Women’s health center maintains focus on education, prevention

For 11 years, the Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center has maintained its primary focus on education and disease prevention, which was established by its now 85-year-old namesake.

“Her belief in the importance of education has guided us through our development,” said Ruth Lockhart, the center’s director. “We still have her as a mentor to keep things going in the right direction.”

Women’s empowerment is more than just a concept at MWWHC, where they believe the more a woman knows about her body and her health status, the better she can control her life.

Certainly, preventing disease can lead to living longer. But Lockhart said women seek MWWHC’s services because “all of their questions are addressed; staff truly listen to their concerns. If we can’t answer their questions, we will refer them to someone who can.”

The center offers myriad services including preventive screenings; physical exams; infectious disease diagnosis and treatment; pregnancy testing; PMS information; lesbian health care; education about pregnancy options and referrals; and abortion services. According to Lockhart, many insurance companies cover these services, that are also reimbursable under Medicaid and Medicare.

MWWHC has compiled a women’s health library and research file for those women who want to find their own answers. “We believe the more information a woman has allows her to make more informed decisions,” Lockhart said. “The Mabel Wadsworth Center believes our clients must be involved in their own health care.”

Volunteer professional staff, including four physicians, two nurse practitioners, a physician assistant, and an RN complement the Center’s two and a half paid staff. “We are community. Our philosophy of education and choice is what attracted our volunteers,” she said. “Their common comment is, `It’s my turn to give something back to the community.”‘

Other dedicated volunteers keep the facility operating 40 hours weekly; clinical hours are offered 40 hours monthly. Though services are generally provided exclusively to women, Lockhart said, “We count men among our volunteers.

“It’s important to us to know how our clients feel about the care they receive and their suggestions for improvements. We couldn’t be more for the community,” she said. “We’re trying to break down the barriers to getting good health care.”

One of the biggest barriers is “so much is dictated by insurance companies that is translated through health-care providers, which often results in not enough time for the patient and leaves questions unanswered,” said Lockhart. “That’s the way the system works.

“Women want their health-care provider to listen; women want so little. It’s not hard to help them,” she said, “or make them feel empowered. It’s amazing how thankful women are for so little.”

Lockhart said that more women must take action and become informed, assertive consumers. They need to start saying, “This is what I want,” followed by action like changing physicians when their needs remain unmet.

Women often report having had undesirable experiences with the health-care system. Some have been treated poorly, often as a nameless face; many seek advice on how to be a better health-care consumer.

“We believe that women’s services need to be separate so advocacy can happen, or it gets lost in the mix,” said Lockhart. “It’s so important; it needs to have its own voice. We want to make sure the community is present in planning educational, and clinical services.”

MWWHC has been recognized for its advocacy role in the community. In June, the National Assoc. of Social Workers recognized the Center as Agency of the Year.

Additionally, the Maine Women’s Fund provides funding for some of the Center’s educational programs.

Recently, the center won the Maine Civil Liberties Union’s highest award. Lockhart, as MWWHC’s executive director, accepted the Roger Baldwin Award, which was named for the American Civil Liberties Union founder. The award recognizes advocacy of Maine people’s civil rights.

Through the award, the MCLU honored the Mabel Wardsworth Center. Lockhart commended her own staff, and other Maine agencies that have provided abortion services longer than the MWWHC for remaining steadfast in an increasingly violent and hostile atmosphere.

Estelle H. Rogers, director of public policy for the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project in Washington, D.C. addressed a large group in Bangor. She referred to the strong community coalition that supports the work of the Mabel Wadsworth Center, and other agencies that provide abortion services.

The Wadsworth Center continues to be targeted by demonstrators who oppose abortion, while it remains resolute in continuing to offer abortion services to Maine women.

MWWHC’s mission is to help clients “live higher quality lives, not just longer lives,” Lockhart said. “We need to change to a vision of wellness and prevention of disease. We’re here for all women.”