community benefit report 2010
TRANSCRIPT
MaineHealthMaineHealth
Community Benefit Report 2010
2 Community Benefit Programs
8 Maine Medical Center
10 Maine Mental Health Partners (Spring Harbor Hospital)
12 Lincoln County Healthcare
14 Waldo County General Hospital
16 Stephens Memorial Hospital
18 Southern Maine Medical Center
20 HomeHealth Visiting Nurses
22 Pen Bay Medical Center
24 Synernet
25 NorDx
26 Maine Physician Hospital Organization
28 Community Benefit Financial Summary
Table of Contents
Stephens Memorial HospitalNorway
Waldo County General HospitalBelfast
Lincoln County Healthcare
Miles Memorial Hospital Damariscotta
St. Andrews Hospital & Healthcare Center Boothbay Harbor
Pen Bay Medical CenterRockland
Maine Medical CenterSynernetSpring Harbor HospitalMaine PHONorDxGreater Portland
HomeHealth Visiting NursesSaco
Southern Maine Medical CenterBiddeford
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Our members deny no one care, regardless of an individual’s ability to pay. This report describes many of the programs MaineHealth and its members delivered – without reimbursement or other compensation – in fiscal year 2010.
MaineHealth includes the following member organizations: Lincoln County Healthcare (Miles Memorial Hospital and St. Andrews Hospital & Healthcare Center), Maine Medical Center, Maine Mental Health Partners (Spring Harbor Hospital), Pen Bay Healthcare (Pen Bay Medical Center), Southern Maine Medical Center, Waldo County Healthcare (Waldo County General Hospital), Western Maine Health (Stephens Memorial Hospital), HomeHealth Visiting Nurses, Maine PHO, NorDx and Synernet.
Affiliates of MaineHealth include MaineGeneral Health, Mid Coast Health Services, New England Rehabilitation Hospital and St. Mary’s Health System.
About the Community Benefit Report
MaineHealth is a family of leading high-quality providers and other healthcare organizations working together so our communities are the healthiest in America. Stephens Memorial Hospital
Norway
Waldo County General HospitalBelfast
Lincoln County Healthcare
Miles Memorial Hospital Damariscotta
St. Andrews Hospital & Healthcare Center Boothbay Harbor
Pen Bay Medical CenterRockland
Maine Medical CenterSynernetSpring Harbor HospitalMaine PHONorDxGreater Portland
HomeHealth Visiting NursesSaco
Southern Maine Medical CenterBiddeford
Members of the MaineHealth system work together to offer the people we serve in 11 Maine counties an extensive array of disease-management, community health and disease-prevention programs. Many of our programs help dramatically reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations, helping to keep Mainers healthy. These programs help ensure that Maine people receive high-quality care that’s cost-effective.
Chronic Health Conditions
The AH! Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease programs work to adapt quality measures that reflect evidence-based guidelines. The program provides training and education about lung health treatment, medications and devices.
The TARGET Diabetes Program helps improve care and outcomes for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and increases awareness of diabetes.
Community and Provider Support
The Emergency Medicine Program improves the quality of care received by patients in the emergency departments of MaineHealth member and affiliate hospitals.
Community Benefit Programs
MaineHealth made a significant financial contribution to support HealthInfoNet’s effort to create a statewide health information exchange.
The MaineHealth VitalNetwork is staffed by expert ICU physicians and nurses in a central station, allowing remote monitoring of 120 patients in nine locations within local hospitals’ ICU units.
The Osteopathic Heritage Fund provides grants to advance the principles of osteopathy, preserve osteopathic history, and promote the recognition and validity of osteopathic principles.
The Pharmacy and Therapeutics Program works to improve outcomes of patients in the MaineHealth system by reducing variations in care and promoting best practices.
The Prehospital Care/Emergency Medical Services Program works with hospital emergency medical service medical directors to support education, quality management and case follow-up.
The Telehealth Program works to improve the health status of our communities by integrating, advancing and optimizing the use of telehealth technologies to provide access to specified services in remote areas.
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These programs
help ensure that
Maine people receive
high-quality care
that’s cost-effective.
