Bingham Area Dental Center welcomes new provider Doucette

Marie Doucette, RDH, is joining Bingham Area Dental Center, according to a press release from the center.

Doucette will join the practice, which is part of HealthReach Community Health Centers, this winter, and provide dental hygiene services to people of all ages, according to the release, which said the practice has grown and is adding additional hygienist hours in order to meet the needs of area residents.

Doucette said her philosophy of care is “to provide hygiene treatment and education with a focus on patient comfort that can bring oral and systemic health together,” according to the release. “What excites me about working with HealthReach is the opportunity to expand my public health expertise to those that have not previously been able to access dental preventive services.”

Doucette earned a dental hygiene degree from the University of Maine in 1996, and has 18 years experience in a variety of settings with adults, adolescents and children.

She joins Tamar Diamond, DMD, and Jacquelyn Watson-Arsenault, RDH, who provide dental services and Patricia Nurse, FNP, who offers medical care. The center serves more than 2,500 people from Bingham, Caratunk, Embden, Moscow, Pleasant Ridge, Solon and surrounding towns each year.

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Augusta/Gardiner KOA Journey Campground awarded President’s and Founder’s Awards

The Augusta/Gardiner KOA Journey Campground has been awarded the 2015 KOA President’s and Founder’s Awards by Kampgrounds of America Inc., according to a press release from KOA. The awards were presented Nov. 14 at KOA’s annual convention in Charleston, S.C.

The KOA President’s Awards are presented annually to campgrounds that receive high scores in customer service from their campers, and also receive high scores in KOA’s annual quality review, according to the release. The company owns 485 campgrounds in the U.S. and Canada.

The KOA Founder’s Award is named in honor of Dave Drum, who founded KOA on the banks of the Yellowstone River in Billings, Mont., in 1962. It is given to those KOA campgrounds that attained the very top scores in both customer service and the KOA Quality Review. KOA surveys hundreds of thousands of campers each year regarding their KOA camping experience, according to the release.

“We listen very closely to what our campers have to say about their KOA experience,” said KOA President Pat Hittmeier in the release.

Augusta attorneys McKee and Billings named New England Super Lawyers

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Augusta attorneys Walter McKee and Jim Billings of the McKee Billings law firm were recently named New England Super Lawyers for 2014. Super Lawyers is a rating service of top attorney from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement, according to a press release from the law firm.

The selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations, the release said. This is Billings’ first year on the list. McKee has appeared on the list since 2009.

McKee was also named to the Best Lawyers in America list for 2014. McKee has been on the Best Lawyers list since 2011. He also holds a top AV Rating with Martindale-Hubbell.

Both attorneys practice with the McKee Billings law firm on State Street in Augusta and specialize in criminal defense, personal injury, car accidents and general litigation.

The firm was started by McKee in 2012 and has three attorneys and four staff members.

Jackman Community Health Center awarded Skowhegan Savings Charitable Foundation Grant

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Penobscot Community Health Care in Jackman and Moose River has has received a Skowhegan Savings Charitable Foundation Grant for $25,000.

The money will help fund a new urgent care entrance that is safe and accessible for patients and the community, according to a press release from the health center. Jackman Community Health Center provides the only urgent care and walk-in care within many miles, and with the help of Skowhegan Savings, these facility improvements allow PCHC to better serve people of the Jackman region.

Kenneth Schmidt, MPA, PCHC president and CEO, said in the release, “This very generous award demonstrates the commitment of Skowhegan Savings Bank to the people of the Jackman region. We greatly appreciate it.”

“Skowhegan Savings is pleased to support the Jackman Community Health Center, which is such a critical part of the Greater Jackman community,” said John Witherspoon, president of Skowhegan Savings, in the release. “To be the only provider of 24 hour walk-in care within a 50 mile radius, our Charitable Foundation finds requests like these imperative to support, based on our commitment to economic development and enhancing the lives of the citizens in the communities of which we serve.”

Maine hospitals recognized by Breathe Easy Coalition

The Maine Tobacco-Free Hospital Network, an initiative of the Breathe Easy Coalition of Maine, has recognized 11 MaineHealth hospitals, including Franklin Memorial Hospital and MaineGeneral Medical Center, for addressing tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke through best practice policies and procedures.

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All Maine hospitals that met at least six of the 10 standards were invited to apply for the MTFHN awards, and were recognized at the gold, silver or bronze level depending on the number of standards they met, according to a press release from the group.

Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington and MaineGeneral Medial Center in Augusta both made the Gold Level.

Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable disease and death and a major contributor to health care costs, the release said. The recognized hospitals are addressing this issue through comprehensive policies, education, social norm change, and treatment support. The 10 Gold Star Standards of Excellence include creating a 100 percent tobacco-free campus, implementing evidence-based treatment strategies for patients, divesting from tobacco industry stock, promoting smoke-free lodging options for visitors, and providing tobacco treatment and medication benefits for employees, the release said..

Compiled from contributed releases


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