Former President George H.W. Bush released from hospital

Former President George H.W. Bush was released Monday from the Houston hospital where he has been receiving care since November. 

The 88-year-old was hospitalized on Nov. 23 for the treatment of bronchitis, a bacterial infection and a persistent cough, said family spokesman Jim McGrath. 

Methodist Hospital Dr. Amy Mynderse, the physician charged with overseeing Bush's care, said in a release that he will continue physical therapy but "will not need any special medication when he goes home." 

"I am deeply grateful for the wonderful doctors and nurses at Methodist who took such good care of me," said President Bush in a prepared statement. "Let me add just how touched we were by the many get-well messages we received from our friends and fellow Americans. Your prayers and good wishes helped more than you know, and as I head home my only concern is that I will not be able to thank each of you for your kind words."

Bush, the oldest living former president, and his wife, Barbara, live in Houston during the winter and spend their summers at a home in Kennebunkport, Maine. On Jan. 6, they celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary. They are the longest-married presidential couple.

Bush had served two terms as Ronald Reagan's vice president when he was elected in 1988 to be the nation's 41st president. Four years later, after a term highlighted by the success of the 1991 Gulf War in Kuwait, he lost to Democrat Bill Clinton.