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HealthReach Celebrates 50 Years of Providing Rural Healthcare Services!

Mar 18, 2025

WATERVILLE — Connie Coggins, HealthReach President & CEO, is happy to commemorate an important milestone: in 2025, HealthReach Community Health Centers marks its 50th year of providing high-quality, affordable care to rural Maine. Founded in 1975, HealthReach’s mission continues to be serving the otherwise medically underserved areas of Central and Western Maine. HealthReach offers rural communities convenient healthcare close to home, including general primary and preventative, behavioral, substance use disorder, dental, and podiatric care services.

In 1975, when the local doctor in Bingham retired, the tightknit community pulled together and imagined a family medical practice where everyone felt welcome. Working together, neighbors helped raise funds to renovate an old house, which they converted into a community health center. This is how the very first HealthReach clinic — Bingham Area Health Center — was formed!

Since its founding, HealthReach has gradually grown to now operate 12 community health centers across Maine, including one school-based health center, as well as integrated dental centers in two towns: Bingham and Strong. HealthReach is a 501c3 nonprofit that offers patients high-quality care without high costs by putting patients before profits. Nearly 300 HealthReach staff serve 26,000 patients each year. The majority of the volunteer HealthReach Governing Board are patients of HealthReach. This model has led to steady success by building the voice of the patient into the organization’s strategy and priorities.

HealthReach proudly celebrates a half-century of patient-centered care while looking forward to the future!

HealthReach Community Health Centers — headquartered in Waterville, Maine — is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating twelve family medical practices
with the mission of serving the otherwise medically underserved. In 2025, HealthReach proudly marks 50 years of delivering high-quality healthcare to
the rural communities of Central and Western Maine since its founding in 1975! HealthReach services include general primary and preventative healthcare, including behavioral, substance use disorder, dental, and podiatric care services. To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare, and major insurance providers, and there are no eligibility requirements to access care through HealthReach; all are welcome. An Affordable Care Program is available to both uninsured and underinsured people. Assistance is available for applications to programs that help with your healthcare and medication costs, including enrollment support for Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.

The above is issued in furtherance of HealthReach Community Health Centers’ federally funded health center project. In 2025, HealthReach is projected to
receive $4,436,654 in federal assistance, which is estimated as constituting 12% of project costs. Of total project costs for 2025, HealthReach estimates 88% to be financed with non-governmental sources.

The contents above are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the official views of or an endorsement by, HRSA, DHHS, or the U.S.
Government.

HealthReach Announces Expansion of School-Based Health Center in Fairfield

Jul 19, 2023

Fairfield – HealthReach Community Health Centers is excited to announce expanded hours – as well as junior high student and staff access – at our Lawrence High School “Bulldog” Health Center.

This Fall, students and staff at the adjoined Lawrence Junior High will be able to seek primary care services at the Bulldog Health Center within Lawrence High School. The health center will also expand its hours to make its services even more accessible and convenient, to Tuesday through Friday, 7:30am to 3:00pm. This schedule will vary to follow the school’s schedule; the health center will close on any school closure days.

Katie Gillihan, FNP, will continue to serve as the health center’s dedicated care provider. Gillihan’s passion, knowledge, and commitment have been evident to the school community since she started part-time with the Bulldog Health Center in 2021. With this expansion of service, Gillihan will transition from our Belgrade Regional Health Center to become the full-time provider at Lawrence High School.

Since late 2021, our Bulldog Health Center has offered primary care services to students and staff of Lawrence High School. These services include checkups, sports physicals, diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses, management of chronic conditions, family planning services, labs, immunizations, and more. Locating health centers within schools helps communities by reducing family costs for transportation, while also increasing the time each student can spend within the classroom – indirectly improving educational outcomes. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, HealthReach’s mission is “to provide high-quality, affordable, patient-centered healthcare in the medically underserved communities of Central and Western Maine.”

Bulldog Health Center, founded in 2021, is a school-based health center that is part of HealthReach Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center consisting of twelve community health centers located across Central and Western Maine. Dedicated clinicians deliver high-quality healthcare – inclusive of behavioral health and dental services – to residents from 9 of Maine’s 16 counties. To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare, and major insurance providers. In addition, an Affordable Care Program is available to both uninsured and underinsured residents. Assistance is available for applications to programs that help with the cost of your healthcare and medications, including Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.

A private non-profit with a 48-year history, HealthReach is funded by patient fees, grants, and by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $4,815,606 with 82.2% financed by non-governmental sources. The contents above are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the official views of or an endorsement by, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.

HealthReach celebrates 2022 as a Year of Excellence, thanks its stellar team

Jan 9, 2023

WATERVILLE – As we look forward to the New Year, it is always good to reflect on the past – to learn what lessons we can, and to recognize success so it can be expanded upon. The staff of HealthReach Community Health Centers are pleased to celebrate many successes from 2022. Here are a few recognitions we are proud to share with our communities:
• HealthReach as an organization was once again recognized by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), as a Health Center Quality Leader, and for
Advancing Health Information Technology (HIT) for Quality.
• Dr. Amy Madden, HealthReach Medical Director, was recognized by Home Hope & Healing as their Physician of the Month for the month of May 2022. We are pleased to see Dr. Madden’s dedication to her patients and quality of care recognized by external partners.
• Rep. John “Jack” Ducharme III, HealthReach Board member, was recognized by the Maine Primary Care Association and received the MPCA 2022 President’s Award for his efforts to support community health centers across Maine. Jack rallied members of the Maine House of Representatives to improve the financial sustainability of rural healthcare.
Our special thanks go to Amy, Jack, and the rest of the HealthReach team for their extraordinary accomplishments in 2022. Our patients are lucky to have you in our community!

Residents of Central & Western Maine have enjoyed quality care at HealthReach practices for nearly five decades. If you are seeking a new healthcare provider and health home, consider your local HealthReach health center in Albion, Belgrade, Bethel, Bingham, Coopers Mills (Whitefield), Kingfield, Livermore Falls, Madison, Rangeley, Richmond, or Strong.

HealthReach Community Health Centers is a group of twelve Federally Qualified Health Centers located across Central and Western Maine. Dedicated clinicians deliver high-quality healthcare – inclusive of behavioral health and dental services – to citizens from 9 of Maine’s 16 counties. To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare, and major insurance providers. In addition, an Affordable Care Program is available to both uninsured and underinsured residents. Assistance is available for applications to programs that help with the cost of your healthcare and medications, including Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.

A private non-profit with a 48-year history, HealthReach is funded by patient fees, grants, and by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $4,815,606 with 82.2% financed by non-governmental sources. The contents above are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the official views of or an endorsement by, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.