Author: DeeDee

By: Dr. Nima Moghaddas, Podiatrist

April is National Foot Health Awareness Month.  April is also the beginning of Spring in Downeast Maine, and a time when most people decide to start walking for their health.  Before you dust off your sneakers and take on that adventure, keep these foot tips in mind.

Start with a new pair of sneakers that have been properly fitted to your feet.  The ideal time to purchase sneakers is in the afternoon or evening.   Be sure your shoes have shock-absorbent soles and supportive heel counters.  Purchase shoes for the specific activity in mind.  Please don’t hesitate to purchase new shoes when there are signs of wear and tear on the heels and soles.

Don’t forget the moisture-wicking socks to prevent excessive moisture which can lead to blisters and fungal foot infections.  If you are one of those athletes that ends up with “athletes foot,” remember to change your socks frequently, keep your feet dry, and if you develop a rash or an itch that doesn’t go away, see your podiatrist for treatment.  Don’t just ignore it, because it usually doesn’t go away on its own and can lead to further problems.

Lastly, start slow if you haven’t walked all year.  Stretch before and after you walk. If you develop heel and arch pain, reevaluate your sneakers and make sure you have good support.  If you have consistent pain, don’t walk through the pain – seek medical attention.

And most important of all, enjoy your walk!

Dr. Nima Moghaddas is a Podiatrist at Calais Community Provider Practices.  She sees patients for a variety of podiatry issues such as diabetic and geriatric care, heel pain and spurs, ingrown toenails, sports medicine, sprains or injuries of the foot, ankle or heel, and much more.  Call 454-9472 for more information.

Calais Community Hospital is pleased to welcome Family Nurse Practitioner Shannon Munro.  Ms. Munro will be providing primary care services in the Family Medicine office of Calais Community Provider Practices.  She brings over 16 years of primary care experience but shares that geriatric medicine occupies a special place in her medical practice.    

Ms. Munro began her career in healthcare as a social worker.  After spending a few years working at Maine Medical in Portland, Maine, she realized she preferred the medical side and headed back to school.  She earned her Bachelors Degree in Social Work and her Master of Science in Nursing at the University of Southern Maine.  She spent five years practicing in South Portland and Berwick, before moving to the small western Maine town of Kingfield, where she provided care for the local community for over ten years. 

Ms. Munro grew up in Saco but has been a frequent visitor to the Down East area thanks to a family camp located on Meddybemps Lake.  A couple of years ago the opportunity to live year-round on the lake in a home full of family memories became a possibility.   Ms. Munro made Meddybemps her permanent home in February.     

Ms. Munro and her partner enjoy outdoor activities such as boating, swimming, cross-country skiing, hiking, biking and just wandering around in nature.  Their family includes an elderly greyhound lab mix, Daisy, and a youthful one year old lab, Finley who keeps them on their toes.  

Ms. Munro will begin seeing patients at the Family Medicine office in mid-January.  Call 454-8195 to schedule an appointment.  New patients are being accepted.  If the chance arises, please take the time to welcome Ms. Munro and her family to Calais Community Provider Practices.

Calais Community Hospital is pleased to welcome Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. John Gluscic.   He will begin seeing patients in the office by the end of October.   Dr. Gluscic’ s procedures include, but are not limited to, ACL repair, arthroscopies, carpal tunnel release, knee and hip replacements, rotator cuff repair, nerve decompressions and sports medicine.   

Dr. Gluscic is a board-certified Orthopedic Surgeon with over 30 years of experience.  He earned his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia.   His internship and residency were both completed at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA.    Dr. Gluscic most recently practiced in Millinocket, which he considers his hometown, despite growing up in Pennsylvania.    He is thrilled to bring orthopedics back to Calais and has been working diligently with the CCH staff to prepare.      

Dr. Gluscic and his wife, Christine Lang, look forward to exploring the area, getting to know the community, and taking on some home projects around their new home.   His family also includes four adult children, whom he is proud to boast about.    Dr. Gluscic is an avid yogi, having been introduced to the practice by a highly regarded physical therapist (his wife).   He also enjoys the outdoors, biking, hunting, and traveling in his down time.     