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Community Benefit Programs, continued
The Transitions of Care Program works to ensure that patients receive excellent care throughout the transition from hospital to home and to community-based provider.
Elder Care
Partnership for Healthy Aging leads the implementation of evidence-based prevention programs for older adults throughout Maine. PFHA focuses on improving transitions, prevention and quality across the care continuum.
Heart and Vascular Care
The AMI/PERFUSE Program helps caregivers provide the highest-quality care for patients who experience an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) – regardless of the patient’s point of entry into the MaineHealth system.
The Heart Failure Program improves health outcomes for patients with heart failure by promoting best practices in care at MaineHealth hospitals and across all care settings.
The Stroke Program works to standardize stroke care across the continuum of providers within the MaineHealth system.
Medication and Care Programs for Lower-Income, Uninsured Community Members
CarePartners coordinates the provision of donated healthcare services for low-income, uninsured Mainers in Cumberland, Kennebec, Lincoln and Waldo counties through a volunteer network of over 950 health professionals.
MedAccess provided access to approximately $3.2 million of free medications in FY10. CarePartners provides this community resource to uninsured and underinsured community members through the pharmaceutical-industry-based Patient Assistance Programs.
Mental Health
The Mental Health Integration Program works to improve patient care by bringing mental health clinicians into medical settings and by improving the collaboration between medical and mental health providers.
Oncology
The Oncology Program promotes high-quality oncology care across the system, ensuring easy access and effective transitions among specialists and locations.
Palliative Care
The Palliative Care Program promotes palliative care across the system, including clinician education, identification of patients who may benefit from palliative care, provision of services for complex medical conditions, addressing ethical issues and engaging patients in discussing goals of care.
Prevention
The Infection Prevention Program works to reduce infection rates, improve outcomes for patients and decrease preventable hospitalizations across the MaineHealth system.
The Let’s Go Initiative is a childhood obesity prevention program with the goal of increasing physical activity and healthy eating for adults and children through policy and environmental change.
The Preventive Health Program works to deliver consistent, high-quality, preventive healthcare across the MaineHealth region for adults and children by providing best-practice, evidence-based tools and support to primary care practice teams.
Community Benefit Programs, continued
Resource and Referral Centers
The MaineHealth Learning Resource Centers provide patients, healthcare providers and community members with easy access to quality health information and a wealth of educational reference material.
The Parkinson’s Information and Referral Center is a resource for people with Parkinson’s disease, as well as for wtheir families and healthcare providers. MaineHealth also made carefully selected contributions throughout the year to several nonprofit organizations.
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The net community
benefit investment
related to MaineHealth’s
corporate activities is
$6,267,347, which
is supported by our
member organizations
and investment income.
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A sampling of the programs and services Maine Medical Center provides:
In collaboration with the Maine CDC and Cumberland County Emergency Management and public health officials, MMC’s Emergency Preparedness Program invited the community to receive the free H1N1 influenza vaccine. This was the largest clinic held in Maine in 2010. More than 3,500 doses of the vaccine were administered over two days at Maine Medical Center’s Bramhall Campus.
Specially trained oncology nurses within each major cancer area act as clinical patient navigators to help people diagnosed with cancer – and their families – get all the information needed to make the most informed and timely decisions about treatment.
MMC provides live and telephonic interpretation services for patients who do not speak English, as well as on-site interpreters for deaf patients who use American Sign Language, hard-of-hearing patients and family members.
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Terry, a self-employed violin teacher, brings students to play for patients at The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center. But that’s not her only connection to Maine Medical Center (MMC): She’s been a patient of the adult medical clinic for 29 years and a CarePartners member for four.
“I haven’t been well in the past 10 years,” Terry says, “but with CarePartners and the clinic, I keep getting better.” As a violinist, she’s experienced repetitive motion injuries in her wrist, thumb and shoulder. Without care, it would be difficult for her to carry on her work. CarePartners provides access to free or very low-cost comprehensive medical care and pharmaceuticals to low-income Maine residents who aren’t eligible for other public or private healthcare coverage. This MaineHealth program has been helping patients like Terry since 2001.
“My care manager connected me to services I needed but couldn’t get before,” Terry, 55, explains. “It’s great to know I have coverage and can get the care and medications I need.”
