Evergreen Behavioral Services recognized for tackling tobacco

Farmington-based Evergreen Behavioral Services is one of several Maine behavioral health organizations that were celebrated recently through the 2018 Gold Star Standards of Excellence program, which celebrates their efforts to deal with smoking and tobacco use on their campuses

The program is sponsored by the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence’s Breathe Easy initiative.

Evergreen, an affiliate of Franklin Community Health Network, was recognized for meeting the gold award level for efforts to implement policies, procedures and treatment strategies to prohibit smoke and tobacco use on campus and address client tobacco use. Evergreen met all 10 best-practice Gold Star standards, according to a news release from the agency.

Award levels are based on best practice criteria such as a smoke and tobacco-free campus policy, annual screening for tobacco use, referral to tobacco treatment and supporting employee education related to tobacco treatment.

The other honorees include Kennebec Behavioral Health, Alternative Services Northeast Inc., Mid Coast Hospital Addiction Resource Center, The Northern Lighthouse, Your Journey, and Cody Tompkins, of The Northern Lighthouse.

Loyal Biscuit Co. honored for cool factor

Loyal Biscuit Co., based in Rockland, with four other retail locations throughout the state, was selected recently as one of 12 pet retailers throughout the nation as “America’s Coolest” by Pets+ magazine.

The second annual contest highlights the best examples of independent pet businesses throughout the U.S. They are judged by a panel of retail experts on the basis of business practices, history, online presence, traditional advertising, interior decor and curb appeal, according to a news release from the business.

Loyal Biscuit Co. has locations at Reny’s Plaza, 1 Belmont Ave., Belfast; Hannaford Shopping Plaza, 421 Wilson St., Brewer; U.S. Route 1, Camden-Rockport; 408 Main St., Rockland; and 109 Main St., Waterville.

Skowhegan Savings promotes Ducharme to vice president

Skowhegan Savings recently announced that Jack Ducharme has been promoted to vice president regional community banker for Somerset County.

An 18-year veteran of the bank, he will oversee the community bankers serving customers within the county. Experienced in several areas of banking, Ducharme has worked within the bank as a commercial loan officer, in loan servicing, in indirect lending and most recently as a community banker primarily serving the Madison, Bingham and Jackman areas.

Ducharme is a 35-year resident of Madison, where he is involved in the Madison Business Alliance, the Knights of Columbus and St. Sebastian Church, and where he also is a selectman. He graduated from Thomas College with a degree in business. He and his wife, Denise, raised two sons and have seven grandchildren.

Ducharme

MaineGeneral Medical Center birth facility honored

Baby-Friendly USA has recognized MaineGeneral Medical Center as a Re-Designated Baby-Friendly birth facility.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies, such as on-site lactation consultants, offering skin-to-skin contact for newborns and mothers and newborns staying in their mothers’ rooms. This also includes offering women the information, confidence and skills they need to start breastfeeding their babies and continue doing it successfully.

There are more than 20,000 designated Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers worldwide, including 527 in the United States. The “Baby-Friendly” re-designation is given after successful completion of a rigorous on-site survey.

Delta Dental helps ensure dental care for central Maine patients

The Waterville Community Dental Center recently announced it received a lead grant of $250,000 from Delta Dental Plan of Maine in support of the capital campaign for a new dental center building.

As a result of redevelopment in downtown Waterville, the dental center must relocate from its home of 18 years by the end of this year.

The relocation will allow the organization not to only maintain critical access to dental care, but also to provide expanded space to see additional patients, enhance community public health outreach and provide space for the education of dental students and training for recruiting dentists in Maine, according to the dental center.

Compiled from contributed releases