Portland Community Health Center Now Open For Patients
The Portland Community Health Center recently opened in the Parkside neighborhood of Portland, Maine. The healthcare center is a full-service primary care medical facility serving Greater Portland, and is a welcome addition to the area as Mercy Hospital and Maine Medical Center have become overcrowded.
The clinic has the capacity to service 5,000 patients and will focus primarily on the uninsured and those on MaineCare and Medicaid. Those with no insurance will pay on a sliding scale.
The center received $1.3 million in federal stimulus money for start up and operating costs, and is expected to limit the number of emergency room visits in Portland. Currently, there are 40 other clinics in Maine, mostly in rural areas, many of which have waiting lists. The center is the first federally funded clinic in Cumberland County and is expected to alleviate long medical waits in Portland.
Services provided at the clinic include family medicine, pediatrics, counseling, and dental hygiene. The Health Center’s focus is on becoming a primary care provider as well as a “medical home” for those in need of consistent need and services.
Parkside neighborhood is the most densely populated area in Maine and home to a large immigrant community. The center is reachable by bus for those who do not drive and interpreter services are available for those whose primary language is not English. The clinic is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, as well as the growing population of greater Portland.
To contact the Portland Community Health Center or to make an appointment, please call 207.482.5000 or visit them on the first floor at 180 Park Avenue in Portland.
