PINES HEALTH SERVICES

"Pines Healtb Services- collaborating witb Cary Medical Center and others 10 provide quality bealtl1 care"

Administrarion

Post Office Bo~ 40, Caribou, Maine 04736

(207) 498-2359 • (800) 371-6240 • Fax: (207) 498-3947

E s

CARIBOU

o Primary Care

(207) 498-2356 • Fax:(207) 492-6260

CARIBOU

o Pines Urological Services

(207) 498-8678 " Fax: (207) 493-7725

FORT FAIRFIELD

"0Primary Care ,

(207}472-0590 • Fax: (20'7) 47}-0597

o OB/GYN • Pediatrics

OB: (207) 498-6921 • Peds: (207) 492-3451

Fax:(207) 498-1697

o Surgery

(207) 498-2595 • Fax: (207) 498-2483

o Orthopedics & Sports Medicine

(207) 493-5791 • Fax(207) 498-1326

o Ophthalmology

647 Main Street' (207) 496-6851

PRESOUE ISLE

'0 Primary Care • Pediatrics • OBIGYN

Occupational Medicine

(207) 769-2025 • Fax: (207) 764-0629

March 27, 2014

o VANBUREN

-PrimaryCare» Pediatrics. • OBfGYN

,eW7) 868-2,796 • F;~xj (207) 8()fc27,99

o WASHBURN - ",

Primary Care

(207) 455-4750 • (207) 455-4729

Ms. Susan Kurland

Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs

Mr. Dennis DeVany

Chief, EAS Program

U.S. Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, D~ 20590 .",

Re: 'Es'senti~1Air ~erviceatPre~q~~ !sle

Docket DOT:-OSt -~OOp-q012

• I - ~

"J>.

. '

Dear M.S.Kurland a09 rv1r:. peV~HiY:.

..... .

On beh'~lf 'Of Pines ~.HealthS~rvic.~$,.J .~~ writ!qg to express our strenqsupport for the

proposal of Peninsula: Airways.Jnc" to' co'ntin'ue'providing air service between Presque Isle (PQI),

Maine, and Boston (BOS), Massachusetts.

PenAir's nonstop service to/from Boston is the only scheduled air service link for Presque

Isle. It is critically important for our community and my Federally Qualified Health Center, which rely

on this service for service to Boston and for making connections to Boston's large network of U.S.

and foreign destinations. PenAir's non-stop service is essential for business travel to educational

conferences and management meetings. More important, it also serves as the critical differentiator in

our ongoing physician recruitment and retention proqrarn., Without access. to rapid, reliable air

service to a major urban hub, we would, beunable to attract qualified physicians to' live and work in

our Federally-designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA). Our example of utilization and

need from a health care delivery standpoint is mirrored by businesses throughout Aroostook County.

With the next 'closest commercial' airport a three-hour drive away through Maine's severe winter

weather, driving south to Bangor is not a realistic option and adds Significantly to the already high

overall cost of travel. Additiohall-y, PenAir's Ip~al. staff and flight crews at the Northern Maine

Regional Airport"are distinguished in'their ~abilityto respond to the frequently short notice and unique

needs experienced by our organization. ~',.,

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"Pines Health Services - collaborating teitb Cary Medical Center and others to provide quality health care"
Pines staff has used PenAir's service to fly from Presque Isle to Boston and destinations

beyond Boston well over thirty times during the past two years. We have had very good service

flying on PenAir, far superior to Colgan Air, the previous carrier. PenAir provides convenient and

reliable service. The loss of PenAir's service would be devastating for our county and local

economy, at a time when any recovery being experienced elsewhere in the nation has yet to reach

northern Maine.

We need PenAir to continue this service. For all of these reasons, Pines requests that the

Department select PenAir to continue its subsidized Essential Air Service between Presque Isle and

Boston.

Sincerely,

C~~~~

James M. Davis

Chief Executive Officer

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