Capital Campaign

Helping Patients Get Well, and Stay Well

Located at the Parkview Campus, the Mid Coast Center for Community Health & Wellness provides quality, evidence-based prevention and wellness information and resources through classes, clinical care, workshops, support groups, literature and online resources for an array of important topics for all ages. We collaborate with, and promote resources available from, local and national organizations and experts who are leaders in health promotion and wellness.

Vital Investments in Health and Wellness for All: $1.9 million

The Wellness Center serves as a helpful resource for patients, as well as for thousands of others in the Greater Bath-Brunswick-Topsham area seeking medical exercise and health and wellness programs. The Wellness Center is committed to creating and sustaining a healthy community, keeping people out of the hospital, and helping those with a recently diagnosed or chronic illness get well or learn to manage illness.

• Renovation: With the newly renovated 8,000 square foot space, we have brought together all our Community Health & Wellness programs under one roof; an integrated health and wellness center that cares holistically for mind, body and spirit. The Center provides ample room for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, as well as the space and equipment to provide supervised, medical exercise for patients.
• Medical Exercise: Our cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs have been expanded to reach patients dealing with other serious illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's disease, arthritis and more.
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: An educational program designed to help people better cope with stress and life's challenges. Mindfulness is an awareness that arises by intentionally paying attention to the present moment. We have expanded and integrated this program with other medical services such as cancer and addiction programs to assist our patients dealing with stress.
• Community Education and Counseling: We have expanded our preventative programs such as asthma education, tobacco cessation, nutrition and weight loss programs to have greater impact on the overall wellness of our patients and community members.
• Culinary Resources: A robust instructional culinary program has accommodated over 100 people at a time for healthy cooking courses and other classes in the new teaching kitchen.
• Community Benefit: The cancer and wellness renovations provide additional integrated, contemporary space for these services to be used for the critical ancillary programs and caregivers that support patients and families through and beyond their illnesses and treatments.

Ed's Story

After undergoing a double lung transplant, Ed received rehabilitation and medical exercise at the Mid Coast Center for Community Health & Wellness. A retired Bath Iron Works employee, Ed exercises faithfully three times a week performing a disciplined regime of weights, stretching and cardiovascular supervised exercise.

He said, "The dedicated team at the Center for Community Health & Wellness helped me get back on the golf course. I couldn't be more grateful."

Increasing Need for Cancer Care

Mid Coast Hospital's Cancer Care program is accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons for the quality of its comprehensive, multidisciplinary patient care. With this accreditation, Mid Coast joins an elite group of just 30 percent of hospitals in the U.S. and the good company of eight other Maine cancer programs that have voluntarily achieved this status.

Mid Coast Hospital has made an investment in the most advanced diagnostic technology. Our capabilities include mammography, sterotactic biopsies and breast MRIs, as well as ultrasound, CT scans and PET scanning. The sophistication of this technology results in more accurate diagnoses and earlier treatment, close to home.

Yet, the demand for cancer care in our community has more than doubled since 2015. New referrals for cancer care have continued to escalate. Mid Coast Hospital has responded by expanding and enhancing facilities, programs and medical staff.

Investing in Cancer Care–Close to Home: $2.3 million

• Expansion: Current cancer care space at the Parkview Campus has been dramatically expanded to almost 10,000 square feet; a 5,400 square foot medical oncology practice and a 4,300 square foot medical infusion center that delivers outpatient medical treatment including chemo and infusion therapies, and other non-cancer related medicines.
  • Four small exam rooms have been transformed to six enlarged spaces.
  • The number of infusion bays has been increased by 40%. The contemporary and spacious bays are designed to be restful and healing, overlooking green pines that surround the Parkview Campus.
  • Additional space allows for multiple disciplines to efficiently consult, discuss and determine potentially complex treatment paths on-site.
  • Consultation rooms have eased the stress of physician-family meetings.
• Greater Affiliations: A new partnership with the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network has expanded delivery of the highest quality cancer care in affiliation with MaineHealth.
• Programs: Recognizing that a diagnosis of cancer is not just stressful for the patient but for the entire family, plans include the implementation of programs to reduce the distress associated with cancer and provide support surrounding treatment. Social workers and nurse navigators help patients and families through every step of the diagnosis-treatment-after care journey. The close proximity of this practice to the new Center for Community Health & Wellness allows for pre-, during, and post wellness opportunities that enhance the care delivered, including survivorship programs, medical exercise and nutrition counseling for cancer patients.

Rob's Story

Rob, a father of three young children, Katie (3), Emma (6) and Gabriel (8), was diagnosed with cancer when he was in his early forties. As Rob's scans improved with chemotherapy, the care team at Mid Coast Hospital lovingly cared for him. The family finally felt supported.

