60th anniversary of St. Joseph Hospital

BANGOR – Two events took place to mark the conclusion on Nov. 21 of St. Joseph Hospital’s 60th Anniversary Celebration.

In the hospital chapel a Mass was held with a special tribute to the seven Felician Sisters who serve at the hospital. The tribute included the unveiling of a permanent plaque listing all the Felician sisters who have served at the hospital since it was founded in 1947. The plaque was presented by a St. Joseph Healthcare employee, as representative for all employees, to the Sisters at the conclusion of the Mass.

A time capsule burial was conducted outside the Ambulatory Surgery entrance on Center Street, followed by hors d’oeuvres in the Frank C. Chapman Conference Room. Among other 60th anniversary celebration items, the time capsule contains anniversary messages from community members, employees and staff, and personal messages from the Felician Sisters to a future generation. The time capsule will be unearthed on St. Joseph Hospital’s 75th anniversary in the year 2022.

The first contingent of Felician Sisters from the Enfield, Conn., Province arrived in Bangor and crossed the threshold of the then, Paine Private Hospital on June 1, 1947. The Sisters arrived at the request of Carol Strauss, a nurse who owned and operated the Paine Private Hospital on Center Street. She wanted to sell the hospital to a religious order and found the Felician Sisters willing to take ownership. When the Sisters arrived, the name of the hospital was changed to honor Jesus’ earthly father, St. Joseph.

From a beginning census of 11 patients on June 1, 1947, to a 112-bed acute care community hospital, St. Joseph Hospital flourished under Felician sponsorship.

Dental hygiene clinic

BANGOR – Gillian Jordan, dean of University College of Bangor, announced that UCB has received a $20,000 grant from JTG Foundation to upgrade equipment in its dental hygiene clinic.

“As the only such clinic in eastern Maine and one of only two such clinics in the entire state, it is critically important that we maintain quality equipment for consumers who have need of our low-cost services. For many, our clinic is the only place they can turn to receive dental hygiene care,” said Jordan.

The grant from the JTG Foundation will purchase digital panoramic X-ray equipment. The purchase is considered a crucial step in UCB’s efforts to upgrade the clinic, replacing its older equipment with new state-of-the-art equipment.

“UCB’s dental clinic serves an important role in Maine, both in preparing dental hygienists to deliver care and in providing low income populations with low cost dental services,” said Tom Gorman, president of the JTG Foundation. “The clinic’s work aligns well with our foundation’s mission and we are delighted to help them purchase new state-of-the-art-equipment.”

The JTG Foundation is a private Maine foundation that includes among its grant making guidelines giving priority to requests that aid underprivileged residents of Maine, enhancing the lives of the elderly, providing for the unmet needs of low income and otherwise disadvantaged children, and enhancing community services.

UCB is a campus of the University of Maine at Augusta. The dental hygiene program is one of several baccalaureate and associate degree professional programs offered on the Bangor campus.

As part of its dental hygiene program, UCB runs the dental hygiene clinic to train students while offering low-cost dental hygiene services to the public. Clinic services are offered from September until April.

All dental hygiene services are provided at the clinic, including oral exams, dental cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, athletic mouth guards and X-rays. To schedule an appointment or find out more about the clinic or UCB’s dental hygiene programs, call 262-7872.

Program on vitamin D

BANGOR – The message is clear – we need calcium for strong bones, but without adequate vitamin D the human body cannot absorb and use the calcium. Research suggests vitamin D may play a role in cancer prevention. How much should one take? Is one kind more effective than another?

Nurse practitioner Elizabeth Duke will speak on this important health topic at the Caring Connections Bone Health Information and Discussion Group at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Bangor Y on Second Street. Duke practices at the Maine Rehabilitation Center and sees patients with osteoporosis at the Breast and Osteoporosis Center at Eastern Maine.

The session is free and anyone concerned about bone health is welcome. A calcium-rich snack and recipe will be provided. For information, call Robin Long at 941-2808.

Caring Connections is a cooperative program of the Bangor Y and Eastern Maine Medical Center, supported by the fundraising efforts of Healthcare Charities.

Alternatives to transfusion

BANGOR – Eastern Maine Medical Center’s new Blood Management and Conservation Program will offer patients options for blood conservation and transfusion avoidance during hospitalization.

Dr. Irwin Gross, medical director of Transfusion Services at EMMC, explained the importance of blood management.

“Although the blood supply has become safer in recent decades due to enhanced screening and testing of donated blood, there is still a need to focus our attention on exploring ways to reduce transfusion related risks and complications,” he said.

“In some situations, transfusions are absolutely necessary to save a person’s life,” Gross said. “But blood transfusions are not without risks. Studies show that minimizing blood transfusions decreases the risk of postoperative infections and improves patient outcomes. Whenever possible, health care providers need to work with patients before surgery to minimize the need for a blood transfusion. We also need to provide alternatives to transfusion whenever possible and provide transfusion-free care for those patients whose religious convictions or personal preferences prevent them from accepting a blood transfusion.”

EMMC already has begun offering pre-operative anemia testing for those scheduled for orthopedic surgery. Anemia, a condition where there aren’t enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to a person’s tissues, can be treated with medications that help boost red blood cell count and reduce the likelihood that a patient will need a transfusion during surgery.

EMMC’s providers also are using surgical techniques that minimize blood loss, and are offering patients alternatives to transfusion. One such alternative is “cell salvage.” This process uses a machine in the operating room that collects blood that is shed during surgery and then washes it before returning it to the patient. For more information on EMMC’s Blood Management and Conservation Program, call Emily Beamer at 973-6289 or e-mail ebeamer@emh.org.