Dear Editor:

In recent weeks, much has been written and said about St. Andrews Hospital and changes that are planned for next April. Amidst the truths, half-truths, and misinformation working their way through the area, there are two statements I can make with certainty: 1. Our trustees, physician leaders, and managers are working very hard to keep St. Andrews alive, open for business and relevant to the region. 2. The community reaction to the decisions we have made has taught us that over the past several years we have fallen short in our duty to adequately explain our financial, volume and clinical challenges to the broader community.

We've wrestled with the challenges of declining patient volume, maintaining expensive technology, recruiting and retaining clinical staff, and dealing with falling reimbursement from MaineCare and Medicare for many years. Perhaps we were so used to these serious issues we failed to keep the community aware of them and how they might require us to change our services. For this I offer my sincere apology. While I expect some individuals will believe this is coming too late, please know that all of us at LCH are committed to our mission to serve the community. While we are not perfect in any sense, we are motivated by our mission. It’s the reason most of us chose to work in health care.

We understand the loyalty and emotional ties many Boothbay region residents have for St. Andrews. Many of the most important and memorable events in our lives happen in community institutions like St. Andrews, and many individuals have donated their time, talents and money to help sustain it over the years.

No group of individuals knows this better than our trustees who live in the Boothbay region. In spite of what you may have heard, all policy decisions regarding our provision of health care services are reviewed and made by the LCH Board of Trustees. While in a few instances final approval is made by the MaineHealth Board of Trustees, our Trustees determine the course of our organization. Our trustees are hard-working, community volunteers who (at this time) are mostly from the Boothbay region. Their mission is to ensure access to high-quality, patient-centered and affordable care for everyone in Lincoln County. These are people who have carefully reviewed the facts, figures and trends and made a series of difficult decisions based on a vision of the future instead of the past. Our board members are leaders. They understand that in health care if you avoid making changes, you become obsolete very quickly, and obsolescence is simply not an option for health care providers. 

Again, I apologize for falling short in our public communication and for any stress and anxiety we caused. Everyone in our organization remains dedicated to providing the best care for you and your families. As sad and difficult as these changes are, I hope you will come to understand that we are working very hard to maintain high-quality, accessible, and affordable care in the Boothbay region and throughout Lincoln County.

James Donovan
President, Lincoln County Healthcare