PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — County women descended upon The Aroostook Medical Center by the dozens last Saturday for the second annual County Women’s Health Conference.
More than 80 women gathered at TAMC to discuss a variety of topics including cancer screenings, diet, physical activity, depression, diabetes prevention and care, but the feature of the conference was a deep discussion of drugs in Aroostook County.
A drug discussion panel comprised of TAMC staff, community leaders and those in recovery focused mainly on opioid abuse.
Panel members included John Thyng, PA-C, a provider in TAMC’s emergency department; Chief Matt Irwin from the Presque Isle Police Department; Pete McCorison, CLSW, from AMHC; and Roxanne Burt, an individual in recovery. Moderating the discussion was Shawn Cunningham from WAGM-TV.
Thyng, who has worked in the emergency room at TAMC for over 14 years, spoke about the big change in culture regarding drugs locally during that time.
“When I started, it used to be fairly rare to see an (overdose) and it was a big deal. Now we are seeing five, six, seven a week,” he said. “It takes a lot of resources to handle these and it takes a big toll on the staff too. The change in the law regarding opioid prescriptions is making patients more desperate and more dangerous.”
Thyng urged attendees to look for ways that they can make an impact.
“We need to find the resources to make changes. Contact your legislators and urge them to support resources for inpatient facilities and counselors,” he said.
Burt shared her story of recovery as well as some words of hard-earned wisdom.
“You need to put one foot in front of the other and just keep moving forward. You can’t do it on your own though,” she said. “You need help and there are resources here in The County to help.”
To help in her ongoing recovery, she attends support meetings as well as gives back as an advocate for others facing the challenges of addiction.
“I go to (the resident facility in Limestone) to head recovery meetings there, and I speak in the community, like this, to try to give back to the community that has given me so much,” she said.
Following the panel, conference participants learned more about their health across their lifespan. Mary Hamilton, CNM from TAMC’s OB/GYN and Midwifery Services and Lucy Richard, CNM, WHNP from TAMC’s Women’s Health Center led a presentation on “Staying Healthy at Any Age.” Topics ranged from cancer screenings and immunizations to diet and physical activity. Depression was an area that was identified as becoming a more serious issue over the past year.
“Pay attention to how you feel, and listen to friends and family about what they are saying about how they feel,” Richard said.
Other presentations during the conference included Diabetes Prevention and Care with Christine O’Meara, BSN, RN, CDE, a certified diabetes educator at TAMC, and Understanding and Treating Shoulder Problems with Dr. Wendy Boucher from TAMC’s Orthopedic Services practice.
In addition to presentations, participants had access to a number of vendor displays representing services or opportunities in the community that may be of interest to them, including: ACAP, Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, AMHC, Hope and Justice Project, Donate Life, SAGE, TAMC’s LiveSAFE program and United Way of Aroostook.
