Down East Community Hospital partnered with Sunrise Care Facility, Moosabeec Ambulance, and Machias Ambulance to create a nursing facility transfer form for safer patient transfers that is now being utilized by Sunrise Care Facility for all patients being transferred to the Down East Community Hospital Emergency Department. Through the development and use of this form, vital patient information is readily available for EMS and emergency department personnel.
Down East Community Hospital is implementing a new technique when it comes to patient safety. This new process is important because now the healthcare worker will have more frequent interaction with the patient and there will also be a time and a costs savings.
Rob Janssen, RN, BSN, CEN assumed the position of Chief Nursing Officer at Down East Community Hospital. Mr. Janssen replaces Karen Labonte who ended her tenure as Chief Nursing Officer in June, 2011.
Telemedicine equipment made available through a grant awarded to Eastern Maine Medical Center has been installed in Down East Community's emergency department and became operational on December 1. Physicians and nurses are being trained to use this valuable technology that provides real-time audio and video communications with subspecialists at Eastern Maine. The technology allows practitioners at Eastern Maine to converse with caregivers and patients in our emergency department and with physicians who have been individually credentialed to provide services in this manner.
“Trauma System Hospitals can treat 85% of the injured patients who need hospital care. They bear the major responsibility for early and fast decision-making and treatment following an injury. Trauma centers are there to back them up for the other 15% of patients when the need arises.” said Dr. Ali Jawed, an Eastern Maine Medical Center trauma surgeon who headed the Technical Assistance Team visit at Down East Community Hospital.
A patient undergoing a left bowel resection had 10 inches of their large intestine removed through a one and a quarter inch incision around their umbilicus (belly button). Under the exceptional surgical skill of Aziz Massaad, MD the patient underwent a single incision laparoscopic left colectomy for a tumor in the portion of their intestine nearest to the spleen. Down East Community Hospital is the first hospital in the state of Maine to perform successfully a single incision laparoscopic bowel resection.
Down East Community Hospital is excited to be co-hosting the Down East Area Celiac Sprue Support Group with the Whole Life Market. The Support Group is open to anyone who has been diagnosed with Celiac Sprue Disease, Gluten/Wheat Intolerance or for those who want to learn how to remove gluten from their diet. The group is open to newly diagnosed patients, veterans, children, families, parents, and friends who want to learn more information about gluten-free living.
Down East Community is pleased to welcome board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon Thomas Crowe, M.D., to our medical staff. Dr. Crowe comes to us from MainCoast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth where he practiced since 1993.
Eastport Health Care Inc. and Down East Community Hospital are pleased to announce their Memorandum of Collaboration.
On September 17, 2011 at 1:00 PM, Down East Community Hospital will dedicate the Medical Associates Building to the memory of Reid Wilder Emery.