$2.2 Million for Houlton Regional Hospital Secured by Senator Collins in Funding Bill in First Key Step

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Susan Collins, a senior member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that she secured $2.2 million for Houlton Regional Hospital in the draft Fiscal Year 2023 Health and Human Services appropriations bill.  The bill, which was officially released by the full Senate Appropriations Committee today, must still be voted upon by the full Senate and House.

“Mainers in every part of the state should be able to receive the vital health care services they need without interruptions from power outages, which jeopardize access to care.  A new back-up generator would make an enormous difference for the health care professionals at Houlton Regional Hospital and the patients they serve,” said Senator Collins.  “In addition, investments in energy efficiency will help to permanently reduce utility costs for the hospital and help to drive down the overall cost of care.  As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, I will continue to champion this funding as the appropriations process moves forward.”

The funding would support facility improvements and equipment upgrades, which will help lower energy and heating costs and support continuity of health care operations.  

Specifically, the project would replace every inefficient window and door hospital-wide with high-efficiency windows and doors that will save the hospital thousands of dollars annually.  Additionally, Houlton Regional Hospital would replace its circa 1970's HVAC components, which have outlasted their useful life, with an energy efficient system.

Finally, Houlton Regional Hospital seeks to add a critical back-up generator to further support the six physician practices located in the Medical Office Building.  While Houlton Regional Hospital's main building is equipped with a back-up generator, it is not large enough to power the entire campus.  This causes delays in patient diagnosis and treatment, creates evacuation challenges, and complicates transportation for many seniors who then need to reschedule medical appointments.  Adding a back-up generator would power the Medical Office Building and the Community Center for Health Education, permitting patient care to proceed uninterrupted during power outages.

Houlton Regional Hospital serves southern Aroostook County and communities in northern Penobscot and northern Washington Counties.