The MaineHealth Podcast: Recent Episodes
MHES
Andy’s Open Door was “On the Road” today, traveling to MHMMC Biddeford, where CEO Andy Mueller was joined by Southern Region President Britt Crewse, MHMMC Biddeford/Sanford COO Kathryn Cope and MHMMC Portland COO Matt Wolden.
Andy and the panel marked the one-year anniversary of license integration and discussed the many benefits it has delivered to the Southern Region and MaineHealth. They also reflected on other major milestones of the past year and highlighted advancements in quality, safety and clinical integration. Their conversation was also forward-thinking and delved into Master Facility Planning, the importance of improving access, and exciting prospects for clinical research and education.
Curbside Consult is a podcast produced by the MaineHealth ACO. In this month's episode, pediatric endocrinologist Mike Dedekian, MD discusses exciting hot-off-the-press innovations in type 1 diabetes treatment, including the use of monoclonal antibodies to delay onset. The conversation also covers the importance of recognizing symptoms of type 1 diabetes in children and the ongoing challenges of childhood obesity and hyperlipidemia.
Curbside Consult brings together specialists and primary care physicians to discuss clinical topics, referral management and coordination of care. Each month, family physician hosts Dr. Mike Clark and Dr. Heather Ward welcome a new specialist physician to share their unique insights.
Listen to Curbside Consult here on Podbean or on your favorite podcast app. To stay in touch with the show, follow the MaineHealth ACO on LinkedIn.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 66
Diagnostic Excellence with guest: Mark Parker
Diagnostic accuracy is an important component of clinical excellence. Nonetheless, diagnostic errors continue to adversely affect patients worldwide. Despite their significance, these errors have not been as extensively studied as other patient safety issues such as medication errors, procedural complications, and hospital-acquired infections. Although diagnoses are made by clinicians, health system vulnerabilities frequently influence clinical reasoning and contribute to diagnostic errors. In this episode, Vice President of Quality and Safety Mark Parker and Chief Operating Officer Kelly Elkins discuss how MaineHealth is prioritizing diagnostic excellence as a key patient safety concern.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 65
Guest: Erin Brown
In the latest episode, Kelly explores how charitable giving fuels our health system —often bridging the gap between what is and what’s possible. From million-dollar donations that help build hospital towers to grassroots fundraising that funds life-saving equipment, these gifts are more than generous—they’re transformative.
Joining Kelly in the conversation is Erin Brown, MaineHealth Chief Development Officer. They discuss how we are reshaping our approach to philanthropy within the system and the potential impact on healthcare delivery in our communities.
Welcome to the first episode of our Curbside Consult podcast, featuring MaineHealth pediatric gastroenterologist Anna Furr, DO! In this powerful conversation, Dr. Furr shares insights on improving access to pediatric specialty care and the urgent need for deeper collaboration between primary care providers and specialists.
Listeners will hear strategies to streamline specialty access, including the use of e-consults, accessible referral guidelines, and innovative patient education efforts through social media. Dr. Furr stresses that by working together differently, primary and specialty care teams can help reduce family frustrations, strengthen referral confidence, and better serve their communities.
Listen to how we can build a better, more connected future for pediatric care in Maine and New Hampshire. You can also listen on your favorite podcast app.
Curbside Consult is hosted by practicing family physicians Mike Clark, MD, and Heather Ward, MD. Mike owns and operates his own practice, Lifespan Family Healthcare, in Newcastle, Maine and Heather is a physician leader in MaineHealth’s Coastal Region.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 64
Reducing Care Variation with guest Gina Quinn Skillings, MD
Reducing care variation is a strategic priority on MaineHealth’s five-year strategic plan and annual balanced scorecard.
In the latest episode, MaineHealth Chief Operating Officer Kelly Elkins and Senior Director Clinical Integration Gina Quinn Skillings, MD, explore how differences in clinical practices across providers, hospitals and regions impact patient outcomes, costs and quality of care. They also discuss strategies for reducing unnecessary variation, improving standardization, and ultimately delivering better, more consistent care. From data-driven decision-making to frontline clinician engagement, you will hear how MaineHealth is advancing this important work.
Join us as we celebrate Care Team Appreciation Week with Andy Patstone, regional president from the coastal region, and Andy Mueller, MD, CEO of MaineHealth. From Andy M:
It’s one of my favorite times of the year when we really get to turn the spotlight onto you – our incredible care team – and express our appreciation for the heroic work you do every day. I don’t use that word lightly; to me, it means bringing compassion and respect, excellence and integrity to our interactions with our patients, one another and community.
Heroic is thoughtfully listening and validating, focusing on the individual and their individual needs as they bring their whole selves to us seeking care and support. Heroic is leading with kindness and honesty and maintaining a steadfast commitment to safety with Positive Patient Identification (PPID), hand washing, utilizing our best practices and advocating in all components of care delivery. It is collaborating, taking responsibility and embracing change.
Thank you for bringing your talents, expertise and dedication to our patients – and one another - each day as we continue working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 63
A Conversation with CEO Andy Mueller, MD
On April 9, Andy Mueller, MD marked his fourth anniversary as MaineHealth’s Chief Executive Officer. In this episode, Kelly sits down with Andy to discuss the current state of MaineHealth, the headwinds impacting health care, disruptors (both positive and negative), and how we are positioning ourselves to navigate turbulent waters and shape our sustainability for the future.
Recorded on Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Guests: Dr. Don Medd and FNP Caitlin Costigan
On Wednesday morning, Andy spoke with Dr. Don Medd and FNP Caitlin Costigan from Westbrook (Maine) Primary Care. Their discussion focused on the challenges that primary care teams are facing today and the practice's innovative strategies to deliver a better experience for both the care team and patients.
Andy, Don and Caitlin talked about the practice’s teamlet approach, nursing workflows and wraparound care, and how a capitated vs. fee-for-service care model is changing the paradigm.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 62
Guest: Rich Bayman, MaineHealth CFO
With a career dedicated to financial stewardship in healthcare, Chief Financial Officer Rich Bayman brings a unique perspective on balancing fiscal responsibility with a mission-driven approach to patient care. In the latest episode, Kelly introduces MaineHealth’s new CFO, and we learn about Rich’s journey, leadership insights, and the crucial role of finance in driving health care transformation.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Guest: Rich Bayman, MaineHealth CFO
Join us in this episode as we introduce Rich Bayman, our new Chief Financial Officer, who brings a wealth of experience in healthcare finance and strategic growth. Andy spoke with Rich about his journey to MaineHealth, current health care challenges and the strategies we’re using to address them. They answered some great care team questions, ranging from Rich’s thoughts on the best advice he’s ever received to the impacts of delayed MaineCare payments.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 61
MaineHealth EMS with Mike Senecal
In this episode, Mike Senecal, Senior Director of MaineHealth EMS, and Chief Operating Officer Kelly Elkins dive deep into the world of emergency medical transport and interfacility transfers — the vital but often overlooked lifeline of our health system.
From community 911 services to the complex coordination of inter-hospital transfers, Kelly and Mike explore the challenges and innovations MaineHealth is addressing with its EMS transport service.
BACON - FINAL EPISODE #66
Guest: Dr. Asaf Bitton
In this special farewell episode of BACON, Drs. Heather Ward and Mike Clark welcome Dr. Asaf Bitton, keynote speaker for the upcoming MaineHealth ACO Value-Based Care Symposium on May 14. As Executive Director of Ariadne Labs and a leader in primary care innovation, Dr. Bitton shares insights from health care systems worldwide and discusses the evolving roles of primary care and specialists in risk-based models.
This episode marks the final installment of BACON after six years and 66 episodes. But don’t worry—Heather and Mike will be back with a brand-new podcast: Curbside Consult! Designed to recreate the informal, valuable conversations between primary care providers and specialists that used to happen in hospital hallways, Curbside Consult kicks off with a discussion featuring pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Mike Dedekian.
Stay tuned for the first episode, launching in early May! You’ll find Curbside Consult here and on your favorite podcast apps.
For now, catch the final episode of BACON on your podcast app by searching “MaineHealth,”, here on Podbean, or listen at our website.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 60
Meet MaineHealth Chief Medical and Transformation Officer Adrian Moran, MD
At MaineHealth the Chief Medical and Transformation Officer (CMTO) supports critical organizational transformation, including our efforts to create an integrated care delivery model for the system and reimagining our approach to various clinical functions. The CMTO also plays a key role in supporting our value of innovation, not only by transforming how we deliver care, but also through oversight of our extensive research and academic endeavors.
