1. What is the Boothbay Region Health Center?
It is a comprehensive primary care health center under community governance to serve the health care needs of the community with a collaborative team of physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals working in partnership with our patients and other community health services.
2. Who “owns” it?
Boothbay Region Health Care, Inc. is a private not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation established in 2015 to do business in the State of Maine to “provide health services for the residents of the Boothbay region”.
3. Who is Boothbay Region Health Care, Inc.?
It is currently governed by a board of 7 directors using a structure recommended for Federally-Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) where at least half of the board members are regular patients of the Health Center. No employee (doctor, nurse, other professional staff, or manager) may be on the Board. Physicians and management are represented at the Board meetings but have no voting authority. Their role is advisory to the Board of community members. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals who do not work for our health center but who earn more than 10% of their income from the practice of medicine elsewhere are not eligible to be on our Board. This governance structure is intended to provide “local community (patient) control”.
4. What services does BRHC provide?
- Comprehensive primary health care
- Same day access
- Walk-in availability
- After hours on-call
- Referrals to Integrative and holistic health services
- Referrals to selected specialists and acute care facilities
- Community health education
- Preventive Wellness program
- Chronic Care Management
5. How do we measure success? What are the quality criteria?
- Accessible (conveniently when the patient needs it)
- Effective (doing right things to improve outcomes and health status)
- High Quality (excellent; doing the right things well)
- Efficient (not doing harmful or unnecessary things)
- Affordable (within the resources available)
- Sustainable
- Patient and family-centered
- Personal (built on a relationship with each individual)
- Accountable to the patients we serve
6. Can I Walk-In after hours?
No. But if you need help after regular office hours, you will be able to talk directly with one of our on-call providers who is familiar with you, has access to your records, and knows your treatment plan. Together you will determine whether you need to get to the Emergency Room or not. If more than a telephone consultation is necessary, we will arrange to see you via telemedicine hook-up, at the health center or in your home.
Using the E.R. or Urgent Care inappropriately is unnecessarily expensive and often results in poor care. BRHC will build our patients’ trust that we will be accessible when needed — even in the middle of the night.We expect our patients to be proactive and responsible. If you’re having problems, don’t put off calling us until the middle of the night. Become more knowledgeable and aware of the signs and symptoms associated with your own conditions. Become empowered and assertive. Work with our team to maintain good health following good preventive practices. Good health requires patient commitment as well as a great integrated primary care team !
7. How is the BRHC Walk-In service different from other walk-in or urgent care services?
It is “fully integrated” with the primary care practice — not a “parallel” service. If you walk in you will be seen by one of the primary care providers. New patients will be “ushered” into our primary care system. You may not necessarily see your own primary provider on a walk-in basis, but our providers will be operating as a “coordinated team” with good access to your records and history. If you see one of our providers on-call, you can expect that provider to follow your own primary care provider’s treatment plan.
8. How do I pay for the service? Is it covered by my insurance?
Yes. We accept most insurance plans.