MAINE PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF THE 2016 CLINICAL AND
ADMINISTRATIVE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Bar Harbor, ME – Oct. 19, 2016 – The Maine Primary Care Association (MPCA), a membership organization representing the collective voices of Maine’s Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Clinical and Administrative Excellence Awards which were presented today at a ceremony during the organization’s annual conference in Bar Harbor. Now in its 11th year, the Clinical and Administrative Excellence Awards were created to acknowledge the leadership and tireless efforts of individuals and health center advocates working to ensure access to affordable, high quality health care for all Mainers.

This year, MPCA recognized nine individuals for their exemplary service and distinguished accomplishments in support of Maine’s 20 Community Health Centers. The 2016 award winners are as follows:

  • MPCA President’s Award – Gordon H. Smith, Esq., Maine Medical Association
  • Physician Excellence – Susan Cheff, MD, Penobscot Community Health Care
  • Excellence in Oral Health – Phil Higgins, DMD, Penobscot Community Health Care (Dental)
  • Behavioral Health Excellence – Jennifer McCarthy, MEd, MS, LMHC, LCPC, Sacopee Valley Health Center
  • Nurse Practitioner Excellence – David Ulrich, FNP, Penobscot Community Health Care
  • Unsung Hero – Angela Fileccia, LCSW, Penobscot Community Health Care
  • Clinical Support Excellence – Jordyn Turner, Eastport Health Care
  • Physician Assistant Excellence – Kay Nash, PA-C, Penobscot Community Health Care
  • MPCA Staff Excellence – Andrea Watkins, Maine Primary Care Association

Vanessa Santarelli, CEO, Maine Primary Care Association, said, “Today, we celebrate and honor the significant and tireless contributions of the exceptional clinicians, administrators and support staff at Maine’s Community Health Centers. Their dedication to their patients and the mission to serve all who walk through their doors is second to none. We are pleased to hold a special ceremony in their honor to highlight the critical role they play each and every day.”

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES AWARDS $1.875 MILLION TO THE MAINE PRIMARY CARE ASSOCIATION FOR THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER NETWORK OF MAINE

Funding to Support Improvements in the Information Technology Capabilities of Maine’s 15 Participating Community Health Centers

Augusta, ME – Aug. 22, 2016 – The Maine Primary Care Association (mepca.org) today announced that it has been awarded $1.875 million over three years by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to further strengthen the state’s Health Center Controlled Network (HCCN), known as the Community Health Center Network of Maine (CHCNet). The $625,000 per year award will support 15 participating health centers across Maine as they work to make strategic investments in information technology that will lead to new operational efficiencies and a better care experience for their patients.

Vanessa Santarelli, CEO, Maine Primary Care Association, said, “CHCNet plays an important role in improving health center operations and quality of care through the integration of critical health information technologies. This funding is both timely and much needed as it will enable our community health centers to advance population health and streamline operations at the same time.”

Health Center Controlled Networks are designed to improve access to care, enhanced quality of care and provide cost efficiencies for health centers through the strategic adoption of health information technology. The Maine Primary Care Association has operated the CHCNet since 2005. CHCNet supports Maine’s health centers in ongoing and comprehensive practice transformation in addition to assisting with Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and other transformative accreditations.

This funding will support, among other things, the transition to value-based care, implementation of certified electronic health record technology, enhanced data analytics to support more informed decision-making, increase staff and patient engagement and overall improvements to clinical and operational quality.

Since its founding, CHCNet has grown into a network of 15 participating community health centers with a total of 66 sites throughout Maine. All of Maine’s CHCNet members are Health Center Program Award Recipients and are collaboratively working to improve operations and provide high quality healthcare to Maine residents. A listing of the network’s health centers follows below:

MAINE’S COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS CELEBRATE “NATIONAL HEALTH CENTER WEEK”
WITH FUN, INFORMATIVE EVENTS STATEWIDE

Augusta, ME – Aug. 8, 2016 – Today kicks off National Health Center Week (NHCW) and the Maine Primary Care Association (mepca.org), whose members include all 20 of Maine’s Community Health Centers (CHCs), is proudly recognizing their collective mission and accomplishments. One of the bright spots in America’s healthcare system, CHCs reach beyond the walls of conventional medicine in addressing some of our most pressing healthcare challenges.

In Maine, CHCs are “Health Homes” for approximately 200,000 individuals (1 in 7). There are over 70 CHC locations throughout the state which are open to everyone regardless of insurance or socioeconomic status. CHCs offer the highest quality of care and are local leaders in innovation with over 90 percent of Maine’s CHCs participating in pilots and demonstration projects to test new models of healthcare delivery.

Vanessa Santarelli, CEO, Maine Primary Care Association, said, “This week we celebrate over 50 years of care, commitment and innovation provided by our Community Health Centers. Maine’s CHCs are leaders in delivering high quality, compassionate health care to those who need it most. For people of all ages, CHCs offer a unique, holistic approach to health care, providing critical primary, behavioral, and dental health services that not only help prevent illness but also foster wellness in our rural and underserved communities.”

There are a variety of free, family-friendly activities scheduled statewide during National Health Center Week and throughout the month of August. Events include teddy bear/baby doll check-ups, farm stands, health screenings, blood drives and wellness seminars, among others. For a list of featured NHCW events, visit mepca.org/national-health-center-week-events-2016.

For information on a specific Community Health Center in Maine, please click on its URL below:

  • Bucksport Regional Health Center (bucksportrhc.com/)
  • Community Clinical Services (communityclinicalservices.com/)
  • DFD Russell Medical Centers (dfdrussell.org/)
  • East Grand Health Center, Inc. (eastgrand.org/)
  • Eastport Health Care (eastporthealth.org/)
  • Fish River Rural Health (frrh.org/)
  • Greater Portland Health (greaterportlandhealth.org/)
  • Harrington Family Health Center (harringtonfamilyhealth.org/)
  • Health Access Network (hanfqhc.org/)
  • HealthReach Community Health Centers (healthreachchc.org/)
  • Hometown Health Center (hometownhealthcenter.org/)
  • Islands Community Medical Services (icmsvh.com/)
  • Katahdin Valley Health Center (kvhc.org/)
  • Maine Migrant Health Program (mainemigrant.org/)
  • Nasson Health Care (nassonhealth.com/)
  • Penobscot Community Health Care (pchc.com/)
  • Pines Health Services (pineshealth.org/)
  • Regional Medical Center at Lubec (rmcl.org/)
  • Sacopee Valley Health Center (svhc.org/)
  • St. Croix Regional Family Health Center (scrfhc.org/)