In the latest episode, we meet CMTO Adrian Moran, MD, and hear his thoughts about this role and opportunities for clinical transformation at MaineHealth, and how he has come home to Maine.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 59
Bridging the Gaps in Rural Maternal Health, Part 2 of 2
Rural obstetric care stands at the intersection of some of the most pressing issues in modern health care. In Part 2 of this two-episode podcast Kelly continues her conversation with Jennifer McKenna, MD and Jeanette Andrews, MD, two MaineHealth OB/GYN physicians and advocates. They explore the strategies, emerging technologies, and policies that may help to bridge or close the gaps impacting the delivery of rural obstetric care. They advocate for taking a collaborative approach to address the effects of isolation, generational poverty, and substance use disorder. In case you missed it, you can listen to Part 1 of our important conversation.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Guests: Aileen Mickey, MD & Cornelius Ferreira, MD
In the latest AOD, MaineHealth Medical Group President Aileen Mickey, MD, and Vice President & Chief Medical Officer Cornelius Ferreira, MD, joined Andy for a conversation about innovations in primary care (including AI), cultural change, and ways MHMG is addressing access challenges. They also discussed approaches MHMG is taking to address burnout, enhance wellness and keep our workplace safe.
Andy also introduced the Andy’s Open Door Engage Community launching next month as a new way to connect with our care team.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 58
Bridging the Gaps in Maternal Health, Part 1 of 2
For millions of families in rural communities, accessing quality obstetric care can be a monumental challenge. From long distances to the nearest hospital to provider shortages and systemic inequities, rural OB care stands at the intersection of some of the most pressing issues in modern health care. And this is no exception in Maine and New Hampshire, which have seen a significant increase in closures of OB services in rural areas.
In the latest episode, COO Kelly Elkins is joined by Jennifer McKenna, MD and Jeanette Andrews, MD, two MaineHealth OB/GYN physicians and advocates with firsthand experience in addressing these challenges. This topic will be covered in two episodes to unpack this important topic. Part 1 focuses on the challenges facing rural OB care today.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Quality & Safety panel
This episode focused on Quality & Safety and MaineHealth’s journey to be a safe, high reliability organization.
CEO Andy Mueller began by sharing a story about the importance of positively identifying the patient. He was then joined in the conversation by Alex Penney, senior director of patient safety and risk management, Mary Beth DiFilippo, chief nursing officer, MaineHealth Mountain Region, and Jeremy Warren, clinical pharmacist at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland.
Each shared their unique perspectives and stories, as well as valuable information about MaineHealth’s Red Rule (PPID), the Right Patient, Right Care campaign, transition to Press Ganey, nurses’ and pharmacists’ commitment to patient safety, and compelling Good Catch stories.
BACON Episode 65
Statins Help Patients with Diabetes
Endocrinologist Stephen Babirak, MD, joins Mike and Heather to discuss how statins can lower cardiovascular disease risk in patients with diabetes, vastly improving their outcomes and extending their lives.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find previous episodes here on Podbean or listen at our website.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
In our first AOD of 2025, CEO Andy Mueller was joined by MaineHealth Surgery Center Scarborough Executive Director Lori Beucler, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland Nursing Director Katelynne Prosser and Vice President Emerging Business Lines Mike Bianchi.
The program focused on the evolving healthcare landscape, and how ambulatory service centers (ASCs) serve our patients and our health system today and into the future. The panel discussed the many benefits the MaineHealth Surgery Center Scarborough offers by managing demand capacity, delivering streamlined care delivery, positive outcomes, and a lower cost model. They also discussed future ASC plans at MaineHealth.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
Compensation. Benefits. COLA. Pay transparency. Maine Paid Family Medical Leave Act.
In this episode, Andy has an in-depth discussion on compensation and benefits with Scott Ballard, Chief People Officer, Sue Pelletier, VP of Total Rewards, and Tammy Broadhurst, Senior Director of Compensation at MaineHealth. They discussed the difference between merit vs. market adjustments, and the comprehensive benefits package available to the care team.
BACON Episode 64
Reducing Readmissions One Patient at a Time
Learn how care managers from the MaineHealth ACO and St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston are collaborating to increase communication between the hospital and primary care practices to reduce 30-day readmission rates.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find past episodes here on Podbean, on your podcast app by searching for “mainehealth,” or listen at our website.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Guest: Dr. Adrian Moran, CMTO
In this episode, Andy speaks to MaineHealth’s new Chief Medical and Transformation Officer, Dr. Adrian Moran, calling it a “homecoming.” Adrian shared his professional journey and return to MaineHealth and spoke about his new role. Adrian and Andy talked about the advancing role of technology and genomics in solving complex healthcare challenges, while also reinforcing the importance of fundamentals such as proper hand hygiene and accurate patient identification.
Listen to their conversation about how MaineHealth is evolving and innovating to respond to the shifting healthcare landscape and continue delivering high-quality patient care.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins podcast, Episode 57
Oncology Service Line with Mike Bianchi
Access to high-quality oncologic care is vitally important to the communities we serve. In the latest Working Together episode, Vice President Oncology Service Line Mike Bianchi joins Chief Operating Officer Kelly Elkins to discuss how this service line is benefiting the lives of those impacted by cancer across Maine and New Hampshire, and how we are ensuring access to high-quality care for the future.
Mike talks about the evolution of the oncology service line at MaineHealth, its strategic priorities, and how MaineHealth is positioning itself to meet the needs of our patients and communities in the years ahead.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Chief Health Improvement Officer Dora Mills, MD and Alison Prior, CNA, CHW and Substance Use Disorder Navigator, joined Andy for an inspiring and informative conversation about the significant impact of Community Health Workers and their vital role in addressing social drivers of health (SDOH).
Andy opened the broadcast with a message of gratitude for the hard work our care team has dedicated to successfully implementing Infor CloudSuite, enhancing quality of care and contributing to MaineHealth's solid financial position.
Dora spoke about the importance of screening for SDOH and the referral pathways and resources to enable people to build their best lives. Alison shared how her personal journey led her to MaineHealth, and how she draws on her own experience as she walks beside others on their journey others on their journey to recovery. She mentioned the unique three-pronged model the team uses to address barriers and the positive outcomes they've seen.
Empathy at every interaction changes lives. Join us!
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 56
The Role of AI in MaineHealth
In this episode, Kelly and Chief Information Officer Dan Nigrin, MD, delve into the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare and at MaineHealth. They discuss the definition of AI, its major types, and both current and future use cases in the medical field, as well as the risks and benefits of adopting AI. This insightful discussion provides valuable perspectives on how MaineHealth is currently utilizing AI, and the future integration of AI in healthcare systems.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, November 06, 2024
In today's episode, Andy welcomed a panel of MaineHealth veterans to talk about the ways we support both our care team and our patients who are veterans.
Andy's guests were Josh Knowles, DO, MaineHealth Orthopedics North Conway, Allison Taylor, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland Safety & Emergency Management, and Nick Adler, NorDx director of sales and marketing. They each shared their service backgrounds and the unique skillsets they've carried forward in their current roles.
The episode also explores MaineHealth's initiatives to honor and support veterans, such as the Veterans Care Team Network, the introduction of veteran identifiers in patient records, and the recently implemented 'Code Honor' tribute for veterans' final journeys in our hospitals.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 55
Trellis Health with Tam StClaire
In the latest Working Together episode, Kelly and Tam StClaire, President of Primary Care Delivery Services, talk about Trellis Health, an exciting new model for how primary care is accessed, experienced, and delivered at MaineHealth. Trellis opened its doors in October 2024 with a unique care team approach that provides 24/7 patient access. Listen to learn more about Tam StClaire’s background and this innovative initiative.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 54
Roadmap to Integrated Care Delivery with Nate Mick, MD
Over the past few years, MaineHealth has implemented positive changes such as our regional operating model, enhanced system-wide processes and resources, major IT initiatives, and the license integration of the Southern Region hospitals. While these are exciting initiatives, they also come at a time when our health system is experiencing challenges and opportunities.
This ranges from ongoing workforce challenges to bed capacity challenges that impact patient flow throughout our hospitals. It is imperative that we come together to resolve them and create a highly effective environment to support our care team and patients. In this episode, Nate Mick, MD, Associate Chief Medical Officer for Maine Medical Center Portland, joins Kelly to discuss the roadmap to integrated care delivery initiative to drive this work.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Guests: Lou Inzana & Tracy Cote
Today's AOD was hosted by COO Kelly Elkins. She began by reflecting on current events – the anniversary of the Lewison tragedy, recent hurricanes, the upcoming elections, and the wars in Gaza and Ukraine – and the stress our care team may be experiencing. Kelly highlighted the resources available and encouraged everyone to look after themselves and support one another.
She segued to today’s program topic, “All About Infor,” with Associate CFO Lou Inzana and HR Director of Operations Tracy Cote. Lou described Infor CloudSuite as “the next generation of Lawson,” noting it is a major upgrade to a new business platform, comparable in significance to how Epic supports clinical operations.
