Bank helping

March of Dimes

TD Banknorth, through the TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation and TD Banknorth employees, has donated more than $100,000 to the March of Dimes.

TD Banknorth employees collected $48,400 through the 2006 March of Dimes WalkAmerica events, held around the state each spring. And more than $54,000 was donated through the TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation, including a $30,000 grant to support the March of Dimes Neonatal Intensive Care Family Support program begun this year.

The donation will help support March of Dimes programs aimed at improving the health of Maine babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

The nonprofit March of Dimes Foundation uses professional and public education, research, community programs and advocacy to achieve its mission. To learn more about March of Dimes and WalkAmerica events, visit www.WalkAmerica.org.

“The generosity of TD Banknorth at both the corporate level and among its employees is both gratifying and overwhelming,” said Jere D. Hoover, state director of the March of Dimes’ Maine Chapter, based in Falmouth. “Our program and our success at giving babies all across Maine a fighting chance against the threats to their health really depends on support from caring companies such as TD Banknorth. We can’t thank them enough.”

TD Banknorth employees raised money through their support of the 2006 WalkAmerica events, with more than 150 employees volunteering for the events statewide. Additional funds were raised through the company’s Blue Jeans for Charity initiative. Each month, employees may wear blue jeans to work on the last Friday of the month in exchange for a small donation to a local or regional nonprofit community organization.

Physical disabilities support

BANGOR – The Physical Disabilities Support Group will meet at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, at Alpha One, 1048 Union St. Liz Irvine, a licensed therapist, will speak on depression.

Health screening for women

BANGOR – This Valentine’s Day, take a moment to care for yourself, or for an important woman in your life. The Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program provides no-cost mammograms, breast exams, and Pap tests to more than 5,000 Maine women.

You or someone you love may qualify for free screenings if you are a Maine woman between 40 and 64, you have little or no insurance, your insurance has a high deductible or does not cover these screenings and you meet certain generous income guidelines.

These screenings are very important, and they have saved many lives. The best protection is early detection. Call the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program at (800) 350-5180 (TTY Deaf/Hard of Hearing 438-5514). Ask whether you qualify for the Maine Breast and Cervical Health Program.

Benevolence Program

BANGOR – In an effort to help the area’s less fortunate, St. Joseph Healthcare recently made changes to its Benevolence Program, giving more people the opportunity to take part. Program improvements include increased income guidelines under which patients qualify for free or discounted care.

“It used to be an all or nothing program,” said St. Joseph director of patient accounts John Wilson. “You either qualified for a 100 percent write off or you didn’t. Many of our patients have incomes just above our [previous] guidelines – even if it was just $100 too much, they didn’t qualify.”

Now, St. Joseph Healthcare patients with an income of up to 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines can qualify for some type of discount thanks to a new sliding scale. And St. Joseph Healthcare’s “prompt pay” discount also has been increased, offering patients who pay their hospital bill within 30 days a 10-percent discount.

“We’re helping patients and families and fulfilling the hospital’s mission,” said Wilson. “We have many patients call in tears – they just don’t know how they’re going to pay their bills and be able to eat. It breaks your heart to get calls like that. It was clear we needed to move this program forward.”

St. Joseph Healthcare is dedicated to its mission of compassionate care, and as a not-for-profit organization, the hospital strives to give something back to the community and assist the area’s under-served.

Between 2005 and 2006, St. Joseph Healthcare saw participation in its Benevolence Program double, and Wilson expects it to continue growing this year. With so many people in need of financial assistance, the hospital is working to make sure everyone in need of financial assistance receives it.

Opiate education donation

BANGOR – The Acadia Hospital recently received $500 from the Maine State Troopers Foundation to support its opiate education campaign, Close to Home. The funding will assist Acadia in creating educational materials to raise awareness of the growing statewide opiate addiction problem.

The check was presented at a ceremony at the Maine State Troopers Foundation office in Augusta. Foundation president Jon R. Doyle presented the check to Alan Comeau, Acadia’s director of community relations and development.

“The Acadia Hospital is grateful to the Troopers Foundation for their support of Close to Home,” Comeau said. “In awarding this grant they are making a strong statement that only by working together can we successfully prevent Maine citizens from abusing opiates.”

For more information, visit www.acadiahospital.org or www.closetohomecampaign.org.

Employment information

BANGOR – The National Able Network will hold a Senior Employment Information Session 10-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7, at the Bangor CareerCenter, 45 Oak St. The session will address work programs available to older Americans. For information, call 945-6073 or (800) 655-6073.