Social worker Pamela Pride, Terry’s care manager, explains a little about CarePartners: “Once members are enrolled, we assign them to a primary care provider if they don’t already have one who participates in CarePartners. We help with access to medications, facilitate referrals to specialists and troubleshoot any problems,” she says.
“She knows all the places to go,” Terry says. Pamela has been referred for physical therapy, podiatry and other services. Terry gets her medications at no cost through a pharmaceutical assistance program, saving $135 for every 90-day supply. Other medications are acquired at a very low cost through the MMC pharmacy, at a savings of $530 each year. “This is a big savings for me, and a relief,” she says.
Pamela checks in often with Terry. “Because we know stress directly impacts health, we offer information about other community resources – rent rebates, fuel assistance, food stamps, food pantries, housing assistance and much more,” says Pamela. “Pam is amazing,” Terry says. “She met me when I was a shell of a human being, and she’s watched me come around from that scared person to where I am now.”
Dawn Huntsman knows the challenges of mental illness. Diagnosed with depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, Dawn was admitted to Spring Harbor Hospital three times; at those times, thoughts of suicide consumed her.
Each hospitalization led her to a greater awareness about herself and her illness. Social worker Lois Stock provided counseling to Dawn during one of her hospital stays. Lois and other staff on the adult unit recognized changes in Dawn in a relatively short time. With encouragement and support, Dawn opened up and became less withdrawn.
“Dawn began to change; she smiled more and was receptive to learning about and addressing negative patterns she had developed in her life,” Lois says.
For Dawn, there was a significant revelation that helped her find greater emotional stability once she was back out in the community. “Lois and I talked about how to choose relationships that were healthy for me,” Dawn says. “She gave me the book ‘Codependent No More,’ and I learned a lot from it. I learned I didn’t need to be with someone in order to be happy.” Following her third hospitalization, Dawn was referred for outpatient support provided through the ACCESS Program of Spring Harbor Community Services. She receives medications through ACCESS and ongoing group counseling and case management services. Case manager Steve Fearing helped Dawn develop life skills; manage her stress; and find safe, secure housing. “Dawn is working hard at being independent,” Steve says. “She’s acting more responsibly and has a greater awareness of what she needs to do to maintain her own well-being.”
With the help of Spring Harbor Hospital, Dawn was able to stabilize during some of the lowest moments of her life. Now, through Spring Harbor Community Services, Dawn gets the support she needs to live a healthy and productive life in the community.
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Spring Harbor Hospital is one of six members of Maine Mental Health Partners —a network of high-quality, integrated mental health providers.
A sampling of the services Maine Mental Health Partners contributes to the community: Crisis intervention training for local law enforcement and corrections personnel Residency training and educational experiences for students in medicine, nursing, social work and other health professions Critical incident response by specially trained clinicians in the aftermath of a traumatic accident or disaster in the community
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Nine years after Dana Brown had quadruple bypass heart surgery, he gets up every day at 3:30 a.m. to open Mike’s Place on Route 1 in Newcastle – thanks in part to Lincoln County CarePartners Plus.
A friendly man with an easy smile, Dana enjoys his work, especially greeting the regulars: “I give the customers a hard time and they give me a hard time. We talk politics, we talk sports, they tell me about the weather.”
It was a customer who suggested that Dana contact Lincoln County CarePartners Plus after he lost the health insurance he had through work. Supported by Miles Memorial Hospital, St. Andrews Hospital and Lincoln County physicians in partnership with MaineHealth, CarePartners offers free or low-cost comprehensive care, including medications, to uninsured Lincoln County residents who meet income qualifications.
It was hard for Dana to ask for help. “I was always the type of guy who if I wanted something, I had to work for it. It didn’t feel quite right. I had insurance all those years, and it felt like I was looking for a handout,” explains Dana.
But for Dana, who has taken blood pressure medication since he was 20, the choice was between joining CarePartners so he could get the preventive care and medications he needed or see his health spiral downward until he was unable to work.
