This new chapter in our 80-year history is the result of a strategic planning process that began in July 2003. The strategic planning committee worked to develop mechanisms by which BHMH can provide for the primary health care needs of the community and become financially viable in today's tumultuous healthcare environment.
Our planning process was extensive. We met with the leadership of all three Hancock County hospitals as well as St. Joseph Healthcare and Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems to consider ways we could work more collaboratively.
We met with Trish Riley, Director of the Governor's Office of Health Policy and Finance, to better understand the direction the state is taking with regards to healthcare in Maine.
We solicited input from the community at meetings in Penobscot, Deer Isle, Stonington, Brooklin, Brooksville, Surry, Bucksport, Castine, Sedgwick, Blue Hill, and Orland. We listened carefully to a wide range of viewpoints.
The process resulted in a three-year strategic plan that was unanimously approved by our board of directors in March 2004.
Based on the results of numerous community forums, employee input, and research conducted by issue-specific task forces, the committee developed four major strategic initiatives:
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Reorganize Hancock County HomeCare to relieve it of the Medicare reimbursement penalty it suffers from being a subsidiary of the hospital;
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Expand the primary care physician practice and other services we offer in Bucksport;
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Improve Access to the services of its Peninsula Primary Care clinics and ensure the presence of a physician in the Emergency Department and hospital during peak hours; and, finally
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Explore a Closer Affiliation with Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS).
Blue Hill Memorial Hospital must meet the challenges of the future. The BHMH and EMHS missions, strengths, and resources are complimentary. The BHMH mission is focused on caring for the communities we serve; the EMHS mission is to provide a network of local health care providers who offer high quality, cost-effective services to their communities.
Our proposed agreement with EMHS allows us an unusual degree of autonomy and independence, preserving local control of our financial assets, our 501(c) (3) status, and our proud 80-year history of personalized care and compassion.
We are moving forward with all our strategic initiatives and are proud to announce today that through this affiliation agreement, we have come one step closer to fulfilling the promise of our strategic plan. |
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