The MaineHealth Podcast

MaineHealth CEO Andy Mueller introduced this episode of Andy's Open Door with a shout-out about the STAR (Stop, Think, Act, Review) tool and the creative ways care team members are sharing how they’re using STAR, inside and outside of work. Andy then welcomed Chief People Officer Scott Ballard for a conversation about the 2025 Care Team Experience Survey on Engagement and Safety Culture results, highlighting a record 78% participation and progress after switching to Press Ganey.

As hospitals across the country face growing workforce pressures and evolving patient expectations, virtual nursing has emerged as a powerful tool to improve clinical efficiency, enhance patient experience, and create a more sustainable model of care.

In this new Working Together episode, MaineHealth Chief Operating Officer Kelly Elkins explores the development and implementation of a virtual nursing strategy at MaineHealth—a bold step toward transforming how we support our patients and frontline care teams. 

Joining Kelly are leaders who are helping bring this vision to life at MaineHealth — Sharon Baughman, Chief Nursing Officer at MaineHealth and Linda Mynahan-Greenstein, Director Nursing at Mid Coast Hospital. They share how the strategy was developed, the challenges and insights along the way, and the measurable impact it’s already having across the system. 

They explore MaineHealth’s development and micro‑pilot of a virtual nursing strategy at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, Maine, focusing on admission and discharge support for bedside nurses.

They discuss implementation, early patient and nurse reactions, measurable goals, and plans to scale the model — emphasizing that virtual nursing augments care rather than replaces in‑person nurses.

This month, Mike and Heather sit down with thoracic surgeon and oncologist Dr. Gary Hochheiser to discuss lung cancer screening, early detection and the crucial role primary care can play in reducing lung cancer mortality.  

Curbside Consult brings together specialists and primary care physicians to discuss clinical topics, referral management and coordination of care. Each month, family physician hosts Dr. Mike Clark and Dr. Heather Ward welcome a new specialist physician to share their unique insights.  

Listen to Curbside Consult here or on your favorite podcast app, or on the MaineHealth intranet home page. To stay in touch with the show, follow the MaineHealth ACO on LinkedIn. 

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

In this episode, COO Kelly Elkins speaks with Patty Buiocchi, COO MaineHealth Post Acute Care, who is leading these efforts. They discuss how this supports our vision of working together so our communities are the healthiest in America, as well as the opportunities and challenges we face as we align care across settings.

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

Katie shared how her team, in partnership with care team members, board members and other stakeholders, plays a critical role in advocating for and shaping legislation that affects MaineHealth and the people we serve. She also highlighted the expertise and dedication of her team, who handles a broad range of issues to support MaineHealth’s mission and vision. Together, Andy and Katie underscored the value of collaboration and using our collective voice to support patients, communities and the future of healthcare.

Working Together with COO Kelly Elkins, Episode 67
The Heart of Health

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

They explore how MaineHealth is advancing cardiovascular care through innovation, system-wide integration, and a commitment to delivering the right care in the right place at the right time. Whether you’re curious about how we coordinate care across the system or interested in the latest advancements in cardiovascular innovation, you’ll gain valuable insights from the conversation.

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

Curbside Consult brings together specialists and primary care physicians to discuss clinical topics, 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 on your favorite podcast app, on the MaineHealth intranet home page or at the Curbside Consult website. To stay in touch with the show, follow the MaineHealth ACO on LinkedIn. 

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.