County hospitals come together for May 11-21 food drive
Aroostook’s four hospitals are joining forces with the region-wide Feed The County effort to replenish area food pantries in the month of May. The Hospitals Against Hunger Food Drive will kick off Monday, May 11, and continue through May 21, with numerous drop-off locations where non-perishable food item donations will be accepted.
“We serve 24 food pantries throughout the county, and each month we distribute over 30,000 pounds of food to the pantries we work with. We had a long and expensive winter in Aroostook County. It was hard on so many of our people who struggle with food insecurity. It was hard for us, as well, and we are now challenged with low food reserves in our warehouses and the need continues to be great for so many,” said Dixie Shaw, program director of hunger and relief services for Catholic Charities Maine, the only food bank north of Brewer, and one of the key partners, along with WAGM-TV and Aroostook Savings and Loan, for Feed The County. “We are so pleased Aroostook’s four hospitals have come together, not only draw attention to this cause, but to rally The County community to ‘together make a difference.’”
Houlton Regional Hospital, TAMC, Cary Medical Center and Northern Maine Medical Center officials have been working collaboratively to plan the food drive for several weeks. The joint project is set to kick off at the start of National Hospital Week.
“One of the best things about living in The County is how we come together as one community to rally around a great cause. Certainly ensuring that families and our seniors have enough food to eat is a cause we all should rally around,” said TAMC President and CEO Sylvia Getman.
“This has been a particularly hard winter for many families in the County,” said Kris Doody, RN, CEO at Cary Medical Center. “Neighbor helping neighbor has always been a tradition here so we’re pleased to be part of this important collaborative project to restock the shelves of our regional food bank, which, in turn will provide much needed supplies to area food pantries. We see these efforts as living out our vision of creating a healthier community.”
In central Aroostook, all TAMC, Cary Medical Center and Pines Health Services locations, Aroostook Savings and Loan branches and other area businesses have joined in the effort and will accept donations to support the Hospitals Against Hunger Food Drive. Many locations, in addition to all Northern Maine Medical Center facilities, are also community drop-off spots in the St. John Valley.
“As a health care provider, our mission goes beyond our four walls and extends into the communities we serve. Food drives such as this one are so important to ensure that members of our communities get the nutritious food they need in order to thrive,” said Peter Sirois, CEO at Northern Maine Medical Center. “We know the can-do spirit of the people in the St. John Valley will come together to make this a success.”
This is the first year Northern Maine Medical Center and Houlton Regional Hospital take part in the food drive. The first-of-its-kind drive was undertaken three years ago by TAMC during the medical center’s centennial celebration as a way to give back to the community that had supported the hospital for a century.
“Houlton Regional Hospital is pleased to join this collaborative effort with the County hospitals in this important effort to fight hunger. I invite everyone in the Houlton area to stop by the hospital and contribute non-perishable food items to help those in need,” said Tom Moakler, CEO of Houlton Regional Hospital.
As part of the county-wide effort, the four hospitals will have a table set up to accept non-perishable food items at the Red Cross Real Heroes Breakfast, an event they are all supporting, on Wednesday, May 13 at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center. In addition, special events are planned at each hospital during National Hospital Week (May 11-15) to encourage both employees and community members to join in the collection effort.
For more information, visit www.hospitalsagainsthunger.org. Locations where non-perishable food items will be collected as part of the food drive include:
Drop-Off Locations
Caribou: Aroostook Savings and Loan, Cary Medical Center, County Physical Therapy, Pines Caribou Health Center and TAMC’s Caribou Health Center.
Fort Kent: Northern Maine Medical Center, Acadia Federal Credit Union, Paradis Shop and Save, Sears & US Cellular and Quigley’s Building Supply.
Fort Fairfield: Kimball Community Health Center and TAMC’s Fort Fairfield Health Center.
Houlton: Houlton Regional Hospital.
Madawaska: Acadia Federal Credit Union.
Mars Hill: Aroostook Health Center in Mars Hill and TAMC’s Mars Hill Health Center.
Presque Isle: Aroostook Savings and Loan, County Dialysis Center, County Physical Therapy, North Street Healthcare, Pines Presque Isle Family Health Center, TAMC’s A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital and Thompson Hamel, LLC.
Van Buren: Pines St. John Valley Health Center.
Washburn: Pines Washburn Health Center.
Food Donation Drop-Off Event
Red Cross Real Heroes Breakfast: Wednesday, May 13 from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Caribou Inn and Convention Center.