By offering access to preventive care, CarePartners helps people avoid the health crises that can lead to expensive emergency care and leave them unable to work or care for their family. Dana now has regular checkups with Dr. Timothy Goltz of Lincoln Medical Partners and takes medications for his blood pressure and cholesterol and one that helps maintain a moderate pulse.
He also has lost weight, has become more active and feels much more in control of his health than he did before. Last year, when chronic tooth infections threatened his heart and his overall health, CarePartners helped him get dentures, with the help of Katherine Young of Denture Design in Damariscotta and Damariscotta dentist Dr. Joseph Griffin.
Having CarePartners and working with people at Lincoln County Healthcare and CarePartners has made a big difference in Dana’s life. “Just the knowledge that you’re protected eases your mind a lot,” he says.
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A sampling of the programs and services Lincoln County Healthcare provides:
Lincoln County Healthcare provides internship opportunities for nursing, social services, pharmacy and medical students who are completing their rural rotations.
To ensure access to primary care and certain specialty care physicians, Lincoln County Healthcare employs physicians to provide services through its hospital-based practices at St. Andrews Hospital and Miles Memorial Hospital. Services are provided without regard for ability to pay.
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A sampling of the programs and services Waldo County Healthcare provides:
Waldo County Healthcare, Lincoln County Healthcare, Pen Bay Healthcare and Maine Mental Health Partners are working together to sustain and expand community mental health services in the region.
Waldo County Healthcare and the City of Belfast subsidize the Belfast Public Health Nursing Association, which offers free health education and services to low-income, at-risk individuals and families in Belfast.
The hospital’s Community Case Management Program is a free service for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure. Patients enrolled in the program reduced hospitalizations and emergency department visits by 90 percent.
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At 26, Ryan Brassbridge of Searsport learned a lesson that could help him live a much longer, healthier life: Diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, is a serious condition that can lead to coma or death.
Ryan lived with diabetes for 10 years with no complications and without paying a lot of attention to his disease. When he started feeling horrible, he was hesitant to go to the emergency room because he had no health insurance. When it got to the point that he couldn’t see well and felt like he had no idea what was going on, he went to the Waldo County General Hospital emergency room. Once at the hospital, Ryan wondered if he’d waited too long. His blood sugar was out of control and his potassium was extremely low.
Ryan spent two days in the intensive care unit. When he learned that people have died from DKA, Ryan realized how fortunate he was.
When Ryan saw the bill for his hospital stay, he worried about how he’d pay while also paying $300 a month for insulin. Knowing that the DKA was caused by an infection that probably could’ve been treated if he’d sought help earlier, Ryan worried that without insurance, he’d probably end up in the same situation again.
Fortunately, Ryan no longer has to weigh his medical needs against his ability to pay high healthcare costs. Ryan’s now part of the hospital’s Diabetes Education Program, and a nonprofit foundation helps him purchase insulin pump supplies. And as a member in the CarePartners Program, he’s able to see Dr. Stephen Sprague at the Searsport Health Center at no charge.
Ryan believes the programs likely saved his life. He admits that he really hadn’t been doing what he should have to keep his diabetes under control. “That episode was enough to scare me. I realized it wasn’t playtime,” he says.
His first HbA1c test (a blood test used to measure how well-controlled a person’s diabetes is) after hospitalization was 10 percent. The goal for people with diabetes is less than 7 percent, and Ryan is working hard to get his percentage down.
“It was a big wake-up call. Hopefully it was the first and only time I find myself in that situation,” concludes Ryan.
The tornado that touched down in western Maine in the summer of 2009 was the beginning of life-changing events for Cheryl Brown and her husband, Robert.
The Browns weren’t home when the tornado hit South Paris, but when they returned later that day, their street was impassable and the neighborhood looked like a war zone. Their home intact, the Browns faced the demanding task of clearing the debris surrounding their home – a home Robert built himself. At 75, Robert wasn’t afraid of hard work. He worked with a neighbor to cut trees and clean up the property. While working on the cleanup, Robert couldn’t breathe. Cheryl called 911 and Robert was rushed to Stephens Memorial Hospital. The Browns learned that Robert had suffered a heart attack; he was transferred to another hospital and, because of the nature of his heart condition, went to Boston for surgery.
