November 2024

Providing compassionate and skilled home health care

to the people of Mount Desert Island,

Trenton, and Lamoine.

A Note From Our Executive Director

Dear Supporters, Community Members, and Friends,

We here at MDNA are so humbled to have an amazing team of administrators, clinicians, Board of Directors and friends, not to mention our most critical assets: our patients and supporters. Everyone holds a vital role in our success. We feel honored to have your trust and belief in our mission to provide care with the goal of keeping our neighbors healthy at home. As you will read below, we have had an amazing four months since we last updated you! I will highlight just a few accomplishments.

We have cared for more patients than ever and are working diligently to assure we provide the utmost in quality care to all we serve! Providing care is challenging and rewarding work. We are so fortunate to have an amazing and expert team of clinicians caring for those homebound and in need of our RN, OT and PT care. Our team has grown over the last 4 years, and we are not done! We are currently hiring for a registered nurse and can use your help - please spread the word!

We are so grateful to our donors for helping to ensure we can serve our neighbors on MDI, the Islands, Lamoine and Trenton. We have had incredible success so far this year receiving contributions! Thank you to all who have joined and supported us! A rise in visits, increased staffing, insane housing costs, and more cuts to Medicare mean this support is more critical than ever. Our 75th Anniversary Campaign is a vital component to our future success. This campaign was softly launched In January of 2024 and our campaign committee led by Mark Gauthier and Mazzie Gogolak have been busy engaging with you. We are excited to share our progress below.

In July, MDNA co-hosted our 75th Anniversary celebration with Ruth Marie Colket at her stunning estate Kenarden where we had an opportunity to celebrate both our meaningful history and future service. Many in attendance continued their steadfast commitment and I cannot underscore how thankful I am. It was a joyful night filled with good friends, fellowship, and a fireworks finale. Thank you to all who joined us and especially to Ruth Marie for being such a gracious and esteemed hostess and supporter of MDNA.

As we are settling into late fall and colder months ahead, we enjoy football, apples, foliage, and a little slower pace here on the island. We are just as busy at MDNA, but we soak in the crisp air and fall beauty in between our patient visits. We wish great health and happiness to you!

Warmly,

Amy McVety, Executive Director

MDNA Celebrates 75 Years

In July, we had the privilege of celebrating our 75th anniversary with many of our supporters. What a heartfelt reminder of the wonderful community we've built together.

Thank you to our gracious hostess, Ruth Marie Colket, for a beautiful evening under the stars!

ENSURING THE NEXT 75 YEARS OF MDNA!

by Mark Gauthier, 75th Anniversary Committee Chair

I’ve had the pleasure of co-chairing the Capital Campaign for the Mount Desert Nursing Association this year with Mazzie Gogolak. This is MDNA's 75th Anniversary year, and our goal is to raise $1 million to replenish the investment funds spent the last few years in transition to a fully Medicare-certified healthcare organization. I'm pleased to share the good news that we're more than 80% to our $1 million fundraising goal for 2024, and have had wonderful support from our Northeast Harbor, Seal Harbor, Southwest Harbor, and Bar Harbor communities -- both year-round and summer residents alike.

We have until January 1st to make our goal. I want to remind you that if you're considering a tax-deductible gift as year-end approaches, there's no better use for it than ensuring a future for the skilled nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy work that the staff at Mount Desert Nursing Association does. And by the way, it needn't be a gift and it needn't be now -- we'd be happy to accept a pledge in any amount for 2025, but your pledge must be made in 2024. Help us cross the finish line!

Full "How to Give" details are at mountdesertnursing.org/donate.

– Mark Gauthier, 75th Anniversary Committee Chair

mark@mountdesertnursing.org

(760) 831-3924

Getting in the Community Spirit

by Kay Rand, President of the Board of Directors

MDNA’s 3-Year Strategic Plan (2023-2025) called for increasing our engagement with the communities that we serve. Most are familiar with our flu clinics, blood pressure clinics, our annual Stethoscope Golf Tournament, and hopefully our now twice-held annual Chowdah Fest. If not, go check out details on our website!

We’ve learned that participating in community events not only increases our visibility and support in the community, but is also fun. On Sunday, October 20th you could've found MDNA staff and board members handing out water to MDI Marathon runners.

This late summer and fall, MDNA held an educational series on Aging in Place Confidently and Safely, both at the Southwest Library and Birch Bay Retirement Village. They were well received and a great experience for our staff. We plan to do them again next year.

MDNA has been a quiet but reliable part of the MDI community for over 75 years, providing quality home health care. But look for us out and about, too, as we celebrate the spirit of community that makes our island so special!

MDNA staff - Amy McVety, Chiori Beck, and Megan Rilkoff - along with Board member Ann Bissell hand out water at the MDI Marathon on Sunday, October 20th at Golf of Maine. Mile 25!

MDNA staff present at our four-part Aging in Place education series at the Southwest Harbor Library and Birch Bay Retirement Village.

Our Fall Appeal is in Full Swing! 🍂

60 generous donors have already supported our Fall Appeal. Every donation goes directly to our operations, helping us bring essential, compassionate care to our neighbors in need—all from the comfort of their own homes.

If you haven’t already, will you join our community of supporters today? Every gift, big or small, makes a meaningful impact. 💙

You can donate on our website or through Venmo @MountDesertNursing

Donate Today

Sara Somes, MDNA nurse of 15 years, smiles with a patient at our

flu clinic.

Team Update

by Katie Verville, Clinical Manager

In October, we celebrated Physical Therapy Month! We are very fortunate to have Katy, Brianne and Amanda on our team; we are so grateful for their compassionate care and expertise! We also marked the end of an era for MDNA with the retirement of our very own Sara Somes, RN. We have been blessed to have Sara on our team for the past 15 years! Thank you, Sara, for the years of dedication, expertise and love for our community - you will be greatly missed.

We are kicking off November honoring National Home Care and Hospice Month. The home health care community is made up of nurses, therapists, home health aides, social workers and administrative staff who make a remarkable difference for the patients and families they serve. So far in 2024, our clinicians have made over 4,100 visits to patients in their homes!

Quality Improvement Plan Update:

Throughout 2024, we have been working to improve our star rating to more accurately reflect the care that we provide. We are dialing in on education around specific questions on the OASIS (Outcome and Assessment Information Set), which is a collection of standard data that is used to assess and report patient outcomes, such as improvement in bathing, ambulation, and medication management, and decreased rehospitalizations. We continue to move in a positive direction with our patient outcomes and are eager to reflect this through a higher publicly reported star rating.

8th Annual Stethoscope Open a Success!

Our 8th annual Stethoscope Open on Saturday, September 7th welcomed 24 teams to the Northeast Harbor Golf Club.

Thank you to our 100 sponsors who helped us raise over $30,000 for home health care needs on MDI and beyond!

We Are Hiring!

Are you a dedicated Registered Nurse (RN) looking to make a difference in our special island community? Join our fun, supportive, and passionate team as we provide exceptional home health care to our neighbors!

🔹 Position: Full-time or Part-time RN

🔹 Location: Travel around MDI, Trenton, and Lamoine

🔹 Benefits, flexible scheduling, and competitive pay

Apply Here