The MaineHealth Podcast

In the January episode, Dr. Katie Manning focuses on heart failure management and the collaboration between primary care and cardiology. The conversation covers the early signs of heart failure, the importance of primary care in managing these patients, and the challenges of medication access. Dr. Manning emphasizes the need for effective communication and collaboration between healthcare provider...

In this episode of Andy's Open Door, Andy facilitated a discussion about Provider Wellness with Christine Hein, MD, Chief Wellness Officer, Ranjiv Advani, MD, Director of Provider Wellness, Coastal and Mountain regions and Stephanie Gray, PA, Director of Provider Wellness, Southern Region. Andy and the panelists also answered care team questions submitted to the AOD mailbox. Our panelists discusse...

At MaineHealth we’re diving into the future of healthcare with our Virtual Quick Care service. As technology transforms the way we access medical services, Virtual Quick Care is making it easier than ever for patients to connect with providers, get timely advice, and receive treatment from the comfort of their own homes.   In this episode, Tracy Jalbuena, MD, Medical Director MaineHealth Virtual C...

Lizzy Mulcahy, FNP, vice president for Telehealth and Virtual Care at MaineHealth, discusses how virtual care continues to transform access, especially for rural communities across Maine. The conversation also explores new models for bringing specialty care closer to home and the role AI may play in improving the patient experience.   Curbside Consult is a podcast from the MaineHealth ACO that bri...

At MaineHealth, our people make all the difference. That’s why we’ve introduced the MaineHealth Excellence Awards, a program that recognizes care team members who embody our values and set the standard for excellence across our system. In this new episode, MaineHealth Chief Operating Officer Kelly Elkins, Denise Needham, President of MaineHealth Pen Bay and Waldo Hospitals, and Cornelius Ferreria,...

As MaineHealth continues to unify operations and scale strategic initiatives, the need for a centralized, high-performing Enterprise Project Management Office, or EPMO, has never been more important. From standardizing tools and methodologies to enabling cross-functional collaboration and change management, the EPMO is more than a department—it’s a system-wide commitment to excellence, accountabil...

Our November Andy's Open Door program featured a discussion with Dr. Kristen Silvia and Dr. Leah Bauer on MaineHealth’s efforts to destigmatize substance use disorder (SUD). Andy and the panelists also answered care team questions submitted to the Ask Andy mailbox. Kristen and Leah provided a high-level overview of SUD, explained both the Comprehensive Addiction Medicine (CAM) and Comprehensive Ad...

Recorded live at the Advisory Board Summit, MaineHealth COO Kelly Elkins discusses how the academic health system is responding to mounting headwinds — from Medicare Advantage and Medicaid cuts to research funding risks — by focusing on operational optimization, expanding care outside the hospital, and building adjacent revenue streams. Kelly explains the six-point operational push (throughput, le...

In the November episode, hosts Heather Ward and Mike Clark engage with Dr. Dylan McKenney, the medical director of MHACO’s Behavioral Healthcare Program. They discuss the evolving landscape of behavioral health, the integration of mental health services into primary care, and the innovations in treatment delivery, including telehealth and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy. The conversation highlight...

Back by popular demand, today's Andy's Open Door (AOD) featured a panel discussion with Chief People Officer Scott Ballard, Vice President of Total Rewards Sue Pelletier and Senior Director of Compensation Tammy Broadhurst. Andy and the panelists addressed a wide range of HR topics and answered care team questions submitted to the Ask Andy mailbox. Sue provided a high-level overview of Open Enroll...

The 340B Drug Pricing Program is a decades-old federal program designed to support safety-net providers like MaineHealth in stretching scarce resources and expanding access to care. But in recent years, the 340B landscape has shifted dramatically. From mounting legal challenges to restrictive contract pharmacy policies and changing manufacturer relationships, the program is under increasing pressu...

As patients increasingly seek high-quality care in lower-cost, more convenient settings, orthopedic ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) have emerged as a cornerstone of value-based care that is transforming how musculoskeletal care is delivered across the country.  In this new Working Together episode, COO Kelly Elkins explores the development of the MaineHealth Orthopedic Surgery Center and what it...

