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Mid Coast Palliative Care Program Expands

December 20, 2019

Mid Coast Palliative Care Program Expands

Brunswick, Maine – This fall, Mid Coast–Parkview Health welcomed the return of David Dumont, MD, FACEP, FAAFP. Dr. Dumont recently completed a palliative care fellowship at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College.  He formerly served as a hospitalist and as the Senior Medical Director of Quality and Acute Care at Mid Coast–Parkview Health.

In addition to being named the new Medical Director of CHANS Home Health & Hospice, Dr. Dumont will also work at Mid Coast Palliative Care, providing specialized care for people and families facing serious and chronic illnesses. He joins the existing Palliative Care team, which includes Palliative Care Director Carl DeMars, MD, Margaret Gardiner, FNP, and Kirsten Skorpen, LMSW.

Mid Coast Palliative Care provides a range of services, including both inpatient and outpatient care. The care team works with people facing serious life-limiting chronic illness.  Palliative care providers can help patients determine care goals that align with their needs and desires.  Symptom control for patients suffering from chronic illness is also a focus. Palliative care can be provided to anyone at any stage of a serious illness, regardless of age. It is not dependent on prognosis, and can be provided with curative treatment.

Inpatient palliative care, a longstanding program at Mid Coast Hospital, involves the care team treating patients that have been admitted, and includes consults from emergency room doctors, specialists, or hospitalists. Outpatient palliative care is recommended by a patient’s provider.

“Supportive care is about quality of life for the patients,” said DeMars. “We work with each individual to determine goals of care based on what matters most to them.”

The addition of Dr. Dumont to Mid Coast Palliative Care will allow for a number of expanded offerings, including an additional day of outpatient care, as well as weekend hours and coverage for inpatient care at Mid Coast Hospital and the CHANS hospice program.

“I'm grateful to return to Mid Coast with a renewed passion for caring for people with serious illnesses,” Dumont said. “With the expansion of the palliative care program, Mid Coast is enhancing services that will provide better care for our community.”

In his new role as Medical Director of CHANS Home Health & Hospice, Dr. Dumont will work with Dr. DeMars to staff the CHANS hospice program. Hospice is a Medicare benefit that provides care for terminally ill patients no longer receiving curative treatment. If a patient and their family decide hospice is the best option for them, Mid Coast Palliative Care can arrange for them to receive hospice care through CHANS.

Regardless of the patient’s age or stage of illness, in addition to curative treatment, the team at Mid Coast–Parkview Health provides personalized care with respect while honoring each patient’s wishes.

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About Mid Coast Hospital

Mid Coast Hospital is a full-service, 93-bed, independent, not-for-profit hospital governed by a community Board of Directors. The active medical staff includes more than 200 providers in over 30 primary care and specialty areas. Mid Coast Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission, and is recognized as a Magnet™ facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center for exceptional nursing and patient care.

 

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