All In on the Fight Against COVID-19

Maine Medical Center COVID Special Care Unit (SCU/ICU) - Erin McNamara, RN cares for a COVID patient

Maine Medical Center COVID Special Care Unit (SCU/ICU) – Erin McNamara, RN cares for a COVID patient.

All In on the Fight Against COVID-19: Resilience, Innovation and Leadership

At the onset of the pandemic, MaineHealth defined its efforts in the fight against the virus as “all in.” And over the past year, MaineHealth has continued to prove that it is “all in” when it comes to responding to COVID-19 and pivoting to address the needs of our communities.

The statement encompasses the interconnectedness of MaineHealth’s response – a collaborative effort comprising of vaccination clinic infrastructure, information technology system management, quality direct care and management of complex testing initiatives. Each department and system – whether existing or established in response to the pandemic – relied on the others to deliver optimum care for thousands of patients. From clinical care in the hospitals to mass vaccination clinics throughout the state to implementing thousands of COVID-19 tests, MaineHealth proved once again why it is northern New England’s most dedicated health system.

Such dedication was displayed first and foremost by MaineHealth’s incredible frontline care team members who have worked tirelessly over the past 18+ months to provide exceptional care to patients and communities. They are owed immense gratitude for their resilience and contributions throughout a global pandemic.

Mass Vaccination Efforts

Once a vaccine became available in January, MaineHealth helped transform the Scarborough Downs harness racing track grandstand into the largest mass vaccination site in southern Maine in just 15 days. The site became a critical vaccination resource, administering up to 3,000 shots per day, distributing a total of 122,000 shots and fully vaccinating more than 53,500 individuals in less than four months.

A collaborative effort, the MaineHealth Scarborough Downs clinic was staffed by hundreds of care team members from all departments across the system who were redeployed to work the clinic at least part time. Nurses and physicians returned from retirement to lend a hand, and community partners from some of Maine’s largest employers also answered the call.

Time lapse of the Scarborough Downs Clinic construction.

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Innovative Communications Technology

Swift response was not limited to clinical teams. Across the system, patient care representatives and information services departments banded together to establish a call center and online registration process to maintain smooth onsite clinic operations. “We stood up a 70-person call center within three days, in collaboration with one of our vendors using cloud technology so folks could man the call center remotely. We recruited revenue cycle associates across the health system to staff this call center and removed bottlenecks immediately, providing access to the vaccine for tens of thousands,” said MaineHealth’s Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management, Paul Chausse.

screencap of online vaccine scheduling

Vaccine Scheduling Technology

Regional Collaboration

“This amazing public health effort could not have been achieved without the inspiring collective contributions of our care team, business partners, community members and National Guard,” said Maine Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Joel Botler, MD.

MaineHealth Chief Health Improvement Officer Dora Mills, MD stated that she credits Maine’s high COVID-19 vaccination rate to “the ability for state public health agencies, hospitals and hospital-based health systems, other providers, employers, and community organizations to pivot, partner, and successfully provide many critical public health emergency functions.

Retired physician Nathaniel James, MD administers the J&J COVID-19 vaccine to Stepan Shonik, who is from Ukraine, at the MaineHealth walk-in vaccine clinic outside of Becky's Diner in Portland, ME (June 2, 2021).

Retired physician Nathaniel James, MD administers the J&J COVID-19 vaccine to Stepan Shonik, who is from Ukraine, at the MaineHealth walk-in vaccine clinic outside of Becky’s Diner in Portland, ME (June 2, 2021).

Testing Operations

The impressive numbers and contributions of the health system are not limited to vaccine distribution. MaineHealth local health systems have dedicated countless resources to the testing and care of community members in both hospital and non-hospital settings. As of August 2021, NorDx Laboratories had provided COVID-19 PCR tests to nearly 700,000 individuals – a number that continues to climb – and hospital care teams at Maine Medical Center, Southern Maine Health Care (SMHC) and Mid Coast Hospital have collectively provided care for more than 2,516 admitted COVID-19 patients. (Number as of August 31, 2021; 973 at MMC, 449 at SMHC and 1,094 at Mid Coast).

Alicya Vashon, a molecular diagnostic technologist at NorDx, runs tests on samples in the lab.

Exceptional Care Continues

This spring, as the number of vaccinated individuals and vaccine availability increased, the demand for mass vaccination clinics decreased. In response, the Scarborough Downs clinic closed on May 20, 2021, and MaineHealth successfully transitioned to focus on staffing small, targeted clinics and vaccinating the community through primary care sites, clinical settings and even community “pop up” operations. The SMHC clinic in Sanford, for example, provided more than 46,000 injections in just four months, and Mid Coast Hospital sites, including a mass vaccination clinic at the Brunswick Parks and Recreation Department, gave more than 61,435 shots.

As MaineHealth navigates ongoing challenges, plans for booster vaccines, anticipates variants and continues to administer tests, the health system remains firmly committed to its mission and vision. Each member of the care team – whether working a clinic, covering for a colleague or providing exceptional care and service to patients – is making a difference in the fight against COVID-19.

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