March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

TAMC struggles to meet demand for dialysis

PRESQUE ISLE — The growing number of kidney dialysis patients threatens to exceed the abilities of The Aroostook Medical Center to meet demand, TAMC President David Peterson has said. Nephrologists at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor have started several new patients from Aroostook County on dialysis.

Original plans called for the TAMC staff to run three shifts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and two on Tuesday, with six dialysis machines — enough to care for 30 patients weekly. New plans include use of three additional machines to handle more than 30 patients. Peterson said the mission of the new center is to provide dialysis to everyone in the County needing it.

Peterson said that the first dialysis will begin with 12 patients and increase as staff develop the ability to meet demand. Capital and renovation costs for the project are project to be about $500,000, Peterson said.


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