SCARBOROUGH, Maine 鈥� AOA体育平台, the region鈥檚 largest integrated health care system, welcomed the first patients into its new COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the former Scarborough Downs harness racing track Wednesday. The track鈥檚 grandstand was transformed into a clinic in just 15 days by a 100-member team from 41 Maine-based companies led by Crossroads Holdings, the Scarborough development company that is redeveloping 500-plus acres at the Downs.
鈥淭his clinic will make a big difference in AOA体育平台鈥檚 efforts to vaccinate community members as quickly and safely as possible,鈥� said AOA体育平台 CEO Bill Caron. 鈥淲e are so grateful to Crossroads Holdings, their partners as well as to members of the business community, who have stepped up to volunteer at the clinic alongside members of the AOA体育平台 care team.鈥�
Town leaders in Scarborough worked quickly in January to secure the needed permits for the grandstand鈥檚 temporary use. Led by Scarborough-based Maine Properties and Risbara Brothers Construction, the retrofitting work needed to transform the 30,000- square foot building into a clinical space included improving access to high-speed broadband and building out refrigeration rooms that are needed to house the vaccines.
鈥淥ur team has been in business for decades and this was the most important job we鈥檝e ever completed together,鈥� said Peter Michaud, managing partner of Crossroads Holdings. 鈥淎s part of our commitment to create a true community at The Downs in Scarborough, our team is very proud to be able to lend a hand to Maine鈥檚 front-line healthcare workers,鈥� Michaud said.
The Scarborough Downs COVID-19 vaccination clinic will operate Monday through Friday 7 a.m. 鈥� 7 p.m. to start. AOA体育平台 will add Saturday hours as more vaccine becomes available from the state, and the clinic will be able to vaccinate up to 2,000 people each day. More than 100 people were scheduled to be vaccinated at the clinic on Wednesday.
Under Governor Janet Mills鈥� leadership, Maine is in the top tier of states on delivering the . This reflects an intense focus on preventing sickness and death, prioritizing efficiency and equity, and partnering with health care providers, businesses, communities and volunteers.
鈥淗igh volume vaccine clinics are a critical part of our effort to get shots into the arms of as many Maine people as quickly, efficiently and equitably as possible. On behalf of Maine people, I thank AOA体育平台, Crossroads Holdings, the Town of Scarborough, State of Maine staff and the countless volunteers for their work to stand up this facility and for their partnership with the State to get people vaccinated,鈥� said Governor Janet Mills. 鈥淭his site exemplifies how Maine has come together to fight the pandemic and my Administration looks forward to supporting it as we continue to partner with health care providers and others to stand up more vaccine clinics of all sizes in the coming weeks. These sites, coupled with an increase in supply of vaccine from the Federal government, are crucial to protecting the health of Maine people and putting a lid on this virus so we can get back to normal.鈥�
The Scarborough Downs clinic is scheduled to operate for the next 6 months, with the potential to operate longer. Vaccines are available by appointment only. AOA体育平台 is currently offering vaccine appointments at clinics across the state to people 70 and older in accordance with guidelines from the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Patients seeking a vaccination can pre-register by calling the AOA体育平台 COVID-19 Vaccine Assistant at 1-877-780-7545.
- More information about how to get a vaccine through AOA体育平台 is available at
- Video of construction work on the Scarborough Downs COVID-19 vaccine clinic is available for download .
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About AOA体育平台:
AOA体育平台 is a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of nine local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,700 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With close to 22,000 employees, AOA体育平台 is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. It includes Franklin Memorial Hospital/Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington, LincolnHealth in Damariscotta and Boothbay Harbor, Maine Behavioral Healthcare in South Portland, AOA体育平台 Care at Home in Saco, Maine Medical Center in Portland, Memorial Hospital in North Conway, N.H., Mid Coast-Parkview Health in Brunswick, NorDx in Scarborough, Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County Hospital in Rockport and Belfast, Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford and Sanford, Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook and Stephens Memorial Hospital/Western Maine Health Care in Norway. AOA体育平台 Affiliates include Maine General Health in Augusta and Waterville, New England Rehabilitation Hospital in Portland and St. Mary's Regional Medical Center in Lewiston. It is also a significant stakeholder in the AOA体育平台 Accountable Care Organization in Portland.
About The Downs:
This 525-acre planned community in Scarborough will offer three distinct components to 鈥榣ive, work and play,鈥� which earned the project a tagline of 鈥淎 Community Trifecta.鈥� The property will be home to a 150-acre innovative business park, a walkable Town Center, 200 acres of greenspace, 10- miles of recreational trails and several mixed-use housings neighborhoods. At full buildout, the entire project is estimated to create over $615M in new value; over $10M in new tax revenue; nearly 2M square feet of commercial space and as many as 3,000 new jobs.