Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
IN FOR A VISIT — Jeff Hamm, left, the new administrator for the East Grand Health Center chats with patient Clarice Irish during her visit to the health center July 3.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
DANFORTH — Offering hospital services on a tight budget in a community the size of Danforth is no easy task.
Just ask Jeff Hamm, new health center administrator for the 1,800-square-foot facility located on 201 Houlton Road.
With a staff of nine office and health care providers, patients should feel as if they are getting a more personalized approach to their wellness.
“The mission of the East Grand Health Center is to promote the health and well being of the people in the region,” Hamm said. “We are very small, but very important.”
Hamm replaced Priscilla Knights, who served as the executive director for East Grand since 2002.
East Grand Health Center is a federally qualified community health center. It was organized to develop and maintain a health care delivery system of the highest quality for all people regardless of social or economic circumstances, in a confidential, respectful and humanistic manner. The vision of the East Grand Health Center is to provide a medical home for the residents of the area. It strives to provide high quality, cost-effective primary health care services to all who need them. EGHC collaborates with other health care service providers in the area in an attempt to provide the most comprehensive services possible in order to best serve the needs of the community.
As a federally qualified health center, the East Grand facility has to have a “jack-of-all-trades approach” to providing services.
“What’s unique to our center is we have to wear many hats,” Hamm said. “Some of my time I am doing administrative duties and other times, you might find me behind the front desk answering the phone.
“Because we are a FQHC, we differ from a regular health center in that the federal government sees this area as a medically-underserved area,” Hamm continued. “When you are in a rural setting, it can be prohibitive to get a doctor to come here. If we did not have the FQHC umbrella, there probably wouldn’t be a health center here in Danforth.”
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
WELCOMING STAFF — The staff at the East Grand Health Center has a combined 86 years of service to the community. The staff includes, from left, Jeff Hamm, administrator; Linda McLellan, Loanne Irish, Beverly Gray, Cheryl Tardy and Kristi Parker.
East Grand receives funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration and as such is required to provide patients in its coverage area access to services without regard for their ability to pay. A FQHC is also able to provide a sliding fee scale for its services where qualifying patients pay are able to pay a lower rate, based on their income.
“A lot of people don’t understand this (sliding fee scale),” Hamm said. “If you are in a certain income bracket and family size, you may qualify. It can dramatically reduce your costs.”
The office staff and nurses have a combined 86 years of experience working in Danforth. Staff members include ; Cheryl Tardy, nine years of service; Kristi Parker and Linda McLellan, 10 years each; Loanne Irish, 25 years; and Beverly Gray, 32
“ I have just always enjoyed working here,” said Gray when asked why she has remained at the health center for so many years.
Among the types of medical services provided at the facility are family medicine, health for women, health for men, pediatrics, podiatry and family planning. Other services include laboratory, prescription assistance and health education.
The medical staff, which split time at the East Grand facility and other health centers, includes Dr. Ted Sussman, Dr. Lilly Gardner and Dr. Lawrence Crystal and Dr. Mark Kaplan.
Dr. Sussman has been with the East Grand since 1980, specializing in internal medicine; Dr. Gardner is a family physician who joined the East Grand Health Center in November of 2008; Dr. Crystal has been practicing podiatry at East Grand since 2007. Dr. Kaplan joined the center in April.
“For such a small community, we are very fortunate to have these physicians,” Hamm said. “They all rotate time here.”
Aside from general wellness visits, the East Grand Health Center also has a trauma center, which is the first stop for anyone injured in an accident in the greater Danforth area.
“Even though we are small, we provide jobs for the community and service to our patients,” Hamm said. “That can be a big deal in the winter, if there is a snow storm.”
The East Grand Health Center is always accepting new patients, and in many cases, is able to schedule appointments in a short period of time.
Normal business hours are Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesdays to Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on the health center, call 448-2347.
