Hospital receives $30,000 grant to initiative new healthcare collaborative

DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF) announced that it has awarded $240,000 to five organizations around the state to develop cross-sector collaborative approaches to improve health and health care access in Maine’s rural communities. Among the recipients is Mayo Regional Hospital/Mayo Community Outreach which received a $30,000 “catalyst” grant to initiative a new Piscataquis Healthcare Collaborative.
Following the closure of health facilities in a number of the state’s rural communities, MeHAF took action to better understand the rural health system in Maine, particularly the challenges facing small and independent hospitals and other health care providers in rural areas. MeHAF engaged researchers at the University of Southern Maine to compile existing information from numerous sources into a Statewide View of Rural Health. County by county profiles provide a snapshot of the state of health and the health system to inform and promote local discussion and strategic planning.
In November MeHAF convened stakeholders for a statewide meeting, Advancing Rural Health System Transformation, with the goal of raising awareness of the issues and sharing innovative solutions underway in rural communities in Maine and around the nation. At the meeting, a series of Rural Health Innovation Briefs was released that highlight promising approaches. These white papers and meeting discussions built the foundation for this new initiative and grant program.
“We are pleased to support the collaborative planning and piloting of efforts to advance integration and strengthen health care services in the ways that will best meet rural communities’ needs.” said Barbara Leonard, MeHAF’s president and CEO. “We want people in rural Maine to be able to receive the high quality, affordable care they need close to home.”
Examples of grantee activities include establishing or bringing new partners into a community coalition to focus on the rural healthcare system; building capacity through targeted operational and organizational integration; identifying and addressing service gaps; connecting this work with ongoing economic development planning; and educating and engaging the community.