Quarry Hill

Camden, Maine – Victoria Winslow, a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) who divides her time between Quarry Hill and Waldo County General Hospital, was recently recognized as Youth Client of the Year by Coastal Communities Workforce, Inc., at a ceremony held in Brunswick on September 20.

Victoria was nominated for the award by her Goodwill Northern New England Workforce Solutions career advisor Derek Kennedy, who was very impressed with her determination and achievement in becoming a CNA earlier this year. “Victoria not only got her certification, but she now has employment as a CNA. She’s doing what she set out to do.”

Victoria was looking for a new place to work when she discovered a dining assistant position at Quarry Hill. A few months into Victoria’s employment, a nurse at Quarry Hill suggested Victoria become a CNA — a higher-paying position to suit her caring disposition that would be more impactful than her current role.

Victoria has high praise for her support team at Goodwill Northern New England Workforce Solutions, from whom she received emotional and financial support that was critical to her success in completing the CNA program. “I found a career that I enjoy and gained some great support from everyone who helped set me on this path.”

Ellen Wood, director of residential care at Quarry Hill, was extremely pleased to hire Victoria as a CNA. “Victoria works very hard to be a good team player,” Wood said. “She shares her personality with residents, which they love. Quarry Hill is lucky to have Victoria,” she added.

Camden, ME—Older adults and family members interested in learning more about assisted living are invited to attend an Assisted Living Open House at Quarry Hill on Wednesday, September 11, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Quarry Hill’s main building, the Anderson Inn. The event is planned as part of Quarry Hill’s annual observance of National Assisted Living Week, scheduled this year for September 8–14.

The open house is an opportunity to explore Quarry Hill’s traditional assisted living community, meet residents and staff, and pick up free literature on helping loved ones make the transition to assisted living. Visitors can learn more about services, apartment types, and other specifics and get a sense of what it’s like to live in the Midcoast’s premiere community for older adults.

The open house is free and open to the public on a drop-in basis. To schedule a visit on another day, Monday through Friday during regular business hours, or to request literature, please call the Marketing Office at 207-301-6116.

Camden, ME – April 7, 2024 was a memorable date in the nursing career of Margie Placides. On this day she officially became a MaineHealth employee at Quarry Hill, upon completing a 3-year assignment in Health Carousel’s PassportUSA program, which brought her from her home in Catanduenes, Philippines to Camden, Maine in April 2021. Margie is the first RN in this international program to join MaineHealth full-time.

MaineHealth has been seeking to attract nurses internationally to address staffing shortages across all platforms within the system since 2019. MaineHealth currently has 24 RNs on assignment with another 45 candidates (45 RNs and 2 Med Techs) set to arrive in the next 12-18 months.

“Margie is a tremendous credit to our profession and an inspirational member of the Quarry Hill care team,” said her team leader, Ellen Wood, director of residential care at Quarry Hill, Midcoast Maine’s premier extended-care community for older-adults.

Quarry Hill Executive Director/Administrator, Loriman Looke added, “When Margie joined us three years ago, she quickly became an integral member of the Quarry Hill team. We are thrilled and fortunate that she elected to remain with Quarry Hill after the completion of her assignment with PassportUSA.”

Margie enthused, “I appreciate the incredible camaraderie amongst my colleagues who make each day enjoyable. They don’t just see me as a colleague; they treat me like family. Our teamwork is impeccable, and we all share a common goal: providing top-notch care to our residents. When my family came to join me, I felt that I was truly achieving my American Dream.”

Wood has already applied for a second international RN candidate. “From my experience, this program is a win-win solution. Not only does it provide nurses worldwide the opportunity to achieve their American dreams, but it allows residents of communities like Quarry Hill to expand their horizons through these daily cultural encounters. Margie is beloved here, and we’re so pleased she has chosen to stay.”

On Monday, March 11, from 12 noon to 2 pm, the Camden area Parkinson’s Support Group welcomes guest speaker Denise Macaronas, Certified Laughter Yoga Leader.

Denise has been a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader since 2011. She has led Laughter Yoga sessions in Falmouth, Portland and on Peaks Island for a variety of ages, from school-age children to those in the 55+ age group. She currently leads a monthly Laughter Yoga session for those with Parkinson’s Disease and their care partners.

