Patients and Visitors

Tobacco and Smoke Free Campuses

Use of the following is not permitted on CMH property:

Cigarettes
Cigars
Pipe smoking
Electronic cigarettes
Chewing tobacco
Snuff
Marijuana
Other non-approved FDA devices

This policy helps us keep patients, visitors, and team members safe from second- and third-hand smoke and supports those who are trying to quit tobacco use. Thank you for your commitment to a healthier community.

To learn more, download the following documents:
CMH Tobacco-Free Policy
Team Member Guide How to Support Patients and Families
Tobacco-Free & Smoke-Free Summary & Fact Sheet

Additional Resources:
American Lung Association – Quit Smoking
American Lung Association – Lung Friendly Workplace
Artificial Scents Have No Place in Our Hospitals
GovDocs – Fragrance Free Workplace
Mayo Clinic: Fragrances and Asthma/Allergies

Student Nurses

You may receive care from a student nurse, as Central Maine Medical Center, Bridgton Hospital and Rumford Hospital are clinical training sites for the Maine College of Health Professions. Our student nurses work under the direction of their instructors and other experienced nurses.

For more information about the Maine College of Health Professions, visit the MCHP website.

Gerrish-True Health Sciences Library

The Gerrish-True Health Sciences Library at Central Maine Medical Center offers dozens of links to websites that offer accurate medical and health information. It is a resource available to patients, the public and to medical staff.

Contact Us

Gerrish-True Health Sciences Library
Central Maine Medical Center
300 Main Street, P.O. Box 4500
Lewiston, ME 04240

Library Hours:
Public Access: Monday – Thursday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Hospital clinicians and team members: 24/7 access with badge
Librarian on-site as needed and by appointment

Library Staff:
Sarah Hudson, MLS, MBA call: 207-795-5956 or email: hudsonsa@cmhc.org
For more information call: 207-795-2560 or email: library @cmhc.org

Collections and Services: The Gerrish-True Health Sciences Library supports the health-related information needs of physicians, hospital team members and all affiliated students. Patients, their families and the public are welcome to use the library during staffed hours.

The Gerrish-True Health Sciences Library subscribes to medical and health-related journals. The majority of these are available online through our medical databases (see Professional Health Resources). CMH medical staff and students may contact the CMMC Library team members for online access instructions. Journals are indexed in PubMed with links out to the full text of journals in electronic format. Older issues may be available in storage or on microfilm. Print journals do not circulate but may be photocopied. (Photocopying is available.)

The library has a small print collection of medical reference books arranged by National Library of Medicine classification in many specialty areas. Check the CMMC online catalog for availability. Books in the circulating collection may be borrowed for two weeks and may be renewed. Electronic textbooks are also available through Nursing and Access Medicine on the Professional Health page.

Health Library Disclaimer: Please note: Information provided by the Gerrish-True Health Sciences Library or links on its web page, is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or care from a physician of other healthcare provider. Please call your healthcare provider if you have questions regarding your specific medical condition.

Patient and Public Health Resources

Medlineplus – MedlinePlus is the National Institutes of Health’s Web site for patients and their families and friends. Produced by the National Library of Medicine, it brings you information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in language you can understand. MedlinePlus offers reliable, up-to-date health information, anytime, anywhere, for free.

CDC – CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) works 24/7 to protect America from health, safety and security threats, both foreign and in the U.S. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease and supports communities and citizens to do the same.

ConsumerMedSafety – Developed by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), ConsumerMedSafety.org is designed exclusively to bring the message of medication error prevention directly to the consumers. Features of the site include:

A Scrolling Marquee Top 10 List providing the latest drug safety warnings and advice from experts.
The Medication Safety Toolbox offering various tools designed to help read a prescription, understand medicine labels, keep track of medications, measure liquid doses, or learn which medicines can’t be crushed.
Medication Safety Alerts – special safety section along with critical information about drug recalls, drug shortages, and medication guides.
Consumer Medication Errors Reporting Program, a section where consumers are invited to tell their stories about medication hazards or errors through a user-friendly, online reporting format.

Druginfonet.com – Official package inserts and pharmaceutical product and disease information for healthcare professionals and consumers.

Family Doctor.org – The Family Doctor website is operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), a national medical organization representing more than 115,900 family physicians, family practice residents and medical students. All of the information on this site has been written and reviewed by physicians and patient education professionals at the AAFP.

US Food and Drug Administration

Healthfinder.gov – A gateway to reliable consumer health and human services information, sponsored by the DHHS.