Free Community Couch to 5K program to be offered to area residents
PRESQUE ISLE — The TAMC Total Health Team, the city of Presque Isle, Healthy Main Street initiative of the Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee, and the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce are collaborating to help area residents and businesspeople improve their health and wellbeing. The partners will offer a free community-wide Couch to 5K running and walking program to be launched as a kickoff to National Hospital Week on Monday, May 11.
While the Couch to 5K program has been offered internally to TAMC employees twice before, this marks the first time it will be open to the community. This time around, the program will also feature a new walking option for those not ready for the running portion of the program, as well as more hands-on coaching and education.
It was during a meeting between TAMC officials and representatives of the Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee last spring that interest was expressed by the members engaged in the Healthy Main Street initiative in having the TAMC Total Health Team extend some of their employee wellness activities to downtown and other business owners. Most of the small businesses do not have the resources to offer such activities to their employees, and everyone around the table felt that a collaborative effort would be the best approach.
For TAMC officials involved in the discussion, the effort to make wellness activities more readily available to the community fit perfectly with the medical center’s Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The CHIP was updated last fall to reflect a newly released statewide Community Health Needs Assessment conducted by EMHS and a number of other stakeholders. TAMC has been working with numerous partners, including the city of Presque Isle, to expand health and wellness offerings in the area.
“The 2014 Community Health Needs Assessment revealed some troubling data about our county. Aroostook County has the highest rates of adult asthma and overweight youth. It has the second highest rate of heart disease in Maine. We know we have to address these issues and a partnership is the best way to come up with solutions. We all want a healthy community,” said Martin Puckett, deputy city manager of Presque Isle.
The Couch to 5K was initially a plan that was developed to help beginners get into running. The multi-week program gradually progressed participants safely to being able to accomplish running their first 5K event. Last year, TAMC had 75 employees take part in the program, with 25 finishers of a special final 5K event. In an effort to boost participation and completion, the new community-wide offering will include both a walking and running version of the program.
The traditional running component will be led by Sarah Duncan Caron, an experienced runner and a member of the TAMC Total Health Team, while the new walking option is being spearheaded by Linda Menard, a tri-chair of that team and a fitness advocate.
“As a community member and leader on the TAMC Total Health Team, I was keenly aware of all of the offerings available for youth and adults throughout our area to engage in physical activity. We are also fortunate to have a good number of facilities here in central Aroostook that area residents can access to exercise. What we did not have were programs to get people who were not already engaged introduced to getting active,” said Menard. “I feel the walking component is key to getting people active who are not otherwise ready to run a 5K or hit the gym.”
Menard recalls not that long ago visiting with her primary care provider and being told that her weight, blood pressure and other key measurements were not trending in a good direction. She took it upon herself to get outdoors and active, and has since seen her numbers improve, avoiding the need for prescription medication.
Both Menard and Caron are recommending the walking program as a place to start for those who have been sedentary with little to no movement over the past year. The coaches see the walking option as a way participants can slowly start to build a foundation of strength and endurance and decrease the chance of injury during the program.
For those who have been moving a little every day and want to build their endurance and strength even more, the Couch to 5K program that will lead participants to run the distance is recommended. Interested participants don’t have to be running prior to the program, but walking and moving around.
The Community Couch to 5K running program will run for nine weeks, while the walking component will go for seven weeks. Participants will be invited to take part in the first-ever Freedom 5K in Presque Isle July 11 as either a runner or walker. Both Caron and Menard will support their participants through the 5K finish line. The Freedom Run 5K is part of the County Fit and Fun Series launched this year by a collaboration of county partners to promote community health and wellness.
“The Community Couch to 5K program matches the goals of the Healthy Main Street program and the Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee’s (PIDRC). Healthy people build downtown vitality, fuel economic growth and strengthen our quality of place for future generations,” said Puckett. “Presque Isle has invested in the sidewalks and bike path, and we want to have them utilized.”
A healthier community is good news for local businesses, according to Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Theresa Fowler, which is why the chamber is partnering to help bring this program to the community.
“A healthier population affects the business community by lowering insurance premiums, decreasing absences for health-related issues and increasing productivity plus other benefits,” said Fowler. “Overall health of area residents is important. It is important to make people aware that physical activity is easily achieved without high costs for equipment. Starting with easy exercise often leads to more interest in exercise programs available at various facilities in the area. Promoting activity that is suitable for all fitness levels makes participation easier for those who may be intimidated by organized exercise classes or programs.”
The Couch to 5K program is open to anyone who wants to participate. All an individual needs is a good pair of running (or walking) shoes and motivation to become a healthier, happier person.
