ROCKLAND — Rockland Family Planning, which provides access to affordable reproductive health care, is relocating to Thomaston in April and changing its name to reflect the move.

The health care provider will call itself Maine Family Planning beginning April 5 when it opens the doors to a freshly renovated, modern facility conveniently located at 41 Buttermilk Drive, in Thomaston. It currently sees patients in offices in the Bok Building, at 22 White Street, in Rockland.

“The new space is conveniently located just 2.5 miles from our current offices and boasts ample parking while still offering privacy and confidentiality,” said George Hill, president and chief executive officer of
Maine Family Planning, in a news release. “We’re especially happy that all of our staff will make the move with us. Patients will find the same friendly and familiar faces when they visit us at this new location.”

Maine Family Planning’s hours will remain unchanged in the new location and it will continue to see patients Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To make an appointment, call 922-3222 or use the scheduling feature at www.mainefamilyplanning.org. Please note: Due to precautions around COVID-19, Family Planning is not seeing walk-ins at this time.

Maine Family Planning’s move will allow Pen Bay Medical Center (PBMC), the owner of the Bok Building, to make significant and necessary upgrades to the interior of the structure, which stands just behind the Rockland Public Library.

The renovation work comes out of a 2019 master facilities review in which PBMC assessed each of its properties to determine if they are being used in the best interest of patients. As a result of that work, the hospital is considering the Bok Building as a location for a walk-in care clinic it hopes to open in Rockland this summer.

“However, we realized that in order to bring any plans for the Bok Building to fruition, the building would require significant upgrades,” said Denise Needham, PharmD, interim chief operating officer for PBMC and Waldo County General Hospital.

The development of the walk-in clinic is still in the planning stage and additional details are unavailable at this time. Hospitals officials said they will be sharing more information in the coming months. For now, Needham said, the focus is on helping Rockland Family Planning celebrate its new home – and new name – in Thomaston.

“Pen Bay Medical Center and Maine Family Planning have worked together to bring high quality clinical care to the community since the 1980s,” she said. “Their work is vital, and we are pleased that they have found a modern, convenient location that will allow them to best meet the needs of their patients today and for years to come.”

Pen Bay Medical Center

Pen Bay Medical Center is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of nine local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,600 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With more than 19,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire. For more information, please visit pbmc.org.