Boothbay Region Health Care’s board of directors on Monday, March 26 unanimously elected Paula Jackson Jones as a new member and welcomed her to the board. Jones is the president and co-founder of the Midcoast Lyme Disease Support & Education Group. 

Jones provided board members with information about her organization’s upcoming fourth annual conference at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday, April 28 from 8 a.m to 5 p.m. It is expected to attract 1,000 attendees and will feature 40 expert speakers from across the U.S. It is free and is open to medical providers, patients and the general public. Attendees will learn about testing for tickborne diseases as well as treatments. Jones said that to-date attendees have registered from across Maine as well as Texas, Florida, California and Illinois.

In addition, Jones explained she serves on a subcommittee of the U.S. DHHS tickborne disease working group to address patient care and support services and produce a report for Congress to help create a six-year plan across the U.S.

Board President Patty Seybold said the board wants to make sure the Health Center is “a place where people can reliably come to get good diagnoses for tickborne issues.”  

Presenting her report, practice manager Lynn Thompson said that for the first three weeks in March, the practice had seen 36, 35 and 38 patients per week and was averaging one walk-in per day. The count exceeded the average for the previous two-provider office during the same months. Thompson also indicated they are beginning to see the result of advertising and the sign which shows the office hours.

When asked about the amount of time providers are spending with patients, Thompson replied that the visits take as long as needed.

Board member Liz Lussier explained the goal is to “provide a more relaxed environment for patients and physicians.” Seybold added that having an unspecified length of time for an appointment gives the Center’s physicians the ability to treat patients for multiple conditions because the environment is not rushed.

Thompson said the waiting time is less than five minutes for those with an appointment and can be 30 minutes for walk-ins.

Other discussion focused on the fundraiser scheduled for April 20 at the Tugboat Inn, from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It will include a silent auction and hors d’oeuvres. More information will be provided as the plans are finalized.