NORWAY – Western Maine Health will cease operation of its Stephens Memorial Home Care program Sept. 10.

The program began six and a half years ago and most recently served 27 patients with a seven-member staff.

Most of those patients and staff will be absorbed by the Lewiston-based Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, under a purchase-and-sales agreement negotiated over the summer. The agency, the area’s largest and oldest, serves four counties, has 459 employees and five offices, including one in Oxford.

Stephens Memorial Hospital Development Director Tracey Geary said Thursday the decision was made to close the home care program because of the continuing decline in MaineCare reimbursements and the program’s relatively small size.

“The reimbursements have been significantly harder to receive, especially in such a small agency,” Geary said. Proposed changes in health care delivery in Maine will require all health care providers to analyze its programs for better and more efficient ways to provide health care, she said.

The presence in the area of the nonprofit Androscoggin agency, “an equally skilled, quality home care” program, factored in the decision to close Stephens Memorial Home Care, Geary said.

Western Maine Health approached Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice in July about assuming clinical responsibility for the Stephens Memorial Home Care patients, said Androscoggin’s President and Chief Executive Officer David McDaniel.

“We were very, very impressed with the quality of their program,” he said. They also were impressed with the staff. During negotiations, McDaniel said Western Maine Health Chief Executive Officer Timothy Churchill said, “We want our staff to be as protected as they can” and not left without a job.

Of the seven employees who worked at Stephens Memorial Home Health, two of them – a physical therapist and clerical office worker – were rehired for other positions at the hospital. Androscoggin hired three registered nurses from the program and one home health aide.

“A majority of the patients have already completed their agreement with Androscoggin” and are now receiving services from them, McDaniel said. As required by law, Western Maine Health gave the home health patients a list of home health care providers serving the area. All but one of the patients opted to be served by Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice. A few others were discharged earlier “because their goals were met,” he said.

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