Penobscot Community Health Care receives more than $100K in two grants
Penobscot Community Health Care announced this week it has received two grants in support of its work as a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center serving the Bangor area, Belfast and Jackman.
PCHC reported it received a two-year grant of $100,000 from the Maine Cancer Foundation to support efforts to improve colorectal screening rates.
Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of new cancer cases and cancer-related death in Maine, according to PCHC, which noted that screening is vital to prevention and successful treatment of the disease.
Maine Cancer Foundation’s grant will enable it to reach out to more patients, resulting in more patients obtaining colorectal screenings and potentially more saved lives, PCHC stated in a news release.
“Penobscot County is one of three Maine counties experiencing the highest cancer rates in our state and almost half of the deaths caused by cancer could be prevented by early detection via screening,” said Dr. Noah Nesin, PCHC’s vice president of medical affairs. “As medical professionals, it is our responsibility to proactively address and reduce the health challenges for our patients. The best medicine we can practice is prevention and the support of the Maine Cancer Foundation helps PCHC do just that.”
Through the grant, PCHC plans to hire medical support assistants to perform critical administrative tasks that will enable outreach medical assistants to spend more time on direct patient outreach and care, impacting a greater number of patients.
The grant also will support screening efforts for breast and cervical cancer.
Libra Foundation awards $10K grant
PCHC also received a $10,000 grant from the Libra Foundation Fund in support of its health clinics at the Brewer Community School and Brewer High School that give more than 1,700 students access to medical, dental and mental health services.
“Much like the Libra Foundation, PCHC strives to empower our patients and the communities we serve by improving their health and well-being and enhancing their quality of life,” PCHC President and CEO Lori Dwyer said. “Our future certainly lies with our children and we are thankful the Libra Foundation recognizes our important work.”
The Brewer School-Based Health Center was established in 2006 as a partnership between the Brewer School Department and Penobscot Community Health Care to provide accessible medical, dental and mental health services to Brewer students in grades K-12. The health center’s staff consists of an experienced certified physician assistant, dental hygienist, licensed therapists and a medical assistant. Although the school nurse and guidance counselors are not members of the health center’s staff, they work closely with the team to coordinate student referrals to the clinic and assist with follow-up as needed.
Data from the National Assembly on School Based Health Care shows that students who use school-based health center services have better attendance and are less likely to drop out of school compared to students who do not use them, according to PCHC.
School health centers, PCHC added in its news release, “foster learning readiness and academic achievement while giving children the resources they need to improve their health.”
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