The good news is that the Boothbay Region Health Center’s campaign to “Save Your Community Health Center” raised $108,323 in 13 weeks towards the $110,000 needed to fund operations this autumn. Donations have come in from 126 families and 29 local businesses. This rapid and steady response from community members has been encouraging to the staff of the Health Center.
Donations received in the 13 weeks of our “Save the Health Center Campaign”
Closing our Campaign with an Online/Mobile Auction
We plan to meet (or exceed) our original goal of $110,000 by running an online/silent auction from 8 AM Tuesday November 16th to 6 PM Tuesday, November 30th (which is Giving Tuesday–a global fundraising day for non-profits). The auction focuses on offering Boothbay area art, crafts, experiences, food, gift certificates to local restaurants and hotels, and lodging/vacations in the Boothbay area. Here’s a link to the Auction. We hope you’ll participate!
We’re Still Open & Plan to Remain So, with YOUR Help!
If you’re a patient, rest assured that you’ll continue receiving quality care from us, and we encourage you to schedule an appointment and to recommend us to your friends. The more patients we serve, the better our income.
We’re a Community Non-Profit
Last year, the Boothbay Region Health Center provided $380,000 worth of unreimbursed primary health care to residents and visitors. Like many local non-profits, the community health center needs to raise a substantial portion of our income from grants and donations each year. As of Aug 12, 2021, the local independent non-profit had raised $102,002 in donations and $148,525 in grants. But that still left a gap of $110,000 to break even for the year.
Why Does a Health Center Need Donations?
We’re reimbursed between $50 and $75 for each Office Visit. We typically see 1 or 2 patients an hour at the most. $50/hr to $150/hr doesn’t come close to paying the salaries of our Primary Care Providers, their medical assistants, and our office staff, along with medical supplies and our operating expenses. Not only is primary care badly reimbursed, we usually have to wait 90 days to be paid because most patients have primary health insurance, secondary health insurance and sometimes tertiary health insurance. All those parties have to be billed, one after the other, as each decides how much to pay before the patient is asked to pay their share (if any).
Low reimbursement for primary care is why our business plan has always relied on receiving 40% of our $900,000 income from donations and grants, but so far this year, we have only raised 20%. (By comparison, the Boothbay Region Ambulance Service, the YMCA, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, and the Community Resources Council receive from 45% to 100% of their income from donations and grants).
How Do You Benefit from our Services?
We’re hoping that year round and seasonal families and businesses value the convenient, affordable, high quality primary care (including same day care) that we provide in the Meadow Mall 6 days/week.
Despite the Pandemic, we’ve stayed open and served 2500 patients of all ages with conditions varying from Alzheimer’s to arthritis, from cancer to COPD, from depression to dementia, from herpes to hypertension, from lupus to lyme disease, from sore throats to sinusitis, from ulcers to urinary tract Infections, and much more. We provide pediatric care, women’s health, geriatrics, psychiatric mental health, and social work. We also offer two very popular and low-cost/break-even lifestyle change Wellness programs with over 60 participants combined: our Fit, Flexible & Strong Exercise program for Seniors (now entering its 6th year) and our Reverse Cognitive Decline research program (in its 2nd year).
Convenient, Affordable Primary Care & Mental Health Right Here
If you value the convenience of high-quality primary care and psychiatric mental health services on the Boothbay peninsula and want to be sure this resource is sustained, please make a generous donation to help us keep our doors open. Mail donations to Boothbay Region Health Center, 185 Townsend Ave., Suite R, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538, call 633-1075 during office hours (M-F 8-4:30; Sat: 10-4) to donate via credit card, or donate online at Boothbayhealthcare.org.