St. Joseph Healthcare Hosts Maine CDC for Tour of COVID Treatment Center
Bangor, Maine – On February 1, 2022
St. Joseph Healthcare hosted a visit from the Maine CDC for a tour of their COVID Treatment Center. The tour included Dr. Isaac Benowitz, State Epidemiologist and Kristen McAuley, MPH, Director of Public Health Planning from the Maine CDC, along with Dr. Aaron Karmes, Medical Director, and Dr. David Koffman, Vice President of Medical Affairs from St. Joseph Healthcare.
The St. Joseph Healthcare’s COVID Treatment Center began in mid-October 2021 in response to the need for accessible treatments for COVID. This treatment provides for reduced emergency department visits and a reduction in hospitalizations. Providing supportive, patient centered care to all populations, especially those most vulnerable, makes St. Joseph Healthcare’s COVID Treatment Center unique.
The COVID team have now treated more than 500 people and have expanded hours to serve patients seven days a week. “We have become a regional center for COVID-19 treatments that present the progression to severe COVID,” said Dr. Karmes. “We have worked closely with the Maine CDC throughout the process to strive for equitable access to treatment options for all patients.”
There are new treatment options available through outpatient care, like the COVID Treatment Center, that are reducing the likelihood of hospitalizations or death for patients with mild to moderate symptoms. Dr. Benowitz, State Epidemiologist with the Maine CDC remarked that “St. Joseph Healthcare is leading the way in Maine by offering several oral and intravenous treatments for COVID-19 for non-hospitalized patients all in one place.”
“St. Joseph continues to see significant infections related to COVID-19 and the Omicron variant,” said Dr. Koffman. “We are excited to be able to offer highly effective outpatient treatment options to those at risk in our community. We continue to encourage everyone to get vaccinated, and if vaccinated a booster shot, as the best way to protect yourself and your family.”
For those with a Primary Care Physician (PCP), you are encouraged to work through your primary care provider to obtain a referral to the COVID Treatment Center.
The tour included Dr. Isaac Benowitz, State Epidemiologist and Kristen McAuley, MPH, Director of Public Health Planning from the Maine CDC, along with Dr. Aaron Karmes, Medical Director, and Dr. David Koffman, Vice President of Medical Affairs from St. Joseph Healthcare.