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CMMC tech back on road, thanks to fellow team members

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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.”

“One Lewiston” effort to collect 1025 units of blood continues

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Commemerative Blood drive that started last week is ongoing through Red Cross’ “Sleeves Up” virtual campaign 

LEWISTON, Maine (Oct. 18, 2024) Turnout was strong for the first commemorative “One Lewiston” blood drive at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC), and the opportunity to donate continues through Oct. 25, 2024. 

The onsite blood drive, which took place on two days this week, was a joint effort among the American Red Cross of Northern New England, LifeFlight of Maine and CMMC. It was organized to honor those who were impacted by the mass shootings in Lewiston on Oct. 25, 2023. 

All available donor slots were filled for both days of the blood drive, but the effort is ongoing through an American Red Cross “Sleeves Up” virtual blood drive. People can donate from anywhere using this link: ARC | SleevesUp (redcrossblood.org)and assigning their donation to the “One Lewiston” blood drive. 

The goal of the onsite and virtual campaign is to collect a total of 1025 units of blood, a number that is symbolic of 10.25, the date of the tragedy in Lewiston. 

“It’s important that people realize they can still participate in this blood drive by donating via the “Sleeves Up” campaign,” said Steve Littleson, president and CEO, Central Maine Healthcare, who donated his own blood during last week’s drive. “The response from our team members and our community has been incredibly heartwarming, and we want to keep that momentum going to help ensure we have enough blood on hand to care for our community.”

On the evening of the tragedy, Central Maine Healthcare (CMH) quickly assembled a large team of surgeons who have expertise in orthopedics, cardiovascular, thoracic, colorectal, urologic, plastic and general surgery. They were aided by more than 100 nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other CMH healthcare professionals, all of whom have had extensive training in mass casualty incidents. They relied heavily on the blood supply CMMC had on hand at the time, and also on donations from other hospitals in the region. For those unable to donate blood, giving to Central Maine Healthcare’s Compassionate Care Fund is another way to help support trauma response and support services in central Maine. 

October is recognized as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month

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October is recognized as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month—a time for families, communities, and healthcare professionals to come together to remember.

On Friday, Oct. 11, team members and guests gathered to rededicate Rumford Hospital’s Pregnancy and Infant Loss Garden, a heartfelt memorial honoring these precious young lives.

We invite you to visit the garden and take a moment to reflect, or offer support. Together, we can bring comfort.

#PregnancyAndInfantLossAwareness #NeverForgotten #SupportAndHealing

Bridgton Hospital helps local students protect against seasonal flu with free clinic

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BRIDGTON, Maine (Oct. 9, 2024) Dozens of students lined up, rolled up their sleeves and received their annual flu shots at Bridgton Academy on Oct. 9. 

The free flu shot clinic was organized by Bridgton Hospital which is part of Central Maine Healthcare. In addition to their public outreach efforts, the healthcare system is currently in the process of getting all of it its own team members vaccinated against influenza, which is required for all healthcare workers in Maine. 

“It was so great to meet with these students and help protect them against influenza,” said Elaine Drew, RN, Bridgton Hospital. “Many thanks to the great staff at Bridgton Academy for helping us make this possible. 

“This is a great time for everyone to get immunized, because we are heading into the beginning of flu season.”

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends everyone who is six months or older to receive the flu vaccine. 

With one-year anniversary of mass shooting approaching, CMMC joins Red Cross and LifeFlight of Maine for commemorative blood drive

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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.

Central Maine Healthcare honors its advanced practice providers

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LEWISTON, Maine (Sept. 19, 2024) During the last week of September, Central Maine Healthcare (CMH) will join the rest of the nation in honoring its advanced practice providers (APPs).  

An APP is a health care provider who is not a physician but performs medical procedures typically performed by a physician, having undergone extensive medical education and training. Among their ranks are nurse practitioners, physician assistants, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists and certified anesthesiologist assistants.

“As we expand healthcare access in the communities we serve, advanced practice providers are playing an increasingly critical role,” said Steve Littleson, president and CEO, Central Maine Healthcare. “The skill set these healthcare professionals provide enables our patients to receive quality and timely care, and at the same time allows our physicians to concentrate on more complex cases. I believe APPs will play an increasingly important role in our healthcare system in the years to come.”

With the U.S. experiencing a physician shortage, our APPs have become even more critical to our ability to successfully care for our patients.

“I chose to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist because I wanted to expand my clinical knowledge,” said Tina Moring, lead certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC). “I was already committed to our patients, but I wanted to do more. Being a CRNA allows me to serve our community, to meet more of the needs of our patients, and I get to do what I love, every day.” 

“I was previously working as an athletic trainer with a semi-pro basketball team,” said Angela Michalka, a physician assistant (PA) at CMH Orthopedics. “Though I was an important part of the team, I wanted to be able to do more and provide more advanced care for the players instead of having to hand them off when they had a more significant injury. As a PA I am now able to provide advanced comprehensive care for my patients and I hope I am able to help keep them active and doing the things they enjoy.”

Central Maine Medical Center adds news OB-GYN provider

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LEWISTON, Maine (Sept. 12, 2024) Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) is pleased to announce the addition of a new provider.

Sara Goldsholl, MD, is joining the team at Central Maine Obstetrics-Gynecology on the CMMC campus.

Dr. Goldsholl chose to be an OB-GYN because it’s one of the few fields that allows her to care for patients through multiple stages of their lives, from childbirth through menopause. She is particularly interested in managing high-risk pregnancies and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery techniques.

“My healthcare philosophy involves delivering high-quality, evidence-based care while considering each patient’s wishes and values so we can create a personalized care plan. I want my patients to know that they always have a voice in their healthcare and that there is no one-size-fits-all treatment plan for any given issue.”

Dr. Goldsholl earned her medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock and completed her residency at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. She also holds a da Vinci Robotics certification.

With complementing teams of physicians, midwives and a family nurse practitioner, Central Maine Obstetrics- Gynecology provides obstetrical and gynecological services to women of all ages. Services include pelvic exams, pap smears, menopause care, contraception and reproductive care and treatment of infections. Pregnancy care, including high-risk pregnancies, are also included. 

CMMC recently made Newsweek Magazine’s list of “Best Maternity Hospitals.” The breast health team is accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, one of only four programs in Maine to have achieved this status.