Timeline of ICMS History

After returning home from military service in the Second World War, Dr. Ralph Earle campaigned for the organization of healthcare services on Vinalhaven. Earle came to Vinalhaven as a young doctor in 1937 and soon dedicated his life to serving this island community. He advocated for the formation of Islands Community Medical Services (ICMS), Inc. and the Vinalhaven Community Health Council.

In its first decade, ICMS established offices in a two-story building on Vinalhaven’s Main Street. Dr. Earle had an examination room on the upper floor which contained all the latest equipment, including an x-ray machine. Downstairs, Public Health Nurse Marjorie Roscoe oversaw check-ups, organized clinics, and aided the island’s new and expectant mothers. Regular visits to North Haven and Matinicus brought healthcare services to other remote villages in the Penobscot Bay.

Earle and Roscoe made modern treatments and studies readily available to islanders. Regularly visiting specialists provided dental and pediatric care on a regular basis. Islanders were encouraged to get all the latest vaccines as soon as they became available, including for polio. Earle conducted his own unique research and tests concerning diabetes and tuberculosis, ensuring the long-term health of his community.

On the morning of February 16, 1959, the Main Street headquarters of ICMS burned in an accidental fire. Most of the equipment, medications, medical books, and furniture, as well as the building, were completely lost, resulting in an estimated $30,000 loss.

Though facing a crisis, ICMS were determined to keep medical services afloat. Their offices relocated to a temporary studio space on Main Street: a former bakery and gift shop. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, islanders still had access to the care they required. Meanwhile, ICMS Chair Lucy Skoog and Treasurer Dorothy Sutcliffe began the conception of a new, modern healthcare facility at a new location on Vinalhaven.  Page 11/15 ISLANDS COMMUNITY MEDICAL SERVICES: Research Report (Phase One) | 19 August 2022.

After the fire of 1959, the ICMS Board made plans for their ideal new facility: an $80,000 project that included a modern clinic building and the latest equipment for Dr. Earle and his staff. Through fundraising efforts spearheaded by ICMS Treasurer Dorothy Sutcliffe, Vinalhaven was able to build their ideal healthcare facility. Local real estate agent Sam Slaughter and his wife donated property on Armbrust Hill, a former granite quarry, for the project. Building began in February 1962 and the new medical center opened to islanders later that year.

With the construction of the new medical center, Dr. Earle and his staff were able to implement new, more robust medical programs. In 1962, he began a massive project to document cases of diabetes in island residents. His research found that native Vinalhaven islanders suffered significantly high rates of diabetes, which inspired further research and education on the disease at ICMS. In 1969, Earle received national acclaim and a $950 grant from the U.S. Public Health Service to further his research.

During the 1980s, ICMS received national attention for their efforts to retain the longtime local physician, Dr. Gregory O’Keefe. With this newly-established platform, O’Keefe and ICMS staff began to draw attention to the challenges of practicing remote, rural medicine. O’Keefe arranged hearings with state politicians, advocated for lower drug prices, and highlighted the needs of small-town medicine—especially for geriatric patients.

As they worked to bring the latest, modern healthcare to islanders, ICMS secured funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to provide affordable healthcare to their patients. They also received a grant of over $300,000 to bring twenty-first-century equipment and technology to the medical center, updating their practice.

ICMS received national recognition for their efforts to bring healthcare to remote, quarantined patients during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021.