Regional health center makes changes to better serve the community

Hometown Health Center, formerly Sebasticook Family Doctors, has undergone a couple of major changes this past year.
First there was the name change to Hometown Health Center (HHC), which more accurately describes the practice. Secondly the Canaan practice closed, leaving HHC with four locations in Dexter, Dover-Foxcroft, Newport and Pittsfield. These changes have made the organization stronger, a testament to the dedication of the staff and the loyalty of the patients.
Established in 2003, the health center has supported thousands of people who were uninsured or underinsured with a high deductible, who needed assistance with prescription drug costs and who took advantage of the sliding-fee scale for payment.
“We serve a critical need in the community,” said CEO Robin Winslow. “There are many people who still have a hard time paying for health care. While we do not offer free services, we will work with a patient to help them pay their bills. No one goes untreated. That is our mission and always has been.”
In 2016 HHC helped patients get $1,359,389 in free medications through the prescription assistance program. This is sponsored by major pharmaceutical companies for low-income, uninsured or underinsured patients. “That is up from $292,648 in 2011, which speaks to the need,” Winslow said.
Recently HHC distributed a survey to its patients as part of the Patient Centered Medical Home designation, meaning that the center puts patients at the center of their care and uses a team approach to treatment.
The survey results were exciting but not surprising. Overwhelmingly customer service and knowledge of the providers ranked very high. The staff at HHC love what they do and work hard to make the patients feel at home.
“We have so many programs,” said Farren Knight, patient specialist in the Dover-Foxcroft office at 1008 West Main Street, who rattled them off with pride in her voice. “We do things others don’t do. When a patient is standing in front of us, needing help, and we can tell them about a program we have like Hands of Giving [that provides clothing, food or money to those in hardship] or sliding-fee or prescription assistance, that’s the best.”
Mallory Boynton, Dover-Foxcroft patient specialist, agrees. “My favorite part of the job is the patient interaction and being able to help them, often going above and beyond what the patient expects us to do. They are so grateful, it makes my day. We make personal connections with patients that extend into the community.”
It is a family atmosphere and team approach with all staff being connected for the good of the patient, she added.
From same-day appointments to providing groceries that are donated by staff or purchased with staff donations to people who battle food insecurity, to offering free hats and mittens in the winter to those in need, HHC is more than a medical practice. It is a complete health center that treats the whole person and pays attention to each patient’s individual situation, more than just treating their physical selves.
The organization has medical, dental, behavioral health, women’s health, pediatrics, lab services and much more to help patients on every level.
To learn more, visit www.hometownhealthcenter.org. HHC will tell you they are the “right choice for your health.” The recent survey results agree.