MDI Hospital receives $12,966 Grant from the Maine Cancer Foundation to Establish a Tobacco Treatment and Prevention Program for Hancock County
MDI Hospital is grateful to announce a one-year $12,966 grant from the Maine Cancer Foundation which aims to help establish a Tobacco Treatment and Prevention Program for the residents of Hancock County. The Maine Cancer Foundation’s grant is offered as part of their ongoing efforts to reduce cancer incidence and mortality in Maine. They have invested over $15 million since 2015 in support of cancer prevention, early detection and screening, and access to care for all Mainers.
With this funding, MDI Hospital health coaches Mary Parham, Sarah O’Neil, and Laura Driscoll will become trained in the American Lung Association’s Freedom from Smoking training program. When their training is complete, the coaches will engage in project planning aimed toward implementing a new, more effective tobacco treatment and prevention program in the region.
Mary Parham, lead health coach on this project says of the grant, “The Integrated Care Team here at Mount Desert Island Hospital—Laura Driscoll, Sarah O’Neil, and myself, are very excited about working with the Maine Cancer Foundation in bringing a new program to MDI Hospital. Our plan is to train with the Freedom from Smoking program and to develop a fresh approach that will not only prove helpful to our current clients and employees of MDIH, but also provide preventative outreach for Hancock County.”
This one-year tobacco treatment and prevention pilot project will include outreach to MDI Hospital’s Integrated Care patient population with specific attention given to those who have disclosed cigarette usage and current MDI Hospital Organization staff members who disclose usage as well.
MDI Hospital aims to engage other service areas for planning participation including Care Management, Oncology Patient Navigators, select caregivers from the hospital and health centers, and colleagues from Health Acadia. The coaches will also engage with representatives from the Maine Center for Tobacco Independence and the Maine Quit Hotline to help integrate these free services into the program offerings.
The long-term goal of the Tobacco Treatment and Prevention Program is to make a positive, multi-generational, lasting impact on our county’s rates of cigarette smoking, which remain unacceptably high despite previous attempts to intervene.
To learn more about Maine Cancer Foundation, visit www.mainecancer.org, or contact Katelyn Michaud, katelyn@mainecancer.org, 207.773.2533.
Maine Cancer Foundation (MCF) is dedicated to reducing cancer incidence and mortality rates in Maine. 100% of the funds raised are invested back into our communities to benefit the people of Maine.
Mount Desert Island (MDI) Hospital serves a close-knit island and surrounding communities through a 25-bed critical access facility in Bar Harbor and a network of area health centers—all designed to provide comprehensive healthcare for residents and visitors.