RUMFORD — The Community Dental board of directors voted Friday to reopen the Rumford branch, as long as certain requirements are met, Chief Executive Officer Lisa Kavanaugh said Monday afternoon.
The branch closed July 2 after high winds from severe thunderstorms ripped off 30 percent of the roofing on the River Valley Technology Center, where the office is located.
“Dirty water started leaking in above our office and ruined the walls and floors. We’ve been closed ever since,” Kavanaugh said. “We had to take all of the equipment out of the office to do the floors and walls.”
During a community stakeholder meeting Sept. 11 at the Rumford Hospital, Kavanaugh said that “between $20,000 and $30,000” needed to be raised before the Rumford branch could reopen, and the branch needed to attract more patients to be sustainable.
At that meeting, Rumford Hospital President David Frum said the hospital is pledging $7,500 annually for three years. Rich Allen, who is on the Technology Center’s board of directors and employed by Franklin Savings Bank in Rumford, said he would check with bank officials to see it the bank could offer help as well.
Kavanaugh said she had hoped to reach the goal set at the Sept. 11 meeting by the time directors met Sept. 19 but was unable to do so.
“At this point, we don’t have all of the commitments needed to reopen,” Kavanaugh said. “The Rumford Hospital and Franklin Savings Bank agreed to donate money, and I received a lot of verbal confirmations, but there’s nothing on paper right now.”
Despite the lack of funds available, Kavanaugh said that the board of directors still voted to reopen the branch, but not until several factors had been met.
“At first, our only problems were making sure we had the money to reopen and making sure that certain issues with the building were taken care of,” Kavanaugh said. “Unfortunately, one of our dentists has resigned from their position, which means that we need to recruit a new dentist before we can open.”
Kavanaugh said the intent is to “reopen the branch once a new dentist has been recruited and the financial support of the community has been confirmed.”
mdaigle@sunjournal.com
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