Their discussion focused on Infor CloudSuite’s many benefits, including enhanced financial, statistical and operational reporting. Tracy pointed out the functionalities of both the Employee Space and Manager Space that will simplify tasks, such as updating personal details, checking PTO balances, and more, through easy-to-use icons and real-time SmartHelp. She also emphasized the training opportunities and support available to MaineHealth care team members, including the HR Support Center, Change Champions and the INFOR NEED TO KNOW intranet site, which has valuable resources for information and FAQs.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 53
Reducing Our Carbon Footprint with Mike Arsnow
In this episode, Kelly chats with Mike Arsnow, MaineHealth Manager of Sustainability, about the progress our health system is making toward our aspirational goal of reducing our carbon footprint by 25% by 2027, with a long-term goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
Mike talks about the work to make the "pipe and jacket" system more efficient in our facilities, and what the Sustainability Committees are working on around the MaineHealth system. This is an insightful discussion on the sustainable initiatives under way across MaineHealth to contribute to a healthier planet.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Guests: Celia Shaughnessy & Stacey Oliveto
In this episode of Andy's Open Door, Celia Shaughnessy, VP of Operations Transformation, and Stacey Oliveto, Pharmacy Operations Manager, talked with Andy about the linkages between the Scorecard and our vision of working together so our communities are the heathiest in America, and the work care team members are doing every day to achieve it.
Through examples like the Department Scorecard at the inpatient pharmacy at Pen Bay Hospital, Celia and Stacey discussed the advantages of iterative process improvement, listening to subject matter experts, providing the freedom to problem-solve, and using the support and resources available across our health system.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, September 18, 2024
Guest: Tam St. Claire
How did a successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur move to Maine, join MaineHealth and lead the upcoming Oct 1 launch of the value-based start-up Trellis Health in just one year? We find out in this week's AOD. You’ll hear Tamara St. Claire, President of Trellis Health, and Andy discuss how Trellis Health is tackling today’s access challenges with a care delivery model that aims to transform the primary care experience.
Tam and Andy talk about how Trellis Health is innovating, what it offers (and to whom), and how it is collaborating with MaineHealth Medical Group and others across our organization to bring this vision to life.
BACON: Reducing Misdiagnoses
MaineHealth Associate Chief Quality Officer Mark Parker, MD, joins Heather and Mike to discuss a promising care variation reduction project that uses the delivery of timely lab results as a lever to improve diagnosis accuracy.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find previous episodes here on Podbean, or listen at our website.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 52
FY25 Balanced Scorecard Highlights with Mark Harris
As we gear up for the new fiscal year, Kelly teams up with Chief Planning Officer Mark Harris to discuss highlights of the FY25 scorecard measures. They discuss MaineHealth’s commitment to continuous process improvement, the important connection between system, regional & local scorecards and departmental scorecards, and the ways we are pushing ourselves further to reach our five-year aspirational goals.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 51
Benefits 101 with Sue Pelletier
Employee benefit programs are an essential part of any organization's total rewards strategy. These programs provide employees with valuable benefits, such as health care, retirement savings, and paid time off, that help support their overall well-being. By offering competitive and comprehensive benefit programs, employers can attract and retain top talent, while also promoting a healthy and productive workforce.
In the latest podcast, Kelly is joined by Vice President of Total Rewards and Operations Sue Pelletier to discuss MaineHealth’s benefits philosophy and goals, and the range of benefits we offer as part of our Total rewards program.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, episode 50
Affordability: a conversation with CEO Andy Mueller, MD
Health care affordability is a critical issue that affects access to care, health outcomes and overall well-being. As the cost of health care continues to rise, it has become increasingly difficult for many people to afford the care they need. In the latest episode, Kelly discusses the concept of affordability in health care with MaineHealth CEO Andy Mueller, MD —from defining what affordability means, to the challenges we face, to the potential solutions to improving health care for the communities we serve.
Andy's Open Door Recording
August 7, 2024
Guests: Dr. Tim Fitzgerald and Jen Moore
Andy’s guests this week were Tim Fitzgerald, MD, Director of MaineHealth Maine Medical Center - Portland's Surgical Oncology Program, and Jennifer Moore, President of MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization, who spoke about the innovative work under way to improve patient outcomes.
Jen described how value-based care aligns with our goals of improving quality, reducing cost, and enhancing patient experience. She highlighted some of the initiatives the ACO is leading or supporting, such as palliative care, care access and navigation, and chronic kidney disease. Tim shared his journey as an academic and clinical surgeon who is passionate about continuous quality improvement. He presented an overview of a successful peri-operative initiative he led to reduce care variation and improve outcomes for surgical patients.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, episode 49
LGBTQ+ Health with guest Rae Egbert, PsyD, LADC
According to a KFF survey, LGBTQ+ adults are twice as likely as non-LGBTQ+ adults to report negative experiences while receiving health care in the last three years, such as being treated unfairly or with disrespect, having a provider assume something about them without asking, or refusing to prescribe needed pain medication. These negative experiences can have detrimental effects on the health of LGBTQ+ adults, such as making them less likely to seek health care, causing their health to get worse, or making them switch health care providers.
In this Working Together episode, Kelly discusses how MaineHealth is investing in LGBTQ+ Health to support this population and our caregivers. Joining Kelly in the conversation is Rae Egbert, PsyD, LADC, MaineHealth Director of LGBTQ+ Health.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
MaineHealth Institute for Research panel
Andy visited the MaineHealth Institute for Research (MHIR) today for an engaging Andy’s Open Door panel discussion about the evolution, innovation and impact of MHIR in our communities. Joining Andy were MaineHealth Chief Academic Officer Doug Sawyer, MD, PhD; Abby Fleisch, MD, MPH; Aaron Brown, PhD; and Rob Smith, MD, MPH.
Andy opened the program by discussing our Patient-Centered value in the social media space and the importance of protecting the privacy of our patients.
The panel spoke about the remarkable research under way and how research has evolved at MaineHealth over the past 30-plus years – transforming from a few people engaged in research projects decades ago to an Institute employing 261 people today. They shared their personal and professional journeys to MHIR and their areas of focus – Rob Smith’s Vector-borne Disease Lab, Aaron Brown’s work on obesity and related metabolic disorders, and Abby Fleisch’s environmental health research.
They discussed how MHIR is working together in our rural and island communities, on the state and national level, and with many other research institutions such as Harvard, Tufts, UMass/Amherst and others. They also explored how artificial intelligence will impact research.
BACON: Helping Our Patients Age in Place
Evidence suggests that older adults age more successfully when they’re able to stay in their homes or in their home communities. In this episode of BACON, we talk to gerontologist Dr. Heidi Wierman and healthy aging advocate Jess Maurer to learn how primary care providers can help their patients age in place safely and comfortably. They discuss strategies for working with individual patients and look at ways to engage with, and support, community-based efforts to support healthy aging.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find previous episodes here on Podbean or listen at our website.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 48
MaineHealth Medical Group Roadmap
The MaineHealth Medical Group (MHMG) formally came together in October 2021. The past few years have focused on building the foundational elements of a unified medical group. In the latest episode of Working Together, Dr. Aileen Mickey, President MHMG and Dr. Cornelius Ferreira, CMO MHMG, sit down with Kelly to reflect on accomplishments to date and share what we can expect to see over the next three to five years.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Guest: Dr. Ben Farino
How did one practice significantly move the needle on their quality measures in just nine months? Dr. Ben Farino, Associate Medical Director at MaineHealth Primary Care Internal Medicine Scarborough, joined Andy today to explain how the entire practice came together to make that happen – and some other unexpected benefits they experienced along the way.
The program began with a recently recorded conversation at the practice with Andy, Dr. Farino, Practice Manager Pam Stevens and Medical Assistant Mandy Grady. Using the Balanced Scorecard and Quality Dashboard as a catalyst, the team shared how they worked together to improve health care outcomes by understanding how each individual impacts patient care.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, ep. 47
Roadmap for Quality and Safety
Quality and Safety are at the forefront of everything we do at MaineHealth. And just like our broader organization, the Quality and Safety division of MaineHealth is on a transformative journey.
In the latest episode, MaineHealth Chief Quality Officer Dr. Omar Hasan joins Kelly to discuss the roadmap for quality and safety at MaineHealth and some of the key initiatives we are embarking on.
BACON - Ep. 61: The Remarkable Benefits of HPV Vaccine
The HPV vaccine has been proven effective in preventing cancer, but our vaccination rates could be higher. MaineHealth's Dr. Melissa Keeport and Caroline Zimmerman discuss new guidelines and the role primary care can play in improving rates.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find previous episodes here on Podbean or listen at our website.
Working Together Podcast Episode 46: Engaging our Employers
MaineHealth’s five Strategic Priorities and their associated objectives set our direction and course for organizational success. One of the key objectives within the Strategic Priority of Community is Employer Engagement.
In the latest episode of the Working Together podcast, COO Kelly Elkins invites Bill Whitmore, Vice President of Business Transformation, to describe what “employer engagement” means and what MaineHealth is doing to achieve our five-year goal of reducing the cost of care for our employers.
Bill brings a unique perspective to this work and shares how developing mutual understanding of employer needs and concerns, and how MaineHealth is positioned to address them, will help us achieve this goal. Listen in to learn about some of the strategies we’re adopting to transform our place in payer relationships.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Guest: Randy Stephan
Andy was joined by Vice President of Security Services Randy Stephan for a conversation about Randy’s role and the work under way to protect MaineHealth care team and patients.
