The Wellness Foundation thought that one of our efforts going forward should be to provide a listening post for people in the community to share problems and concerns about their experiences with the new services being offered by LincolnHealth. Too many stories, not enough time! What to do?

Several of our Foundation members sit on the St. Andrews Community Committee along with employees and trustees of LincolnHeath, and other members of the community.

Being concerned about issues of patient confidentiality and medical knowledge, we asked the question, “What should we do when someone tells us a story about their experience (either positive or negative) at the urgent care center or the ER at Miles?”

It occurred to us that people needed to talk directly to someone who could do something instantly about their concerns. It became obvious that the staff at LincolnHealth wanted to know about all “glitches” and would like the opportunity to fix the problems; they also needed to hear if they are doing a good job.

Their answer to us was, “Please tell people to call us directly.” To that end, here is the contact information: Cindy Wade at cindy.wade@lchcare.org (207-563-4597) or Stacey Miller at stacey.miller@lchcare.org. (207-563-1234). These medical professionals will assure you that patient confidentiality is honored and they will get back to you with a report as to how the problem was handled. This how we can all move forward together.

If you want to share your experiences with the community at large, we encourage you to write a letter to the editor of the Boothbay Register. We are all interested to see how the new system is working.

So we are putting away the idea of the listening post.

Do you remember when we were kids playing “Whisper Down The Lane?” A story told once changed as it was passed on through several other people. The Foundation hearing stories second or third-hand is not productive.

LincolnHealth has opened the door to direct communication. This is a positive thing, any business wants to know where its problems lie. This is no time to be shy; our healthcare services have been diminished and we need to make sure that they are working well for all of us. Your suggestions will help everyone, patients and employees alike.

Affordable Care Act forum

By the way, are you confused about your healthcare insurance options under the Affordable Care Act? You are not alone. Join us on November 21 at St. Columba’s Church from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for the second “Third Thursday Free Forum” sponsored by the Boothbay Region Health and Wellness Foundation.

This will be a wonderful opportunity to talk directly to representatives of Consumers for Affordable Health Care and Maine Community Health Options. Bring a friend.