$1.33 Million for Northern Light Acadia Hospital Rural Dementia Care Program Advanced by Senator Collins in Funding Bill
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she advanced $1,330,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for a rural dementia care program at Northern Light Acadia Hospital in the Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24) Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. The bill, which was officially approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today, now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.
“Families across Maine know all too well the compassion, commitment, and endurance that it takes to be a caregiver of a loved one with dementia,” said Senator Collins. “This funding would support the creation of a training program for hospital staff at Northern Light Acadia Hospital, helping to ensure they are equipped with the skills needed to care for patients with dementia. As the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to advocate for this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”
“We thank Senator Susan Collins for her support to fund the Northern Light Health Rural Dementia Care Education Project,” said Chief of Geriatric Mental Health and Neuropsychiatry at Northern Light Acadia Hospital Dr. Clifford Singer. “This project would enable Northern Light Acadia Hospital to lead a training program for outpatient and hospital-based care in six predominantly rural counties, resulting in shorter wait times for patients and families to access dementia care.”
This funding would support the establishment of a rural training program at Northern Light Acadia Hospital in Bangor to teach staff how to best care for patients with dementia in outpatient and hospital-based settings.
This funding advanced through the Committee’s markup of the FY24 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill—an important step that now allows the bill to be considered by the full Senate. Committee consideration of legislation is a key part of regular order, which helps our government function efficiently and deliver results for the people of Maine and America.
In 2021, Congress reinstituted Congressionally Directed Spending. Following this decision, Senator Collins has secured more than $500 million for hundreds of Maine projects for FY2022 and FY2023. As the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Collins is committed to championing targeted investments that will benefit Maine communities.
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