Pines opens Washburn clinic
By Kathy McCarty
Staff Writer
WASHBURN — Residents of Washburn and surrounding areas won’t have so far to go for their health care, thanks to the recent opening of Pines Health Center at 1260 Main St. The Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 13 attended by health professionals, businesses leaders and municipal officials.
Staff photo/Kathy McCarty
PINES HEALTH CENTER was the site of a ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted by the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce, on Main Street in Washburn on Thursday, with health professionals, business leaders and town officials gathering to mark the special occasion. Pictured from left are: Steve Rogeski, Pines Board Member; Dana Rattray, Pines Board Member; Bill Flagg, CMC Director of Public Relations; Kevin Barnes, Pines Board Member; Kris Doody, CMC CEO; Kim Jones, CMC Director of Healthy You and Marketing Coordinator; Lisa Caron, COO of Pines; Bonnie Pack, CACC member; Jim Davis, CEO of Pines; Kelly O’Neal, Pines Health Center Supervisor; Lori Cyr, Pines Patient Assistance Coordinator; Fred Thomas, Washburn Town Councilor; Pam Ginish, Medical Assistant Pines Washburn Health Center; Mary Allen, FNP-C Pines Washburn Health Center; Floyd Rockholt, CACC member; Dede Cyr, Medical Office Specialist Pines Washburn Health Center; Darin Churchill, Washburn Town Councilor; Bev Turner, Washburn Town Manager; Keith Brown, Washburn Town Council Chair; Craig Cormier, Pines Public Relations; Theresa Fowler, CACC Executive Director; Stacy Shaw, CACC President; Anthony Lahey, Pines Director of Accounting, and Penny Wickstrom, Pines Human Resources.
“We actually opened May 30. Office hours will be Tuesday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.,” said Mary Allen, FNP. Allen, a native of Washburn, is pleased to be able to serve her hometown.
“I’m in Presque Isle Mondays and Fridays, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The rest of the week I’m in Washburn, where I’ll provide primary care for all ages, including children/infants to geriatric patients,” said Allen.
The facility also offers phlebotomy services.
“If someone needs blood work done, they no longer have to travel to Caribou or Presque Isle. We can draw blood here,” she said.
Allen, whose husband Nate Allen is deputy chief of the Washburn Fire Department, said town officials had “voiced a need for primary care services in the community.”
“Pines officials want to see if we can meet that need,” Allen said.
This marks the fifth health care location Pines has established.
“In addition to Washburn and Presque Isle, we also have facilities in Van Buren, Caribou and Fort Fairfield,” she said. “We accept all forms of payment. An added benefit for patients is that medical records can be shared between offices.”
“Feedback has been positive. Everyone’s very excited to see us here,” said Allen.
Allen said Washburn was in need of a health center and Pines officials are pleased to be able to fill the need.
“The town has a large elderly population. It’s much easier for them to seek the medical attention they need closer to home. We also do school physicals and provide other health care opportunities,” said Allen, whose been a family nurse practitioner for five years — all five with Pines.
“I graduated from Husson and received my masters in FNP,” noted Allen.
Jim Davis, CEO of Pines, joined about two dozen medical professionals, business and community leaders for the festivities. He’s pleased Pines now has a presence in Washburn.
“We were invited by the town. The building has been vacant for several years, leaving the community with no health care provider. We were asked if this was something Pines was interested in and our immediate answer was ‘yes.’ We want to deliver services where the patients are,” said Davis.
“Bev (Turner, town manager) and Nate (Allen) shared their concerns with us. Nate explained what the lack of health care in town meant in terms of increased costs for patients who resorted to ambulance rides to Caribou or Presque Isle for care that might have been treatable here, if a health care center were in town,” Davis said.
Davis said by providing local health care, the hope is to keep people healthy.
In addition to Allen, Davis said the center is also staffed by Pam Ginish, a medical assistant; Dede Cyr, medical office assistant; and Lori Cyr, Pines’ patient assistance coordinator.
“Lori is open to patients from all practices, not just Pines. She can sit down with patients and fill out applications for eligibility for pharmaceutical needs, then send by computer and get patients significant reductions in the costs of the medications, or free in some cases,” he said.
Davis said Pines covers a wide area of Aroostook County, filling health care needs from Van Buren to Presque Isle.
“We hear stories where people debate whether to buy food, fuel to heat their homes or medications. We want to remove that financial barrier and offer a sliding fee scale directed at patient care services,” said Davis.
“Our goal is to achieve better health care service for our patients,” he said.
In addition to the opening of a new facility in Fort Fairfield, Davis said the Presque Isle branch will soon be undergoing some changes.
“Early next month A&L Construction will begin work on a project to add 2,000 square feet to the Maysville Street facility, thanks to a federal grant we received. We’ll be adding six exam rooms and three physicians’ offices. The decision to expand was based on hearing from the Presque Isle community — patients said they needed more access to health care,” said Davis.
With regard to Washburn, Davis said Pines officials were “excited to be here.”
“It’s a privilege to be here to provide services for the community. It’s something we don’t take for granted. We want to earn the community’s respect,” he said.
Turner said Pines is a welcome addition to town.
“We so pleased to have them here. It’s a much-needed service,” said Turner.
“It’s great to work with Pines’ staff. They’re very welcome in our community,” said Town Council Chair Keith Brown.
The Washburn facility is accepting new patients. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 455-4750.
