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| Aroostook Republican photo/Theron Larkins Pines Health Services was one of 14 health care centers in Maine to receive funding, as part of the Affordable Care Act to increase primary care at health centers. Pines has received a total of $219,688 to expand their basic medical services. Pictured is Pines CEO Jim Davis, as he works at his office in Caribou. |
By Theron Larkins
Staff Writer
U.S. Senator Angus King recently announced that 14 health centers across Maine will receive a total of $3,071,309 in funding from the Department of Health and Human Services. Provided through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the funding will be used to increase access to comprehensive primary health care services by hiring new staff, staying open for longer hours and expanding health care services.
Pines Health Center in Caribou has received $219,688 that will go toward the hiring of new staff at Pines,
“These important funds will help improve and expand services at community-based health centers across the state, bringing us one step closer to fulfilling the promise of high-quality, affordable health care for those who need it most,” Senator King said.
According to Pines Health Services CEO Jim Davis, this particular ACA funding provided an opportunity for Pines, as well as 13 other health centers across the state, to receive money to be able to expand their basic medical services.
“What Pines is using this money for is to expand our hours at our Presque Isle health center,” said Davis. “That expansion entails salary for a physician, a medical assistant to work with the physician and for a new medical office specialist.”
Those are three positions that Davis explained would be expanded upon, while Pines is also adding another position, which will allow a registered nurse to begin working as one of Pines’ care coordinators.
“Care Coordinators are responsible for all of the non-traditional components that go into delivering care to patients,” Davis added. “There’s obviously the care that gets provided by physicians and nurses, but our care coordinators often get involved with patients who have multiple chronic diseases or complex conditions, in which the patients can benefit from having additional support that goes above and beyond the physician and nurse.”
Davis added that the care coordinators get involved with things like making sure that patients understand what medications they’re supposed to be taking, that they are able to receive their medications, as well as other things like home care. He described them as a sort of a “position without walls.”
“They can assess the patient’s living situation in regard to things like safety,” said Davis. “Also, we have patients who, during the winter months, need help with things like heating. Our care coordinators would put those patients in touch with people at the LIHEAP program at ACAP. They may not have enough food in the refrigerator, so our care coordinators would put them in contact with places like soup kitchens.”
Another major aspect that this grant will help to fund is transportation, Davis added. For those patients who may be unable to make it to their appointments or need transportation getting their prescriptions, that’s just one more area where the grant will help, said Davis. Transportation has been an issue for just about every community, especially areas with older populations, and this funding will help to break down the barrier that transportation can be.
“To be in this type of care coordinator position, it really takes a person who has a huge heart for patients, as well as a very broad knowledge of community resources,” said Davis. “None of us as individual community agencies can do everything, but it’s how we collaborate and work together to make that happen. It’s all part of a patient-centered team, with the physician acting as the captain of the team, but with a lot of people who can contribute to that team to the benefit of the patient, because that’s ultimately what we’re here for.”
According to Davis, the Affordable Care Act, which has been controversial since being signed into law in 2010, has certainly been beneficial with things like generating funding for agencies like Pines and providing them with more funding in the form of grants like this one.