Learn to laugh at nothing at all and gain all the benefits that laughter has to offer. Previous experience not necessary as the yoga portion includes deep and slow breaths along with some stretches—no yoga poses.

Laughter Yoga is a practice anyone can do at any time. All exercises will be done while seated. Please bring a bottle of water and come to the session with the ability to “think outside the box.” The group will have great fun together!

The Parkinson’s Support Group meets the second Monday of each month from 12 noon to 2 pm at Quarry Hill’s Anderson Inn, 30 Community Drive, Camden. The meeting is held in the Media Room located on the first floor of the Independent Wing. The first hour is typically reserved for a full-group discussion and/or a guest presentation and the second hour is set aside for caregivers to meet separately from the larger group.

These monthly meetings are free and open to anyone in the community living with the disease, their family members, friends and caregivers. Attendees should bring a bag lunch. Drinks and desserts will be provided, compliments of Quarry Hill. Please call Cassie Walters at 207-596-3978 for more information.

Camden, Maine – Director of Dining Services Scot Pierce served up top honors for Quarry Hill at the West Bay Rotary Chili Challenge, held February 3 at 16 Bay View Hotel in Camden.

Pierce’s chili recipe took first place in a field of 9 concoctions submitted by local chefs and restauranteurs and judged by hungry diners who were in town for the 33^rd Annual U.S. National Toboggan Championship weekend. Scot’s recipe for success included a combination of ground beef and ground pork, black beans, white beans, peppers, onions and a secret blend of spices that added just a bit of a kick.

West Bay Rotary donates all proceeds from events like the Chili Challenge to the community, providing scholarships for local students and supporting dozens of caring organizations and non-profits throughout Midcoast Maine.

Camden, Maine – On Monday, February 12, from 12 noon to 2 pm, the Camden area Parkinson’s Support Group welcomes guest speaker Danielle Fossa, speech-language pathologist.

Based at Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast, Danielle Fossa is a speech-language pathologist who routinely support individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and their families, providing intervention in the areas of communication, voice, cognition and swallow function.  She looks forward to sharing their knowledge and clinical resources at the February meeting.

The Parkinson’s Support Group meets the second Monday of each month from 12 noon to 2 pm at Quarry Hill’s Anderson Inn, 30 Community Drive, Camden. The meeting is held in the Media Room located on the first floor of the Independent Wing. The first hour is typically reserved for a full-group discussion and/or a guest presentation and the second hour is set aside for caregivers to meet separately from the larger group.

These monthly meetings are free and open to anyone in the community living with the disease, their family members, friends and caregivers. Attendees should bring a bag lunch. Drinks and desserts will be provided, compliments of Quarry Hill. Please call Cassie Walters at 207-596-3978 for more information.

Camden, Maine – The Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers’ Bereavement Support Group will commence in-person meetings on the first Monday of each month from 4 to 5 pm at the Anderson Inn at Quarry Hill.

The first meeting will be held Monday, February 5. In months where the first Monday is an observed holiday, the group’s meeting date is likely to change.

The group is co-facilitated by trained hospice volunteers and offers an opportunity to express feelings in a safe and confidential setting with others who are experiencing similar losses. All are welcome. Please call Coastal Family Hospice Volunteers at 207-466-9444 or email coastalfamilyhospicevolunteers@gmail.com for more information.

Quarry Hill is pleased to begin hosting the Bereavement Support Group at the Anderson Inn, located at 30 Community Drive, Camden. The Group will meet in the Game Room, which is located on the second floor of the Anderson Inn’s Apartments/Marketing entrance.

Camden, Maine – Drivers age 50 and over are invited to attend the AARP Driver Safety Course, scheduled for Thursday, November, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Anderson Inn at Quarry Hill in Camden.

Presented by instructor Paul Sheridan, AARP’s Smart Driver curriculum covers defensive driving, existing and new rules of the road and the impact of recent changes in automotive technology on the driving environment. Also discussed are age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time and how to know when it’s time to give up the keys.

The entire training takes place in the classroom. There is no actual driving and no exam.