Three weeks after surgery, Robert suffered a debilitating stroke, resulting in tube feedings, paralysis of his right side and limited ability to communicate. He spent three months in rehab with Cheryl by his side. Cheryl was on a family medical leave of absence when it became evident she wouldn’t be able to return to work soon, if ever. She made the difficult decision to quit her job to care for her husband, despite the financial hardships they’d face. Without the income from her job, she could no longer afford health insurance.
When Cheryl, 60, told her physician, Dr. James Eshleman at Oxford Hills Family Practice, of her plan to take care of Robert at home, he cautioned her it wouldn’t be easy; but Cheryl wouldn’t have it any other way. Sleep deprived and stressed in her new role as caregiver, Cheryl experienced several health issues herself.
“Cheryl was facing some very difficult circumstances, both physically and financially, providing care for her husband 24/7,” says Dr. Eshleman. His office put Cheryl in touch with the MedAccess Program, a prescription program that helps people find low-cost prescription drug resources.
“The free care program through Stephens Memorial Hospital and the MedAccess Program have been helpful in providing me with access to important healthcare services that I otherwise couldn’t afford,” says Cheryl.
As Cheryl reflects, “I don’t regret for a minute my decision to take care of my husband. Robert and I have been married for 33 years. Family comes first.”
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A sampling of the programs and services Western Maine Health provides:
Western Maine Health supplies mammogram coupons to local physicians for their low-income patients. Each coupon is redeemed for a free mammography exam at Stephens Memorial Hospital.
Western Maine Health is the lead agency for Healthy Oxford Hills, a community coalition to promote partnerships, policies and programs to protect and enhance the health of residents of Oxford Hills.
The Vial of Life Program enables individuals in the community to record and safely store health information at home, allowing information to be quickly retrieved in an emergency situation.
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A sampling of the programs and services Southern Maine Medical Center provides:
An expanded Mental Health Crisis Unit in the Emergency Department offers patients experiencing mental health crisis a unique level of privacy and a smooth transition of care to York County’s only inpatient mental health unit if adult patients require hospitalization.
All SMMC PrimeCare primary care and specialty physicians care for local patients regardless of ability to pay. People who come to the emergency center and do not have a primary care physician are referred to one.
Support services for local cancer patients and their caregivers include community outreach activities and events, nutrition classes, educational programs, support groups, and survivor celebration activities.
The AH! Asthma Program provides an asthma educator who supports children and parents of children with asthma by offering the information, tools, equipment and literature they need to help manage asthma. It also assists patients who can’t afford their medications.
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Timothy Wilson was healthy, or so it appeared.
“I found him on his bathroom floor – his speech was slurred and his voice very high-pitched,” says his mom, Pauline. “He protested being sent to the hospital, because he had no health insurance, but I called the ambulance anyway.”
Upon arrival at Southern Maine Medical Center, Timothy, 41, was stabilized by the emergency team and admitted to the hospital for three weeks due to a stroke. While he was hospitalized, tests revealed he’d suffered vertebral artery dissection, most likely due to untreated high blood pressure. As he dealt with the effects of Wallenberg’s syndrome, a neurological condition caused by a stroke in the area of the brain stem, he began physical, occupational and speech therapy in the hospital.
During Timothy’s hospital stay, his mother, Pauline, met with SMMC’s financial counselor. “With every service he received at SMMC, he could see dollar signs mounting up,” adds Pauline. Timothy was relieved when he learned he qualified for free care. He’s proven to be very committed to his recovery, both in and out of the hospital.
“Having a patient as driven as Timothy was very exciting,” says Sarah McLean, PT. “All his caregivers worked together to make the most of every day, and he was incredibly dedicated. It’s nice to provide care to all patients and even nicer when you see the involvement displayed by Timothy.”
Upon leaving the hospital, Timothy continued his recovery with the help of SMMC Visiting Nurses. He needed a wheelchair during the early stages of therapy and slowly transitioned to a walker. Today, he can walk a half mile with no assistance. He also connected with a physician through the Saco VA Clinic.
