Clinical Expansion

a woman taking a photo of a new emergency room entrance

A care team member takes a photo of the new emergency department entrance as the team prepared to open the doors for the first time on Oct. 5.

PBMC Opens Emergency Department Addition

Pen Bay Medical Center (PBMC) marked the completion of Phase I of its emergency department (ED) expansion project by opening its new addition and ED entrance on October 5, 2022. The new addition houses a larger waiting room, multiple registration windows and eight new patient rooms.

The work is part of a three-phase, 24-month construction project that will nearly double the size of the PBMC emergency department from 9,000 to 15,000 square feet and increase the number of exam rooms from 13 to 25 when completed in 2024.

With the new addition open to patients, the former emergency department space is now shut down for renovations.

The addition is necessary for several reasons, including:

  • Advancements in emergency medicine that require more equipment and time but also lead to better outcomes for patients, especially those suffering a stroke or heart attack.
  • A significant increase in the severity of patients requiring emergency care in recent years, as well as an increase in behavioral health patients.

The emergency department upgrade is part of the larger Campaign for Coastal Health — a $21.5 million capital campaign that also funded the construction of the new Charlotte and Christopher Beebe Health Center on the PBMC campus. The health center, which houses most of the hospital’s primary care practices, opened in December 2020.

Philanthropy helps build future of midcoast Maine.

The Coastal Healthcare Alliance is deeply grateful for the generous support of our donors, which has been especially encouraging during one of the most challenging times in our history.

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Walk-in Care Expands in Rockland

Less than a year after opening, our PBMC walk-in care practice space was more than doubled in the Bok Building, at 22 White St. in Rockland. The additional space will help us accommodate higher than expected demand for affordable health care without an appointment.

The walk-in care practice added three additional exam rooms and a community room large enough to host group meetings as part of the hospital’s treatment program for patients with opioid use disorder.

Our walk-in care team provides immediate care to patients with non-life threatening injuries and illnesses that do not require an emergency department visit. It is especially useful for people who do not have primary care providers or who cannot access their primary care provider’s office due to time of day or other factors.

“We are gratified this effort to increase access to health care is meeting the needs of so many people,” said Kendra Emery, DO, a primary care physician who oversees PBMC walk-in care. “We know when people have timely access to health care, they are healthier. This expansion will allow us to see even more patients while reducing wait times.”

Dr. Emery said the additional exam rooms allow PBMC walk-in care to provide walk-in care services to more patients without increasing the number of health care providers. Prior to expansion, the time it took to sanitize exam rooms between patients greatly limited the number of patients providers were able to see in a day.

With the addition of three exam rooms, providers are now able to finish with a patient in one room and immediately move to the next patient in another room, while a technician sanitizes the room just vacated.

Since the completion of the expansion project in May, the PBMC walk-in care practice is treating 100 more patients on average per week.

Walk-In Care Near You

PBMC walk-in care services are located at the Bok Building, 22 White Street in Rockland. Services are available every day from 8 am to 6 pm, except New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Call 207-301-6000 for more information.

WCGH walk-in care services are located at 119 Northport Avenue in Belfast. Services are available Monday – Friday from 8 am to 6 pm and Saturday from 8 am to 4 pm. Closed on Sundays and on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Call 207-505-4567 for more information.

WCGH Nephrology and Urology Practices Relocate to New Renovated Space

In mid-July, WCGH relocated its nephrology and urology practices to a newly renovated 3,000-square-foot home on the first floor of 125 Northport Ave. The new space is nearly three times larger than the practices’ previous space.

“The new facility has impressed patients and staff with its smart design,” said Lisa Werner, RN, the nephrology/urology practice manager. “The large, bright windows, soothing blue walls and modern flow of the floorplan and furnishings add to the welcoming feel of the new space.”

“It’s been really exciting,” Werner said. “The new space is much brighter and that makes patients feel so much more welcomed when they enter our offices. Our exam rooms are bigger, too, so it’s more comfortable for patients who come in for procedures.”

The move represents an important investment in increasing access to care in support of MaineHealth’s vision of making our communities the healthiest in America. The increase in patient rooms from three to five will allow providers to see more patients, and the additional storage and new office spaces are expected to create additional efficiencies.

New Space Helps WCGH Orthopedics Streamline Patient Care

With the patient experience at the forefront of a newly redesigned footprint, the new WCGH orthopedics practice space will streamline patient care and provide a better work flow for providers and medical assistants.

When construction is complete in early 2023, the WCGH orthopedics practice, which moved into the space vacated by urology and nephrology (see story above), will have the luxury of 2,300 square feet to work with — more than double the size of their previous home.

The project has two phases, with three month timelines for each. Phase one began in July and wrapped up in November, and a second phase of construction began soon after. When completed, the new space will house eight new exam rooms, new offices, an ADA approved bathroom, dual entrances and a larger waiting room, as well as hallway access for the procedure room.