By Anita Ruff, Executive Director, Oasis Free Clinics
Last week, Oasis Free Clinics turned the page on a new chapter in our almost 30-year history by celebrating the opening of our new and expanded clinic. Located at 331 Maine St. in Brunswick, our new clinic is the culmination of months of work and years of dreaming.
With twice as much space for our medical and dental clinics, an eye care space, and a room for counseling, we have significantly increased access to our services for our uninsured neighbors.
We didn’t get here on our own, however.
This was the first construction project I’ve been a part of, and I had no idea how much work and detail it would involve. Fortunately, two things were on our side. The first was our lead clinician, Michelle Barber. She had the vision for how our new space could be designed to maximize clinical services while being functional. Michelle worked closely with architects and our contractor to make the wants and needs of our team come to life.
She was the first to climb up on a counter to look at wiring, pull out a measuring tape to determine if things would fit, and work with vendors to make sure we received fair pricing.
She worked closely with staff and volunteers to determine their priorities and then communicated them to our contractor. She made both big and small decisions, everything from where doors needed to move to what kind of paper towel dispensers we wanted. The volume of detail and decisions that Michelle handled over the course of the past year was intense and vast. What makes it even more extraordinary is that she did it all while also providing the majority of health care services to our patients. Exceptional care, I might add.
The other thing on our side was our contractor.
When Michelle and I initially met with the team at Ouellet Construction, we knew immediately we wanted to work with them. Organizationally and operationally, we felt aligned with Ouellet. At our first meeting, they talked about their commitment to our community, how they work with clients and the value they saw in the work we do. It was a perfect match for us. I didn’t understand at the start of the project how critical it was to hire someone who listens, understands and gently guides.
It became clear very quickly, however. They spent a lot of time educating me, and while I learned a lot about construction, I learned even more about transparency, open communications and true collaboration. The team at Ouellet is one of a kind, and we are grateful for Nick, David, Dean and Mike for partnering with us.
Along the way, we had the opportunity to work with others who made our new clinic functional and beautiful. The team at Patterson Dental were instrumental in helping us design four dental suites and a dental lab that will allow us to grow the number of people we see.
Our technology vendor, Jared, from Advanced Micro Systems, has helped us redesign our IT systems to increase efficiency. Mike and his team from National Telephone and Technology helped with a seamless transition to a new phone system. The team from Bisson Moving and Storage were nothing short of miracle workers, bringing over our dental equipment and all of our supplies ahead of schedule. Jon and Brian from E4H Architects made sure that our wants complied with federal and state requirements. Rebecca Ames and Lisa Bossi put the finishing touches on the clinic, helping us choose a look that is bright and welcoming.
Lots of other people helped, too. A team from the Brunswick Coastal Rotary Club helped us get ready for patients by spending a morning with us. Volunteers from Mid Coast–Parkview Health moved boxes from our old clinic to our new one, making sure they arrived safely. The Bath-Brunswick Regional Chamber of Commerce loaned us big scissors for our ribboncutting.
Sandy Holland made a huge, delicious cake and tons of cookies for our ribbon-cutting ceremony. It really does take a village.
Through it all, Oasis staff and volunteers remained calm and patient, committed to bringing our patients the best care and smoothest transition. This is an extraordinary group of people who usually do their work quietly and without a desire for recognition.
However, they deserve all of the kudos.
A HUGE thank you to Lee, Cathy, Valerie, Dr. Boynton, Kim, Tiffany, Nick, Julia, Linda, Bronwyn, Paige, Lorna, Dr. Mark Alexander, Annee, Ginny, Steve and Steve, Dr. Inger, and Dr. Swan. Our Bowdoin College students helped a ton, too: Ryan, Zelia, Ereny, Mauricio, Mohammed, Kendall, Miranda, Juliana and Rebekah. Over the past two years, our Board of Directors has been supportive, encouraging and willing to jump in. Thank you to Casey, Seth, Evan, Andree, Derek, Abigail, Caitlyn, Michelle, John, Jana, Ron, Kristen, Johanna and Dr. Inger. And, of course, we wouldn’t be here without the vision of those who created and grew Oasis over the years, including Dr. Peter McGuire, Dr. John Bauman, Dr. Rick Elsaesser, Dr. Richard Corbin, Andree Appel, Joe Field, Mo Bisson, MaryLou Ciolfi and many more dedicated people.
While we wish we weren’t needed, we are grateful to be here. To help when people feel vulnerable, scared or frustrated is a privilege, one that we do not take for granted. Our community has made our work possible, and we appreciate the opportunity to serve. The needs of our community continue to grow, and we now have the facility to better meet those needs. We look forward to what the future holds in our new home, built by the thoughtful kindness of this village.
Oasis Free Clinics is a nonprofit, no-cost primary care medical practice and dental clinic, providing exceptional, patient-centered care to uninsured members of our community.
For more information, please call 721- 9277 or visit oasisfreeclinics.org.
Anita Ruff is the executive director at Oasis Free Clinics.
Recent Comments