Mount Desert Island Hospital (MDIH) is an independent critical access hospital in Bar Harbor. It serves the broader Mount Desert Island, outer islands, and Lamoine and Trenton, Maine communities. Our organization is committed to improving access to healthcare services and our communities’ overall health and vibrancy.
With our core values of improving the health of the people and communities we serve, participation in the 340B program and the savings the organization receives help us subsidize our efforts to provide integrated healthcare services, palliative care services, prescription assistance, specialty services, women’s health, patient navigation, and behavioral health services to patients and families in need.
As a 340B hospital, we purchase medications for qualified patients at a reduced rate from drug companies. The savings are reinvested in services and programs that benefit our patients. While some services are covered by insurance, some Medicare and MaineCare services are reimbursed at payment rates below the actual cost of providing care. Other services offer significant benefits to our patients but are not covered by any insurance program. In addition to programs and services in the areas identified below, Mount Desert Island Hospital provides free “charity” care of over $324k and uncollectible or “bad debts” of over $5.3M. We are committed to our patients, their families, and each other. MDIH will provide the care needed, when they need it, close to their home and families.
Below is a list of some of the benefits provided to our community through this program.
340B Program Benefits
Specialist Care and Imaging Services
Patients and families can experience overwhelming challenges when they have to travel long distances to access specialty care and services. Savings from the 340B program help support specialists and specialty services such as 3D Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, and MRI in caring for patients in our local community, as the cost of providing these services exceeds the reimbursement we receive.
Integrated Care Services
Our organization has embedded care management services in our integrated care philosophy throughout the continuum of care that our patients need. An effort to provide seamless transitions of care to our patients and their families when and where it is required. MDI Hospital and Health Centers has embedded Care Management Nurses, Diabetes Educators, Licensed Clinical Social Workers’ and phycologists within our Primary Care Centers. These centers are Patient-Centered Medical Homes, and the ongoing care and follow-up for patients managing multiple conditions is essential for their ability to thrive. Our integrated care team also includes palliative care services, a nurse-led team with access to a palliative care physician to consult patients with life-limiting conditions.
Behavioral Health Services
MDIH is the only mental and behavioral health service provider on MDI through our MDI Behavioral Health Center. This center is led by psychiatrists, counselors, and licensed clinical social workers who aid in the ongoing treatment of mental and behavioral health services in Hancock County. Our community outreach provides funding for an Emergency Department 1st Dose Program to offer Suboxone to patients ready for substance use recovery. Additionally, MDI Hospital is a core member of a community-wide team to provide regional Substance Use Disorder Treatment by sponsoring the DownEast Treatment Center in Ellsworth, Maine.
Women’s Health and Obstetrical Services
MDI Hospital continues to sustain women’s health and obstetrical services for the community served. There is an “OB” desert in Maine regarding access to women’s healthcare and obstetrical services in rural communities. Many women must travel for two to three hours for critical care services. The 340b program allows MDI Hospital to continue subsidizing access to these services for our region.
Cancer Navigator
Many of our most vulnerable patients have difficulty accessing and navigating the complex healthcare delivery system. MDIH has developed a patient navigator program for those who have been recently diagnosed with cancer or are at high risk for cancer. Hancock County has a higher cancer death rate than Maine and the nation. With 340B savings, MDIH can continue to provide this valuable service to our community.
The Importance of Maintaining the 340B Program
As a Maine independent Hospital, we recognize how vital a rural safety net hospital like MDIH is to our community and the preservation of access to essential services for our patients. We tirelessly advocate to ensure we can preserve access to services in our community close to home for you. Restricting or excluding MDIH from participating in the 340B program would significantly impact our patients’ ability to provide these services. The 340B Program is essential for our rural hospitals.