PRESQUE ISLE – The Maine Primary Partners in Caring initiative and the Aroostook Agency on Aging recently honored employees of Horizons Health Services throughout Aroostook County for outstanding efforts to identify and assist family caregivers.

The MPPC is a partnership of primary care practices, area agencies on aging and the University of Maine Center on Aging serving Aroostook and four other rural counties in Maine.

The goal of the MPPC project is to identify patients with caregiving responsibilities through a brief screening administered during routine health care visits. Caregivers can then be referred to the Agency on Aging for information, training or other resources such as respite care and caregiver support groups.

Horizons is the only Aroostook County primary care partner. Participating health centers include those in Mars Hill, Fort Fairfield, Washburn, Limestone, and Madawaska as well as the Presque Isle Occupational Health and Wellness Center, Horizons Ob-Gyn, surgical, pulmonary and sleep medicine services.

Receiving awards for their clinics were: Sharon Bartley and Michelle Boucher of the Central Aroostook Health Center in Mars Hill; Shelly McAtee and Angela Bubar, Presque Isle Health Center; Debbie Philbrook and Misty Cannon, Washburn Regional Health Center; Carrie Bretzke, Limestone Health Center; Jakki Kennedy, Mary Michaud and Wanda Picard, OB-GYN; Priscilla Daigle and Shirley Howlette, Surgical Services; Rebecca Johanson SA, Pulmonary Services; Carla Daley and Kathleen Pelletier, Madawaska Regional Health Center; Sandra Devine, Occupational Health and Wellness Services and Christal Weed, Sleep Medicine Services.

Honored from the Fort Fairfield Health Center: Shawn Anderson, Horizons senior operations officer, registered nurse Glenda Dwyer, director of Primary Care Practices; Alan Turnbull, Health Services manager; Debra Nicholson, Linda Hayes and Karen Everett, secretary/receptionists.

For more information about MPPC or other caregiver services, contact Sharon Berz at the Aroostook Agency on Aging at 764-3396.