EMMC looks to explore estate options

After the many letters and columns in the Bangor Daily News regarding the Wing building and the Robinson property, I would like to take this opportunity to reassure readers that Eastern Maine Medical Center is committed to working with the community to explore options for both of these properties. EMMC has been part of the history of this community for more than 115 years, growing from a tiny community hospital with five beds to a 411-bed specialty center providing some of the best medical care available today. Our strong community values and a desire to provide our patients with high-quality, safe and affordable health care are guiding our efforts to investigate these options.

In recent years, EMMC has seen record numbers of patients and, as many readers know, we are developing plans for more space to provide needed services for those patients. At the same time, we have experienced declining reimbursement for the care we provide. In this health care climate, it is challenging to balance the historical value of our facilities with the need to provide modern health care services to our region.

EMMC purchased the Wing house from a physician group in 1986. Since that time, we have maintained the Wing property for nonpatient care uses. When the building developed mold in the fall of 2005, it became apparent that the foundation was failing and we began to question the long-term future of the building. Our estimates show that the cost to renovate the Wing house for health care use would be significant, reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars. While other historic buildings in Bangor have been successfully renovated and brought up to Americans With Disabilities Act standards, it is important to recognize that any renovations to Wing for patient use would require meeting the rigorous codes that govern health care facilities.

The Robinson property, which was purchased in 2001, also has serious deterioration and would require hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore. While it was originally thought this building might be used for our day care, or perhaps medical student or visiting physician housing, residential zoning limitations prohibited these uses.

Given the frailties of both buildings and their limited usefulness, we have come to the conclusion that health care dollars would be more responsibly invested in ways that better support our mission to care for patients.

As we have been assessing the future of the Wing building and the Robinson property, we have solicited opinions from architects, contractors, architectural historians and others to help us form our plans. More recently, we have consulted different groups of community members, including our neighbors along Howard Street. Our initial conversations led us to believe that taking down the buildings was a sad, but supportable option. It is clear now that we need to take more time to hear from community representatives and further investigate other options.

Beginning later this month, I will lead an EMMC State Street Neighborhood Work Group formed to explore the challenges facing the Wing and Robinson properties. The Work Group includes representatives from a variety of interests in Bangor, including the city, the State Street neighborhood, historic and architectural preservationists, and the community at large. I am optimistic that with all these interests represented at the discussion table, concerns can be openly shared and recommendations considered.

I am committed to EMMC’s mission to care for our patients, families, communities and one another as we have done for more than 100 years. EMMC is part of the past, the present, and the future of our neighborhood. I am hopeful that we can reach a mutually agreeable plan for these buildings while continuing to focus on our principal mission – caring for the health care needs of our community.

Deborah Carey Johnson, R.N., is president and chief executive officer of Eastern Maine Medical Center.