Referrals for orthopedic consults can be made at the Calais Community Orthopedics Office at 454-8432.    Calais Community Hospital looks forward to once again serving the orthopedic needs of the greater Calais area.    If the chance arises, please take the time to welcome Dr. Gluscic and his family to our community.

Calais Community Hospital is pleased to welcome General Surgeon Dr. Luis Santiago.   Dr. Santiago looks forward to providing quality services to the people of Downeast Maine.   His surgical expertise includes, but is not limited to, abdominal surgery, endoscopy, colonoscopy, vascular operations, laparoscopic procedures and surgery of the breast and bowel.

Dr. Santiago’s occupation as a surgeon is actually his second career.   He first graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with an engineering degree and spent a few years working in the field.   He agreed to do some volunteer work while his sister was in medical school and ended up spending time at a children’s hospital where he was exposed to the medical field for the first time.  After much contemplation, he decided to follow his heart and head to medical school.   During his time at MIT, Dr. Santiago shared that he roamed all over New England and came to love the area, which is why he chose to move his family to Northeast Maine.  “I’m looking to grow roots and be somewhere my family can be happy and have a peaceful life,” shared Dr. Santiago.  “My wife and I prefer the small-town life and are excited to be a part of the community.”

Dr. Santiago earned his medical degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine.   His general surgery residencies were at the University of South Florida, University of Puerto Rico, and Hospital Episcopal San Lucas.  He also completed two research fellowships at the University of Colorado in Denver and the University of Texas at Houston. 

Dr. Santiago relocated to Calais from Trinidad, CO with his wife Awilmarie and three-year-old daughter Clarisse.   He was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where his parents still reside.   He has two younger siblings, a brother in the US Air Force stationed in Florida and a sister who is a radiologist in Houston, Texas.     Dr. Santiago and his family look forward to exploring the many outdoor activities in the area, completing projects around their newly purchased home, and getting to know the community. 

Dr. Santiago will begin seeing patients at the General Surgery office later this month.   Call 454-8432 for an appointment or to inquire about services.  If the chance arises, please take the time to welcome him and his family to our community.

July 1, 2021, marks the day that Calais Community Hospital transitioned out of bankruptcy and became Calais Community Hospital (CCH).  To commemorate the day and celebrate new beginnings, CCH staff members were treated to pizza and ice cream; many sported their “Two Hospitals, One Team, One Focus” t-shirts.

DECH and CCH, President & CEO, Steve Lail, “It feels really good to officially bring Calais Community Hospital and all its staff into the fold and we look forward to many years of service to the community.  We have all worked hard these last three months putting things into place to ensure we maintain some solid footing.  We had to make some difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions along the way. These decisions were not made lightly but were needed to maintain core operations, to become sustainable, and to work towards being a stable organization.  Our plans for the facility remain the same as they were when we began this endeavor.  We want Calais to have a fully functioning hospital and want to bring back full-time general surgery, add primary care providers, and eventually bring additional specialties that will benefit all of Washington County. We all need to work together to stabilize this hospital and make our new mini healthcare system financially strong.  It will take time to get us to that point but once we stabilize, we hope to rebuild bigger and better than before.”

Down East Community Hospital, through an affiliated entity and with the cooperation of many of the creditors of Calais Community Hospital, acquired substantially all the assets of CCH.  The petition to acquire the hospital was filed with the bankruptcy court on February 19, 2021; it was approved by bankruptcy judge presiding over the chapter 11 bankruptcy case of CCH on March 24, 2021.

Consistent with our ongoing efforts to protect our patients, staff and the community, the Calais Community Hospital Visitors Policy will be restricted beginning Wednesday, June 30 as indicated:

We apologize for any inconvenience or hardship this may cause. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

For more information and to learn how to protect yourself and those around you, you can visit: www.cdc.gov/COVID19

 

Calais Community Hospital employee Mary Waycott was recently recognized as a deserving healthcare hero through a Dunkin’ Donuts promotion.  Mary was nominated by Cooper resident Sandy Lyon last month.   Mrs. Lyon was a patient a few years ago at the hospital.  Mary is a CNA and was one of the staff members taking care of her.  Mrs. Lyon explained that Mary saw that she was feeling low, anxious and very nervous.  Mary’s attentive care and compassion came at a time when it was greatly needed and has never been forgotten.  When Mrs. Lyon came across the Dunkin’ Donuts Healthcare Heroes promotion her memories of the care provided by Mary immediately came to mind and she completed the submission.   Mrs. Lyon was notified that Mary was the grand prize winner from the promotion.  She stopped by the hospital and happily presented Mary with the documentation and prize of free coffee for a year.   Thank you to Mrs. Lyon for taking the time to share your experience and to Mary for providing exemplary and memorable care!

