Dr. Robert A. Trembley named “Legend” at North Country Hospital

NEWPORT — Longtime local internal medicine physician, Robert A. Trembley, MD has been officially named a “Legend,” as part of the Legends Scholarship program at North Country Hospital.

Created in 2010 to honor exceptional and legendary healthcare professionals, The Legends Scholarship program is dedicated to serving the needs of our community, and of local students pursuing a career in healthcare.

Dr. “Bob” Trembley came to the community in 1985 when he began practicing with Drs. Tatum, Harris and Primeau at Northern Counties Healthcare. Nine years later, he became an employee of North Country Hospital as founding member of the Community Medical Associates internal medicine group.

Soon after his employment at North Country, then CEO Sid Toll appointed him as the Medical Administrator of Hospital Practices. Aside from a brief 14-month period when he left to take a position as Medical Director at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Plan in Massachusetts, Dr. Trembley has served North Country Hospital and this community as an internal medicine physician and medical administrator in both the hospital and the local nursing homes.

Always putting patients first, he is known as the conscience of the medical staff, with a great sense of right and wrong in the medical world.

When told of the Legend naming, Dr. Trembley was very humbled and honored to have been nominated and then selected as the fourth Legend.

“Medicine evolves constantly and education is key to maintaining not only expertise but interest and excitement in the field, whether it’s ones own on-going education, the teaching of medical students and residents, or sharing knowledge with other clinical staff,” Dr. Trembley said. “We all benefit, as does ultimately the patient.”

At the reception to unveil the award and present the honor, Dr. Trembley moved those present to tears with his genuine compassion for his family, his work and for this community.

At the same time Kathy Austin, Board Chair, and partners Dr. Chris Rickman and Dr. Peter Harris were praising him and his accomplishments, Dr. Trembley also commented on the tremendous impact his wife Carol has made on students in our community with her work in the Health Care Careers program at the North Country Career Center.

Other North Country Hospital Legends include A. David Alsobrook, Jr. MD, Thomas A.E. Moseley III, MD, and Cecile Gelineau, RN, who had the idea of creating a new healthcare scholarship fund.

Those who wish to honor Dr. Trembley and North Country’s Legends by donating to the Legends Scholarship Fund can send contributions to North Country Hospital, Attn: Wendy Franklin, Development Office, 189 Prouty Drive, Newport, VT 05855 or by visiting www.northcountryhospital.org/make-a-donation/.