Eastern AHEC Rural Health Immersion - Student Reflections: Michael Matassa
Healthy Acadia has served as Maine’s Eastern Area Health Education Center (AHEC) since 2023. Our service area includes Washington, Hancock, Waldo, and Knox counties.
Maine AHECs provide community-based clinical training experiences to health professions students; encourage Maine youth to pursue careers in the health professions; offer training and continuing education programs to practicing health professionals; and develop public health approaches to address current and emerging community needs.
As part of this program, Healthy Acadia and community partners work together to create rural health immersion opportunities for health professions students to learn more about rural and underserved communities, including Rural Health Immersions (RHI) for Care for the Underserved Pathways (CUP) AHEC Scholars. and community-based experiential learning opportunities for non-CUP scholars.
We will periodically publish guest blog posts from AHEC Scholars who chose to share their experience with the program.
Guest post contributed by Michael Matassa, UNE PA Student. Michael participated in our March 2023 RHI and reflects on the experience.
During the first part of the afternoon, the team all got cozy in the Machias Savings Bank community room to enjoy a presentation on Healthy Acadia given by Maria Donahue, who was leading our rural health immersion. We learned about the work that Healthy Acadia does to serve MDI, the outer islands, and the surrounding area. The focus areas of work for Healthy Acadia include Strong Beginnings, Healthy Aging, Active and Healthy Environments, Healthy Food for All, Substance Prevention and Recovery, and Health Promotion and Management. Each focus area targets the community in a specific way to empower the people directly or the organizations within the community that allows its members to thrive and have easily accessible resources.
Upon completion of the presentation, we were able to discuss the specifics of projects that Healthy Acadia was working on with the community. It was clear to me that Healthy Acadia is part of the success of this small rural community and is truly integrated in multiple ways along the lifespan of its population. I strongly recommend that if anyone is thinking of working in this area to reach out to Maria or Healthy Acadia and learn more about what they are involved in. Team up with them and enjoy working with those looking to better the community that is so rich in love and compassion for their everyone around!
Around 5 pm our team gathered for dinner at Open Table MDI with Micaela and Maria to enjoy a lovely dinner with the community. Open Table MDI is on 116 Cottage Street in Bar Harbor, Maine, and serves the community every Tuesday. The food is free due to the kind donations of the community. Open Table MDI offers a great experience for the community to get together as one for conversation and enjoy a finely prepared meal. As we know, a lot of borders can be broken down and we get closer to those around us when meals are shared together. To help in this weekly event part of our team helped to prepare the yogurt/parfait the day prior which was served as a part of the meal. I would strongly recommend checking this out if you are in the area and want to get a great sense of community. There is plenty of room for volunteers to make weekly suppers, provide financial support, or just show up to enjoy a meal.
At 6:15 we gathered at Volta Rock Climbing, which is the indoor community rock climbing gym located in Trenton just minutes away from Bar Harbor. The gym was packed with tons of people of all ages, with the majority being youth and young adults. This is a great place in the community for members to enjoy healthy indoor activity during all seasons. The gym was friendly, and we even had the opportunity to enjoy getting to know Kendrou, our very own private belayer. He specifically helped me work through a 5.9 climb that I had been struggling with earlier that evening.
I truly loved seeing the team integrate as one with the community and enjoy a healthy activity together. This was a great bonding experience that I will never forget. As the night drew to an end, we all gathered overlooking the wall that was just successfully climbed. We enjoyed laughs together as we reflected on the fun trip we have had so far, knowing that it would soon come to an end. This was the final night of our trip and a memorable one!