Uncategorized

Central Maine Healthcare is pleased to welcome a new orthopedic surgeon. Saad Mohammad, DO, is an orthopedic trauma surgeon who will be working at CMMC.

Dr. Mohammad earned his undergraduate degree at Salisbury University in Maryland and went to medical school at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City. He completed his residency at McLaren Macomb Hospital in Michigan and a fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Dr. Mohammad said he chose orthopedics largely for the opportunity to help and heal people at the most vulnerable period of their lives.

“Everyone deserves basic healthcare, regardless of status,” Dr. Mohammad said. “This is why I treat everyone with respect and humility.”

“The people of central Maine are very fortunate to have someone of Dr. Mohammad’s caliber here,” said Lauren Adey, MD, chief of Central Maine Orthopedics. “He brings a wealth of expertise in orthopedic care, and his commitment to delivering compassionate, patient-centered treatment aligns perfectly with our mission to provide the highest quality healthcare for our patients.”

Central Maine Orthopedics has been named a Cigna Center of Excellence for hip and knee replacement. It has also been named a Blue Distinction Center by Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Central Maine Healthcare is pleased to introduce Nicholas Knowland, MD. Dr. Knowland is a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist who will be treating patients at CMMC, spending most of his time in the operating room.

Dr. Knowland has deep Maine ties, having grown up in South Portland. He graduated from McGill University in Montreal. He attended medical school at Tufts University as part of the Tufts School of Medicine’s Maine Track. He did his residency at Loma Linda Medical School in California and completed a fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesia in White Plains, New York. 

“Dr. Knowland is an incredible addition to our anesthesiology department,” said Steven Constantino, MD, chief of anesthesiology at CMMC. “He has already made quite the impression on many of our team members, and we look forward to him continuing to develop relationships with our surgeons and patients for years to come.”

“I want to be part of the team at CMMC that’s helping ensure our patients have the optimum setup for both getting the surgery they need and recovering from it when the time comes,” Dr. Knowland said.

Dr. Knowland is an avid soccer fan, having played semi-pro soccer in Canada, himself, and is a passionate Manchester United fan. He says it’s great to be back in Maine and looks forward to skiing at Sugarloaf again. 

Central Maine Healthcare is happy to welcome Gaurav Kakked, MD.  Dr. Kakked is a gastroenterologist who will be seeing patients at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) in Lewiston.

Dr. Kakked is very excited to join the team at CMMC, specifically because of the high number of interventional endoscopic ultrasound procedures performed at the hospital.

“Some of the procedures that are being done here at CMMC match what is being done at large academic centers in major cities. People aren’t aware of this. The caliber of care and people here is very impressive.”

Dr. Kakked attended Gujarat University in India. He did his residency at Mount Sinai in New York and completed a gastroenterology fellowship at Willam Beaumont Hospital in Michigan. Dr. Kakked also completed an advanced endoscopy fellowship at Rush University in Chicago. 

“We are very fortunate to have Dr. Kakked with us here at CMMC,” said Kanishka Bhattacharya, MD, chief of gastroenterology at Central Maine Healthcare. “His expertise in interventional endoscopy will complement a team that is already performing these new and cutting-edge procedures for our patients in Maine.”

Central Maine Healthcare’s board-certified gastroenterologists provide expert care for all types of gastric problems, from everyday stomach ailments to complex intestinal, swallowing and inflammatory conditions. They work closely with our patients to create a tailor-made treatment plans.

Rumford Hospital is proud to announce the launch of its annual Giving Tree in the hospital’s main lobby. Rumford Hospital team members, patients and the public are invited to support a vital cause while celebrating the season of giving.

The Giving Tree fundraiser, which began in 2015, offers an opportunity to purchase ornaments in honor of a loved one, with all proceeds benefiting the hospital’s effort to raise funds for a new sit-to-stand lift for the inpatient unit.

How the Giving Tree Works:

• Individuals can purchase an ornament for $10, $25 or $50, and each ornament will be displayed on the Giving Tree.
• Local businesses are invited to become partners in this charitable initiative by sponsoring an ornament at the $100, $250, or $500 level. Business sponsors will be recognized throughout the year as a hospital corporate partner.

Ornaments will be available for purchase beginning Nov. 25. Funds raised will go toward the purchase of the much-needed sit-to-stand lift, which will greatly enhance patient care and mobility on the inpatient unit.