Household Products Database – Information on the health effects of common household products under your sink, in the garage, in the bathroom and on the laundry room shelf.

KidsHealth.org – Doctor-approved health information about children, created by the Nemours Foundation.

Lab Test Online – Lab Tests Online has been designed to help you, as a patient or family caregiver, to better understand the many clinical lab tests that are part of routine care as well as diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of conditions and diseases. If you are a medical professional, this site can serve as a quick reference tool or as a resource for keeping up with advances in laboratory science.

Marvel – Free Maine databases including Academic Search Premiere, Business Source Premiere, Health Source: Consumer Edition, Proquest Newspaper Indexes

Mayo Clinic – Consumer website offering health and medical information and disease management, produced by the Mayo Foundation.

Nutrition.gov – A U.S. federal guide offering access to all government web sites with reliable and accurate information on nutrition and dietary guidance.

President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition – The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition mission is to engage, educate, and empower all Americans across the lifespan to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition.

RxList – RxList is an online medical resource dedicated to offering detailed and current pharmaceutical information on brand and generic drugs. Founded by pharmacists in 1995, and acquired by WebMD in 2004, RxList is continuously reviewed and updated with articles written by pharmacists and physicians and data provided by credible and reliable sources like the FDA, Cerner Multum, and First Data Bank, Inc. to ensure the most accurate and beneficial information is provided.

NIH Senior Health – Health and wellness information for older adults from the National Institutes of Health.

NIH Tox Town – An interactive guide about how the environment, chemicals and toxic substances affect human health.

USDA ChooseMyPlate.gov – The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion lists the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the USDA Food Guidance System, the Healthy Eating Index, and many other nutrition resources on Choose My Plate including U.S. Meal Plans.

Womenshealth.gov – The FDA’s leading resource for women’s health information.

State and Local:

State of Maine – Home page for links to Govenor’s office, State Agencies, Quasi-independent Agencies, Legislature (statutes, bills, House, Senate etc.).
Maine State Library – Home page for the Maine State Library and additional reference databases.

News:

USA Today
Lewiston Sun Journal
Portland Press Herald

Professional Health

The following databases are available for medical staff and students. Please contact the library to obtain access information.

Medical Databases

AccessMedicine
Cochrane Database
DynaMedPlus
Health Business Elite
Lexi-Comp Online
Medline with Full Text
OVID
Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection
PubMed (includes links to CMMC Library full text)
UpToDate

Nursing and Allied Health Databases

Warbixin Caafimaad (Somali Health Info)

Spiritual Support

The Spiritual Care Department at CMMC is dedicated to providing compassionate and competent emotional, religious and spiritual care to all who seek our services, regardless of faith affiliation. Chaplains are a part of your healthcare team. Services we provide include:

Bedside visits for emotional and spiritual support
Prayers, blessings or rituals
Religious sacraments and devotional materials
End-of-life or bereavement support and guidance
Regular rounding on inpatient units
Family consultation and support
Assistance in connecting with your faith community

To speak with a chaplain, please ask your nurse for a referral or call x2291. Chaplains are available for consultation Mondays – Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Sacred Space: A Room for Prayer and Meditation

Centrally located in CMMC’s beautiful Young Wing atrium, the Sacred Space is a place of solace in times of distress. Welcoming the rich religious and spiritual diversity of our community, it is open to all patients, visitors and team members in need of a quiet place for prayer or reflection. There is a secured box for prayer requests. Multi-faith devotional materials and prayer rugs for Muslim guests are also available.

Be Safe Speak Up

How does a patient help healthcare providers? By becoming an active, involved and informed member of their healthcare team. And as research has shown, patients who become involved in the decisions and the process of their care are more likely to have better outcomes. We encourage our patients to ask questions. And if you need to ask the same question again, don’t hesitate! Nothing is more important than being informed and feeling confident about your care. You are entitled to question nurses and providers about your healthcare and condition.

Here are some examples of the things you may want to discuss with your medical team:

Don’t be afraid to inquire about your provider(s)’s training and specialties, or their experience with people who have your condition.

If you have a question about Central Maine Healthcare’s expertise in treating your condition, ask your provider about the hospital.

When meeting with providers, write down important information. Or, bring someone with you to write things for you. It might feel overwhelming when discussing health issues. Ask your provider if they have any relevant brochures to give you. You may also find more information online, at reputable websites, at the library or through support groups.

Make sure you understand all phases of your treatment plan.

