Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 12 : Spring 2012 | Page 69

life threatening, so the Prescription Assistance Program is
truly a life saver.”

Program Coordinators are available to provide
patients with prescription assistance at Pines Health Centers
in Caribou, Presque Isle, and Van Buren. Patients may be
referred by a Pines provider or by a provider from another
physician practice in the area.

Mary Gallant is a Pines Family Nurse Practitioner.
“I’m from this area, and I know what the economic
conditions are like right now,” said Gallant. “I know people
are struggling and how valuable this program is for them.”

Gallant has a number of cardiac patients who rely
on anti-hypertensive medication to reduce their risk of a
heart attack. She knows many would not be able to afford
their prescriptions without prescription assistance.
“These patients are in an age group between 50 and 65,
so they are not eligible for Medicare and find
themselves in a bind,” said Gallant. “Most
may be currently looking for work or
recently unemployed.
Without this
program, many would go without their
medicine.”

When talking about Pines
Prescription Assistance Program
Coordinators, Gallant said, “They
often read between the lines when
they work with our patients. It is a
sensitive situation, many patients are
embarrassed. It takes a special person,
along the lines of a social worker, to
Ann Gahagan
help patients get the help they need in a
respectful manner. They are wonderful.”

As a Federally Qualified Health
Center, Pines provides enhanced access to health
care services for all members of the community
including those who are unserved, underserved,
or unable to pay. Along with prescription
assistance, Pines offers a sliding fee scale
and financial counseling, as well as free
case management services.

GREAT FOOD

Ann Gahagan is a Pines Family Nurse Practitioner
and Diabetes Specialist. “The Prescription Assistance
Program has been a wonderful addition to the range of
services offered at Pines,” said Gahagan. “We see patients
every day who have to make real hard financial decisions
and having this program available to them really does make
their life ch