"I've been given the gift of time," Rob said.

His wife, Nicole, added, "For the first time since Rob's diagnosis, the team at Mid Coast Hospital Cancer Care gave me hope."

Identifying Older Adult Care Needs

Rapidly Aging Population
Maine has one of the oldest populations in the country-and it's growing older. The 65 and above age group will account for nearly all Maine's population growth in the next ten years. Mid Coast Hospital must adapt to this changing dynamic and make vital investments for the future. By 2022, there will be a 46% increase in the number of residents in this age bracket-a staggering increase.

Accessibility to Needed Services for Older Adults
We recognize the importance of providing specialized care and options for older adults. To achieve this, we must offer a full array of comprehensive services with greater access to nursing home, long-term, rehabilitation and hospice care.

End-of-Life Care
CHANS Home Health & Hospice provides compassionate end-of-life care at home; however, complicated and complex health issues often require an inpatient hospice setting. Currently, Mid Coast Senior Health has limited capacity to provide inpatient hospice services. Increasingly, hospice patients and their families must travel out of our community to receive inpatient hospice care.

Quality Expectations
The nursing home and nursing and rehabilitation wings of Mid Coast Senior Health were built in the 1960s. Each wing houses 21 rooms. Over the past 50 years, only minor cosmetic changes have been made to the design and layout of the facility. The rooms are outdated, and only ten of the 42 rooms are private.

Investing in Hospice & Older Adult Care: $5 million

A $5 million investment will allow for renovation and expansion of Mid Coast Senior Health and related services for older adults. The updates will maximize the capabilities of this healing and caring environment, while meeting the identified need of older adult services in our community, including:

• Expansion of Hospice Care: The renovation will create a dedicated hospice presence, greatly enhancing the environment for hospice care patients and families close to home. Private rooms will allow families to spend precious moments with their loved ones. Dedicated family, kitchen, gathering and meditation spaces will provide a much-needed respite for family members and friends. Expanded inpatient hospice services will help patients avoid an unsettling transition to another facility at a time when peace, comfort and dignity are so valued.
• Renovated Private Room and Flexible Use Space: In the nursing home and rehabilitation wings, new suites will be constructed, and existing rooms will be modified to create private spaces. Rooms will demonstrate a contemporary, amenity-rich, and natural light-infused environment. Each renovated private room will have a welcoming entry space and a large, private bathroom. These changes will provide a "flex-space" use of the current wings, where, if necessary, every room could serve as a hospice room. Two hospice family rooms will be constructed for loved ones to stay close to the patient. Amenities include WiFi, a kitchenette, showers and sleeping quarters. A meditation room will also be constructed for quiet contemplation and privacy for the family.
• Setting New Standards: Through these improvements, we will dramatically raise the standards of older adult care in our community. Mid Coast Hospital will be well-positioned to manage long-term growth for older adults, while optimizing quality of care and cost efficiencies.
• Community Benefit: The planned initiative will result in a better patient experience. Because patients will be cared for in single rooms, there will be an enhanced ability for infection control. Physical therapists will better aid patients with additional space to move more freely. There will be a seamless transition for older adults, as they require escalating medical attention, treatment and privacy.

Goldie's Story

Goldie spent her last years at Mid Coast Senior Health in long-term care after living next door to her childhood friend, Sylvia, at Thornton Hall assisted living. A lifelong resident of Brunswick, Goldie graduated from Brunswick High School in 1935. She lived on Federal Street where her family kept chickens and cows when she was a girl.

She rode her bike to work every day, even in winter, to Bowdoin College where she worked as a payroll supervisor for over 35 years. Goldie never missed a New England Patriots game, even receiving a jersey from Patriot quarterback Tom Brady when she turned 100.

• Gifts of Cash: The simplest way to make a gift is to contribute cash. A tax deduction is taken in the year the gift is made. Methods of making gifts of cash include checks, credit card, payroll deduction or secure online giving.
• IRA Rollovers: The IRA Charitable Rollover provision allows individuals who have reached age 70.5 to donate to charitable organizations directly from an IRA without treating the distribution as taxable income. As laws may change, please consult your tax professional for eligibility.
   
• Planned Gifts: The success of MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital will depend on long-range planned gift options. Planned gifts of $100,000 or more may allow the donor to reach a specific naming opportunity level as appropriate.
• Gifts of Appreciated Securities: For outright gifts of appreciated long-term securities, deduction is equal to the fair market value of the securities on the date the donor relinquishes control of the assets to MaineHealth Mid Coast Hospital.