History

We have been working for the health of the people of greater Waterville since 1987.

We gather information and listen to you, then we work together on issues important to you.

There have been changes over the years.

PATCH first started in 1987 as a group of community members interested in health.  PATCH is a name that comes from Planned Approach To Community Health.  We worked with United Way who was our fiscal agent.  Over the years, projects changed due to shifts in funding and community needs. In 2012, we became Healthy Northern Kennebec as part of the Prevention Center at MaineGeneral, our new fiscal agent.

Ways we have decided what health isues to work on: 

  • Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, 1987-1988
  • Asset mapping, 1998
  • Kennebec Valley Indicators Project, 1999; 2001; 2003-2006
  • Fairfield Health Assessment Project, 1999-2001
  • SHNAP – Shared Health Needs Assessment Program
  • Focus groups, ongoing
  • Priority setting, ongoing

We combined forces with other groups on common health goals.  Some groups we have worked with are:

  • Women’s Cancer Initiative, 1988 – 1995
  • Family Issues Committee, 1997
  • Dental Coalition, 1999 – 2000
  • Tobacco-Free Coalition, 1997
  • Adolescent Access to Care Group, 1998-1999
  • Mid-Maine Worksite Wellness Council, 2000-2006
  • Maine Network of Healthy Communities, 2000-present
  • Public Health Work Group (to advise Governor and State Health Plan), 2006-2007
  • Healthy Waterville, 2013 – present

Click on the health issues below to learn about what we have worked on over the years.

Check out some of our funding sources since 1987.

Prevention of disease

  • Cancer Initiatives (mammograms and women’s clinical exams), 1988-1995
  • Heart Health Screening, 1990-1991
  • Colorectal cancer

Tobacco

  • Smokeless Saturdays, 1990
  • Cessation Initiative (to work with behavioral health providers), 2002-2012
  • No Butts
  • Work on policies and signage

Substance Use

  • Greater Waterville Prevention Coalition
  • Essential Substance Abuse Prevention Services
  • Youth Matter, 2004-2016
  • Drug-Free Communities., 2016 – present
  • Includes: Marijuana Prevention
  • National Drug Take Back Day
  • Parents Who Host Lose the Most
  • TiPs (Training for Intervention Procedures)

Physical Activity

  • Move More, 1999 – present
  • Resource Guide to Physical Activity, 2001
  • Walking Maps, 2002 – present

Dental

  • Dental Health Work Group, 2001-2012

Diabetes

  • Move More Diabetes Project, 1998-2007

Nutrition

  • SNAP-Ed (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education), 2012 – 2018

Focus on Needs of People with Low-Income

  • Focus groups, 2014
  • Healthy Waterville, 2013 – 2020

Funding Sources

  • State of Maine Healthy Communities
  • American Cancer Society, 1999
  • Maine Criminal Justice Academy, 1999
  • Prescription to Exercise Program, 1999
  • Community Building, 2000
  • Healthy Maine Partnerships, 2000 – 2016
  • Robert Wood Johnson Diabetes Initiative
  • Maine Coalition on Smoking or Health
  • Maine Office of Substance Abuse, 2004-2006
  • USDA/SNAP-Ed, nutrition education, 2012 – 2018
  • Maine Health Access Foundation, 2013 – 2019
  • Drug Free Communities, 2016 – 2021
  • Elmira B. Sewall Foundation, 2015 – 2020
  • Institute for Healthcare Improvement / SCALE (Spreading Community Accelerators through Learning and Evaluation), 2015 – 2019
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Healthy Places for Healthy People, 2017