“The doctors say it can take up to a year to regain normal function,” says Timothy. “Although my vision is still a concern, I’m pushing myself to gain my endurance back, and I’m pleased with my progress.” Timothy and his family are grateful for the compassionate caregivers at SMMC who saved his life. “Our family thanks them for their kindness and generosity,” states Pauline.
Bill Georgatos is a vibrant and energetic man who makes a living as a self-employed housepainter. He exercises, eats healthfully and works hard. In 2011 he began having pain in his back. After a week, Bill, 60, lost feeling in his toes and had sporadic numbness from the waist down. Due to the faltering economy, Bill had less work coming in and was struggling to make ends meet. With no other option, Bill had canceled his health insurance just two months earlier. He finally got help after he suddenly became paralyzed and fell to the ground. Unable to stand or walk, Bill rolled himself to his truck and drove to the doctor by pushing and pulling on his pant leg to operate the pedals.
Bill’s doctor sent him for an MRI, which prompted neurosurgeon Dr. Konrad Barth at Maine Medical Center to schedule emergency back surgery. Bone fragments had fallen inside Bill’s spine, blocking the nerves, and Dr. Barth told him that surgery was not optional: Without it, he’d never walk again.
After surgery, Bill started home visits with HomeHealth Visiting Nurses physical therapist Mary Anne Moisan to help regain his strength and begin the long process of retraining his muscles and nerves. He was very motivated, a “model patient,” according to Mary Anne, who adds, “Bill took responsibility for his recovery, helped with problem solving and followed through with his exercises faithfully.” Bill explains, “Mary Anne was a treasure. She’d look me in the eye and tell me exactly what to do and how to do it, inspiring my confidence with her experience and a sense of humor.”
Mary Anne’s visits, combined with Bill’s perseverance, helped him progress quickly. Five weeks after surgery, Bill surprised his doctor by walking into his appointment. Although he tires easily, copes with recurring pain from the surgery and is still working to regain full function in his right leg, Bill can walk for short distances unassisted. He’s determined to return to work, with adaptations: He can no longer lift anything heavier than five pounds and cannot climb staging or ladders for painting. Despite these challenges, Bill remains encouraged by the progress he’s made.
Bill credits his doctor for recognizing the seriousness of his condition and acting on it so quickly, having the proper therapy exercises in place so soon after surgery, and having experienced and caring therapists like Mary Anne to guide him through the process. “When I could see progress every day, even if the progress seemed small, like suddenly being able to move my toe or bend my ankle, it made me feel more confident that I would get better, and I persevered,” Bill says.
Although he’d never want to go through it again, Bill’s experience has been a time of personal growth, and he’s very grateful: “How can I complain? I never thought I’d have people coming to my house, offering all this help. I’m so thankful. I’m a lucky man.”
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A sampling of the programs and services HomeHealth Visiting Nurses provides:
HHVN supports nursing education in southern Maine through scholarships for students at the University of Southern Maine and high school seniors in York County. HHVN collaborates with the University of Southern Maine, University of New Hampshire and St. Joseph’s College to provide clinical opportunities.
HHVN has vaccinated more than 25,000 people at school clinics, town halls, assisted-living facilities, churches and community centers.
HHVN operates volunteer-staffed used bookstores in Biddeford and Portland, netting more than $7,000 to cover charity and hospice care.
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Mark Hilliard is used to working his hands hard. As a commercial fisherman, he spends weeks at a time on the boat and can easily shuck up to 70,000 scallops each trip. In 2009, he was working at a lobster dock in Tenant’s Harbor, putting chains on the forklift, when he heard a snap in his right hand. Mark’s index finger was sore after that, but because he was uninsured and needed his hands to earn a living, he ignored the pain and kept fishing for the next year.
In the summer of 2010, Mark was changing transmission fluid when he heard another ominous snap in his right hand. This time, the injury was not one he could ignore. Mark experienced extreme pain as his hand “crumpled.” He was crushed as he called his captain and skipper with the bad news. Mark would be unable to fish with the tendons in his hand severed from overuse and years of arthritis build-up. “I knew right then that I would be unable to continue working. I was missing out on a lot of money.”
