PITTSFIELD, Maine — Sebasticook Valley Hospital secured its place for future generations with a ceremonial groundbreaking on Monday afternoon.
Victoria Alexander-Lane, hospital president and CEO, along with U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud helped break ground on the expansion project for the hospital’s inpatient care wing.
“This is a very big event for us because it’s been a long road just to get to here,” said Alexander-Lane. “It’s a culmination of two years of planning — two years of difficult planning.”
The $9.5 million project will expand the hospital’s inpatient care wing from roughly 6,000 square feet to 14,000 square feet. However, it will have the same number of beds — 25.
The major reason for the expansion was patient comfort, said Mike Hodgins, chairman of the hospital’s board of trustees.
“I was born here in 1968,” said Hodgins. “I can assure you that my mother probably thought nothing about having a private room. [My grandparents] also didn’t think much of private rooms or sharing bathrooms, because, quite frankly, that’s the way things were done back in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.”
Right now, each room holds four patients, but they all must share the same toilet.
“We’re dealing with an almost intolerable situation for our employees and our patients in our [in-patient care] with four people to a toilet — not just a bathroom, but four people to a toilet,” said Lane.
Because of the bathroom setup, inpatient care has been maxed out at 12 or 14 beds instead of the 25 it has room for, Sebasticook Valley Health Chief Financial Officer Randy Clark said back in April.
Hodgins explained that patient needs have changed over the years and it was time for the hospital, which turns 50 years old next year, to have modern commodities.
“Baby boomers are aging,” he said. “They travel, they stay in spacious hotels, they go to nice restaurants, they drive cars that have gadgets you just can’t imagine. It’s only natural that when those folks are in need of care or when they’re vulnerable or sick, they’re thinking, ‘Why can’t I have all of this in the hospital?’
“So now is the time to move forward,” continued Hodgins. “This project will move us into the next generation of health care.”
Michaud commended Sebasticook Valley Hospital and its staff for awards it has garnered recently.
“Rural hospitals are extremely vital to the well-being of Mainers all across the state,” said the 2nd District Democrat. “You should be proud for being singled out as one of the best in the state of Maine. Sebasticook Valley Health was one of five Maine hospitals to receive [a national award] for clinical excellence.”
Fellow Pittsfield business Cianbro will build the expansion.
“These rooms aren’t really about building something that looks nice,” said Hodgins. “It’s important when you’re in the hospital to have peace, quiet, comfort and all of the technology that goes along with that. So this expansion of the inpatient wing will allow these patients comfort.”
Media Mike is going to need to do a whole lot more to keep his dwindling conservative Blue-Dog base, especially with his supporters taking pay cuts, while his congressional income tops $174,000, and that doesnt include his rental care, healthcare and other perks….
Mike Needs to Go
Sooo….the salary that all 435 Congressman make is his fault? Total non-sequitor.
Soooo, by your measure of fiscal responsibility, it is ok if others do so….?
In a part of the country (2nd District) its “ok” to soak the taxpayers for $174,000 a year- when most havent seen a raise in years, where many have taken pay cuts, businesses folding up shop, bankruptcy, foreclosure and on and on….
Heres a news flash, for years Joe Lunch Box has done squat to help small business in his own home town..!
Some news flashes for you: Michaud has voted against congressional pay raises every time it has come up. He is con-sponsoring a bill before Congress that would keep Congressmen from getting paid if it cannot pass a budget. The bill number is H.R 3643, the No Budget No Pay Act. You should check it out. And Congressman get paid from a national pool, not by district, so you personally got “soaked” for .004 cents to pay for his salary, 2 cents to pay for all 435 members. I’m sure getting that back would solve all of America’s problems.
and yet he takes the money…
Right, before Congress he worked for a living. Should we only have uber-rich congressman who don’t need the money? Think that would work out better for you? Maybe we should not pay congressmen at all, because that never leads to corruption! Newsflash…it’s expensive to have to have two places to live (Maine and D.C), which all congressmen have to do. D.C is $2,500 a month minimum. Think.
A just compensation for all US Senators & Congressmen should not exceed the median income of their home state— And yes, many survive very well in DC for 50 to 75K a year.
Median income does not take into account education levels. Living ONLY in D.C for $75,000 is not easy, at all. That’s simply false.
The median income in Maine is about $32,000. So asking people to live in D.C and their own state for $32,000 is going to draw the best and brightest? In what other line of work does this logic make sense?
Obviously $174,000 isnt buying us much.
$75,K is a fair wage for a Congressman that has shown an effort in economic development, but Mike hasnt.
You should check out H.R 3533, or the Forest Products Fairness Act, or H.R 2072, or waving the Buy America provisions that allow the Department of Defense to buy foreign made goods, or his leadership of the House Trade Working Group that fights China’s trade practices. These are economic development actions from the last 3 months. The overall list is really much longer. It’s not his fault people dont pay attention and don’t know any of this stuff.
I know that many small businesses have gone to him over the years, and they couldnt even get the time of day from him.
In a part of the country where electric rates are through the roof, unemployment is double the national average, income is far less than the national average, and the troops from our state are sent off to war with inferior equipment,,,, how in the heck can anybody defend a congressman that makes $174,000…?
He needs to send back $100,000 of that income, or resign….!
Did he drive his taxpayer funded SUV there?