Senator Collins Visits Eastern Maine Community College

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Bangor, ME – Today, U.S. Senator Susan Collins visited Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) to speak with students and staff and to get a firsthand look at newly upgraded classroom instructional equipment at EMCC. Senator Collins secured nearly $3 million in Congressionally Directed Spending to support EMCC’s purchase of this new equipment in the Fiscal Year 2024 and 2023 appropriations packages. Senator Collins is Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“In Maine and throughout the nation, many communities are experiencing shortages of critical health care professionals,” said Senator Collins. “Visiting EMCC today, I had the chance to see how investments in new classroom technology and training equipment are helping to ensure that graduates are well prepared to enter the health care workforce. I was proud to secure funding to support EMCC’s efforts to train Maine’s next generation of nurses, emergency medical service providers, medical radiographers, and other health professionals.”

“This funding is a game-changer for our students and Maine’s healthcare system,” said Liz Russell, President of Eastern Maine Community College. “We’re bringing high-quality education straight to the communities that need it most, helping to fill critical workforce gaps and making it easier for students to get the education they need without uprooting their lives.”

Specifically, the funding secured by Senator Collins has been used to purchase new equipment and technology for EMCC’s Nursing, Medical Radiography, and Emergency Medical Services programs, including upgraded equipment in the nursing simulation lab and a new fully equipped ambulance, better preparing students for real-world emergency situations.

In addition to securing funding for EMCC’s Bangor campus, Senator Collins secured $4 million in Congressionally Directed Spending in Fiscal Year 2022 to expand the early childhood education center at Eastern Maine Community College’s Katahdin Region Higher Education Center in East Millinocket. The now renovated facility offers increased access to child care and additional job training resources for residents in the region.

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