10/23/2009 - NEWS RELEASE
City of Portland
389 Congress Street
Portland, Maine 04101
www.portlandmaine.gov
CONTACT: Nicole Clegg, 207-756-8173, 207-272-4477 (cell) nicoleclegg@portlandmaine.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2009

Portland Community Health Center Now Taking Appointments
Cumberland County’s first federally qualified health center to open next month

PORTLAND, Maine – Today, the Portland Community Health Center announced that it is scheduling appointments for people of all ages in preparation for their opening next month. This new federally qualified health center is the first of its kind in Cumberland County and it expected to provide health care to as many as five thousand patients in the Greater Portland area. Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for $1.3 million for the next two years, the Portland Community Health Center will be provide a wide range of services including primary care, behavioral health, and limited dental services. The health center will be accessible to all, and will accept insurance, MaineCare and Medicare, and for those with no insurance, services will be available with a sliding fee scale based upon the individual’s income level and family size. The clinic is expected to be open in early November and patients can call now, 207-482-5000, to schedule an appointment.

“With one in seven Americans living without health insurance, now is a critical time for Portland to take a leadership role in expanding access and removing barriers to health care,” stated Kathleen Stokes, Portland Community Health Center Governing Board President. “Community health centers are the medical home for more than seventeen million people in the US. They provide high quality, affordable primary and preventive health care to all people who need it, regardless of their ability to pay and during these difficult economic times with so many people unemployed or working without insurance, opening the doors to this clinic is going to save lives.”

With $18 billion a year wasted on avoidable visits to the emergency room in the US, the Portland Community Health Center will satisfy a critical need for people. Currently seventeen million people depend upon community health centers for primary and preventative care saving the health care system between $10 and $17.6 million a year. The White House Office of Management and Budget has ranked community health centers as one of the ten most effective government programs in the US.

Fitted with seven exam rooms with additional space dedicated to dental care, the Portland Community Health Center will be open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM with plans to expand to early morning, evening and Saturday hours. Located at 180 Park Avenue, the health center will have a highly skilled medical staff including a nurse practitioner, Sarah Andel and nurse, Lauren Rose-Cohen as well as a part-time pediatric physician. Additional staff will be added in the next few months.

Federally qualified health centers receive higher reimbursement rates for MaineCare covered patients. Currently a number of private practices in the Portland area are closed to MaineCare patients and the new clinic will remove an existing barrier for these men, women and children. The health center is also committed to outreach to Portland’s immigrant community and has representatives that serve on its Board of Directors.

###