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CMH Announces Plans For New, First-of-Its-Kind Health Center in Topsham, featuring New England Cancer Specialists as Largest Partner

New England Cancer Specialists hard hatsMidcoast patients will have convenient, affordable access to quality urgent care, imaging, lab and routine and specialty services.

Central Maine Healthcare (CMH) today unveiled its plans to open an outpatient care center, the first of its kind in Maine, in Topsham in July 2018.

The Topsham Care Center, a 44,000 square-foot facility to be located at 105 Topsham Fair Mall Road, aims to provide increased access to high-quality imaging, urgent care, cancer care and lab services, conveniently co-located under one roof. In addition, the center will offer a unique patient experience at a lower cost structure than what patients would experience in an inpatient setting. Rotating clinics will provide a range of specialty care services allowing patients to access the specialty care they need closer to home.

This new center will be the first in a planned network of CMH outpatient centers that complement the health system’s inpatient Centers of Excellence: Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Bridgton Hospital and Rumford Hospital.

“This is a new healthcare delivery model for Mainers,” said Jeff Brickman, CEO of CMH. “We have made significant investments in our services and are committed to providing this community with convenient, affordable access to the quality healthcare it needs, with an unparalleled patient experience.”

To bring this vision to fruition, CMH has forged strategic partnerships with healthcare providers known for their quality, such as New England Cancer Specialists (NECS) and Shields Health Care Group. CMH’s multidisciplinary affiliation with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) supports the development of new programs to provide best-in-class options for care. “We are fortunate to have some of the best names in healthcare on-board in this important venture,” Brickman said.

NECS Executive Director Steven D’Amato noted the significant need for cancer care in the area and stated that the new Topsham Care Center will enable his practice to continue the expansion necessary in order to meet the growing needs of patients in the Midcoast region. NECS conducted more than 9600 patient visits at its Brunswick office in 2017.

“CMH’s new facility will allow us the space to expand our staff, including new providers, and add more infusion chairs so patients do not have to wait to get the treatment they need,” D’Amato said. He added, “Thanks to this new facility and our partnership with CMH and Shields, our patients will benefit from having many of the things they’ll need for their cancer treatment journey under one roof, including access to mental health counseling, imaging services and more.”

Carmel Shields, Executive Vice President of Shields Health Care Group, stated that her company is proud to be part of a project that is bringing the future of healthcare to communities throughout Maine. “Shields has been working with Central Maine Healthcare for the past two years, and we are looking forward to expanding our imaging partnership at this new location,” Shields said. Shields Health Care Group will provide a full spectrum of non-emergency radiology services at the Topsham Care Center, including MRI, PET/CT, CT, Ultrasound, Mammography and Echocardiography. Shields continued, “Our reputation for offering the highest quality, most convenient and affordable imaging services directly correlates to CMH’s vision for this center, making this a natural fit.”

CMH and Mass General have been working together for more than a year on several initiatives, including cardiology, oncology and neuroscience programs, trauma care and physician recruitment. Tony James, Senior Vice President of Integrated Care from Massachusetts General Hospital, stated, “Together with CMH, Mass General is bringing our comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to specialty care in Maine to fruition.”

Topsham Care Center at a Glance:

  • 44,000 square feet
  • Specialty care services with 9 exam rooms
  • Urgent Care with 6 exam rooms
  • Imaging services including MRI, PET/CT, CT, Ultrasound, Echocardiography and Mammography
  • 5,600 square-foot atrium featuring a charging station and open, comfortable seating
  • Community room for educational programming and events
  • Cancer services offered:
  • 14 exam rooms, including a designated procedure room
  • 16 infusion chairs with privacy cubicles
  • Garden Reflection area for patients, families and staff
  • Additional services: mental health counseling, naturopathy/acupuncture

 Please visit Topsham Care Center

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About Central Maine Healthcare:

Central Maine Healthcare (CMH) is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving 400,000 people living in central, western, and mid-coast Maine.

CMH’s hospital facilities include Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Bridgton Hospital, and Rumford Hospital. CMH also supports Central Maine Medical Group, a primary and specialty care practice organization with a presence in 17 Maine communities. Other system services include the Central Maine Heart and Vascular Institute, a regional trauma program, LifeFlight of Maine’s southern Maine base, the Central Maine Comprehensive Cancer Center, and other high quality clinical services.

About New England Cancer Specialists:

Our mission is to make life better for people with cancer and blood disorders. To accomplish this, we provide patients access to excellence in medical care and information across the spectrum of cancers and blood disorders.

We are the region’s largest medical oncology group, with nearly half of Maine’s board-certified medical oncologists on our team. Our providers are nationally recognized for their expertise and experience and provide top-quality care to patients at our offices in Scarborough, Kennebunk, Brunswick, and soon, in Topsham.

About Shields Healthcare Group:

A family-owned and -operated business, Shields Health Care Group provides MRI, PET/CT, Radiation Oncology and Ambulatory Surgical Center services at more than 30 locations across New England. Through joint-venture partnerships with as many as 20 top hospitals and healthcare providers, Shields delivers cutting-edge technology, provider expertise and affordability while prioritizing the patient experience above all. Additionally, Shields ProCare offers medical imaging equipment maintenance and service throughout New England. Every Shields center is ACR accredited.

About Massachusetts General Hospital

Consistently ranked among the best hospitals in America by U.S. News and World Report, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston is an undisputed global leader in medical discovery, conducting the largest hospital-based research program in the United States with more than $900 million (USD) in annual research funding. Mass General is the largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, where nearly all our staff physicians serve as faculty. Patients at Mass General have access to a vast network of physicians – many of whom are global leaders within their fields. Our multidisciplinary care teams are known worldwide for innovations in cancer, digestive disorders, the neurosciences, heart disease, orthopedics, transplantation, urologic diseases and trauma care. We unite specialists across the hospital to offer comprehensive, state-of-the-art medical care for adults and children.