmy and me.”
Judy explains that she is very grateful for the quality of healthcare that she has received over the years. “On the whole I have been very fortunate to be able to afford to go wherever I’ve needed to. I know that there are people who have not had the same choices.” Judy hopes that her service and philanthropic commitment to Blue Hill Memorial Hospital will, in some small way, demonstrate her gratitude for the healthcare that she and her family have received over their lifetimes.
Patients and their loved ones who wish to honor a caregiver like Dr. Rao through a gift to Blue Hill Memorial Hospital can do so through a convenient, secure giving site. Thank you in advance for your thoughtfulness!