Randy spoke about his experiences in the military and health care, his journey to MaineHealth, and the importance of understanding our caregiving environment and the unique risks we face. He also shared his guiding principles for Security Services and how all care team members can contribute to a safer environment.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Guest: Randy Stephan
Vice President of Security Services Randy Stephan joined CEO Andy Mueller today on AOD for a conversation about Randy’s role and the work under way to protect MaineHealth care team and patients.
Randy spoke about his experiences in the military and health care, his journey to MaineHealth, and the importance of understanding our caregiving environment and the unique risks we face. He also shared his guiding principles for Security Services and how all care team members can contribute to a safer environment.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 45
Guests: Rebecca Hemphill, MD and Michelle Duval, CNIO
Most MaineHealth care team members recognize that we utilize a common Electronic Health Record system – EPIC. But many may not realize that while we all use EPIC, there are still variations in the EPIC tools and applications across MaineHealth due to the prolonged timing of implementation. As we advance our integrated care delivery system, a fundamental priority is to reduce those variations and create a truly unified experience for our care team members in EPIC.
In this episode, Kelly is joined by Dr. Rebecca Hemphill, Chief Medical Informatics Officer and Michelle Duval, Chief Nursing Informatics Officer, to discuss these efforts.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, May 15th, 2024
Guest: Andy Patstone
Andy was joined by another Andy for a fantastic program focused on care team appreciation and engagement.
Andy Patstone, MaineHealth Regional President-Coastal Region and a member of the MaineHealth Engagement Council, shared what she’s learned in her role as a regional president over the past 18 months. She has been with MaineHealth for 10-plus years, including five as president of Stephens Memorial Hospital. She reflected on the meaningful things our care teams do every day with passion and commitment to our vision, and how organizing into regions has advanced MaineHealth’s ability to deliver on our mission. She also spoke candidly about some of the bumps encountered along the way and expressed pride in how teams have adapted to new ways of working together.
Their conversation shifted to ways we express gratitude and appreciation at MaineHealth, including during Care Team Appreciation Week.
BACON Ep. 60: A Symposium Sneak Peek
On May 22, the MaineHealth ACO will be hosting the Working Together to Advance Value-Based Care symposium in Freeport, with health policy superstar Dr. Don Berwick headlining as keynote speaker. In this episode, we take a deep dive into one of the symposium’s afternoon workshops. Focused on payment bundles for specialty care, the workshop will be led by our two podcast guests, Dr. J. Powers and Sue Seekins.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find past episodes here on Podbean, or listen at our website.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, episode 44
Caring for the Future Generation
In this episode, Kelly discusses how MaineHealth’s Barbara Bush Children’s Service line is impacting the lives of children across Maine and New Hampshire.
Joining Kelly in the podcast are Dr. Mary Ottolini, Chief Barbara Bush Children’s Service Line and Zander Abbott, Vice President Barbara Bush Children’s Service Line for MaineHealth. They discuss the journey of the children’s health service line at MaineHealth, the major areas of focus on the annual Balanced Scorecard, and how they envision children’s health care evolving in the years ahead.
Just as importantly, they discuss how MaineHealth is positioning itself to meet those needs.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Guest: Terri Cannan, CMCO
Today on Open Door, Andy focused on the MaineHealth rebrand and how a unified identity supports our vision and Patient-Centered value. Joining Andy in the conversation was Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Terri Cannan.
Andy and Terri discussed what’s changing (and what is not), why the rebrand is being done in stages and how MaineHealth is encouraging care team members to rebrand in a sustainable way.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, episode 43
Protecting Our Workforce
Guest: Randy Stephan
Reducing incidences related to workplace violence is a top priority for MaineHealth – so much so that we altered one of our strategies on our balanced scorecard to reflect our commitment to doing so, creating intentional focus, leadership, structure and support of this work. This includes establishing the first system-level leader for security at MaineHealth.
In the latest episode, Randy Stephan, Vice President of Security Services, joins Kelly for a discussion about our system philosophy to safety and security in the healthcare setting and how we are protecting our workforce from threats.
Listen in to learn about the guiding principles and Randy’s perspective of MaineHealth’s current position on the maturity scale of this important work.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 42
Health Equity and the Social Determinants of Health
Guest: Dora Mills, MD
In the latest episode, Kelly is joined by Dora Mills, MD Chief Community Health Improvement Officer for MaineHealth, for a conversation about our five-year strategic goal and annual balanced scorecard goals surrounding health equity and the social determinants, or drivers, of health.
They discuss the active work under way in this space, the focus areas for the next four years, and how we are using data to promote the overall health and well-being of the communities we serve.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Eggs & Issues Event with Portland Chamber of Commerce
In a recent presentation to regional business leaders, CEO Andy Mueller, MD, shared a compelling story about his path to MaineHealth, insight into how our organization operates, the unique challenges we face, and how we are working together to overcome them.
In today's episode, Andy introduces and shares this presentation. He discusses with pride MaineHealth’s reputation for quality and safety and the incredible talent and dedication of our care team. Andy also details the significant headwinds MaineHealth is facing in the current healthcare landscape as we strive to achieve our vision of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.
BACON - Ep. 59: A Recipe for Reducing Length of Stay
In less than a year, Southern Maine Health Care reduced length of stay by thirteen percent and saved the health system nearly four million dollars. MaineHealth Southern Region Associate Chief Medical Officer Michael Albaum, MD, led the effort and shares his “recipe” for success.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find previous episodes here on Podbean, or listen at our website.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Guest: Jess Logsdon
In this episode, CEO Andy Mueller, MD and Jess Logsdon, MHS, MHA, PA-C, Director of the APP Center of Excellence, focused on the important role of Advanced Practice Providers in our health system. Andy and Jess touched upon the culture, challenges and contributions of APPs, the work under way to recruit and train the next generation of APPs, and much more.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 41
Building a Just Culture
Guests: Alex Penney, RN and Mark Parker, MD
In a world where mistakes are inevitable, how can organizations foster an environment where individuals feel safe to speak up, learn from failures, and strive for continuous improvement? This is the essence of Just Culture.
From health care to aviation, from technology to finance, Just Culture transcends boundaries, shaping the ethos of high-performing teams and nurturing a culture of accountability and trust.
In this episode, we embark on the journey of Just Culture for MaineHealth. Joining Kelly in this conversation are Alex Penney, MaineHealth Senior Director Patient Safety and Risk Management and Dr. Mark Parker, MaineHealth Vice President Quality and Safety.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Guest: Maine Behavorial Healthcare Panel
We got an up-close look into Maine Behavioral Healthcare in this week's Andy's Open Door "On the Road" program. Hosted at the Sherry Sabo Center in Biddeford, the program panelists included MBH President Kelly Barton, MBH Chief Medical Officer and MMC Dept. of Psychiatry Chair Linda Durst, MD and MBH Chief Operating Officer Maria Hadjiyane, PhD, LPC, CSAC, who shared the breadth of the MBH services and their impact in our communities.
Andy opened the program on a serious note, emphasizing how vigilant we must be in appropriately identifying each patient. He shared a specific recent incident where a MaineHealth patient was given the wrong medication: “We need to get it right every single time. It’s the most foundational and fundamental thing that we do. Take a moment to make sure the person in front of us is the person we think they are.”
The focus then turned to MBH, its care team and the services they provide across 34 locations, and MBH’s central role in achieving our vision. The panel discussion ranged from the access challenge and MBH’s multi-prong, multi-year approach to address it; certified community behavioral health clinics; the importance of partnerships at the state and federal level; and the journey toward Zero Suicide. Kelly introduced an inspirational video conveying the life-changing impact the MBH team has through the experience of one individual with substance use disorder.
BACON - Episode 58: Our New CMO Kendra Emery, DO
In this month's episode of BACON, Mike and Heather welcome Dr. Kendra Emery, the ACO's Chief Medical Officer. as they delve into her insights and plans for the organization. Discover how Dr. Emery's vision aligns with ACO priorities and get a sneak peek into upcoming projects, including an exciting event in May.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find previous episodes here on Podbean, or listen at our website.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, March 6, 2024
Guest: Lizzy Mulcahy, NP
Today's episode was hosted by Chief Medical & Transformation Officer Chris Thomson, MD, with guest Lizzy Mulcahy, NP, Senior Director of Telehealth and primary care nurse practitioner at the Adult Medicine clinic at Maine Medical Center.
Lizzy shared her team’s approach to building a virtual care team, and how telehealth is helping to tackle some significant challenges for our care team and our patients, such as access and in-box management. Chris and Lizzy explored the limits of telemedicine today, the role of innovation, legal/regulatory considerations, how telemedicine and virtual care fit into our residency and training environments, and much more.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 40
Legal 101
Health care is not only a heavily regulated industry but due to the nature of our work, can also be an area of known and unknown risks and challenges. Health care law is essential for ensuring the quality and safety of medical care while protecting the rights and interests of all parties involved. As the health care industry continues to evolve, laws play a crucial role in addressing emerging challenges and trends.
