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Familiar faces offer exceptional orthopedic services under different name

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Central Maine Healthcare acquires Spectrum Orthopaedics-Auburn

You know their faces and you know about the great orthopedic care they provide. Now, they’ll be joining with the other trusted name for healthcare in Central and Western Maine: Central Maine Healthcare. The first-rate group of providers of Spectrum Orthopaedics-Auburn, formerly Central Maine Orthopaedics, is now part of the Central Maine Healthcare team and is adopting a new name: Central Maine Healthcare Orthopedics.

“We are thrilled to welcome these talented professionals to Central Maine Healthcare. Their addition to the team extends our ability to provide our patients with coordinated, high-quality orthopedic care close to home,” said Jeffrey L. Brickman, FACHE, president and CEO of Central Maine Healthcare. “It’s part of our vision of making exceptional, affordable and convenient care available to more Maine people.”

Joining the CMH team are eight orthopedic surgeons, four physician assistants and more than 80 experienced team members. The practice will continue to provide convenient, exceptional outpatient care at its current Minot Avenue and Rumford locations.

The addition of the practice, the largest orthopedic provider in Androscoggin County, significantly expands Central Maine Healthcare’s footprint of orthopedic services and its orthopedic staff. The system plans to build on this foundation to offer a full range of services to support the complex needs of patients with a wide variety of orthopedic, spine, pain management and physical therapy needs.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call 207-783-1328 or visit www.cmhc.org.

Central Maine Healthcare workers treated to lunch by Lee Auto Malls

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Team members working vaccination clinics recognized for work during pandemic

The work of Central Maine Healthcare team members who have been staffing COVID-19 vaccination clinics is being recognized with a generous gesture by Lee Auto Malls.

Team members at all three of the healthcare system’s hospitals – Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Bridgton Hospital and Rumford Hospital – were treated to lunch by Lee Auto Malls.

Chief Medical Officer John Alexander, MD, MHCM, FACEP, said hospital workers appreciate the recognition of their hard work.

“For the last 11 months of the pandemic, our healthcare workers have been coming in every day to work to help our communities and ensure people have the care they need,” Alexander said. “This show of support from Lee Auto Malls has really been special and we thank them for their kind generosity.”

Central Maine Healthcare team members from across the organization have leaned in to help at vaccination clinics. Alexander said after many long, difficult months, the vaccination work has been a source of hope in the pandemic for team members.
“Frontline hospital workers have been put under incredible stress by the pandemic,” said Lee Auto Malls Chairman Adam Lee. “We’re trying to let them know they haven’t been forgotten and how much their work is appreciated.”

Lee Auto Malls provided lunch for Central Maine Healthcare team members on two days this month. Bridgton Hospital team members had lunch from Beth’s Kitchen Café while Central Maine Medical Center and Rumford Hospital team members had lunch from Sam’s Italian Foods.

 

Leading plastic surgeon joins Central Maine Healthcare

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Therese K. White, MD, FACS, leads Oncology Institute’s Breast Center

Renowned plastic and reconstructive surgeon Therese K. White, MD, FACS, joins the Central Maine Healthcare Oncology Institute as the director of the Breast Care Center.

One of the leading breast reconstruction surgeons in Maine, White also specializes in hand surgery, skin cancer reconstruction and body contouring. She was most recently president of Plastic and Hand Surgical Associates in South Portland. She was also the division director of plastic surgery at Maine Medical Center and on the hospital’s Breast Leadership Council.

White takes on her new role as Central Maine Healthcare builds its new Cancer Care Center, which will be completed in February 2022.

“Dr. White brings to Central Maine Healthcare 25 years of experience in Maine providing the highest quality and most innovative care to her patients. Her reputation as a skilled surgeon and caring physician is unmatched, drawing patients from across the state and even the region,” said Jason Krupp, MD, FACP, president of Central Maine Medical Group. “Beyond that, Therese is a great clinical leader and a wonderful person. I am looking forward to growing the Breast Care Center program under her leadership.”

The ability to improve quality of life for patients through a wide range of procedures drew White to plastic surgery.

“Plastic surgery allows surgeons to have long relationships with patients,” she said. “The time I spend with patients is invaluable. Patient outcomes are better when they are involved in decision making. The time and effort spent getting to know and educate patients leads to better decision making and, ultimately, better outcomes.”

