Hospital expansions,
community service highlights of 2015
PRESQUE ISLE — Officials at The Aroostook Medical Center are celebrating past successes and looking ahead at opportunities for growth in 2016.
“I am so proud of the team here at TAMC that has worked hard to deliver the best, patient-centered care possible, while striving to make improvements in the facilities and services that can impact the patient experience,” said TAMC President and CEO Sylvia Getman.
Getman said the expansion of services is most significant. TAMC celebrated the grand openings of the expanded Orthopedic Services and Eye Care Services offices in May.
The orthopedic practice moved to the main floor, just off the facility’s Pinkham entrance. In addition to three orthopedic surgeons and a physiatrist, staff now includes a surgical podiatrist, a provider of osteopathic manipulation and a physician assistant. The new orthopedic center features state-of-the-art digital x-ray equipment.
Eye Care Services expanded into an adjacent area, doubling its physical space to accommodate the growing practice. Several new providers joined the practice, which now includes three ophthalmologists and two optometrists.
October marked the opening of the renovated and expanded Aroostook Cancer Care Center. Radiation therapy was moved there from its former basement location. A new vault was built to house a state-of-the-art linear accelerator for radiation therapy, and a new infusion atrium in the center features improved comfort for patients undergoing chemotherapy.
The hospital announced in December it would bring PET scan technology, primarily used for tumor detection and staging, to the region. The new scanner will be installed in March. Having this technology available locally will allow the 300 or so patients from Aroostook County who have to travel annually to Bangor for this test to have it done close to home.
TAMC’s Outpatient Specialty Clinics expanded services in dermatology and rheumatology. The two providers in the Dermatology Clinic have increased their hours, with clinic hours available each month. A new rheumatologist has doubled the capacity of that service to approximately 18 days a month.
On the community side, TAMC’s Take Flight brought more than 4,000 people to the Northern Maine Regional Airport, for activities which included TAMC’s Health Fair, Crown Critical Care Transport demonstrations, two ceremonies for veterans, scenic flights, community vendors and more. Other community events included a cancer conference, a men’s health conference, annual flu shot clinics providing more than 1,600 free flu vaccines, Healthy Aging luncheons and the opening of a community garden in Fort Fairfield.
The hospital created and was a key partner of a “Fit and Fun” series that encouraged physical activity for adults and children, including 5K runs, and also partnered with Colors of Courage, which raised money for cancer patients, and the Monster Dash, which supported TAMC’s County Dialysis Center. The series was a regional winner of the Empower Award 2015 from the Wellness Council of Maine.
In other awards and honors, the hospital earned an Overall Best Performer Award, an honor presented annually by Avatar Solutions to the top facilities in their national database of over 800 healthcare organizations with the highest overall, combined score for inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, and ambulatory surgery services.
“This is a most meaningful award because it truly represents what our patients are saying about their experience with us,” said Dr. Jay Reynolds, TAMC chief medical officer and chief clinical officer. “The heart of any organization is its people, and it is nice to see that the efforts of our TAMC team are recognized on a national level.”
The hospital scored in patient safety last year, as well. The Hospital Safety Score, released by The Leapfrog Group, showed TAMC receiving an A ranking in safety, including preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents and infections.
TAMC was also ranked best in the Maine Health Management Coalition’s rankings for National Safe Practices, maternity care, and for quality measures in surgical care, stroke care, and blood clot prevention and treatment. The medical center was recognized as Most Improved for 2015 Healthcare’s Most Wired awards, earned a Gold Star Award from the Maine Tobacco-Free Hospital Network and a Silver Award from the New England Organ & Tissue Bank.
TAMC’s County Dialysis Center earned the distinction of achieving a five-star facility for quality care, and received a 2015 ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease) Quality Award at the Annual ESRD New England Conference.
In addition to the new PET/CT scanner, renovations are underway for a new County Dialysis Center as well as a cardiac care center. Both projects will result in increased efficiencies and added convenience for patients. A construction and renovation project is also planned in the skilled unit of the Aroostook Health Center in Mars Hill, TAMC’s long-term care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation services facility. The project will add a few beds and will make some needed improvements to increase patient comfort.
TAMC will also be providing ENT services to the region, when Dr. Prasanna’s current practice joins the system. The practice will be expanded with the addition of a new ENT provider, and will be relocated to the Presque Isle facility in February.
