Tick-Borne Disease Sufferers Have a New Option: Boothbay Region Health Center
With the addition of the Lyme-Literate Family Nurse Practitioner, Jennie McNeil, to the Boothbay Region Health Center staff, and the efforts of our Medical Director, Dr. Stephen E. Cook, to establish new protocols for diagnosing & treating tick-borne diseases, the Boothbay Region Health Center now joins the ranks of less than FIVE “Lyme-Literate” health care facilities that accept health insurance in the state of Maine.
Tick-borne disease, such as Lyme,Anaplasmosis, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichiosis, Powassan Virus, et al. are so prevalent in Midcoast Maine, we believe that patients with embedded ticks should be given prophylactic treatment of at least 3 weeks of antibiotics, at the same time that research is being done to determine to which, if any, diseases, the patient has been exposed. “In 2019, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 146 Lyme cases through May 23,” the Press Herald reported on May 26, 2019. “So far, 41 percent of the 400 deer ticks sent to the University of Maine’s Tick Identification Lab have tested positive for Lyme, with 8 percent carrying anaplasmosis.”
What to do if you get a tick bite. If you have just discovered an embedded tick on your body, you should either 1) remove the tick and save it, or 2) come in for us to remove it. The first thing to do is to get the tick tested to find out which disease(s) it may be carrying. This is a quick and inexpensive way to know whether you are likely to be infected. If the tick was embedded, you should start on antibiotics right away. Any of our providers can correctly prescribe initial treatment of a course of antibiotics. We also offer blood tests from two specialty labs to help in diagnosing which diseases you may have contracted. These blood tests need to be done a few weeks after you may have been infected. Once the results of those blood tests come in, Jennie McNeil, our tick-borne disease specialist, will discuss the lab results with you and, if you tested positive for one or more tick-borne diseases, will work out a care plan with you. So, as soon as you find an embedded tick, please call us for instructions at (207) 633-1075. Any of our Health Coordinators who answer the phone can walk you through the next steps.
What to do if you just feel lousy? If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, aches and pains, or other malaise, you MAY have contracted a tick-borne disease. The best way to find out is to come in, take our intake survey, and get your blood tested and sent to a lab that specializes in diagnosing tick-borne diseases. These specialized blood tests are more expensive, but they are often covered by insurance. For example, Medicare covers a fairly comprehensive test panel. Even if you have to pay out of pocket for a specialized blood test, it is most likely worth the investment. Knowing what you have and getting it correctly diagnosed and treated as early as possible will save tens of thousands of dollars and years of discomfort and illness. We recommend that you come in by appointment for these initial diagnostic sessions so that we can schedule you with our tick disease specialist, Jennie McNeil.
Treating Tick-borne Diseases. The treatments that work best for most patients suffering from chronic lyme infections are often ones that combine both western-style medicine (antibiotics, etc.) along with integrated medicine (body/mind/spirit) approaches using supplements, body work, nutrition, meditation, and other lifestyle changes. That is the kind of treatment Jennie McNeil will most likely recommend.
Health Insurance. The Boothbay Region Health Center accepts Medicare, MaineCare, and many types of commercial health insurance. For patients who are uninsured, we offer a 30% discount for payment at the time of service. Patients who can’t afford to pay out of pocket can apply for scholarships through us and/or barter with us. For more information, call us or contact us via email at info@bbrhc.org.