In this episode, infectious disease physician Dr. Christina Yen discusses the importance of antimicrobial stewardship where antibiotics are prescribed the most: the outpatient setting.  She shares insights on the current state of antibiotic resistance, discusses the current thinking on duration of antibiotic treatments and offers practical tips on managing infectious disease. Other topics include...

For decades, community boards have been at the heart of MaineHealth, ensuring that local voices shaped the care delivered close to home. These boards have been instrumental in aligning MaineHealth’s mission with the unique needs of each community it serves.  But as healthcare grows more complex and MaineHealth continues to evolve, so too must its governance. That’s why MaineHealth is transitioning...

Andy’s Open Door went “On the Road” to MaineHealth Memorial Hospital in North Conway, NH, where CEO Andy Mueller was joined by Memorial Hospital President Tricia Costigan and Mountain Region Chief Medical Officer Matt Dunn. Their conversation touched on what makes Memorial so special: its deep roots in the community, its commitment to excellence and innovation, and the way its people step up for e...

Convenient, accessible, and increasingly sophisticated retail urgent care centers are bridging the gap between primary care and the emergency room—meeting patients where they are, both physically and in their expectations. But behind the convenience lies a complex and evolving story about care quality, cost, workforce, and integration with the broader healthcare system.  In this episode, MaineHeal...

In the latest podcast episode from the MaineHealth ACO, Dr. Peter Amann shares the latest from obesity medicine, including the GLP-1 revolution, the importance of treating obesity as a chronic disease and the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions.  Curbside Consult is the podcast that brings together specialists and primary care physicians to discuss clinical topics, referral management and coo...

The Brain Trust: Conversations in Neurosciences Service Line  In this Working Together episode, Chief Operating Officer Kelly Elkins takes you inside MaineHealth’s Neuroscience Service Line to highlight the work of its expert teams—neurologists, neurosurgeons, advanced practitioners, nurses and researchers—who are pushing boundaries in stroke care, epilepsy treatment, spine surgery, neuro-oncology...

MaineHealth CEO Andy Mueller introduced this episode of Andy's Open Door with a shout-out about the STAR (Stop, Think, Act, Review) tool and the creative ways care team members are sharing how they’re using STAR, inside and outside of work. Andy then welcomed Chief People Officer Scott Ballard for a conversation about the 2025 Care Team Experience Survey on Engagement and Safety Culture results, h...

As hospitals across the country face growing workforce pressures and evolving patient expectations, virtual nursing has emerged as a powerful tool to improve clinical efficiency, enhance patient experience, and create a more sustainable model of care. In this new Working Together episode, MaineHealth Chief Operating Officer Kelly Elkins explores the development and implementation of a virtual nurs...

This month, Mike and Heather sit down with thoracic surgeon and oncologist Dr. Gary Hochheiser to discuss lung cancer screening, early detection and the crucial role primary care can play in reducing lung cancer mortality.   Curbside Consult brings together specialists and primary care physicians to discuss clinical topics, referral management and coordination of care. Each month, family physician...

As healthcare delivery continues to evolve, the importance of seamless transitions across the care continuum has never been more critical. From skilled nursing and home health to palliative care and rehabilitation, post-acute services play a vital role in improving outcomes, enhancing patient experience, and supporting hospital throughput.  In this episode, COO Kelly Elkins speaks with Patty Buioc...

In this episode of Andy's Open Door, Chief Government Affairs Officer Katie Fullam Harris joined Andy for a conversation about the essential work of MaineHealth’s Government Affairs team. Their discussion began with an overview of the federal reconciliation bill and how the Government Affairs team helps guide our organization through complex policy landscapes at the federal, state and local level...

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 67 The Heart of Health In the latest episode of Working Together, Marco Diaz, MD, Chief Cardiovascular Service Line and Kathleen Gallen, VP Cardiovascular Service Line, join Kelly for a closer look at MaineHealth’s Cardiovascular Service Line—one of Northern New England’s most comprehensive, collaborative and patient-centered heart care programs. The...

In this month’s Curbside Consult podcast from the MaineHealth ACO, neurologist Megan Selvitelli discusses newer migraine treatments that primary care providers can initiate themselves, CMS’s new GUIDE model for dementia care and a common condition that can lead to superfluous neurology referrals.  Curbside Consult brings together specialists and primary care physicians to discuss clinical topics,...