Bridgton medical center closing, citing financial pressures on health care system
The announcement comes after Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville closed for patients this week, and after several birthing centers around Maine have closed in recent years.
The reasons cited by DFD Russell Medical Center in Bridgton are familiar: low reimbursement rates from both government and private insurance, workforce shortages and an inability to rely on federal funding through Medicare and Medicaid.
"This decision follows a comprehensive review of persistent financial and workforce challenges," the written announcement said. "In addition to financial pressures, DFD has experienced significant difficulty recruiting and retaining highly skilled health care providers in rural Maine — a challenge shared by many rural health organizations."
Despite efforts to find alternatives, "continuing operations at this location is not sustainable," DFD said. The final day the medical center will see patients is Aug. 28.
The Bridgton location has been open for four years, and DFD also operates clinics in Turner, Monmouth and Leeds that will remain open.
"This is not a decision we made lightly, and it is not a reflection of our commitment to the Bridgton community," according to a written statement attributed to DFD's leadership team. "Rather, it is a decision rooted in responsibility — responsibility to quality care, our patients, our staff and the long-term sustainability of rural health care."
DFD will help patients transition to Central Maine Healthcare and other primary care providers.
DFD officials declined an interview with the Press Herald on Wednesday.
The latest closure comes as Maine is experiencing a crisis in access to health care services, especially in rural parts of the state.
While a record number of Mainers now have health insurance, many are finding it difficult or impossible to get help from a broad range of providers — primary care doctors, medical specialists, mental health counselors, dentists. It can take months — even more than a year — to get an appointment with a health professional, frustrated patients told the Portland Press Herald.
Health care providers in Maine have also warned that the proposed cuts to Medicaid that were approved in the U.S. House of Representatives could eliminate health insurance coverage for an estimated 34,000 Maine residents and put more pressure on the already financially strained health care system, especially in rural communities.
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