School officials plan to talk to St. Mary’s about taking over the clinic.
LEWISTON – Low-income high school students could soon have one less place to go when they’re sick.
Central Maine Medical Center said Thursday that it will cut in half the hours its nurse practitioner works at Lewiston High School’s health clinic.
The Wellness Center had been open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. four days a week. With CMMC’s change, the clinic could only stay open three or four hours a day, a few days a week.
CMMC spokesman Chuck Gill said the hospital needed to cut the hours to save money.
Lewiston opened the health clinic 10 years ago to cater to the school system’s poorest students. Located in the middle of the Lewiston Regional Technical Center wing in two converted bathrooms, the clinic is open to all students, regardless of their ability to pay.
About 600 teenagers used the clinic last year to get state-mandated immunizations, sports physicals, mental health assistance and treatment for basic illnesses, such as bronchitis. The clinic’s nurse practitioner also helps educate students about sexually transmitted diseases and other health issues.
CMMC’s nurse practitioner is the Wellness Center’s only medical staff, although she can refer students to area doctors when necessary.
“It serves a multitude of functions,” said Donald Cannan, Lewiston Regional Technical Center director and administrator in charge of the health center. “It serves a vital need.”
School officials say they understand that the hospital’s financial concerns. But their students need a health center open more than a few hours a day.
“I think CMMC is being challenged this year with funding,” Cannan said. “When we started it 10 years ago, it wasn’t about money. It was about serving kids who are underserved.”
CMMC pulled out of a clinic at Lewiston Middle School last year. Since then, school officials have been talking with St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center about restaffing it.
Now, officials say they will talk with St. Mary’s about staffing the high school clinic, too.
St. Mary’s spokesman Sean Findlen said his hospital is already doing that for Auburn’s schools. And though there may be financial issues, they’ll look into helping Lewiston.
“We usually find ways to do what is necessary,” he said.
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