In this episode, MaineHealth General Counsel Beth Kelsch joins Kelly to discuss the scope and role of legal services at MaineHealth and the work our Legal team does to help our organization navigate complex regulations, provide guidance on compliance, and advocate for patients' rights.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Guest: Robert Carlson, MD
AOD was hosted today by Chief Operating Officer Kelly Elkins with guest NorDx Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Carlson. Their conversation shared the many ways NorDx supports our health system and the benefits that Epic Beaker – scheduled to go live June 1 – will deliver to our care team and patients.
You'll hear Bob describe its function, its connection with MaineHealth becoming a fully integrated health system, and the tremendous multidisciplinary teamwork supporting this initiative.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 39
Meet Britt Crewse, Southern Region President
In this episode, Kelly sits down with the new Southern Region President Britt Crewse. Britt joined MaineHealth in January and oversees Maine Medical Center and Southern Maine Health Care. He shares his background and journey to MaineHealth, focus areas in FY24 (including integration and beyond), and his philosophy on leadership and culture.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
Guest: Dr. Linda Chaudron
In this episode of AOD, Andy took a deep dive into some important topics alongside guest Dr. Linda Chaudron, Vice President of Medical Education.
Andy began with an update on the system rebrand, its connection to our vision and the benefits it will bring to our patients and care team. As Maine Medical Center and Southern Maine Health Care come together under one hospital license, Andy noted we will start to see some name changes resulting from the integration. He also shared how greater consistency in naming and other identifiers supports our patient-centered value by reducing confusion and reinforcing we are all part of the same team delivering the same great care. Listen for the meaningful anecdotes he shares from one of our physicians and his own experience.
BACON - Episode 57: Palliative Care Insights
In this episode, MaineHealth Medical Group Senior Director for Palliative Care Becca Hutchinson, MD, provides her unique and inspiring perspective on the role of palliative care in medicine today. Dr. Hutchinson recently helped to establish a stand-alone palliative care outpatient practice in Scarborough and is a leading advocate for increasing access to palliative care in northern New England.
Brief ACO News (BACON) is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find previous episodes here on Podbean, or listen at our website.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 38
Transforming How We Operate
MaineHealth is on a transformational journey that began two years ago to ensure we have the structure, systems and processes in place to operate as a fully integrated health system and better serve our patients. But structure alone does not drive transformation. There is ongoing work across our organization to further optimize, enhance and accelerate this process. In this episode, Vice President of Operations Transformation Celia Shaughnessy discusses how MaineHealth is transforming how we operate and the work of the team leading this effort.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Guest: Andy Seward
In this episode of AOD, Andy addressed a compelling topic that touches every care team member across our organization – cybersecurity. Chief Information Security Officer Andy Seward joined Andy M. in a fascinating -- and sometimes unsettling -- conversation about how cybersecurity is linked to providing outstanding patient care. Andy S. shared some astonishing data about the relentless volume of hacker attempts aimed at disrupting our system, and the work the Cybersecurity team does to reduce our risk and protect MaineHealth, and our patients, from the consequences.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 37
Delivering Virtual Care
Utilizing virtual technology as a means to access advice, services and consumables has become mainstream in our society. At MaineHealth we, too, have provided offerings in the virtual and telehealth space, most notably during COVID to enhance our patients’ access to care.
In this episode with MaineHealth Director of Telehealth Lizzy Mulcahy, we learn about the current and future state of how MaineHealth is delivering virtual care, including significant progress the Telehealth team has made in patient access, remote monitoring, e-consults, recruitment, and so much more. Tune in to hear how Telehealth partners closely with many other teams across MaineHealth in support of our vision of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.
BACON Episode 56: Patient Safety and Care Variation
In this episode of BACON, MaineHeath Medical Group’s VP for Quality and Safety, Natisa Dill, discusses the link between unwarranted care variation and patient safety, and shares the current strategies being deployed to minimize medical errors and improve patient outcomes.
Brief ACO News (BACON) is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find previous episodes here on Podbean, or listen at our website.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Guest: Mark Parker, MD
Andy welcomed 2024 and began today's Open Door program with a topic that affects us all – “Just Culture” and its connection to our daily work at MaineHealth. Joining that discussion with Andy was Mark Parker, MD, MaineHealth Vice President and Associate Chief Quality Officer.
Andy and Mark talked about the science, rigor and foundational principles of quality improvement, how we define Just Culture, and its connection to the way we engage with one another and live the value of respect. Listen to an in-depth discussion about MaineHealth’s goal of becoming a high-reliability organization and how moving to a Just Culture supports that goal.
BACON Episode 55: Memorial Hospital Improves Primary Care Access
One of our most popular episodes of the last year featured an interview with Memorial Hospital’s Matt Dunn, DO, discussing his primary care team’s success in increasing patient access. We replay that interview this month, as access remains both a challenge and a priority. Memorial Hospital is located in North Conway, NH, and part of the MaineHealth network.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find past episodes here on Podbean, or listen at our website.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Guest: Katie Harris
Andy opened the program with a timely question submitted to the Ask Andy mailbox about how hospital leaders advocate for issues that are important to MaineHealth. He and guest Katie Harris, Chief Government Affairs Officer, then dove right in to a dynamic and informative conversation about how MaineHealth ensures our voice is heard at the state and federal level.
Katie explained how we decide as an organization whether to take a stand on an issue or legislation, and the unique perspective MaineHealth brings. She discussed the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships with other organizations and associations in alignment with our vision of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America. Katie also stressed the role the Government Affairs team plays in educating vs. lobbying, as well as the important role our own care team members contribute as subject matter experts.
Working Together with Kelly Elkins, Episode 36
Compensation 101
It will likely come as no surprise that one of the most frequently asked questions leaders receive at MaineHealth is about compensation and the decision-making process behind it.
In this latest episode, Tammy Broadhurst, MaineHealth Senior Director of Compensation, discusses the health system’s compensation philosophy and goals, the difference between market and merit, how compensation is evaluated and determined, and who is engaged in this important process. Consider this a don’t-miss “Compensation 101” class in the foundational elements of MaineHealth’s compensation program.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Stephens Memorial Hospital
Andy hit the road today for a fantastic panel discussion focused on our ambulatory teams, hosted at Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway. Joining Andy were Western Maine Health President Jeff Noblin, Mountain Region Vice President of Physician & APP Services Ryan Knapp, MD, and Mountain Region Chief Nursing Officer Mary Beth DeFilippo – together with an enthusiastic audience of Stephens care team members filling the Harper Conference Center.
Andy, Jeff, Mary Beth and Ryan talked about their points of pride during a time of tremendous change – including successes in patient safety and quality, collaborations across the Mountain Region, physician and APP recruitment, the rural internal medicine residency program, and living the value of Respect. They also discussed challenges and opportunities and the importance of resilience in uncertain times.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 35
Consumerism: Is There a Role in Healthcare?
When does a patient’s journey with our healthcare system begin? Is it with their first appointment with a physician or APP? And where does the patient journey end? What kind of experience do we want our patients to have? MaineHealth is exploring these questions and building innovative solutions to answer them to enhance our patients’ journey. In this episode, Terri Cannan, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, joins Kelly to discuss this important topic.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 34
NorDx - Lab of the Future
You may know that NorDx is the laboratory enterprise for MaineHealth, but there is so much more to learn about the importance of this organization to our health system. In this episode, Kelly speaks with NorDx President Guillermo Martinez-Torres, MD, about the history of NorDx, the depth and breadth of services it provides, and the exciting innovations and initiatives under way in the laboratory space.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Guest: Dora Anne Mills, MD with Guest Host, Chris Thomson, MD
Chief Medical and Transformation Officer Chris Thomson, MD hosted today's AOD program, with guest, Chief Health Improvement Officer Dora Anne Mills, MD.
Their conversation focused on how much the world has changed since Dora's first appearance on AOD in 2021, including the critical role the Center for Health Improvement (CHI) played during the pandemic, and its continued vital role today.
Dora and Chris discussed the many ways this team supports MaineHealth’s mission and vision and what makes us unique. They talked about some of the biggest public health challenges CHI is addressing, and what the future holds for CHI and for MaineHealth.
BACON - Episode 54: MHACO's Care Variation Reduction Strategies
The reduction of unwarranted care variation has the potential to improve quality while reducing cost of care, which aligns perfectly with the principles of value-based care championed by the ACO. Join us as we explore MHACO’s dedicated focus on end-of-life care and transitions of care in our conversation with Carl DeMars, MD, chair of the MHACO board and VP for physician and APP services for MaineHealth’s Coastal Region.
Previous episodes of BACON, along with transcripts and bonus content, can be found on the MaineHealth ACO’s website.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, November 1, 2023
Guest: Omar Hasan, MD, MPH
Wednesday’s Andy’s Open Door program began on a somber note, with Andy reflecting that the world – and in particular, our Maine and New Hampshire communities – has changed following last week’s tragedy in Lewiston. He expressed gratitude to our colleagues at Central Maine Medical Center and St. Mary’s, who provided care to those who needed it, and noted how inspiring it was to see our MaineHealth care team stepping up to serve in so many different ways, and our emergency rooms prepared and ready to serve in a heroic fashion, if needed.
