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Then, galleries downtown host the presentation
of each collaboration. Perhaps not surprisingly,
Belfast is the only town in Maine with its own
poet laureate.
Residents have plenty of opportunities
to both view and participate in theater. The
Colonial Theatre (the building with the ele-
phant on top) always has unique showings.
Belfast Flying Shoes hosts a monthly com-
munity and contra dance, featuring live music,
drawing dancers from all around. Theater
choices abound in the area. Belfast Maskers,
Northport Music, and Marsh River theater
companies offer performances throughout the
year, from Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap to
Shakespeare's
A Midsummer Night's Dream.
HealtH care
With residents of all ages and needs, healthcare
accessibility is a must. The centerpiece of that
care, Waldo County General Hospital, is a car-
ing hometown hospital with a surprising level
of specialists, including two cardiologists, two
orthopedic surgeons, and neurologists. "People
don't expect to find that in a town in midcoast
Maine," says hospital manager Andrea Walker.
For over 100 years the hospital has been a
source for quality health and it is continuously
growing to provide care to a variety of patients.
"Our doctors are more willing to look outside
the traditional medicine box," says Walker.
"They're willing to ask `Are you taking any
herbs?' or `Are you using alternative medical
treatment?' It's a blending of traditional and
nontraditional medications."
Waldo County General Hospital has many
alternative practitioners who specialize in reiki,
acupuncture, hypnotherapy, sound therapy, and
even music therapy for patients. The hospital is
also home to the nationally recognized Voice
and Swallowing Center, which serves anyone
who uses their voice professionally, from tele-
marketers to singers to public speakers.
To continue serving a wide variety of
patients, Waldo County General Hospital
recently joined MaineHealth, a nonprofit, inte-
grated healthcare system. "With MaineHealth,
we have the power of a larger system," says
Walker. "But we maintain our own identity and
board of directors."
LifeFlight is another new addition at the
hospital. Now that the hospital has installed a
landing pad, patients can be easily and quickly
transported to larger hospitals in Bangor or
Portland, if needed. Doctors and nurses can
also easily communicate with other specialists
throughout Maine and even nationwide through
something called telemedicine. Telemedicine is
an application of clinical medicine where doc-
tors consult with each other via the Internet or
the phone. Toni Mailloux, a hospital employee,
remembers a doctor at the Voice and Swallowing
Center using a webcam to connect with a patient
many miles away, in Fort Kent. "With a laptop,
Internet connection, and a webcam, he was able
to diagnose and treat the patient," she says.
If the technology at Waldo County General
Hospital is impressive, it's nothing compared
to the service of the staff. The hospital was
recently awarded a blue ribbon rating for
superior patient care from the Maine Health
Management Coalition. "People like to be lis-
tened to," says Mailloux. "And they like know-
ing who's treating them. Some people here have
had the same doctor their whole lives."
education
Learning is never-ending here, no matter what
age you are. Students at Troy Howard Middle
School grow their own organic crops in the
Garden Project, and produce more than 1,000
pounds of produce to share with their families
and the larger community. While they learn the
process of photosynthesis, they're also learning