FAIRFIELD, Maine – The Plum Creek Foundation recently awarded a $9,850 grant to Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC) to help fund the Urgent Care Accessibility Project at Jackman Community Health Center (JCHC).

The project aims to improve the urgent care facility at Jackman Community Health Center, which is part of the Penobscot Community Health Care network, by redesigning the center’s ambulance bay and creating additional room for LifeFlight landings.

According to Kenneth Schmidt, president and CEO of Penobscot Community Health Care, Jackman Community Health Center treats more than 1,000 patients with almost 4,000 patient visits each year and is the only primary care provider within 50 miles. The center recently underwent major renovations and now offers urgent care, family medicine, dental hygiene and pharmacy services, and will soon offer x-ray and mental health services. The next step of the renovation process is to improve the urgent care entrance.

“Our urgent care facility is an important resource for our community, but the current entrance can impede first responders and put patient safety at risk,” said Schmidt. “Thanks to help of Plum Creek Foundation, we can renovate our urgent care entrance to better meet the needs of our patients.”

JCHC will use the grant funds to construct a new loading platform to provide a more stable landing for ambulances. The center will also reconfigure ambulance parking so it does not block health center access for other patients. Construction will begin in May and is expected to be completed by August.

The mission of Penobscot Community Health Care is to provide access to patient-centered, high-quality, comprehensive, integrated healthcare services, regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. For more information, please visit www.pchc.com. 

The mission of the Plum Creek Foundation is to provide philanthropic contributions to support and improve the general welfare of life in the communities that Plum Creek serves. The Foundation board meets quarterly to review applications submitted from organizations in the company’s operating communities. Visit the Community Involvement page on Plum Creek’s website at www.plumcreek.com to download an application.

19 Feb 2015