Andy also noted that in the wake of this horrific tragedy MaineHealth will continue to take steps to keep our care team safe, citing the prioritization of the Workplace Violence Prevention Steering Committee efforts under way.
Andy’s guest, Chief Quality Officer Omar Hasan, MD, MPH, lifted spirits as he spoke about Quality and Safety initiatives across MaineHealth, and our work to become a high-reliability organization – including the qualities that define what that means. Omar spoke of the spirit of collaboration and the improvements MaineHealth has made with input from people providing care at the front lines, and the value of incremental change over time. Omar celebrated the achievements on the system Quality Dashboard and outlined what’s next in our patient safety journey.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 33
What is Revenue Cycle Management?
You likely understand that how MaineHealth is paid and what MaineHealth is paid for delivery of health care services is extremely important to our sustainability as an organization. But how that revenue is managed may be something you are less familiar with. In this episode Kelly speaks with Paul Chausse, Vice President of Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), about the continuum of services the RCM program provides for MaineHealth, and the goals, benefits and challenges they address.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 32
The Silent Threat
Cyber-attacks are as prevalent as ever, shutting down or crippling organizations across the globe. The healthcare industry and others – including MaineHealth – felt the residual impact of a cyber-attack last year when Kronos, a leading payroll system, was attacked. This attack alone cost our organization significant dollars and resource time and caused care team member frustration.
How do these attacks happen and what can we do to prevent this Silent Threat from impacting us at MaineHealth? In this episode Kelly speaks with Chief Information Security Officer Andy Seward about cybersecurity and the work happening behind the scenes at MaineHealth to protect our organization.
Andy's Open Door Recording
Wednesday, October 18, 2023
Guest: Scott Ballard, CPO
COO Kelly Elkins hosted today’s Andy’s Open Door with guest Chief People Officer Scott Ballard. Kelly opened the program acknowledging the very difficult times our care team members are experiencing. She and Scott spoke about the resources available to the MaineHealth community and how to access them.
Their conversation also covered open enrollment which begins October 23, HR’s transformation to a shared services model, and the enhanced onboarding experience for care team members. Scott pointed out the extensive information and resources accessible to care team members via the Human Resources intranet site.
BACON Episode 53: MHACO's Recently Released Performance Results
In our latest episode, program manager Emily Levi shares the latest performance results of MaineHealth ACO participants in the MIPS program and MSSP, and the financial implications for MHACO participants.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD.
Previous episodes of BACON, along with transcripts and bonus content, can be found on the MaineHealth ACO’s website.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 31
FY24 Balanced Scorecard Highlights
You may have listened to the original “Keeping Score” podcast episodes, where Chief Planning Officer Mark Harris educated us on the Balanced Scorecard concept used to track our performance and show progress toward our strategic plan goals, as well as areas of focus in FY23.
As we move into a new 2024 fiscal year, Mark is back to discuss highlights of the FY24 Scorecard measures.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday, October 4, 2023 Recording
Guest: Mark Harris, Chief Planning Officer
Andy welcomed Chief Planning Officer Mark Harris to the show to kick off the new fiscal year with a conversation about the relationship between MaineHealth’s FY23-27 Strategic Plan and Balanced Scorecard. They talked about how these tools advance us toward our vision of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America. Their discussion included specific examples of lessons learned, our continuous improvement and progress made, the value of innovation and more.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 30
Regionalization: A Year in Review
In the fall of 2022, MaineHealth announced the move to a new organization structure anchored by three regions. Since that time, we have not only implemented our regional organization structure but also have made tremendous progress within this new operating model.
In this episode, Kelly speaks with Andy Patstone, Regional President Coastal Region and Trampas Hutches, Regional President Mountain Region, to hear their perspective of the first year in the new operating model. They discuss assumptions vs. realities, early wins, and opportunities for the future.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday, September 20, 2023 Recording
Guest: Cindy Wade, President, LincolnHealth
Andy hit the road again today for AOD in Damariscotta alongside LincolnHealth President Cindy Wade. Andy and Cindy welcomed the LincolnHealth care team audience to The Herbert & Roberta Watson Health Center, as well as those joining remotely via Teams.
Cindy shared the unique qualities that define LincolnHealth: “We’re a team that takes care of each other, providing great care every day…a small but mighty, very active and innovative team.” She and Andy discussed the challenges of COVID and the lessons learned, how Operational Excellence has empowered care team members to problem-solve, the benefits of regionalization, and more.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 29
Unpacking Medical Education
When you hear the words “medical education,” what immediately comes to mind? For many at MaineHealth one may think about the Maine Track Program or the numerous residencies that have trained thousands of physicians at Maine Medical Center over the years. But medical education is so much more than that.
In this episode, Kelly is joined by Linda Chaudron, Vice President of Medical Education for MMC Academic Affairs, to unpack the role and scope of medical education at MaineHealth, including how we are engaging learners in all aspects of our health system, and where we are headed.
Learn more about Medical Education at MaineHealth at this website.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday, September 6, 2023 Recording
Guest: Elisabeth Erekson
Andy introduced Maine Medical Center Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology Dr. Liz Erekson for a dynamic and wide-ranging discussion focused on women’s health. Their conversation spanned from Liz’s journey to MaineHealth (which began with her arrival just 14 days prior to COVID) to the many facets of women’s healthcare at MaineHealth – the residency program, statistics and impacts of our OB/GYN care, workforce challenges, the new upcoming Progeny benefit, and so much more.
BACON Episode 52: Introducing MHACO’s 2022 Annual Report
MHACO’s President Jen Moore introduces the organization’s recently released 2022 Annual Report, which highlights how ACO participants improved quality, reduced over-utilization, and generated substantial value-based care revenue through collaborative efforts among providers, care teams, administrators, and payer partners.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD.
Previous episodes of BACON, along with transcripts and bonus content, can be found on the MaineHealth ACO’s website.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 28
Maine Behavioral Healthcare: A Beacon of Hope
Maine Behavioral Healthcare (MBH) stands as a beacon of hope and healing, dedicated to transforming lives and communities through comprehensive, compassionate and innovative behavioral health services. The work and impact of MBH is far reaching in our communities and is critical to our ability to achieve our vision of working together so that our communities are the healthiest in America.
In this episode, Kelly speaks with Maine Behavioral Healthcare President Kelly Barton about MBH’s breadth and depth of services, its priorities, how they are innovating to transform the organization, and what makes MBH truly special.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 Recording
Guest: Helene Kennedy
Andy welcomed guest Helene Kennedy, Vice President of Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development. They discussed the innovative, creative and successful ways this team works to attract and retain MaineHealth’s talented workforce in today’s highly competitive environment.
Helene discussed her career path to MaineHealth, our approach to recruitment marketing, the employee referral program, the new nurse campaign, and much more.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 27
Creating a Safe and Secure Environment
Workplace violence against health care workers has unfortunately become a more common reality in our society. Ensuring the safety of MaineHealth care team members, who dedicate themselves to caring for others, is fundamental to achieving our vision of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.
In this episode, Kelly speaks with MaineHealth Home Health and Hospice President Patsy Aprile about the comprehensive work under way to prevent and reduce violent incidents. Patsy chairs the multi-disciplinary MaineHealth Workplace Violence Prevention Program committee, and Kelly is executive sponsor.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday, August 02, 2023 Recording
Guest: Chris Thomson, MD
Andy welcomed Chris Thomson, MD, MaineHealth Chief Medical and Transformation Officer to the program, for a wide-ranging discussion about change and transformation across the system. Andy highlighted examples of transformation in our organization, acknowledging it can be difficult, but is key to our vision of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.
Chris discussed what drew him from Colorado to his new MaineHealth position to lead our team of Chief Medical Officers, oversee research and academic affairs, and support organizational transformation. In addition to learning New England “lingo,” he has already seen and experienced firsthand the dedication of our wicked awesome care team members over the past two months.
BACON Episode 51: Exploring Physical Literacy
Pediatric sports medicine physicians Michele LaBotz, MD, and Sarah Hoffman, DO, join us to introduce the concept of physical literacy and share resources that primary care providers can use to assess and improve the physical literacy of their pediatric patients.
Previous episodes of BACON, along with transcripts and bonus content, can be found on the MaineHealth ACO’s website.
Additional Info:
Let’s Go! Physical Literacy Resources can be found at this link.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 26
Nursing remains the largest sector of professionals in the health care industry. Whether in acute care, ambulatory, home care or administration, nurses remains a vital pillar of our health care system. The past years have been unprecedented and have had a profound impact on nurses and nursing practice.
In this episode, Kelly is joined by MaineHealth Chief Nursing Officer Sharon Baughman to discuss the strategic roadmap for nursing at MaineHealth and the work under way to support, reinvest and build our nursing workforce.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday, July 17, 2023 Recording
Guest: Monica Russo
Andy welcomed his guest, Vice President of Ambulatory Operations, Southern Region, Monica Russo, to the program. She discussed how an early experience working in health care influenced the course of her career and left a lasting impression.
