You may have heard the rumors that the Boothbay Region Health Center was closing last week. Thankfully, that is not true. But we came close. Fortunately, a few local merchants and a number of loyal patients wrote emergency checks to tide us over.

Do You Need Us?

At our recent emergency board meeting, we decided that we would let you--the members of the communities we serve--determine our fate. Do you value having access to convenient (in the Meadow Mall), independent, and quality primary healthcare right here on the Boothbay peninsula? Do you want the safety net of knowing that we will be open and available year round? Do you want non-insured local families to be able to receive high quality, convenient healthcare they can easily afford?

If so, please make a donation now to help us reach our short-term goal of $110,000, and plan to give generously each year to show that you value keeping your community health center available right here in Boothbay Harbor.

If you're a patient, rest assured that you'll continue receiving quality care from us, and we encourage you to schedule an appointment and to recommend us to your friends. The more patients we serve, the better our income.

But Why the Shortfall in Funding?

We're reimbursed between $75 and $100 for each Office Visit. We typically see 1 or 2 patients an hour at the most. $75/hr to $150/hr doesn't come close to paying the salaries of our Primary Care Providers, their medical assistants, and our office staff, along with medical supplies and our operating expenses. Not only is primary care badly reimbursed, we usually have to wait 90 days to be paid because most patients have primary health insurance, secondary health insurance and sometimes tertiary health insurance. All those parties have to be billed, one after the other, as each decides how much to pay before the patient is asked to pay their share (if any).

Low reimbursement for primary care is why our business plan has always relied on receiving 40% of our $900,000 income from donations and grants, but so far this year, we have only raised 20%. (By comparison, the Boothbay Region Ambulance Service, the YMCA, the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, and the Community Resources Council receive from 45% to 100% of their income from donations and grants).

Please join us in securing the future of your community health center by making the largest one-time donation you can right now. Show us that you value having convenient, affordable primary care on the Boothbay peninsula.

Mail checks to Boothbay Region Health Center, 185 Townsend Ave., Suite R, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or call (207) 633-1075 with your credit card info. Help us keep you well!