BRUNSWICK — At a recent Quality Counts forum of Maine health care providers in Augusta, Dr. Peter McGuire, founder and director of the Oasis Health Network, was announced as recipient of the 2012 Maine Public Health Association’s Phebe Conrey King Access to Health Care Award.

Lois Skillings, president and chief executive officer of Mid Coast Health Services in Brunswick, nominated McGuire for the award and will present it to him at the Oasis Annual Volunteer Recognition event on Wednesday.

Mid Coast Heath Services and its organization have been and continue to be significant supporters of the Oasis Health Network, according to an Oasis release.

“This prestigious award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to improving access to health care in Maine,” the release states.

Then-Gov. John Baldacci received the inaugural award in 2005. Other past recipients of the award include Maine public health providers Chris Carpenter, Leah Binder, Michael McCarthy and Patsy Leavitt.

As explained in its mission statement, “The Maine Public Health Association is dedicated to improving and sustaining the health and well-being of all Maine residents by advocating for polices and environments that promote public health and health equity.”

Its stated purpose is “to foster, expand, improve, and recognize efforts to better the health of all people in Maine through health promotion and protection, disease prevention, and public policy.”

“From its beginnings in 1992 as a clinic for homeless individuals in the Tedford– Oasis Shelter in Brunswick, under Dr. McGuire’s drive, determination and leadership, the Oasis Health Network has grown to a multidimensional health care provider for low income, uninsured adults in the Bath- Brunswick area, offering medical, dental and prescription assistance clinics,” the release states.

Because McGuire was not able to attend the conference, the award was accepted on his behalf by Steven Trockman, director of community relations and outreach for Mid Coast Health Services.

In his acceptance remarks, delivered in his absence by Trockman, McGuire thanked the Maine Public Health Association for giving him the award and Skillings for nominating him. He also stated, “There should be the 300 Oasis Health Network volunteers up here on this stage today receiving this award. For without their 20 years of giving of their time and talent, Oasis could not be providing the essential medical, dental and prescription assistance to its 2,300 patients.”

McGuire continued in his remarks to present his “vision” for universal health care for all Americans, suggesting that, “Free clinics are not the answer, as demonstrated by their maxed out capacity” and that “the federal Affordable Care Act federal legislation, even if upheld as constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, is also not the answer.”

McGuire’s suggested solution to “assure all people have ready access to affordable, comprehensive health care” as well as to “get the costs of such care under control through collective bargaining by an organization large enough to negotiate reasonable costs for services and medications” is to have a new and improved Medicare system for all ages.

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