Dads-only support groups
BANGOR — G.E.A.R. Parent Network, a statewide program that empowers the parents of children with behavioral health needs, will facilitate two fathers-only support groups in Augusta and Bangor in February.
ME Dads Who Care will meet 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12, at Acadia Hospital in Bangor. The Augusta chapter will gather Tuesday, Feb. 24, at Crisis & Counseling Centers in Augusta. The groups are free of charge to all Maine fathers who are raising children with emotional, behavioral and developmental needs.
G.E.A.R. Regional Parent Support Coordinator Norman LeBlanc, CPSP, launched a pilot group for fathers in Brunswick in the spring of 2014 based on his own experience of fathering a child with behavioral health needs. The program’s success among all fathers, including single and married men, as well as grandfathers who take care of their grandchildren, encouraged G.E.A.R. to expand the program to additional regions, organizers said.
To register for ME Dads Who Care, call G.E.A.R. Parent Network at 800.264.9224 or email nleblanc@crisisandcounseling.org. To learn more about G.E.A.R.’s statewide services, visit gearparentnetwork.org.
Performance award
BANGOR — Penobscot Community Health Care announced that it received a $92,379 award in Affordable Care Act funding for its quality improvement efforts.
According to a press release, PCHC was recognized for high levels of quality performance including:
- Health center quality leaders received awards if they were among the top 30 percent of all
health centers in the country that achieved the best overall clinical outcomes, demonstrating
their ability to focus on quality in all aspects of their clinical operations.
- Clinical quality improvers received awards if they demonstrated at least a 10 percent
improvement in clinical quality measures between 2012 and 2013, showing a significant
improvement in the health of the patients they serve.
- Electronic health record reporters received funding if they used electronic health records
to report clinical quality measure data on all of their patients
For information, go to pchc.com.
Low-cost dental hygiene
BANGOR — The University of Maine Augusta, Bangor campus, offers low-cost dental hygiene service for children and adults September through April at the UMA-Bangor Dental Hygiene Clinic, 201 Texas Ave.
Services include dental cleanings, X-rays, fluoride treatments, sealants, athletic mouth guards and oral cancer screenings
For information or to make an appointment, call 262-7872.
Blood donation
ORONO — In honor of Black History Month, which is February, and in the spirit of Dr. Charles Drew, an African-American surgeon who was the first medical director of the American Red Cross and a modern blood-banking pioneer, eligible donors as diverse as the patients who need their blood donations are encouraged to give blood to ensure a sufficient supply.
All blood types are currently needed to help maintain a diverse and sufficient blood supply, especially types O negative, A negative and B negative.
To learn more about donating blood and to schedule an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.
A blood donation opportunity will take place 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 10-11, Collins Center for the Arts, 2 Flagstaff Road, University of Maine, Orono.