Pen Bay Medical Center (PBMC) celebrated the opening of a new 42,000-square-foot Health Center on its Rockport campus in late 2020. This welcome development brings improved access to primary and specialty care services in our coastal communities.

With additional precautions in place to ensure the safety of patients and care team members during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, PBMC welcomed the first patients into the new space in December 2020.

“We know that improving access to high-quality primary care is one of the best ways to improve a community’s health,” said Mark Fourre, MD, President of PBMC and Waldo County General Hospital. “This new Health Center is critical to our efforts to do just that.

“Not so long ago, we faced a pressing shortage of primary care providers,” Fourre said. “We responded by hiring numerous providers, with a focus on primary care and pediatrics. This facility provides a space that empowers them to deliver the best care possible for our patients, and it embodies our commitment to the health of this community.”

Building Health Communities

Before the Health Center opened, PBMC’s primary care practices were scattered across several locations. The new facility brings them under one roof. It also provides space where visiting specialists from the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center can meet with patients close to home, reducing the need for children with special health needs to travel to Portland.

“The Health Center marks an important step forward for this community,” said PBMC Chief Medical Officer Mark Eggena, MD, PhD. “It will improve the health care we deliver by making it easier for providers to collaborate and connect patients with the wellness, prevention and specialty services they need.”

The $16-million Health Center was funded through the Campaign for Coastal Health. Philanthropic support included a $2 million gift from MaineHealth and a gift of $500,000 from the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center. PBMC care team members donated more than $500,000 to the project.

“I have always known that PBMC was committed to its vision of making our community the healthiest in America,” said Ann Bresnahan, a former member of the local board who co-chairs the Campaign for Coastal Health with Dr. Eggena. “What this fundraising effort has shown me is that the community shares this vision, too.”

The Campaign for Coastal Health

Located on the Pen Bay Medical Center campus, the PBMC Health Center brings primary care and specialty services together in one location.

Learn more about the Campaign for Coastal Health that helped make the PBMC Health Center a reality.