The program will run on Monday and Wednesday evenings at 5 p.m. On Mondays, participants will meet at the Academy House on Academy Street (between the two entrances to the TAMC Campus), and on Wednesdays, participants will meet at LiveWell United at the North Street healthcare plaza. Participants will need to complete a third day of walking or running on their own and will also be encouraged to walk or cross train additional days to build a stronger foundation and to help prevent injury.
“The Couch to 5K (running program) works because it starts with a mix of running and walking, to gradually build up your fitness and stamina. It creates realistic expectations and making the challenge feel achievable right from the start. It will be quite a few weeks of alternating walking and running before people are comfortable to run the complete 5K distance,” said Caron. “Participants will be provided information on the importance of hydration, nutrition, strength exercises, stretching, proper body mechanics and many other topics. Coaching can be as individualized as a participant would like it to be.”
For more information, contact Caron at scaron@emhs.org or call 768-4169 or Menard at lmenard@emhs.org or call 768-4172.
Unique fitness class being provided
PRESQUE ISLE — A pilot program that had resounding success for employees at TAMC is slated to be offered again, and this time is open to the community. “You, Only Stronger” is a six-week program offered for people who have a significant weight loss goal. The unique program was created through a partnership with TAMC and LiveWell United, a Presque Isle fitness studio.
“When we were looking at health risk assessment data for our own employees, we realized that we didn’t really have any tools in place to help those who are the most at risk in our organization,” said Dawn Poitras, a longtime member of TAMC’s Total Health Team and a driving force behind the creation of the program. “We looked at who we could partner with to create a program that would include not just physical activity, but psychological and dietary support, as well.”
In looking for a partner to develop such a program, TAMC reached out to LiveWell United, a fitness center that is affiliated with the medical center and is well-known as a fun, safe, non-judgmental environment.
“I was so excited to be a part of this project,” said Renée Chalou-Ennis, owner of LiveWell United and the lead instructor for the program. “Group fitness is a great way to go, offering fun activity and peer support, but we realize that not everyone can jump in and participate at the level of ‘regular’ classes. Getting fit and healthy can be very intimidating and overwhelming. Sometimes people need a place to go where they feel safe, have extra guidance and can build their confidence.”
“You, Only Stronger,” a modified group fitness class, is a result of the collaborative efforts of this partnership. The six-week class is intended for those who have at least 75 pounds to lose. A pilot session of the program was offered to TAMC employees beginning in February with incredible success.
“I went the first night and was scared to death not knowing what I had just gotten myself into. Going to a gym was not an option for me. I have always felt judgment from people who attend gyms,” said Pam McEachern, a TAMC employee who took part in the pilot session. “Going to a class where others are in the same boat as you was doable, because you don’t feel like you are being judged. It is a place where we can all share our fears and tears, and we glisten (cause we don’t sweat) to a healthier you! I can now say it is one of the best things I have ever done for myself.”
Linda Menard, a tri-chair of TAMC’s Total Health Team, attended most of the sessions right along with her colleagues and was inspired by the experience.
“I came to the sessions to provide support to those in the group, but I got motivation from them. It was so inspiring to see them working so hard to accomplish their goals,” she said. “This is such a great group of positive people, and I was humbled that they didn’t mind my being there.
“I really joined the Total Health Team for the primary purpose of helping to lead the charge for groups of employees such as this that were not currently being served,” explained Menard. “There are so many things out there happening for those who are already in pretty good shape, but we needed a different kind of program to help folks who are struggling.”
“You, Only Stronger” is now available to members of the community. The six-week session kicks off May 11 as part of the community activities being offered as TAMC celebrates National Hospital Week. Classes take place on Monday evenings from 6:30-7:15 p.m. and on Friday mornings from 6:15-7 a.m. at LiveWell United in the North Street Plaza in Presque Isle. The program will run until June 19. Members of the public can purchase a LiveWell United punch card for $55, which will cover 10 classes. The punch card can be used for “You, Only Stronger,” as well as other class offerings from the fitness center.
The goal, according to Chalou-Ennis, is to get people started and “to help them realize that they can do this.” The greatest success to her from the pilot program is not the overall weight and inches lost by participants, but rather the fact that many of them are now attending regular LiveWell United classes at other times during the week.
“They are gaining confidence in themselves, realizing that they can modify any class to meet their needs, and experiencing the support of others from the group, no matter what they class group may be,” said Chalou-Ennis.
This sentiment is echoed by McEachern, along with many others from the pilot class.
“I bought a punch card and am participating in other classes, attending four classes a week. And guess what, the girls that attend those classes really don’t judge us! They are all there for each other and help to push us along,” said McEachern. “Best of all, I feel better about myself, I have more energy, and my confidence is up.”
Space for the class is limited. To register or for more information, contact Chalou-Ennis at renee@livewellunited.com.