Maine drivers age 55 years or older who successfully complete the course qualify for a three-year, state-mandated discount on their auto-insurance premiums.

Seating is limited; please call 301-6116 to make a reservation. The fee for the class is $25 ($20 for AARP members), payable at the door. Attendees are encouraged to bring a bag lunch; Quarry Hill will provide beverages and dessert.

Camden, Maine – On Monday, October 9, from 12 noon to 2 pm, the Camden area Parkinson’s Support Group welcomes guest speaker Abbie Sewall, who will present on the topic of immune system health.

Abbie is a certified health coach and founder and former owner of The Bailey Farm, which operated as an organic farm in Freeport from 2012 to 2019, specializing in the highest antioxidant elderberries available in Maine. Her presentation will focus on immune system health and ways to incorporate elderberry into one’s life.

The Parkinson’s Support Group meets the second Monday of each month from 12 noon to 2 pm at Quarry Hill’s Anderson Inn, 30 Community Drive, Camden. The meeting is held in the Media Room located on the first floor of the Independent Wing. The first hour is typically reserved for a full-group discussion and/or a guest presentation and the second hour is set aside for caregivers to meet separately from the larger group.

These monthly meetings are free and open to anyone in the community living with the disease, their family members, friends and caregivers. Attendees should bring a bag lunch. Drinks and desserts will be provided, compliments of Quarry Hill. Please call Cassie Walters at 207-596-3978 for more information.

Camden, Maine – Residents of Quarry Hill’s assisted living community are celebrating National Assisted Living Week, September 10 through 16, with a variety of activities and events in keeping with this year’s national “Season of Reflection” theme.

The annual, national observance provides a unique opportunity for residents, their loved ones, care team members, volunteers and local communities to celebrate the individuals who live and work in assisted living and to learn more about this sector of long term care. The event commences with Grandparents Day, which is Sunday, September 10.

At Quarry Hill, the festivities will start with a vintage car show and a sock hop social, and the week will round out with an ice cream social. In between, there will be a variety of activities for residents to enjoy, including a Veterans Coffee Social with members of American Legion War Memorial Post 30, a mini-golf outing, a flower farm outing, several live musical performances and an art history discussion, to name a few.

Quarry Hill offers two assisted living settings. The Terraces, a traditional assisted living community, emphasizes autonomy and independence in a warm, close-knit setting; the Courtyard offers specialized assisted living care for those with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. All assisted living residents receive three meals daily; weekly housekeeping; 24-hour monitoring; personal care assistance as appropriate; scheduled transportation; a varied menu of social, recreational, and cultural activities; and other amenities. For more information about Quarry Hill’s assisted living offerings, call 207-301-6116 or email qhinfo@mainehealth.org.

Camden, Maine – Care Team members at Quarry Hill gathered together on August 21, 2023, to celebrate DAISY Award® nominee, Margie Placides, RN.

Margie was nominated by a nurse colleague at Quarry Hill, who praised Margie for her teamwork and caring ways. “Margie is often found beside a coworker, helping any way she can, with a smile on her face. She inspires staff to be more cooperative and part of this team. Residents, staff and families adore her. She is dedicated to her job and her responsibilities. Margie uplifts morale in this facility and I’m so excited and pleased to nominate her for the DAISY Award.”

The DAISY Award recognizes nurses for their clinical skill, especially their compassionate care, and for exemplifying the kind of nurse Quarry Hill residents, their families and our care team members see as an outstanding role model. The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died from complications of the autoimmune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP) at the age of 33. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem.

The entire care team at Quarry Hill applauds Margie for this well-deserved honor.

CAMDEN, September 29, 2022 – An enclosed garden on the grounds of the Anderson Inn at Quarry Hill in Camden was the setting for an afternoon reception held September 16 in honor of the senior-care community’s first executive director, Robert McKeown.

The fete included the official unveiling of a five-foot-long garden bench donated to Quarry Hill by the McKeown family in Bob’s honor. Dozens of Quarry Hill residents, staff, family members and friends turned out for the chance to “hobnob with Bob,” enjoy refreshments and bear tribute to the leader many of them remember from his tenure at Quarry Hill, from the community’s opening in 2002 until his retirement in 2014. Speakers included current executive director Loriman Looke and his immediate predecessor Mary Sargent (now executive director at Penobscot Shores in Belfast), as well as the McKeowns’ son, Ryan.

