Slide 2 of 18

The Bucksport Community Health Advisory Committee has embarked on a process of participatory learning. The goal is to identify assets within the community and create a collaborative network which is responsive to a broad range of community health needs. The Committee defines health broadly and proactively. That is, health is not merely the absence of disease or injury, but is a condition of optimal well being. Health is not a static point at which one is healthy, but a process of improvement. According to the World Health Organization, "A Healthy Community is one that is continually creating and improving those physical and social environments and expanding those community resources which enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and in developing to their maximum potential.” The Committee believes that many of the resources needed to support the health of Bucksport residents already exists. These resources include local health practitioners, private, non-profit and governmental social services, schools, churches, supporters of economic development and voluntary organizations. The committee wishes to raise awareness in the community of these resources and ways that they can work together to provide an integrated web of services to people who need them. Bucksport is located equidistant from four hospitals (? on map), located in Ellsworth, Bangor, Blue Hill and Belfast. Bucksport is also home for two medical clinics that serve many of the residents primary care, outpatient needs. In addition to these hospitals, veterans living in Bucksport have the option of traveling to the Togus Hospital located near to Augusta. Given the many choices, persons with health concerns have choices for matching their needs with a facility that they think will serve them well or for which they will receive insurance coverage.