Pathfinders for children

BANGOR – Hospice of Eastern Maine’s program, Pathfinders: Support for Grieving Children, is seeking volunteer facilitators to help with its spring session.

Comprehensive training is provided, beginning with Pathfinders 101 on Sunday, Feb. 13. Those interested in volunteering should call Linda Boyle at 973-8269.

Pathfinders’ spring session is set for 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, March 7, through Monday, May 23, at Bangor Christian Schools.

The 10-week program provides grief support for children and their families or caregivers who are experiencing the death of a loved one. Adults who attend with children meet in their own groups.

Teens may attend on their own as long as they have the consent of a caregiver.

Founded by Maria Brountas and the late Barbara Eames, Pathfinders: Support for Grieving Children, provides special bereavement support geared specifically for children and teens, ages 3-18. Facilitators are volunteers trained by Hospice of Eastern Maine.

To help defray costs, there is a $50 fee per family. If this is a hardship, a limited number of scholarships are available. Call Alicia Guite at 973-8269 for more information.

New families are asked to attend an interview with the program coordinator before entering the program. For more information and-or an interview, call Linda Boyle at 973-8269.

Grant for Pathfinders

BREWER – Joe Kiley of Kiley Funeral Homes recently delivered a check for $1,000 to Helen Genco, president and CEO of Bangor Area Visiting Nurses, for its Pathfinders program.

Kiley worked with Pathfinders to submit a grant application to the York Children’s Foundation in Texas.

“This generous contribution helps us continue the work we do to help grieving children and families in our community,” Genco said. “We’re grateful for Joe’s help with the application process and appreciate his efforts on our behalf. Support like this allows Pathfinders to survive.”

Diabetes support group

BANGOR – Tama Catell will speak on “Vegetarian Meal Planning and Diabetes” at a free meeting of the Diabetes Support Group at 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3, in the Diabetes and Nutrition Center, Building 1, St. Joseph Healthcare Park, 900 Broadway.

Eye disease trials

BANGOR – Dr. Michael Johnson, retinal specialist for Eastern Maine Medical Center, served as an investigator in the national clinical trials for Macugen, a medication that treats the underlying cause of age-related macular degeneration and slows vision loss. The medication is expected to be released in February.

Outstanding employee

BANGOR – Mary Jo Freeman of Eastern Maine Medical Center Federal Credit Union received an outstanding employee award presented by Ralph Ferland, president and CEO of the EMMC credit union.

Freeman was presented the Jeannette G. Morin Award for Outstanding Credit Union Employee at a ceremony in Augusta in conjunction with the Maine Credit Union League’s 66th annual meeting and convention. Freeman’s community service work includes the Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger and the Children’s Miracle Network.

New medical practice

BANGOR – A new family medical practice, offering care to patients of all ages, will open Feb. 1. Bangor Family Healthcare at 180 Center St. comprises a family physician, Dr. Patricia Small, and a physician’s assistant, Helen Cox.

“We are excited to offer the Bangor community something a little different in healthcare delivery,” Small said. “We have created small touches in our physical office that we hope will make our patients feel more comfortable and welcomed. Our ‘patient visit’ rooms are intended to feel more like sitting rooms than exam rooms.”

Small said the practice would remain “small and manageable, with aspirations of never needing an automated phone system.”

Small is a graduate of the University of New England’s School of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her residency training in family medicine at Eastern Maine Medical Center, and has been practicing in the Bangor community for five years.

Cox has served this community as a healthcare provider for more than 20 years and has been caring for local families as a physician’s assistant for more than 10 years.

For information, call 945-3800.

Low-cost dental hygiene

BANGOR – The University of Maine System offers a low-cost dental hygiene clinic to the public from September to April through the University College of Bangor Dental Health Program.

Dental hygiene services provided include oral exams, dental cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, athletic mouth guards and X-rays. Services are provided by dental hygiene students under the close supervision of faculty. For information, call 262-7872.

Free eye screenings

The Maine Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons will sponsor free eye screenings for those without health insurance through Jan. 28 at various locations and times throughout the state. The eye doctors will screen for a variety of eye-related diseases or disorders in adults or children. Call 622-3374 for screening locations and times.