Andy and Monica discussed care delivery/access and where we can solve issues together, along with the inspiring collaborative work happening today. Monica highlighted online scheduling and how our teams applied best practices from across the country – after surveying our patients and capturing feedback from providers. Since the rollout in September 2022, results have been very positive with over 20,000 patients booking appointments with us online.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 25
Clinical integration and transformation of our care delivery models are essential for our organization to thrive in a rapidly changing health care landscape. To support this important work, MaineHealth created the role of Chief Medical and Transformation Officer to lead our team of Chief Medical Officers across the system, oversee research and academic affairs, and support organizational transformation. In this episode we meet our new Chief Medical and Transformation Officer Dr. Chris Thomson, who discusses his background, what drew him to MaineHealth, and the opportunities for clinical transformation.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday, July 5, 2023 Recording
In today's AOD, Andy thanked everyone for taking the Care Team Experience/Safety Culture Survey and providing feedback on ways MaineHealth can engage around a culture of safety and improve care team experiences. More than 16,000 people participated in this year’s survey – more than ever before. Andy shared how feedback from last year’s survey was used to enhance wellness programs, recruitment and onboarding at MaineHealth.
Andy also spoke about the new Health and Care in Harmony campaign that launched this week, and how MaineHealth communications have engaged our communities to build trust during and after the pandemic, in support of our vision of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.
(Please note that videos play from 7:22 - 8:55 with no dialogue)
BACON Episode 50: Uncovering the Mysteries of HCCs
In the world of value-based care, there’s one set of diagnosis codes that carry much greater weight than all the rest: HCCs. What are HCCs and why are they so important? Scott Williams, MD, joins Heather and Mike with the answers.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find it here or on your podcast app by searching for “mainehealth." Listen to this and all past episodes on our ACO website.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 24
One of the key strategies supporting the Process goal in MaineHealth’s five-year Strategic Plan is becoming a Learning Health System, with a FY23 scorecard target to advance IPACE principles at 7 of 9 local health systems. Some of you might wonder, “What the heck is IPACE?” In this episode of Working Together with Kelly Elkins, Dr. Kalli Varaklis, Designated Institutional Official for the Department of Medical Education and Professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology, answers the question, including how you can contribute to this important work at MaineHealth.
Andy’s Open Door
June 21, 2023 Recording
Guest: Susan Ahern
Andy welcomed Vice President of Innovation Susan Ahern to today’s program for a conversation about our value of Innovation and what it means to innovate at MaineHealth. Susan talked about the ways the Innovation Center helps nurture an idea – from educating and connecting to funding.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins - Episode 23
We are all keenly aware of the workforce shortages impacting health care, as well as the intense competition for health care talent. In this environment, attracting talent to our organization is more important than ever, and the traditional tools and tactics we have used to recruit must be repositioned to ensure our success.
In this episode, Kelly speaks with Helene Kennedy, MaineHealth Vice President of Talent, about our recruitment and retention strategies and how we are building an employer brand to attract the best talent to MaineHealth.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday June 7, 2023 recording
Guest: Barb Sergio
Andy hit the road this week to host Andy’s Open Door at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington, alongside Franklin Community Health Network President Barb Sergio. Andy and Barb welcomed the Franklin care team members who filled The Bass Room, as well as all those joining remotely via Teams.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins - Episode 22
In this episode, Kelly sits down with CEO Andy Mueller for a casual, free-ranging conversation. Andy shares what he’s grateful for, proud of, and his hopes and dreams for MaineHealth. Andy also talks about the landscape of health care and of Maine. Don’t miss this one!
BACON Episode 49: Health Equity & Cultural Competence
Ryan Polly, MaineHealth’s VP for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion joins Heather to explore aspects of health equity and discuss the results of a cross-cultural competency assessment completed by hundreds of MaineHealth providers.
BACON is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find it on your podcast app by searching for “mainehealth” or listen at our ACO website.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday, May 17 Recording
Guest: Brian Marden, PharmD
Andy welcomed guest Chief Pharmacy Office Brian Marden, PharmD, and started off asking him how he became interested in a career in pharmacy. Brian reflected on how the Pharmacy Team cares for people and our communities, living out MaineHealth’s Patient-Centered value. Brian also talked about the expansion of MaineHealth’s community pharmacy presence, the availability of mail order for care team members, and the current drug shortage. He emphasized the value of being a unified health system to address that challenge.
Working Together with Kelly Elkins, COO - Episode 21
When you think about the many services our health system offers, you may not automatically think of MaineHealth as delivering services in the retail space. But in fact, we are embracing this through our MaineHealth Pharmacy enterprise.
In this episode, Kelly speaks with MaineHealth Chief Pharmacy Officer Brian Marden, PharmD, and discusses our ambulatory and retail pharmacy enterprise and how we are transforming in the retail space.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins - Episode 20
What is the difference between population health, public health and community health? In this episode, Kelly speaks with MaineHealth Medical Group Vice President of Population Health Management Rob Chamberlin and MHMG Associate Vice President Deb McGill. They define population health and the work under way in this area. They discuss how it impacts the health of our patient population and care team at MaineHealth.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday, May 03 Recording
Guest: Sharon Baughman, CNO
Andy welcomed Chief Nursing Officer Sharon Baughman to the program today. Their conversation ranged from Sharon’s path to nursing to tackling staffing challenges to workplace violence, and more. He also reminded care team members about the well-being resources MaineHealth has available for support.
BACON Episode 48: Reducing Unwarranted Care Variation
Reducing care variation is a strategic goal for both the MaineHealth ACO and the MaineHealth system during FY24 and beyond. The ACO’s chief operating officer, Shannon Banks, joins us to introduce initiatives that the ACO board has approved for addressing unwarranted variation in end-of-life care and transitions of care.
BACON, or Brief ACO News, is the MaineHealth ACO’s monthly news and information podcast, hosted by Mike Clark, MD and Heather Ward, MD. Find it on your podcast app by searching for “mainehealth” or listen at our website.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 19
It’s likely that most care team members do not spend a lot of time thinking about the enterprise resource planning systems (ERPs) that MaineHealth uses to support our finance, supply chain, HR and payroll infrastructure. But they impact each one of us, no matter what role you play in the organization. Today we have many disparate ERP systems, with little to no integration between them. As we continue in our journey as a unified system and ensuring an optimal operating model to support our needs, MaineHealth is investing in a new ERP.
In this episode, Chief Financial Officer Al Swallow and Chief People Officer Scott Ballard discuss the Infor Cloudsuite ERP system and how it will benefit our organization and the care team experience.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday April 19 Recording
Guest Host: Kelly Elkins, COO
Guest: Al Swallow, CFO
Chief Operating Officer Kelly Elkins was joined by Chief Financial Officer Al Swallow for a discussion focused on MaineHealth’s Balanced Scorecard goal of Financial Health, explaining that success doesn’t always look like a straight line. Kelly and Al talked about the headwinds MaineHealth is facing coming out of the pandemic and the levers we’re pulling to balance our expenses and keep us on solid financial footing.
Andy's Open Door
Wednesday, March 22 Recording
Guest: Gina Quinn-Skillings, MD, FACEP, MaineHealth Senior Medical Director of Clinical Innovation
Andy had an engaging and informative conversation about MaineHealth’s scorecard goal of reducing clinical care variation with Dr. Quinn-Skillings. He also touched upon the importance of the PPID Red Rule and reporting safety events & near misses and gave a shout-out to the Good Catch program that recognizes individuals who step up before something becomes a problem.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 18
As a health system, MaineHealth has a significant impact on the environment. We have large facilities with complex infrastructure that consumes a significant amount of energy and natural resources. This is all necessary, but it’s important that we take measures to reduce the negative environmental impact and support the creation of a sustainable environment for future generations.
In this episode, Kelly speaks with Dominic Gagnon, Vice President of Facilities, about MaineHealth’s strategic objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2027 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. They discuss this year’s goal of completing environmental sustainability assessments for 12 major facilities, and how each one of us can support and impact our sustainability journey.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 17
One of MaineHealth’s five 2023-27 Strategic Priorities is Processes, with a goal of advancing a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and performance improvement, while promoting a discipline of accountability.
A key strategy to advance this goal is "Learning Health System". In this episode, Kelly speaks with Doug Sawyer, MD, Interim Chief Medical Officer and Chief Academics Officer for MaineHealth. They define what it means to be a learning health system.
