YORK, ME – Kennebunk Savings is continuing their work as advocates for and supporters of substance use disorder prevention and recovery programs with a new, $25,000 donation to York Hospital. The funds are being used to create a Hybrid Treatment & Wellness room at the Recovery Center housed in the hospital.
The largest conference room space on the hospital campus is being renovated with new technology and hardware to facilitate meetings that will engage both in-person and virtual participants. This hybrid treatment model will provide the safest and most effective way to move forward with intensive outpatient treatment at York Hospital.
“In the years we have spent working within the recovery community, we’ve learned to emphasize ‘peer’ recovery, because so much of the success of these programs depends on the trust that is borne out of shared experiences,” said Bradford C. Paige, President and CEO of Kennebunk Savings. “Two years into a pandemic, and our partners in the recovery community have had to pivot multiple times to create safe, shared spaces for individuals seeking that sense of community and support.”
“It’s not just the constraints imposed by the pandemic preventing access to recovery,” added Liz Torrance, Social Responsibility Manager at Kennebunk Savings. “Access to childcare, transportation, and work schedules can be a barrier to adequate care. The new facility at York Hospital will allow patients who need to be virtual to engage remotely with in-person patients as one cohesive group, together in treatment.”
“Our experience over the past 18 months with virtual treatment has taught us that this medium is an equally effective delivery model; however, our patients do experience screen fatigue,” said Eric Haram, York Hospital Recovery Center Director. “We believe offering this hybrid experience will allow for a more dynamic set of options for appropriate in-person participants, improving overall engagement and retention in care.”
“The benefit that will come to this vulnerable patient population cannot be overstated,” said Dr. Patrick A Taylor, York Hospital’s President and CEO. “We could not do this important work without the generous support of the business community, and are incredibly fortunate to count Kennebunk Savings as a partner in our collaborative efforts to improve care for all who seek treatment and recovery from substance use disorders.”