As statewide organizations, Maine Cancer Foundation and Maine’s Impact Cancer Network, understand the need to connect with all of our partners and colleagues across the state. Last week, our staff, Katelyn Michaud and Heather Drake, took a road trip to Aroostook County with stops in Presque Isle, Caribou, and Fort Kent.
The trip was a fantastic chance to meet with current and prospective partners, learn more about their work, and brainstorm ways our organizations can collaborate in order to reduce the impact of cancer in Maine. Curious about where Katelyn and Heather ended up? Here’s a recap:
November 8th: We arrived for our first stop at Cary Medical Center in Caribou. We learned about the many ways individuals there are championing health education and breast cancer prevention in Aroostook County through Cary Medical and Pink Aroostook, and statewide through the Maine Breast Cancer Coalition.
November 9th: We visited current MCF Patient Navigator grantees at The Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle, and met with palliative care stakeholders working to promote the inclusion of palliative care throughout a cancer diagnosis and at the end of life. In the afternoon, we attended the Aroostook County Health Network’s meeting. We learned about the work they are doing to coordinate care amongst their members, and hope to encourage members to take part in our initiatives as well.
November 10th: Our last stop was Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent. We met with several people from both the oncology nursing and social work departments to talk about the needs of cancer patients in the Saint John Valley, and discussed ways we can all benefit from networking and shared learning.
Maine Cancer Foundation staff looks forward to more trips to The County in 2018 in order to foster our current relationships and to forge new partnerships. Stay tuned for our next visit!
