Visiting nurses’ group going strong at 90 years

When a group of women gets together with an idea, you never know what can happen. One thing’s for sure, however, the possibilities should not be underestimated.

The year was 1913. A few representatives from the Bangor Federation of Women’s Clubs attended a seminar on community health presented by a local physician. The ladies took the issue of public health to heart and formed the Bangor Health Committee. Today this organization is known as Bangor Area Visiting Nurses.

“Everything that these women worked on would today seem like general cleanliness skills, but back then people were not educated about things we now take for granted,” said Deb Jacques, director of community education at BAVN.

“When you think about it, these ladies were visionaries,” she said. “Today we would never have flypaper hanging around where food is served.” The committee worked hard to ensure pure food, clean milk, readily available TB tests, and health care for children, she added.

These early pioneers raised funds through bake sales and an annual Christmas party for children, which was held at the Bangor City Hall. They also tapped into the group’s talents by writing and producing a musical, with proceeds supporting their mission of educating the public on sanitary issues.

As the committee became more aware of health care needs for “the poor who may have fallen through the cracks,” it brought on board Edith Bicknell, a nurse at Eastern Maine General Hospital.

Bicknell visited people in their homes using whatever means of transportation was available.

“She made visits on foot, horse and buggy, and by trolley service,” Jacques said. “She did it in all kinds of weather, just like the post office. It was really amazing.”

The sentiments and goals of that early organization remain the same today – the wellness of the community.

The nurses of BAVN provide a variety of services including care for chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoarthritis and hard-to-heal wounds. They also offer pain management, geriatric care, preventative health care, community outreach programs and hospice services.

“Today’s treatments are more high-tech, and people tend to be sicker,” said Helen Genco, president and chief executive officer of BAVN.

“The nurses deal with more. One thing we try to do is involve the caregivers,” she explained.” There are many things we can teach them to do for their loved one, such as working the medical equipment, which is very user-friendly these days.”

While BAVN is always available for the patient, it is empowering for the families to have some control over their loved one’s care, she added.

“The amount of time we spend with a patient is based on need, resources and caregiver availability,” Genco said. “We may visit someone three times a week or twice a day.”

Because a nurse might not care for the same patients all the time, BAVN acquired software that enables the providers to gain access to a person’s history and medical records instantly.

“The patient’s nurses enter information into a laptop at the time of the visit,” said Genco. “They also can pull up information that was entered as late as the day before. It is virtually up to the minute.” This ensures that patients receive the highest level of care because the provider is well-versed in the person’s particular situation at the push of a button, she said.

BAVN is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. While the organization has changed somewhat, the original vision is intact. The ladies who set about to implement social change would be proud.

“People want to be at home [for their care],” said Genco. And BAVN’s goal is to help them stay there.

For more information on BAVN, call 973-6550.

Carol Higgins is communications director at EAA. For information, call 941-2865 or log on www.eaaa.org.