Maine’s Campaign for Better Care

Roy Gedat

Maine’s state-based Campaign for Better Care kicked off last week in Augusta with the DCA-Maine Chapter as one of its partners. Maine is one of six states sponsoring a campaign focused on more effectively involving consumers in treatment and care choices.

The multi-year initiative focuses on improving health care quality, coordination and communication for vulnerable older patients and those with multiple health problems. The nation-wide effort is lead in Maine by Consumers for Affordable Health Care along with partners including the American Heart Association- Founders Affiliate, City of Portland Minority Health Program, Direct Care Alliance- Maine Chapter, Eastern Area Agency on Aging , Law Office of Alice E. Knapp, Maine Council of Churches, Maine Council of Senior Citizens – Alliance for Retired Americans, Maine Equal Justice Partners, Maine Parent Federation, Maine People’s Resource Center and Maine Women’s Lobby.

While health reform is now law, the hard work of fixing our health care system is just beginning. For those with multiple health problems, our current health care system can be a huge challenge. From harmful drug interactions to duplicative tests and procedures to conflicting diagnoses to contradictory medical instructions, the health care system sometimes lets patients down.

Maine's Campaign for Better Care Kickoff Event

(L to R) Kathy Day (RN), Beth Jones (Maine Parent Federation), Dennise Whitley (American Heart Association-Founders Affiliate), John Carr (Maine Council of Senior Citizens), Cherilee Budrick (Consumers for Affordable Health Care), Mia Poliquin Pross (Consumers for Affordable Health Care), Roy Gedat (Direct Care Alliance – Maine Chapter)

Noelle Merrill, executive director of the Eastern Area Agency on Aging, coordinated her father’s care after he was diagnosed with cancer of the bone marrow.  He passed away last month. Noelle says her experience demonstrated that patients — or their caregivers — must take control of their health care matters. She says she shudders to think about the elderly who have no one to look out for their needs.  Noelle says caregivers must be advocates.  “It is imperative that patients and caregivers provide detailed information to the health care provider and make sure it gets into the chart, which is the only indentifying mechanism the patient has. This is the age of pro-activeness for patients and caregivers. Our health, and that of the people we care for, is our responsibility,” she says.

Listen to the Maine Public Broadcasting Network radio broadcast below or read the story here.