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| Contributed photo Kris Doody RN, and CEO of Cary Medical Center discusses Cary’s Community Safe Sharps Disposal Program during a press conference on June 8. With Doody are Patricia Aho, commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and Regional DEP Director Nick Archer. |
Department of Environmental Protection provides $10,000 to expand safe disposal sites
CARIBOU — Patricia Aho, commissioner of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, was at Cary Medical Center on June 8 to recognize the hospital for its work on the development of a Community Safe Medical Sharps Disposal Program. The DEP also presented hospital officials with a grant for $10,000 to purchase additional disposal kiosks for the towns of Fort Kent, Madawaska, Fort Fairfield and Houlton.
During her visit to Cary Medical Center, Commissioner Aho said that the creative work done by Cary and the collaboration with local law enforcement is a model that has great potential. She also said that the use of medical sharps is growing in the state and that a solution had to be found for safe disposal.
“We applaud Cary Medical Center and others associated with this project, including law enforcement, for thinking outside the box in creating the safe sharps disposal program,” Aho said. “It is wonderful how the community has come together to deal with a serious potential health risk and has established a common sense, accessible program that will benefit the entire region and has possible implications for the State of Maine.”
Kris Doody, RN, and chief executive officer at Cary provided a brief history of the program and saluted Lisa Prescott, a laboratory technician at the hospital who took on the sharps disposal issue with a personal passion and commitment.
“Margaret Mead has the famous line, ‘Never doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.’ Well we may not have changed the world with our safe sharps disposal program, but we have definitely changed the environment here in Aroostook County,” said Doody. “Lisa Prescott took on this issue after becoming aware of the fact that no formal program for safe sharps disposal existed in the state of Maine. She dedicated a great deal of her personal time and worked with our public relations department to establish this program. She is to be commended for her remarkable effort that has led to such a dynamic and successful program.”
Early on in the development of the sharps disposal program Caribou Police Chief Michael Gahagan offered to host a disposal kiosk in the lobby of the Caribou Police Station. The Caribou Rotary Club donated $3,500 to purchase the first kiosk and the success of the program encouraged other communities to get involved. The Presque Isle Police Department agreed to host a similar kiosk and the Maine Community Foundation provided funding of $3,000 to purchase the unit.
Officer Paul Vincent of the Caribou Police Department said that the program has worked very well and has helped establish more contact between the police and general public.
“Our officers have really embraced this program now. Like with anything new we had some concerns at the beginning but the system works very well and has become a way of life for us now,” said Vincent, who helps coordinate the program at the Caribou PD. “The people at Cary have been great to work with and we know the program is having a positive impact. People come to the station with their sharps and often get the chance to speak with our officers about various issues. This is a very positive thing and an additional benefit to the program.”
Nick Archer, DEP regional director for northern Maine, said that work will begin immediately on the purchase and distribution of the disposal kiosks.
“We have created a sustainable plan for the safe disposal of medical sharps that is guaranteed to keep the Cary program going for the foreseeable future,” said Archer who accompanied Commissioner Aho on her visit to the County. “The program is very reliant on the cooperation of the local police departments and the area landfill directors and without their support it would not have been possible.”
Some 6,000 people in Aroostook County use medical sharps and the number is growing as diabetes increases and the population ages. Twelve million injections are completed in Maine every year and there are some 600,000 to 800,000 sharps related injuries in the United States annually. These can lead to life threatening liver disease or liver cancer as well as long term chronic disease. Children are particularly at risk and may not report needle sticks to parents due to a lack of understanding of the seriousness of these incidents.
Injuries caused by sharps can put the victims at risk for HIV, hepatitis B or C, tetanus or other contagion. Injuries are often caused by improperly disposed, used medical sharps. According to program officials, the goal of Cary’s Safe Sharps Disposal Program is to create a safe disposal program and reduce the chances of accidental needle sticks. Sanitation workers are among high risk populations for these accidents as they collect trash where used sharps are often placed.
The Northern Maine Development Commission working with Cary provided a $3,000 grant to help educate the public about safe sharps disposal. WAGM Television developed public service announcements encouraging the public to use the new system. Police departments were chosen as the site for the disposal kiosks because they are manned 24-7, are safe and accessible.
Representatives from the Madawaska, Houlton and Caribou police departments attended the DEP event at Cary along with landfill directors from Caribou and Presque Isle. Representatives of the Cary Medical Center Laboratory, NMDC and Healthy Aroostook were also in attendance.
