The Boothbay Region Health and Wellness Foundation has been investigating the potential for a new regional healthcare center for the community. Their plans have solidified enough that they are now ready to find out how much community interest and support there is for the idea.

The foundation’s Health Center Initiative Director Jerry Homer said the goal is to develop a local health center that is owned and governed by the community and is centered on patient-centered care, increased access to care, an effective after hours on-call system, and electronic systems that are focused on patients, not billing.

“This is about taking back local control of our healthcare; this is about empowering patients and the community,” Homer said. “We think a locally-governed health system can successfully compete and it can be more effective than what we have now.

“We recognize that we are up against a system that is big, well-endowed and deeply entrenched. We don’t plan to duplicate services that are being provided now and done well.”

Homer points to the Iora Health model as one that the foundation would like to duplicate locally. Founded by Harvard physician Rushika Fernandopulle, Iora Health practices focus more on maintaining health than managing disease, use a team approach to care and payment systems not driven by fee-for-service.

The Iora Health model provides insight into the kind of care the Boothbay Region Health Center would provide but Homer said the Foundation has not committed to any of the particulars of the new health center.

“We have been talking to people around the state and country to see if there is an existing company we could partner with so we don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but we have not made any commitments,” he said.

Homer, a former hospital administrator in Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine, said there has been a group of about 25-30 people working on the local health center idea for more than a year, many of them healthcare insiders. 

“We have five physicians, five healthcare administrators, nurses and other healthcare professionals and citizens who have been involved in this,” Homer said. “If we can generate enough enthusiasm, our group is ready to work on the next steps.”

What Homer would like to do now is share the Boothbay Region Health Center vision with as many people as are interested. He has developed a keynote presentation to outline the project proposal and to stimulate discussion. 

“We want to take the concept to the community and see if we can generate enthusiasm for it. If there is enough excitement, then we have some hope of making it a reality,” he said. “Our plan is to take the presentation into people’s homes and to local groups.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Boothbay Region Health Center proposal should email Homer at jhomer@gwi.net.