MACHIAS, Maine — The Down East Community Hospital has been awarded a $4 million federal loan to help expand and improve its emergency department.
The hospital is launching a $1.5 million capital campaign to raise additional funds needed for the expansion, which will triple the size of the emergency department to 7,350 square feet, hospital spokeswoman Julie Hixson said Wednesday in a prepared statement.
“It’s a really big deal for us,” she said.
The hospital was one of three health care and community organizations in the state to be awarded a total of $10 million in funds this week from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Community Facilities program.
Independence Advocates of Maine, located in Orono, will receive a loan of $4,985,000 to renovate the facility for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The 17-bed facility was designed and constructed in 1979 and no longer provides the space needed to operate today’s health care programs, according to a press release issued by USDA Rural Development.
Downeast Horizons, located in Ellsworth, will receive a $1 million loan to build a new, 5,120 square foot facility for day programs for adults and children with developmental disabilities. The new facility will provide improved Americans with Disabilities Act access and increased amenities to train for daily living activities, according to the release.
Down East Community Hospital is planning on starting construction of its expansion in the spring of 2016 with an expected completion date in the fall of 2017. The emergency department will remain open for patients during construction, Hixson said Wednesday.
She said the USDA funding will help the hospital expand its semi-private six-bed emergency room area to nine private rooms and will include trauma and psychiatric rooms.
A number of other improvements also will be made. For example, a new entrance area will provide a more comfortable waiting area for patients and families. The project will include an enlarged triage area and treatment room and improved staff and nursing stations, Hixson said.
“Our community needs and deserves an emergency department that will better accommodate current volume and improve patient privacy and comfort,” said hospital CEO Dennis Welsh. “We are building a future to provide the absolute best emergency care available in our region.”
The existing Down East Community Hospital emergency department was built in 1964 with various design updates throughout the years. As the only hospital in a 60 mile radius of Machias, Down East Community Hospital annually treats 9,000 patients in its emergency room, according to the hospital. This is significantly above the capacity it was designed to handle, Hixon said.
“Rural America deserves quality, affordable health care, but too often local communities lack the capital to invest in improving the facilities that deliver that care,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the USDA release announcing the awards. “I am especially proud of the role that USDA plays in addressing the critical needs for health care facilities, including mental health facilities.”
In a joint statement, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King praised the federal loans “as an important investment in Maine’s health care and social service providers that will empower them to improve their facilities and strengthen their ability to provide high-quality services to Maine people.”