Noting the convergence of the event with Quarry Hill’s ongoing celebration of its 20^th anniversary, Looke praised Bob’s “foresight, skill, energy and perseverance” in helping to create a values-driven community that has stood the test of time.

Addressing McKeown directly, Sargent thanked him for his “tremendous contribution to the Midcoast community by bringing Quarry Hill from a concept to reality….[Quarry Hill] remains a shining example of the very best in senior living, and that is because of the strong foundation you set in tireless work and dedication.”

Designed as a surprise party for the honoree, the event caught McKeown off-guard, and he became emotional when asked to speak. He thanked those in attendance but insisted that many others share the credit for Quarry Hill’s success.

“Quarry Hill is a wonderful place, unique in the state,” he said. “It’s focused on residents, and that’s how it should always be.”

McKeown began his 36-year career with Pen Bay Healthcare, a consortium that linked Pen Bay Medical Center (PBMC) and other local healthcare organizations and would eventually include Quarry Hill, as PBMC’s manager of material services. He served as nursing home administrator at the Knox Center for Long Term Care in Rockland beginning in 1993, becoming executive director for both the Knox Center and Quarry Hill in 2001. He played a central role in the planning process that led to the creation of Quarry Hill and in the construction and development of the community itself.

CAMDEN, June 16, 2022 – Quarry Hill has announced plans for a celebration of its 20^th anniversary and is asking the public to contribute stories about how the community has cared for them and their families.

Designed around the theme “Rooted in Caring,” the year-long observance will draw attention to the role that Quarry Hill has played as the Penobscot Bay region’s leading extended-care community for older adults.

“At our 20-year mark, we think it’s important to pause and reflect on our origin story,” commented Quarry Hill executive director Loriman Looke. “As time goes by, organizations like ours grow and evolve. Newcomers arrive who weren’t around in the early years, and in our collective memory it becomes easier and easier to forget the work it took to build support for the project at its inception, help it grow, and keep it true to its mission.”

Quarry Hill began as the brainchild of a group of local citizens with a bold vision: the creation of a community devoted exclusively to the well-being of older adults. Work on the project began in earnest in 2000, after trustees of an affiliation of healthcare organizations then known as Northeast Health (later known as Pen Bay Healthcare and now as Coastal Healthcare Alliance) gave the idea the official green light. The Camden Health Center— which had served as both hospital and nursing home for local communities since 1960—was replaced with 45 cottage homes and a main building, the Anderson Inn—all testaments, said Looke, to the commitment and hard work of hundreds of community supporters and more than 300 builders, finishers, managers, contractors and architects.

Today, Quarry Hill is home to some 200 seniors and provides independent living, traditional and dementia-specific assisted living, and nursing care that are considered among the best in Maine.

To help celebrate the anniversary, individuals who’ve had direct experiences with Quarry Hill as residents or nursing-care patients, or who have friends or family members who have, are invited to send in brief (one- or two-paragraph) written testimonials. The plan is to incorporate as many of these recollections as possible in programming and publications over the next 12 months. Testimonials may be submitted no later than July 31, 2022, by mailing them to Quarry Hill Marketing Office, 30 Community Drive, Camden, ME 04843; by emailing them to qhinfo@mainehealth.org; or by messaging Quarry Hill on Facebook. Quarry Hill reserves the right to decide which submissions to use and to edit for concision and clarity; names will be withheld upon request.

Camden, Me., February 7, 2022 – Quarry Hill in Camden and the Knox Center in Rockland announce the appointment of certified nurse practitioner Michele B. Gagnon, FNP, CWS, to the staff of the Senior Services Physician Practice of Dr. Maureen Sauvage. The practice is devoted exclusively to serving the primary-care needs of the residents of the area’s two older-adult communities, both of which are members of the Coastal Healthcare Alliance family of healthcare organizations.

