Insider Notebook: Lewiston urgent care clinic opens as scheduled, sans fanfare

Photo / Leslie McAllister, Central Maine Healthcare U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, center, and Jeff Brickman, CEO of Central Maine Healthcare, right, talk to David Bateman, of Bateman Partners LLC, in February at CMH's Maine Urgent Care clinic on Sabattus Street in Lewiston. The clinic opened last week.

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By Maureen Milliken

The ribbon-cutting at Central Maine Healthcare's new Maine Urgent Care site on Sabattus Street in Lewiston, scheduled for March 19, didn't happen, but the clinic opened as scheduled on March 25.

The timing was crucial, CMH officials said. "During the COVID-19 public health crisis, we are committed to keeping our patients safe and out of the emergency room as much as possible," said Melissa Caccamo, CMH system director of ambulatory and retail services, in a news release.

The 5,000-square-foot clinic at 685 Sabattus St. is intended to improve access for patients while keeping costs down by providing medical services outside the hospital emergency room. Lewiston-based CMH opened a similar clinic in Topsham last year.

The urgent care center offers diagnosis and treatment for minor illnesses, minor injury repair and treatment, some imaging services, labs and diagnostics and sports physicals. Patients can reserve a spot online, as well as see wait times there. It's typically staffed with nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and employs about 20 in all.

Bateman Partners LLC, of Portland, is the developer and owner of the two-story building, which has built on the site of a vacant office building, torn down for the project. CMH is leasing the space from Bateman. Bateman was also the developer on the Topsham Care Center and is developing CMH's cancer center on its Lewiston campus downtown.

Meanwhile, at the Topsham center, a COVID-19 drive-up testing tent is administering tests to those who meet CDC guidelines; those who don't, but have issues that require attention, are directed to the urgent care clinic. The health care system is also testing in its Lewiston, Bridgton and Rumford emergency rooms.

Portland evictions, short-term rentals

Some of the amendments passed by the Portland City Council Monday night when it extended its stay-at-home order included asking landlords to suspend evictions and contract terminations for both residential units and businesses, and prohibiting short-term rentals.

The order cites housing insecurity, and says, "Losing a home is catastrophic at any time, and during the COVID-19 emergency in particular, losing housing endangers the public peace, health and safety of all loss of all residents of the city."

It says that businesses, too, that have had to close brick-and-mortar locations has resulted in significant financial hardship, and those businesses are critical to the city.

In light of the fact the courts aren't processing evictions, as well as the health and safety issue related to people being out of home or place of work, the city has asked owners of residential and commercial rental properties to rescind or suspend all terminations of all leases or tenancies, including tenancies at at will (both residential and commercial) for non-payment of rent beginning March 1. The order ends 30 days after issuance, on April 30.

It doesn't extend to cases where a tenant causes substantial damage to the property or the other reasons for terminating tenancies due to nonpayment, including those charged with assaults, or other felonies, or not being an authorized occupant of the property, and it also doesn't release tenants from the obligation to pay rent.

The short-term rental provision prohibits "renting, letting, advertising for rent, or entering into an agreement for the rent of any short-term rental," as defined in the city code. Anyone occupying one on or before March 30 can stay, but the agreement has to be terminated on or before April 6.

Short-term rentals can be used, however, to provide housing to medical/healthcare professionals or first responders if it's funded by the Maine Emergency Management Association; or to provide emergency housing to an individual who's become homelessness, and paid for through the state General Assistance program.

Short-term rental landlords can be fined $500 for failing to comply.

Bar Harbor Monday also banned rental of "transicent accommodations, vacation rentals and campgrounds" effective until April 30.

MEREDA sets new date for gala

MEREDA, which had postponed its 35 Anniversary Gala, originally set for March 26 at Ocean Gateway in Portland, has set a new date, June 25.

The rescheduling comes with the caveat that "things could still change," the organization said in a release to members. "We are prepared to push the event back again if the conditions require. "

The Strikes for Scholars Bowl-a-Thon Fundraiser, which had been scheduled for May 7, has been moved to Sept. 16. The annual Spring Conference is now Sept. 3.

Sorkin succumbs to COVID-19

The architecture industry lost a legend on March 26. Michael Sorkin, 71, died in New York of complications from COVID-19.

Sorkin was described as "one of the most distinctive voices for social justice and sustainability in the design of the urban environment," in an obituary in architecturalrecord.com.

In 2016, he wrote, “Civilizations are marked by their priorities, and ours are too given over to prisons, malls, and McMansions and too little to good housing for all, complete and sustainable communities, green energy, rational mobility, structures of succor."