Know who will be taking care of you, how long the treatment will last and how you should expect to feel.

Understand that more tests or medications may not always be better. Ask your provider what a new test or medication is likely to achieve. Weigh things out; discuss any concerns.

Keep copies of your medical records from previous hospitalizations, especially if they were at another hospital.

Don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion. If you have hesitations about what the best treatment is, consult with one or more additional specialists. The more information you have about the options available to you, the more confident you will be in the decisions made.

Ask to speak with others who have undergone the procedure you are considering. These individuals can help you prepare for the days and weeks ahead. They can also tell you what to expect and what worked best for them as they recovered.

Go to Maine Health Management Coalition’s website to see how Maine hospitals perform on meeting patient safety standards.

Be sure you understand all medical forms you read and sign. Get clarification if you need it.

Have someone, such as a partner, family member or friend act as your advocate, to help you through your hospitalization. Your advocate can ask questions for you, answer for you if you cannot, and see that you receive the care you need. Advocates need to know your wishes regarding resuscitation and life support. Review consent forms with your advocate. They will also need to know what type of care you will need when you return home. They will monitor your recuperation at home and make medical calls on your behalf, if necessary.

During the surgical process, there are also many things you can do to enhance your safety.

Prior to surgery, ask the surgeon to mark the area that will be operated on.

Don’t be afraid to tell a nurse or provider if you are worried that you are receiving the wrong medication. It is important that you know what types of medication you are supposed to receive. Learn all you can about your medications: their brand names, generic names, their purpose and possible side effects. If you don’t recognize a medication, ask about it. If you need to take something regularly, learn your medication timetables.

If you are receiving an IV with medication, either you or your advocate can read the bag to see what it contains; find out long it should take for the bag to empty.

If you are given new medications by healthcare professionals, ask what they are, and inform them of any allergies or bad reactions you have had to that medication or similar ones. Also let them know what other medications you are taking, including vitamins, herbal supplements and over-the-counter drugs. Before leaving the hospital, be sure you can read the provider’s handwriting on any prescriptions you have, so that the pharmacist will also be able to read it.

Stay educated about your diagnosis, your condition, the medical tests you may be undergoing, and your treatment plan.

Don’t ever hesitate to question a healthcare professional if you think you are being confused with another patient. Make sure they know your name; they can confirm your identity by looking at your wristband.

Expect healthcare team members to introduce themselves when they enter your room. Look for their identification badges. This is especially important if you are a new mother. Never hand over your baby to someone you can’t identify.

Don’t be afraid of speaking up if you think a healthcare professional hasn’t washed their hands!

Make sure you are familiar with the operation of equipment used in your care. For example, if you will be using oxygen at home, do not smoke or allow anyone to smoke near you while oxygen is in use.

Before you leave the hospital, ask about follow-up care and review all instructions, making sure you understand them.

You have the right to lodge a grievance or complaint about your hospital stay or the care you receive while in the hospital with the Maine Department of Human Services Division of Licensing and Certification. Call or write: State of Maine Department of Human Services, Division of Licensing and Certification, State House Station 11, Augusta, Maine 04333. Tel. 1-800-383-2441 or TTY: Maine Relay at 711.

This agency does not address concerns about your hospital bill. Please contact Patient Financial Services directly if you have any questions about your bill.

You also have the right to contact: The Joint Commission, Office of Quality Monitoring, 1 Renaissance Blvd., Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181.

Patient and Family Advisory Council

Patient and family advisors, representing the collective voice of all patients and families, collaborate with Central Maine Healthcare to achieve its goal of providing the highest quality patient-centered care to every patient, every time.

Click here to submit your interest

What should I expect as a member of the Patient and Family Advisory Council?

The participation of patients and family members on the CMH Patient & Family Advisory Council is very important to enhancing the quality of the healthcare experience. As a council member, you are invited to:

Represent the CMH mission/vision/values and service standards.
Follow all privacy requirements according to state and federal law (see HIPAA).
Share your healthcare experience with other advisors and CMH team members at monthly meetings held both in-person and virtually.
Utilize open communication and willingness to offer both positive and negative comments in a respectful way.
Participate in group discussions to talk about ideas for how CMH can improve its care, quality, safety, and services.
Be respectful of the unique background and perspective of each individual member.
Provide insight from the patient and family perspective about CMH’s policies, care practices, and patient education materials.
Identify patient and family needs and concerns.
Serve on subcommittees and quality workgroups to help bring the patient and family perspective to these efforts.
Encourage and support patient-centered care across the system.