 

Calais Community Hospital (CCH) announced to staff today that a motion is being filed with the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Court and the Creditors Committee by Down East Community Hospital (DECH) in Machias to allow DECH to purchase the assets of CCH. 

The motion states that DECH’s intent is to operate the hospital as a critical access hospital providing substantially the similar services as those provided by CCH.   More details will be made available as this process moves forward.

The draft plan being submitted by DECH is being generally supported by the CCH Board of Directors with several details still to be worked out between the parties.

Calais Community Hospital is pleased to welcome Family Nurse Practitioner Kimberly Harvell to CRMS Pediatrics.

Kimberly grew up in Aroostook County, Maine.  From a young age and with many life experiences, she knew being a pediatric provider was exactly what she was meant to do in life. “There has never been any other career for me,” she explained.  Kimberly undertook every opportunity offered to be immersed in the medical field so that each experience could create a solid foundation in healthcare, specifically the field of Pediatrics.

Kimberly became a certified nursing assistance at sixteen. She entered many leadership roles in her time as a CNA where she worked in the adult and pediatric intensive care units and with geriatric populations. Kimberly received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, with a Minor in Child Development and Family Relations, from the University of Maine. In her time at the University of Maine, Kimberly was an attendant on the University of Maine Ambulance, worked in the School of Nursing, took on many leadership roles, served as an officer in the Orono Student Nurses’ Association. She has always enjoyed volunteer work and giving back to her communities and has been on several service trips providing hurricane relief in New Orleans and providing healthcare in Belize, Central America. Kimberly also graduated with Highest Honors from the University of Maine: Honor’s College where her undergraduate research was focused on Rural Pediatrics in Maine.

After graduation, Kimberly joined her new husband Joshua in Calais and began working at CCH as an RN.  While at CCH, Kimberly primarily worked on the Inpatient Care Unit.  On IPCU she was a Charge Nurse and then the Patient Care Coordinator, working as the patient and physician liaison serving as a bridge for creating continuity of care in our rural community.

In 2018 Kimberly moved to Southern Maine to complete her Family Nurse Practitioner degree. While completing her FNP clinical rotations, Kimberly worked as a Registered Nurse at Mid Coast Hospital and worked at Medical Partners: South Portland Pediatrics as a Pediatric Primary Care and Triage Nurse. She also worked as a School Nurse managing the health of the virtual public school: Maine Connections Academy. Kimberly capitalized on her graduate clinical experiences obtaining additional skills in Pediatrics every step of the way. During her time in her graduate program, Kimberly completed a Master’s thesis/capstone project focused on Adolescent Medicine. Kimberly graduated with Highest Honors from Husson University with a Master Degree in Nursing as Family and Community Nurse Practitioner, specialty in Rural Medicine. Upon graduation, Kimberly and her husband joyously returned to Washington County, bringing back all her pediatrics experience to the community she loves.

In her free time, Kimberly enjoys quality time with her loving husband, family, and friends. She enjoys traveling the world, church ministries, reading, crochet, being outdoors, jigsaw puzzles, strategy board games, and volunteering at the Maine Center for Grieving Children,

Kimberly is excited to be rejoining Calais Community bringing her wide breadth of Pediatrics experience into her practice to serve as a Primary Care Provider for our youngest patients. Her healthcare philosophy is to provide holistic care, to her patients and their families, helping them to effectively augment their health for the goal of overall health optimization. She is seeing and accepting new patients in the CRMS Pediatrics office. Call 454-8195, option 1 for an appointment or to inquire about her services.