Business Spotlight: Northern Light Mercy Health Center

Northern Light Mercy Health Center Article

How long has it been since your last health screening?

For many Windham residents, it’s been too long due to COVID-19 safety concerns. But one local business is helping its patients get essential health services without sacrificing safety.

Northern Light Mercy Health Center, located at the rotary on Roosevelt Trail, is home to a dedicated staff of medical professionals, including Dr. Su-Anne Hammond. Hammond and her team of physicians and nurse practitioners are currently accepting new patients for in-person and virtual visits while following strict guidelines to ensure a safe return for all.

Throughout the health center, social distancing is being practiced. The amount of people in reception areas has been limited. All high-touch surfaces are sanitized regularly. Meanwhile, all visitors, patients, and employees are required to wear masks or face coverings. Finally, anyone who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms must stay home and call ahead so that they can be directed to the most appropriate location to receive care.

“We want to keep our patients coming in to get treated, but their safety is also our biggest priority,” Hammond says.

Before COVID-19, most patients used in-person and walk-in visits for necessary health screenings, routine wellness exams, and sick visits. Now it’s a good mixture of in-person services along with virtual visits through phone or web-based telehealth options. The center is open each weekday for in-person primary care appointments and seven days a week from 8 am to 8 pm for walk-in care. 

This dedication to their patient’s safety is part of the reason why readers of the Windham Eagle have voted Northern Light Mercy Health Center as the best physician’s office in the region. For many local residents, Mercy’s focus on personalized care is what keeps them coming back.

“My staff and I try to make sure our patients have peace of mind,” Hammond says. “Because that’s so hard to get right now.”

Many Mainers have not had a health screening since quarantine began in March. That’s why it’s important to the Northern Light Mercy team that their patients feel comfortable coming back in to get crucial care, including bloodwork or x-rays that are available onsite at the health center.

As Hammond explains, part of good primary care is about making people more aware of their health and preventing issues before they happen.

At the Northern Light Mercy Health Center, key services include blood tests, pediatric screenings, women’s health screenings, vaccinations, immunizations, same-day sick visits, Medicare wellness visits, minor wound treatment procedures, and even chronic disease education and management.

The office also uses care consultants that can help patients deal with substance use disorder, stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.

This is all part of what Hammond calls Northern Light Health’s “holistic” approach to medicine that puts preventive healthcare at the forefront. Now, patients can rely on their local doctor’s office to achieve better wellness overall.

“When patients come here, we focus on anything and everything they might be dealing with,” Hammond says. “It’s all about comprehensive care for us.”

The Windham office is able to do so much because it is part of Northern Light Health’s expansive integrated healthcare system, which has more than 35 primary care locations across the state, 10 hospitals, and hundreds of healthcare professionals.

To better help patients who need specialized care, Northern Light Health has recently added several new experts to Northern Light Mercy Hospital in Portland.

These gifted new hires include an ear, nose, and throat surgeon, a diabetes care expert, and the only Maine-based, fellowship-trained pediatric electrophysiologist in the state, who studies the electrical activity of the heart to make informed cardiology decisions.

With one visit to Northern Light Mercy Health Center, patients are able to connect with this vast network of specialists, who are all practicing the latest safety best practices to ensure the all patients receive care in the safest possible environment.

With this, Northern Light Health has found a way to make safe, in-person healthcare work for Windham residents and all Mainers.

“We all need to keep up with our health, so it’s good to know our guidelines are making this happen,” Hammond concludes. “We’ve been safely seeing patients throughout these uncertain times, and we look forward to continuing to be partners in their care moving forward.”

Mercy Primary Care is located at 409 Roosevelt Trail, Windham, Maine, 04062. For more information, go to MaineMadeUs.com/MercyPrimaryCare or call 207-400-8600. To learn more about the safety measures being taken across Northern Light Health, please visit NorthernLightHealth.org/safecare. <