Gagnon specializes in the care of older adults and has four years of experience providing primary and urgent care in short- and long-term nursing-care environments and assisted living settings. Prior to joining the practice, she worked as a nurse practitioner for Genesis Physician Services, serving older adults at Windward Gardens in Camden and Harbor Hill in Belfast. She began her nursing career in 1988 as an LPN charge and staff/treatment nurse at St. Joseph Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Frenchville, Me., followed by 15 years as that community’s resident care director. From 2015 to 2016, she was a charge nurse at St. Joseph Memory Care, also in Frenchville. Additionally, she played a leading role in the training of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) as an instructor in MSAD 27 (Fort Kent) Adult and Community Education from 2007 to 2014.

The Belfast resident received her master of science in nursing degree from St. Joseph’s College of Maine in 2016. She is certified as a family nurse practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and as a wound specialist by the American Board of Wound Management.

Administrator Loriman Looke said that Gagnon’s arrival ensures uninterrupted access to high-quality onsite primary care for residents of the two communities and means that the Senior Services practice, now approaching its 13^th year, can continue to grow, providing enhanced quality of care, swifter response to emergent medical concerns, fewer hospitalizations, reduced healthcare costs and other benefits for its patients.

“Quarry Hill and the Knox Center have no more important priority than the well-being of our residents,” Looke said. “Michele embodies that commitment, and I know residents and their families, as well as care team members at both organizations, will enjoy working with her as we continue to uphold that pledge.”

Camden, Me., March 10, 2020 – Medicare.gov, the official U.S. government site for Medicare, has given Quarry Hill’s nursing care center its top, five-star rating.

The government called the 39-bed short- and long-term-care center, known as the Gardens, “much above average” overall. The overall ranking is based on health-inspection results, staffing and other “quality measures.” Quarry Hill was deemed above the national average in health-inspection results and quality measures and much above the national average in staffing.

Medicare.gov called the quality of resident care at the Gardens much above average, noting the center’s exceptional performance on 16 measures such as flu and pneumonia prevention and the percentage of residents who develop pressure ulcers (bed sores) or experience a fall during their stay.

The nationwide review also gave Quarry Hill its highest scores for fire safety and for maintaining optimal staff-to-patient ratios.

Quarry Hill director of nursing Heather Quesnel, MS, RN, NEA-BC, attributed the superior ratings to the quality of the Gardens’ staff.

“The ratings are a testament not only to our nursing team, but to our dietary, housekeeping, maintenance, and activities staff members as well. Their collective, unwavering commitment to providing the best care possible is truly impressive,” she commented.

She added that Quarry Hill now has the only five-star-rated nursing care community in Knox County.

Medicare.gov’s latest findings are published in “Nursing Home Compare,” an online tool that lets users look up nursing centers in all 50 states and see how they compare with others in the same states and nationwide.

Quarry Hill is one of several area organizations that hold membership in MaineHealth, a statewide network of hospitals and other healthcare providers. In addition to short- and long-term nursing care, the community offers independent living apartments and cottages, assisted living apartments and memory care.

For more information about nursing care at Quarry Hill, please contact the Marketing Office at 207-301-6116.

Camden, Me., January 3, 2020 –Dr. Maureen Sauvage, D.O., supervising physician of Quarry Hill’s inhouse primary care practice, has become board-certified in geriatrics, having completed the requirements set by the American Osteopathic Board of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Sauvage works in partnership with the practice’s nurse practitioner to cover the primary-care needs of the Camden senior-living community’s residents as well as those of the Knox Center for Long-Term Care in Rockland.

Before joining Quarry Hill in 2017, Dr. Sauvage served as a geriatrician at MorseLife Health System/PACE in West Palm Beach, Fla.; previously, she had practiced at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bangor and Maine Medical Partners Geriatrics at Maine Medical Center in Portland. She earned her doctor of osteopathy at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2009 and completed a fellowship in geriatrics at Maine Medical Center in 2013.

Quarry Hill administrators say the inhouse practice, launched in 2009 under Dr. Richard Kahn, M.D., has contributed to enhanced quality of care, swifter response to emergent medical concerns, and fewer hospitalizations for residents, as well as reduced healthcare costs.

