Mary-Anne Ponti has joined Central Maine Healthcare’s (CMH) senior leadership team as its Chief Nursing Officer. She started June 20.
Ponti is an important part of CMH’s strategic transformation. She will support the health system’s strategic plan by focusing on patient care and service excellence by providing direction for nursing throughout the system, including regulating credentialing and developing a nursing governance structure. Her expertise in leadership development, strategic planning and change management will help establish CMH’s nursing department strategy as the system continues to position itself as a healthcare leader and innovator in central and western Maine.
With more than 30 years of experience in nursing and healthcare executive leadership, Ponti not only understands what it takes to be a staff nurse, but also how to lead and manage staff while establishing high standards of patient care and quality of service.
“I’m excited to return to Maine and join Central Maine Healthcare’s leadership team. In healthcare, top-quality patient care begins at the bedside with nurses. I’m looking forward to guiding CMH’s nursing departments towards new levels of care and quality,” said Ponti.
Prior to CMH, Ponti provided coaching and guidance for healthcare leadership and management through her consulting business. She was also the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer at McLaren Northern Michigan (MNM)where she was responsible for the overall hospital, physician practices, and ambulatory care financial performance andclinical operations. MNM served approximately 450,000 residents in rural northern Michigan.
Ponti’s hiring is part of CMH’s ongoing strategic change as the system works on strengthening its operations and patient experience and service levels as it navigates an ambiguous healthcare landscape at both the state and Federal levels.