SCARBOROUGH, Maine – MaineHealth, the region’s largest integrated health care system, welcomed the first patients into its new COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the former Scarborough Downs harness racing track Wednesday. The track’s grandstand was transformed into a clinic in just 15 days by a 100-member team from 41 Maine-based companies led by Crossroads Holdings, the Scarborough development company that is redeveloping 500-plus acres at the Downs.
“This clinic will make a big difference in MaineHealth’s efforts to vaccinate community members as quickly and safely as possible,” said MaineHealth CEO Bill Caron. “We are so grateful to Crossroads Holdings, their partners as well as to members of the business community, who have stepped up to volunteer at the clinic alongside members of the MaineHealth care team.”
Town leaders in Scarborough worked quickly in January to secure the needed permits for the grandstand’s temporary use. Led by Scarborough-based Maine Properties and Risbara Brothers Construction, the retrofitting work needed to transform the 30,000- square foot building into a clinical space included improving access to high-speed broadband and building out refrigeration rooms that are needed to house the vaccines.
“Our team has been in business for decades and this was the most important job we’ve ever completed together,” said Peter Michaud, managing partner of Crossroads Holdings. “As part of our commitment to create a true community at The Downs in Scarborough, our team is very proud to be able to lend a hand to Maine’s front-line healthcare workers,” Michaud said.
The Scarborough Downs COVID-19 vaccination clinic will operate Monday through Friday 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. to start. MaineHealth will add Saturday hours as more vaccine becomes available from the state, and the clinic will be able to vaccinate up to 2,000 people each day. More than 100 people were scheduled to be vaccinated at the clinic on Wednesday.
Under Governor Janet Mills’ leadership, Maine is in the top tier of states on delivering the COVID-19 vaccine. This reflects an intense focus on preventing sickness and death, prioritizing efficiency and equity, and partnering with health care providers, businesses, communities and volunteers.
“High volume vaccine clinics are a critical part of our effort to get shots into the arms of as many Maine people as quickly, efficiently and equitably as possible. On behalf of Maine people, I thank MaineHealth, Crossroads Holdings, the Town of Scarborough, State of Maine staff and the countless volunteers for their work to stand up this facility and for their partnership with the State to get people vaccinated,” said Governor Janet Mills. “This site exemplifies how Maine has come together to fight the pandemic and my Administration looks forward to supporting it as we continue to partner with health care providers and others to stand up more vaccine clinics of all sizes in the coming weeks. These sites, coupled with an increase in supply of vaccine from the Federal government, are crucial to protecting the health of Maine people and putting a lid on this virus so we can get back to normal.”
The Scarborough Downs clinic is scheduled to operate for the next 6 months, with the potential to operate longer. Vaccines are available by appointment only. MaineHealth is currently offering vaccine appointments at clinics across the state to people 70 and older in accordance with guidelines from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Patients seeking a vaccination can pre-register by calling the MaineHealth COVID-19 Vaccine Assistant at 1-877-780-7545.
- More information about how to get a vaccine through MaineHealth is available at vaccine.mainehealth.org/faq
- Video of construction work on the Scarborough Downs COVID-19 vaccine clinic is available for download here.
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About MaineHealth:
MaineHealth is a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of nine local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,700 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With close to 22,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. It includes Franklin Memorial Hospital/Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington, LincolnHealth in Damariscotta and Boothbay Harbor, Maine Behavioral Healthcare in South Portland, MaineHealth Care at Home in Saco, Maine Medical Center in Portland, Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., Mid Coast-Parkview Health in Brunswick, NorDx in Scarborough, Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County Hospital in Rockport and Belfast, Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford and Sanford, Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook and Stephens Memorial Hospital/Western Maine Health Care in Norway. MaineHealth Affiliates include Maine General Health in Augusta and Waterville, New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland and St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization in Portland.
About The Downs:
This 525-acre planned community in Scarborough will offer three distinct components to ‘live, work and play,’ which earned the project a tagline of “A Community Trifecta.” The property will be home to a 150-acre innovative business park, a walkable Town Center, 200 acres of greenspace, 10- miles of recreational trails and several mixed-use housings neighborhoods. At full buildout, the entire project is estimated to create over $615M in new value; over $10M in new tax revenue; nearly 2M square feet of commercial space and as many as 3,000 new jobs.