L to R: Joel Shuman, Amy Tyler, Millie Wright, Annette Merrifield, Kristina Ott, Lori Gary, and Rick Mitchell

Camden, Me., October 29, 2019 – Quarry Hill stood out as the most honored of the several healthcare organizations participating in the Coastal Healthcare Alliance (CHA) employee awards program for this quarter, with a total of eight employees celebrated as winners and nominees.

At gatherings held October 14 at Pen Bay Medical Center and October 22 at Quarry Hill, excitement centered on DAISY Award winner Amy Tyler, RN, clinical nurse manager of Quarry Hill’s long- and short-term nursing care center. Tyler topped a field of 13 other CHA nominees for the DAISY, awarded by healthcare systems around the world in recognition of outstanding performance in the field of professional nursing.

DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. It was established by the DAISY Foundation and the family of a man who died of an autoimmune disease. Impressed by the compassion and skill of the nurses who cared for their loved one, the family sought a lasting way to recognize nurses who deliver extraordinary care.

Quarry Hill director of nursing Heather Quesnel, MS, RN, NEA-BC, said anyone can nominate a nurse for a DAISY; local committees select as winners those who have made the most significant difference in the lives of patients, established special connections with patients and families, served as role models for other nurses or met other criteria set by local healthcare systems.

“Amy’s selection as a DAISY Award winner is well-deserved,” Quesnel commented. “Her patient-centered approach, coupled with her stellar clinical skills, make her such an asset to the team and residents at Quarry Hill.  She is truly an amazing role model.”

Seven other Quarry Hill employees were also singled out for recognition in this quarter’s awards program. CNAs Annette Merrifield, Kristina Ott,and Millie Wright were nominated to receive Sunshine Awards, CHA’s equivalent to the DAISY for nursing assistants and other healthcare support-team members. CNA Lori Gary, physical plant director Richard Mitchell and environmental services director Judith Harrington were nominated for “Standing Ovation” awards for exemplifying the organization’s mission and values; while Maintenance staff member Joel Shuman won a Standing Ovation during the quarter.

Camden, Me., February 15, 2019 – Kudos to Quarry Hill executive chef Scot Pierce for his winning entry in the West Bay Rotary Chili Challenge, held February 9 at 16 Bay View restaurant in Camden.

Pierce’s Oktober Fest recipe took third in a field of 10 concoctions submitted by restaurants and professional kitchens and judged by hungry locals. His recipe for success: a chilblain-chasing blend of bratwurst, sauerkraut, beef, bacon, beans and veggies (plus a generous swig of Sam Adams lager) that tasters said was like Bavaria on a spoon.

West Bay Rotary donates all proceeds from the Challenge, held each year in conjunction with the National Toboggan Championships at Camden’s Ragged Mountain Recreation Area, to local nonprofits. In recent years, it has provided vocational scholarships for students, donated heating-oil funds to area towns for distribution to people in need, and supported caring organizations such as Midcoast Habitat for Humanity, Knox County Homeless Coalition and community food banks.

Shown here: Pierce (far right) with other 2019 Chili Challenge winners.

Camden, Me., February 12, 2019 – The Camden-based Parkinson’s Support Group invites pizza lovers to follow their noses to Flatbread Company in Rockport on Tuesday, March 5, between 5:00 and 9:00 p.m. for a deliciously inspiring fundraising event aimed at advancing research into Parkinson’s disease, a neurological condition that affects more than 1 million people and their families worldwide.

During the event, Flatbread will donate $3.50 for each large flatbread pizza and $1.75 for each small flatbread pizza sold to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. A deejay will keep toes tapping, and a raffle will be held, with prizes donated by local businesses.

The Parkinson’s fundraiser is part of Flatbread’s tradition of holding benefit nights in support of nonprofit organizations throughout the Penobscot Bay area. It will be the second time Flatbread has collaborated with the Camden Parkinson’s Support Group to benefit Parkinson’s research.

The support group meets regularly at Quarry Hill in Camden on the first Tuesday of each month from noon to 2:00 p.m. It provides opportunities for people with Parkinson’s, their family members and caregivers to come together to learn, share insights and enjoy the support of others affected by the disease.

For more information about the fundraiser or the support group, please contact Cassie Walters, 596-3978 or ckwalters66@gmail.com.