Mark’s doctor, Eric Schenk, referred him to Dr. Kevin Olehnik, a Pen Bay Orthopaedics surgeon who specializes in hand injuries. Olehnik performed hand surgery on Mark in September, and after three and a half months of rehabilitation, Mark was able to return to commercial fishing in January 2011. “Doctor Olehnik is a good doctor, a good guy,” Mark says. “He did the job and I came back with no pain.”
At the time of his hand injury, Mark was still making payments on hospital bills from a heart attack eight years prior. With no way to work, and no money to pay for his needed surgery and past hospital debt, he was feeling overwhelmed. “I was so stressed about the bills,” says Mark. “Then my girlfriend suggested I ask Pen Bay for help.”
Sue Tolman, who works in the patient accounts department at Pen Bay, let Mark know he qualified for the hospital’s free care assistance, available to patients who meet income guidelines. Mark was out on a fishing assignment when his girlfriend texted him the good news. ‘Holy cow’ was all I could say,” recalls Mark. Receiving news that his debt would be paid off was “as good as a vacation – an immense relief,” says Mark. “I can’t thank Pen Bay enough. The help was unbelievable, really. Last year was one of the most stressful years, but things are coming around.”
A sampling of the programs and services Pen Bay Healthcare provides:
Unlike some rural areas where primary care access is very limited, Pen Bay Healthcare owns and operates physician practices to ensure that patients are accepted into a practice regardless of insurance coverage or ability to pay.
Pen Bay’s health education programs include more than 60 free clinics, medical screening days and educational outreach opportunities in addition to 75 classes and support groups. These include free community health education through Pen Bay’s Picker Family Resource Center; free and low-cost blood pressure, colon cancer and other screenings; free and low-cost flu vaccinations; and the Zing! Program to encourage children to adopt healthy eating and exercise habits.
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Synernet, a for-profit company that’s hospital-owned, provides healthcare organizations with time-saving services that improve quality and efficiency so that organizations can use resources for patient care. With the addition of Cary Medical Center in Caribou, all 39 Maine hospitals now work with Synernet.
A few notable recent achievements for Synernet:
Synernet’s medical transcription services reach far beyond Maine’s borders, including new customers in California and Michigan. As hospitals look to consolidate services, Synernet’s medical transcription services provide cost-saving solutions.
A large Boston-based healthcare system worked with Synernet’s credentialing department to complete the credentialing process (the verification of healthcare professionals’ education and licensing) for a surgical practice in just five weeks. Partnering with Synernet provided the extra help to get the job done.
The clinical engineering department provides maintenance and repair services for equipment in many Maine hospitals. Smaller, critical-access hospitals are often unable to afford the employees required to maintain all equipment within their facilities. Partnering with Synernet allows these institutions to get the coverage needed to ensure patient safety.
Synernet’s Workers’ Compensation Fund consists of 16 community-based hospitals and affiliated organizations. Like other Synernet business units, the Workers’ Compensation Fund helps reduce operating costs for participating Maine hospitals, ultimately reducing the cost of care.
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NorDx has grown in scope and expertise through affiliations with Maine Medical Center (MMC), the Maine Medical Center Research Institute (MMCRI), and the Center for Lipid Research and Clinical Research Management. This consolidation of expertise is now one of the largest, most sophisticatedstate-of-the-art laboratories in the Northeast. NorDx’s move to the MaineHealth Professional Park in Scarborough has enabled the company to implement and expand advanced testing in molecular diagnostics, colorectal cancer and vitamin D as well as pain management services.
NorDx’s complete array of pain management and toxicology testing services has grown to meet the needs of physicians throughout Maine and New Hampshire. A unique component of the service is a 24/7 direct consult line serving physicians who have clinical questions regarding drug interactions and metabolites. The program continues to help physicians monitor and treat patients dealing with pain and addiction.Through an exclusive arrangement, NorDx is providing an advanced diagnostic tool for the detection of colon cancer, the second-leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. As more physicians use the test, more colon cancers are being detected, costly treatment is being avoided and lives are being saved. Appropriate vitamin D levels are necessary for the healthy development and maintenance of our skeletal, skin, muscle, nerve and cellular functions. It also helps our ability to fight infections. NorDx analyzes vitamin D at the molecular level, which enables a physician to diagnose and treat patients in a timely manner.
