ROCKLAND, Maine — Pen Bay Healthcare is looking at the possibility of opening a clinic in the city.
One location being eyed is the vacant lot on Broadway where the MacDougal School once stood.
“Pen Bay has been investigating opportunities with the Knox Clinic to expand primary care services in Rockland,” said Jenifer Harris, the regional director of marketing and communications for Pen Bay and Waldo County Healthcare in an email on Wednesday. “We know that there is a need for these services, so if something develops from these very preliminary conversations, we will be sure to let you know so that you can inform the community.”
Pen Bay officials met Tuesday at the Pen Bay campus with local legislators to update them on a variety of issues with the local health care system.
The possible clinic in Rockland was raised at that meeting.
Rockland Assistant City Manager Audra Caler Bell said Wednesday that a Pen Bay representative had contacted her about the availability of the city-owned MacDougal property. Caler Bell said no formal request has been made.
Any sale of land would need to go before the city council.
Proponents of a health clinic in Rockland had been working on the issue for the past few years. A 2011 study found that there was a need for greater access to health care in Knox County. A January 2013 study commissioned by Penquis and conducted by Shrum Associates found there was a need for a 24-hour clinic to serve low-income residents, but that expanded office hours provided by Pen Bay physicians was offering some relief.
The 2013 study found that in Knox County, only 48 percent of residents have private insurance. Another 19 percent rely on MaineCare, which serves low-income residents; 19 percent receive Medicare, which serves older residents; 2 percent receive military health care, and 12 percent have no insurance.
The MacDougal property is 4 acres. The city has owned it since the school closed in 2010. The city demolished the building in November 2012.
The property has also been considered as a location for a municipal solar farm to power many of the municipal buildings.
Pen Bay Healthcare also owns land on Old County Road where it has a building used for its information technology. Pen Bay also has the Bok Building located next to city library.