“We are excited to welcome back the Rumford Hospital Giving Tree and offer this special way for our community to come together in support of our patients and hospital staff,” said Stephany Jacques, RN, President, Rumford Hospital. “The sit-to-stand lift is an essential piece of equipment that will help improve the quality of care for our patients, and this tradition helps make that possible.”

The Giving Tree will remain on display in the hospital’s main lobby until the end of the year with ornaments being added regularly as they are purchased. Community members, team members and local businesses are encouraged to participate and contribute to this important cause.

For more information on the Rumford Hospital Giving Tree or to make a donation, please contact Rumford Hospital at 207-369-1032 or visit www.cmhc.org/givingtree.

LEWISTON, Maine (Nov. 8, 2024) Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) honors our veterans in a very visible way.

In the second-floor hallway of the Central Maine Heart & Vascular Institute (CMHVI) there is a “Veterans Wall.” It was created by Michael Ricci, MD, who is the former chief of vascular surgery at CMHVI.

Dr. Ricci is also a retired colonel and U.S. Air Force flight surgeon. He wanted to honor his fellow servicemen and women, so he started taking photos of his patients who have served in the military.

Dr. Ricci printed, framed and mounted the photos and this labor of love has grown into what is now called our Veterans Wall – a heartfelt homage to hundreds of vascular and cardiac patients and their dedication to our country. Click here to see a video of the Veterans Wall.

“Shortly after I started here, I noticed many of my patients were veterans. I later learned Maine has the largest number of veterans per capita of any state. I think it’s great that we honor those who have served on Veterans Day. But it’s easy to forget about the sacrifices they made after Nov. 11 has come and gone. This is our way of honoring our veterans year-round.”

LEWISTON, Maine (Oct. 25, 2024) A Central Maine Healthcare (CMH) anesthesiology technician’s transportation challenges have come to an end, thanks to his fellow team members.

Corie Hubbard has been at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) for less than a year and didn’t tell anyone he was unable to get reliable transportation to and from work.

“It was very challenging, and I almost gave up hope,” Hubbard said. “Even though I was trying to get ahead, every time I came close to buying a car, something else would happen.”

Once his colleagues found out he was silently struggling with transportation, Tina Moring, CRNA, and the entire CMMC perioperative team decided to pool their money. Their hope was to raise $5,000- enough to buy a vehicle that could at least get Corie to and from work.

“Corie is wonderful. He never misses a day of work and is always so positive,” Moring said.

“In just 10 days, we raised $11,000. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of his team members as well as other staff who barely knew him.”

Tina did some car shopping and found a 2015 Nissan Rogue. With money left over, they paid for vehicle registration and six months of insurance. She and a crowd of surgeons, nurses, technicians and others surprised Corie in the hospital garage.

“It felt like a dream. It was mind-blowing,” Hubbard said. “I have never cried so much in my life. The first day I drove to work it was so freeing. I drove with the windows down and the wind felt incredible.

“I am so grateful and so humbled. To see all of the people who made this happen for me. I want everyone to know what they did. I want everyone to know the kind of place this is and the kind of people who work here. It’s been life changing.”

LEWISTON, Maine (Oct. 3, 2024) The Lewison mass casualty event of Oct. 25, 2023 underscored the critical need for maintaining an adequate blood supply. 

On that evening, Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) relied not only on its own supplies, but on the resources of the American Red Cross and other community partners, as well. Simply put, blood donations save lives. 

With that in mind, Central Maine Healthcare is partnering with the American Red Cross of Northern New England and LifeFlight of Maine to hold a “One Lewiston” blood drive in October in honor of the victims. The locations and times are: 

Location: Central Maine Medical Center, 12 Main St. Conference Room A,B,C
Dates: Oct. 14 and 18
10 a.m.-3 p.m. 


To donate blood, visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=lifeflight    

To volunteer, visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084AA9A623A5FDC25-51734436-stronger#/

We encourage community members to use the hashtag #oneLewiston in social media activity related to this event. To donate to CMMC’s Compassionate Care Fund, established in the days following the tragedy to support patients, caregivers and the community in the wake of a mass casualty incident, please visit www.cmhc.org/cmmc/ways-to-give.