A graduate of Dartmouth College, White earned her medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and is board certified in plastic surgery. She held a fellowship at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center in Massachusetts and did her residency at Maine Medical Center. She has used her skills on a number of international medical mission trips.

Paintings of Maine Artist Displayed in WHA Art Gallery

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The Woman’s Hospital Association (WHA) Rotating Art Gallery at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston is proud to display the paintings of Maine artist Susan Fitz-Patrick for the month of February. The photographs of Lindsay White will continue to be on display for the month as well.

Fitz-Patrick is a Maine artist who enjoys recreating her love of the ocean in her paintings. She started her college career as an art major and has studied with several artists over the years to advance her skills in watercolor, pastel, acrylic and oil painting.

Traveling widely but always drawn to the ocean, her favorite places include the mid-coast area of Maine, the Cape Cod National Seashore as well as the Oregon coastline. The natural beauty of each is unique but the sounds and smells of the saltwater environment are similar. It is this feeling of being near the ocean, feeling the breeze and listening to the sounds of the surf and the gulls that she tries to convey in her paintings.

The works on display may be purchased through the WHA Gift Shop located adjacent to the main lobby at Central Maine Medical Center. As a result of the hospital safety precautions due to the pandemic, the art gallery is only available for viewing for staff, patients, and their designated visitors at this time. A percentage of sale proceeds benefits patients of CMMC.

Johnson joins Central Maine Healthcare as system director of philanthropy

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Kara Aleixo Johnson, JD, has joined Central Maine Healthcare as system director of philanthropy.Kara Johnson, JD

In this leadership role, Johnson is responsible for the planning and implementation of all fundraising efforts for Central Maine Healthcare, including a portfolio of major gift prospects and donors and building broad-based private support for annual giving, endowments and capital projects.

“We’re thrilled to have Kara on board at Central Maine Healthcare in this time of growth and as we are building our state-of-the-art Cancer Care Center. She’s had great success in leading fundraising efforts and brings deep experience in business development and strategic planning to the role,” said Jeffrey L. Brickman, FACHE, president and CEO of Central Maine Healthcare. “These are great assets as we continue to change the face of healthcare in Maine.”

Johnson was previously senior director of development at Mid-Coast Parkview Health in Brunswick, where she grew the development team and philanthropic support, managed a capital campaign, a major gifts program and developed new initiatives. She has also owned a business development consulting firm, held leadership roles in sales and practiced law in the areas of real estate and litigation.

“I’m looking forward to collaborating with my new colleagues across the organization and with the community at this exciting time,” Johnson said. “The work to bring high-quality, affordable and convenient care to more Maine people is truly inspiring.”

Johnson earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature and political science from Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., and her law degree from Suffolk University School of Law in Boston.

She has served on the boards of organizations including The Gathering Place and Embrace A Vet as chair of the Development Committee. She is a corporator of Mid Coast Hospital and has served on the board of Mid Coast-Parkview Health. Johnson is also a member of the Maine Women’s Giving Tree.

Johnson started her new role in early January.

Central Maine Medical Center nationally recognized ‘A’-gain

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Fall 2020 Hospital Safety Grade marks fifth ‘A’ in a row for CMMC

Central Maine Medical Center earned its fifth ‘A’ grade in a row for hospital safety from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national watchdog organization and advocate for hospital transparency.

The national distinction announced Monday is for the Fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade. It is the fifth time that CMMC has earned the highest grade possible for protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.

“An accomplishment like this – five ‘A’s in a row – can only happen when the entire team is focused on a shared vision,” said CMMC President Steven G. Littleson, DBA, FACHE. “This achievement is the direct result of the dedication and hard work of our Central Maine Medical Center team who live our mission of providing exceptional, safe healthcare every day.”

The Leapfrog Group is driven by employers and other purchasers of healthcare and committed to improving health care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade to all general hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.

“We’re proud to have earned this recognition from The Leapfrog Group once again,” said Central Maine Healthcare Chief Medical Officer John Alexander, MD, MHCM, FACEP. “In all that we do, we strive to provide safe, reliable, high-quality care. That commitment is making a real difference for our patients and the communities we are honored to serve.”

Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

“We are extremely grateful to hospital leadership and healthcare workers who have remained steadfast in prioritizing patient safety as our nation battles COVID-19,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group. “This ‘A’ is a testament to the care and commitment of those who work for Central Maine Medical Center. With the current pandemic exposing existing flaws within the U.S. healthcare system, we appreciate you putting patient safety first. Lives depend on it.”