Pioneer Times photo/Gloria Austin
WELCOME — Drs. Dale and Grace Freier have joined the staff of Houlton Regional Hospital. Welcoming the couple to the hospital and community are, left, Janene Moran, health recruiter and physician recruiter; Dr. Grace and Dr. Dale Freier and Tom Moakler, chief executive officer of Houlton Regional Hospital.
Houlton Regional Hospital welcomed two new physicians, a husband and wife team from central New York, to its staff. Dr. Dale Freier joined the Emergency Department in April and his wife, Dr. Grace Freier, joined Houlton Pediatrics in May.
Both of the doctors are from New York. They met while attending medical school at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University in Syracuse. Grace Freier served with the U.S. Navy on a medical scholarship, while Dale Freier completed his internship and residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in emergency medicine.
Grace’s internship was completed at the National Naval Medical Center in Betheseda and her residency for pediatrics at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. During Dr. Grace’s tours of duty, the Freiers, with their children, Dale Jr., Mark, Josiah and Abigail, were stationed at various bases throughout the United States; Grace practicing for the Navy and Dale in the emergency departments of various hospitals.
Upon Grace’s honorable discharge in 2009 the Freiers lived in Quebec to learn the French language and then spent six months in Africa, to then return to their home state of New York.
It was at that time the Freiers wanted to choose a small rural community in New England in which to practice medicine and raise their family. They found themselves drawn to Maine. When they married, they honeymooned in Kennebunk and studying his geneology, Dale found many connections to Maine.
The Freiers said, “It was then that we came across the Maine Hospital Association website and Houlton Regional Hospital. The hospital had an opening for both a pediatrician and an emergency room physician. The website provided so much information that it gave the Freiers a visual description of the area, from the agricultural and farming community to having a Christian academy.
“We started communicating with Janene Moran at Houlton Regional Hospital and in late August 2014, our family came for a site visit,” said Dale. “We liked what we saw of the hospital, its administration and the community while visiting. We still took time to do more research on our own and then in November of 2014 made the decision to join the community and hospital and began preparations for the move.”
Dale grew up on a dairy farm (which was later converted to beef) so finding the right community and farm was important to the Freiers. The Freiers have settled into the former Arnold and Nan Miller Farm in Littleton. As Grace said, “Dale fell in love with the barn immediately because it is an old dairy barn.” The Freiers also brought with them from New York, their American Milking Devon cattle, which are a heritage breed.
Dale said, “Raising heritage breeds connects us to our past in a tangible way and ensures the genetic diversity of cattle for the future.”
The Freiers are not only enjoying their spacious farm, they are falling in love with Houlton and their children are settled into Greater Houlton Christian Academy.
“I find it very easy to talk to people here,” Dale added. “I get a sense that people in the community appreciate we are here and the community appreciates the hospital being here. I think people here are generally appreciative with what they have.”
Grace added she is happy to be here and working in Houlton Pediatrics. She worked as a pediatrician in a family practice office in New York.
Grace said, “It is nice to be with other pediatric colleagues and people who really do care and work hard. Dr. Maraya is an amazing pillar in the community and I look forward to working with her.”
Houlton Regional Hospital Chief Executive Officer Tom Moakler said, “Houlton is an easy place to recruit new doctors. I think the hospital is great and we have great people working here. Our community is welcoming and the new providers we have are all top-quality people.
“Janene Moran has done a great job recruiting,” he added. “I truly believe when people arrive at Houlton for their site visit and interview, they have already established a relationship with Janene. A lot has to do with the hospital, but Janene has a way of bringing everything together. She has been with the hospital for 10 years as healthcare recruiter, but assumed the additional responsibilities of physician recruiting about a year ago.”
“The hospital, through administration and staff, did a great job recruiting us,” said Dale. “It is a pleasure to be working with people who honestly care about others and we are happy to be a part of this.”
Moran added, “Houlton truly is an easy place to recruit to. Our staff have greeted new candidates with enthusiasm and when you tour our community, the shop owners are so welcoming and friendly. We have not recruited numbers, we have recruited the right physicians for the community and hospital.”