They discuss this year’s Scorecard Goals to advance inter-professional team-based care (i.e., iPACE principles) and how this contributes to a learning health system culture at MaineHealth, in both clinical and non-clinical settings.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 16
Our FY23-27 strategic priority of Financial Health has a five-year goal to cultivate an affordable and sustainable care delivery model, and to assure convenient access to high-quality care. One of the key objectives to advance this goal is earnings diversification. What does earnings diversification mean, and why do we need to diversify in this space to achieve our Financial Health goal? In this episode,Kelly is joined by Kevin Griffin, Chief Strategy Officer for MaineHealth. They discuss this strategic objective, including how value-based arrangements and new business lines can help sustain our core mission and vision of working together so that our communities are the healthiest in America.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 15
When you are asked where do you work or who do you work for, what immediately comes to mind? For many care team members, their local organization or entity is often the immediate answer. As our health system has unified, MaineHealth has maintained our legacy brands, which can sometimes create confusion and/or a disconnect from our MaineHealth brand as an organization. In this episode, Kelly discusses the upcoming rebranding initiative with Terri Cannan, MaineHealth's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. We learn about the importance of this work and the importance of our brand identity as one MaineHealth.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 14
In our “Team of Teams” podcast (Episode 6), MHMG President Aileen Mickey and COO Kelly Elkins discussed the implementation of a regional approach to an organizational structure for MaineHealth. MaineHealth recently announced the individuals chosen to serve as Presidents for the Coastal, Mountain and Southern regions, and in this episode, we hear from them: Jeff Sanders (Southern), Andy Patstone (Coastal) and Trampas Hutches (Mountain) discuss the exciting opportunities ahead as we work together in our new operating model.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 13
Unlocking the full value of a diverse team or workplace requires creating and fostering an inclusive culture. That’s a culture in which everyone feels they belong, is treated with dignity, and is encouraged to fully participate as themselves, essentially creating the space where we are all “free to be me.”
In this episode, Kelly speaks with Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Ryan Polly. We dig into why DEI is essential for our organization and the work that’s underway to foster an environment of belonging for all of our care team members.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 12
Hospitals and health systems continue to test and adopt alternative payment and delivery models. There are many ways in which that can be done. At MaineHealth, we utilize our Accountable Care Organization (MHACO) to facilitate this work.
In this episode, we learn about the work MaineHealth is doing to develop our roadmap to value. Kelly is joined in the conversation with Jen Moore, President of MHACO and Vice President of Payor Relations and Payment Innovation, and Dr. Rob Chamberlin, Chief Medical Officer for MHACO.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 11
When some of us think about research, we may envision scientists in labs researching and solving complex clinical or scientific problems. But in reality, research is a broad and diverse function that virtually anyone can participate in.
In this episode, Kelly speaks with Liz Jacobs, MD, Vice President for Research at the MaineHealth Institute for Research, to learn more about research activities at MaineHealth and how “You, Too, Can Be a Researcher.”
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 10
You have likely heard about a “value-based care” reimbursement model, which focuses less on payment for episodes of care and more on keeping patients healthy and delivering high-quality care. While we have been hearing these statements for years, many systems and payors have not made the full transition to value-based care. At MaineHealth, we are taking a bold step in accelerating our move to value-based care by transforming how we deliver primary care.
In this episode, Kelly speaks with Dr. Brett Loffredo, Medical Director for our agilon partnership and BHiVe initiative, and how our new partnership will help us transform how we deliver care.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 9
This episode builds on the info shared in the first Keeping Score podcast (Episode 4), when Chief Planning Officer Mark Harris discussed the development and purpose of a balanced scorecard for MaineHealth.
Since that time, the MaineHealth Board has approved our strategic plan and balanced scorecard, and it is now time to put our plans and scorecard management system into action. In this episode, Kelly and Mark walk through the strategic priorities and FY23 goals.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 8
You cannot turn on the TV, read an article or even run your errands without hearing about the workforce shortages impacting our country and our communities. And healthcare has been one of the hardest hit industries. In this episode, Kelly speaks with MaineHealth Director of Workforce Development Jen O’Leary to learn about the work under way at MaineHealth to rebuild our workforce pipeline.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 7 (originally published October, 2022)
Voters in 46 states will choose 6,279 state legislators and 36 governors on November 8, as well as decide 117 statewide ballot measures. Without a Presidential contest, the 2022 elections put states front and center, and Maine and New Hampshire are no exception in this election cycle. Exercising your right to vote is critically important in every election and finding the time and ways to place your vote can sometimes be a challenge. In today’s episode, Kelly speaks with Chief Government Affairs Officer Katie Harris on how MaineHealth is supporting our care team members’ participation in the election process this year.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 6
In this episode, Kelly is joined by Aileen Mickey, MD, President of the MaineHealth Medical Group. Together they discuss the further evolution of our operating model and the new organizational structure supporting that work to build out a MaineHealth “team of teams.” They share how regionalization builds upon our integration work to date, breaks down barriers, and optimizes the talents of our teams.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 5
In this episode, Kelly is joined by Dr. Omar Hasan, Chief Quality Officer for MaineHealth, and Dr. Mark Parker, MaineHealth Patient Safety Officer and VP Quality & Safety for MMC. Together they discuss the latest safety culture survey results and, more importantly, how we build, nurture, and measure a culture of safety within our organization.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 4
In health care we love our dashboards and scorecards. They are invaluable tools to gauge how we are performing in a variety of key indicators – and in health care there are thousands that can be tracked and measured. How does an integrated health system like MaineHealth pick the most important indicators to measure the success of our strategic initiatives and, more importantly, how are those indicators shared with all care team members? How are we “keeping score” of our performance? In this episode, you’ll hear Mark Harris, Chief Planning Officer, discuss the work underway to develop a balanced scorecard at MaineHealth, to track not only our performance, but also the execution of our strategic plans.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 3
One of the longtime challenges our health system has faced is how to optimally leverage the tremendous data and analytics we have available to make better-informed decisions. The variety of technology and tools across MaineHealth are complex, and it can be confusing to determine where to turn for data needs and support. In this episode, Kelly and Chief Information Officer Dan Nigrin, MD discuss the work underway to solve for this opportunity, including the recent announcement of a Center of Excellence in data analytics.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 2
In this episode, Chris Bowe, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Mid Coast-Parkview Health discusses the “cross pollination of excellence” that regionalization will provide. Chris speaks with Kelly about the advantages of being part of an integrated health system, and shares examples of how we can rely on each other to meet patient needs and enhance clinical care delivery.
Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 1
No matter what role you play in the organization, you need access to the supplies and tools necessary to do your job. Kelly speaks with Lou Inzana, MMC CFO and MaineHealth Associate CFO, about some of the supply chain challenges care team members have experienced and, more importantly, the work under way to address them.
Having conversations with patients about diabetes can be difficult for any provider. This podcast discusses ways to have an open conversation, identifies important questions to ask your patients, and how to help your patients set A1C and self-care goals. Join Dr. Lisa Carpenter, Pharmacist Sarah Ambrose and Merle Westbrook, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Certified Diabetes Educator, as they discuss Shared Decision Making in diabetes care.
Did you know there are now several technologies that can assist in the non-pharmacological management of diabetes? Learn more in this 2-part episode of the MaineHealth podcast. Dr. Lisa Carpenter of Southern Maine Health Care talks with Pharmacist Sarah Ambrose and Merle Westbrook, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Certified Diabetes Educator, about continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, SmartSets and more. Providers of all kinds will learn about advances in diabetes care and treatment in this podcast.
Did you know there are now several technologies that can assist in the non-pharmacological management of diabetes? Learn more in this 2-part episode of the MaineHealth podcast. Dr. Lisa Carpenter of Southern Maine Health Care talks with Pharmacist Sarah Ambrose and Merle Westbrook, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Certified Diabetes Educator, about continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, SmartSets and more. Providers of all kinds will learn about advances in diabetes care and treatment in this podcast.
(Duration – 00:29:15)
Do you have questions about non-insulin medications for diabetes? Learn more in this 2-part episode of the MaineHealth podcast. Dr. Lisa Carpenter of Southern Maine Health Care talks with Pharmacist Sarah Ambrose and Merle Westbrook, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Certified Diabetes Educator, about non-insulin medications for diabetes, including metformin, sulfonylureas, DPP-4 Inhibitors and more.
Sponsored by the Center for Health Improvement, Chronic Disease Program
(Duration – 00:29:58)
Do you have questions about non-insulin medications for diabetes? Learn more in this 2-part episode of the MaineHealth podcast. Dr. Lisa Carpenter of Southern Maine Health Care talks with Pharmacist Sarah Ambrose and Merle Westbrook, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Certified Diabetes Educator, about non-insulin medications for diabetes, including metformin, sulfonylureas, DPP-4 Inhibitors and more.
Sponsored by the Center for Health Improvement, Chronic Disease Program
Duration: 00:20:36
Do you know if you’re at risk of having Prediabetes? How should PCPs approach a patient who is at risk? Find out in the inaugural episode of the MaineHealth podcast. Our host talks with Dr. Christina Holt, a primary care physician in Family Medicine, and a champion of diabetes prevention. We also hear from Barbara LaVallee, a health coach with the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) about this program for people who have prediabetes, and Andy Paul, a recent participant in the program. Physicians and patients alike will learn about prediabetes in this podcast.
Sponsored by the MaineHealth Prevention and Wellness Program. Learn more here.