Physician assistant James Hoff examines a primary care patient at Nasson Health Care in Springvale. Photo: Nasson Health Care
In an era when many small hospitals and other health care systems are struggling to keep providing services that people can afford, Nasson Health Care continues to offer a sort of medical safety net.
The service, a division of York County Community Action Corp. (YCCAC), offers medical, dental and behavioral care in Springvale and Biddeford. It’s a federally qualified health center (FQHC), meaning it provides comprehensive health care to a historically underserved area.
As a FQHC, Nasson is obligated to:
- Serve everyone, including those without health insurance.
- Offer a range of services under one roof – in this case the former Science Center of Nasson College on Oak Street in Springvale.
- Keep current with local needs by including patients on its board of directors.
Offering primary care, acute sickness visits, teeth cleanings and procedures, mental health and substance abuse support in one location benefits patients and the community, spokesman Mike Froning explained.
“If a medical provider notices a patient experiencing signs of stress or depression during a routine checkup, they can immediately coordinate with an on-staff behavioral health professional,” he said. “This integrated approach eliminates the stigma and friction often associated with seeking separate care, ensuring better long-term health outcomes.”
Nasson Health accepts private insurance, Medicare and MaineCare, and patients without any insurance at all are never turned away. For those who qualify, the center offers a sliding fee discount program that reduces the cost of care based on family size and income, in accordance with Federal Poverty Guidelines. This ensures that a single parent working an hourly job, a retiree on a fixed income, or a family between insurance plans can still access the same primary, dental and behavioral health care as anyone else in the community, Froning explained.
There are challenges. The Portland Press Herald reported recently that the state’s failure to fund cost of living increases for clinics this year has created a shortfall of $6.5 million for centers around the state. The Department of Human Services said the increases weren’t appropriated by the legislature, meaning the department’s hands are tied. The Maine Primary Care Association and others are urging legislators to address the problem.
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