FARMINGTON — When Franklin Community Health Network officially joins the Portland-based MaineHealth organization on Wednesday, the community will notice little change other than new logos, a new sign and an increase in some services.

During FCHN’s annual meeting Monday at Franklin Memorial Hospital, President and Chief Operating Officer Rebecca Arsenault highlighted the challenges of the past fiscal year and the promise expected from joining MaineHealth, effective Oct. 1.

The FCHN Community Health Leadership Award was presented to Western Maine Community Action Executive Director Fenwick Fowler of Farmington.

FCHN includes Franklin Memorial Hospital, Franklin Health, Evergreen Behavioral Services, Healthy Community Coalition and NorthStar.

FCHN has realized several successes during the year, Arsenault said. But there were also challenges that led the executive board to strategically plan for the future.

The board unanimously voted to join MaineHealth this past December, Chairman Joseph Bujold said. Directors looked at the Network’s situation over a year ago and knew it had to be fixed, he said.

“There have been massive changes this year,” Bujold said. The board sought a way for the Network “to survive, thrive and provide high-quality medicine here.”

Over the past fiscal year, July 2013 to June 2014, FCHN had a $3.4 million operating loss. 

Reimbursement levels for care have declined and the volume of patient care has also gone down, Arsenault said. People, nationally, are not seeking health care services, especially when it means out-of-pocket costs, he said.

While the network billed for $159,707,988 for patient services, a total of $86,195,130 was not received from Medicare, MaineCare and other insurance companies. The Network also provided $4.2 million in charity care to patients at Franklin Memorial Hospital, according to the annual report.

The Network spent $49.8 million in salaries and benefits and employed over 800 people.

Expenses were $3.4 million more than revenues.

Along with the financial aspect, recruitment and retention of clinicians is difficult as demand is high, Arsenault said.

Increasing regulations burden health care providers and create a need for more manpower to deal with the requirements, she said.

Patient satisfaction has also challenged the system.

“We’re just not able to get patient satisfaction to where we want it to be,” she said.

The challenges were offset by several successes, including being named nationally as one of the most wired hospitals, creating a pediatric walk-in service, committing to domestic violence awareness and prevention, expanding Behavioral Health services and receiving grants to promote exercise and nutrition in local schools, Arsenault said.

Joining MaineHealth is expected to bring more opportunities for savings, although the network already purchases medical supplies with them, she said.

Legal services through MaineHealth will also be available to the local organization.

A regional sharing of clinical services will increase cardiology services to five days a week and more orthopedic coverage, she said.

New logos and a new sign are more modern and reflect the area’s recent branding, Maine High Peaks, she said.

Arsenault and Bujold closed the meeting for community and board members by naming Fowler as someone who has demonstrated leadership involving health needs in the community.

A summer job as a student at the University of Maine at Farmington became a lifetime passion, Arsenault said Fowler. He has led Western Maine Community Action for 38 years.

He was acknowledged for the work done to help keep seniors in their own homes and the work with the rural institute on poverty, she said. He has served on boards and committees and helped secure a federal grant for over $1 million to help individuals get health insurance.

abryant@sunjournal.com