As advances in the treatment of infectious disease, genetics, cancer medicine and molecular diagnostics continue, NorDx will be at the forefront, delivering advances to the healthcare providers and communities we serve.
The following programs highlight how the Maine PHO and its members work together to enhance the health of our communities.
Care Transitions ProgramAn important component in quality healthcare delivery is the transition of care from one provider to another – particularly when a patient is discharged from the hospital. The MMC PHO, a member in the Maine PHO, provides RN transition coaches in MaineHealth hospitals. The transition coaches conduct a home visit and a medication reconciliation, ensure timely medical follow-up, coach the patient in using a personal health record, and provide education regarding signs of complications. Hospital readmissions for patients in the program occur at a rate about half that of the national average – a key area for savings in the healthcare system.
Care Coordination ProgramWhen a patient is referred to a specialist, the specialist may not receive advance information or test results for the patient. The Care Coordination Program helps patients navigate the provider network to close gaps in care. Through the program, a primary care physician sends necessary information to assist a specialist; the specialist sends the primary doctor results of the consultation, along with specific care plans. This timely communication decreases gaps in care and is of great benefit to the patient.
The Maine PHO is a
regional physician-hospital
organization that includes
the MMC Physician-
Hospital Organization, the
Kennebec Regional Health
Alliance and St. Mary’s
Health System.
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The strength of
MaineHealth is in the
efficient delivery of quality
care and its impact on the
communities we serve.
MaineHealth is a
not-for-profit family of
leading high-quality
providers and other
healthcare organizations
working together so our
communities are the
healthiest in America.
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MaineHealth’s Consolidated Community Benefit Financial Summary
Maine Medical Center
Lincoln County HealthcareMiles Memorial Hospital St. Andrews Hospital & Healthcare Center
Western Maine HealthStephens Memorial Hospital
Waldo County General Hospital
HomeHealth Visiting Nurses
NorDx
MaineHealth Corporate
MaineHealth Consolidated Community Benefit Summary
Southern Maine Medical Center
Maine Mental Health PartnersSpring Harbor Hospital
charity care * bad debt *
$18,903,109
$936,039
$2,143,223
$1,781,000
$3,917,690
$291,000
$1,421,628
$247,164
$2,517,000
$0
$32,157,853
$18,367,849
$1,613,253
$1,474,344
$2,077,609
$622,259
$564,000
$2,607,817
$185,638
$4,413,000
$0
$31,925,769
Pen Bay Healthcare
government sponsored healthcare**bad debt *net community benefit investment programs
total value of quantifiable community benefits
$72,000,853
$3,639,628
$6,874,357
$1,447,312
$1,072,000
$54,000
$10,299,317
$477,067
$15,410,000
$0
$111,274,534
$38,255,070
$3,230,803
$3,475,879
$3,212,869
$312,406
$5,000
$3,104,035
$53,844
$1,370,040
$6,267,347
$59,287,293
$147,526,881
$9,419,723
$13,967,803
$8,518,790
$5,924,355
$914,000
$17,432,797
$963,713
$23,710,040
$6,267,347
$234,645,449
* Calculated “at cost”** Calculated as total shortfall (unpaid cost) for government-sponsored healthcare - including Medicare, MaineCare and other hospital-specific indigent care programs (for hospitals, this uses the new Schedule H guidelines)
MaineHealth
LINCOLN COUNTy HEALTHCAREMILES MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
ST. ANDREWS HOSPITAL & HEALTHCARE CENTER
MAINE MEdICAL CENTER
MAINE MENTAL HEALTH PARTNERS SPRING HARBOR HOSPITAL
PEN BAy HEALTHCAREPEN BAY MEDICAL CENTER
SOUTHERN MAINE MEdICAL CENTER
110 Free St.Portland, Maine 04101207-661-7001www.mainehealth.org
WALdO COUNTy HEALTHCAREWALDO COUNTY GENERAL HOSPITAL
WESTERN MAINEHEALTHSTEPHENS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
HOMEHEALTH VISITINg NURSES
MAINE PHO
NORdx
SyNERNET