MaineHealth
| Formation | 1874 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Portland, Maine |
| Services | Health system |
Chief Executive Officer | Andrew T. Mueller, MD |
| Affiliations | Tufts University |
| Website | https://www.mainehealth.org/ |
MaineHealth is a regional nonprofit health care system that comprises a network of hospitals, health care facilities, and clinics in Maine and New Hampshire. The system is affiliated with the Tufts University School of Medicine for both teaching and research.[1][2] It is the largest hospital system in northern New England.
MaineHealth includes a Level I trauma center/teaching hospital; seven community hospitals and two community hospital campuses of Maine Medical Center; three specialty hospitals including Maine's only children's hospital; NorDx, a health sciences laboratory; and the MaineHealth Institute for Research.[3] MaineHealth hospitals have been lauded by regional and national organizations.[4][5][6]
Maine Medical Center received its first National Institutes of Health research grant in 1962.[7] The MaineHealth Institute for Research has researched potential chronic diseases such as Chronic Lyme disease and Long COVID.[8][9] A blood-based biomarker test for cancer, currently in clinical trials, was developed by MaineHealth in conjunction with the University of New England.[10] In 2025, the federal government cut $250,000 in annual funding for the MaineHealth Institute of Research due to its research on vaccine hesitancy.[11]
MaineHealth is the largest private employer in Maine, employing more than 22,000 workers.[12][13][14]
History
Maine Medical Center was founded in 1874 as Maine General Hospital.[15][16] In 1998, the Barbara Bush Children's Hospital, named for first lady Barbara Bush, opened, sharing Maine Medical Center's campus.[17] That same year, Maine Medical Center and Barbara Bush Children's Hospital established MaineHealth.[12]
In October 2025, MaineHealth mailed death notices to 531 living patients, informing them that they had died and providing instructions about how to resolve their estates.[18]
In January 2026, MaineHealth experienced a higher number of staff "call-outs" due to the heightened presence of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the state.[19][20]
Facilities
Hospitals
- Maine Medical Center: Portland, Biddeford, and Sanford
- Franklin Hospital: Farmington
- Lincoln Hospital: Damariscotta
- Mid Coast Hospital: Brunswick
- Memorial Hospital: North Conway, New Hampshire
- Pen Bay Hospital: Rockport
- Stephens Hospital: Norway
- Waldo Hospital: Belfast
Specialty care hospitals
- Barbara Bush Children's Hospital: Portland
- Behavioral Health at Spring Harbor: Portland
- New England Rehabilitation Hospital: Portland (joint venture with Encompass Health)
References
- ^ Clancy, Lynda (2025-05-29). "MaineHealth/Tufts research into long-term effects of Lyme Disease begins enrolling participants this month". PenBay Pilot. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Maine Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine renew 10-Year partnership | Tufts Now". now.tufts.edu. 2018-07-25. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ Julianna. "MHIR – MaineHealth Institute for Research". MHIR. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Two Maine hospitals have been recognized with top competitive awards". newscentermaine.com. 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ "Two MaineHealth Hospitals Earn 2024 Leapfrog Top Hospital Awards". Daily Bulldog. 2024-12-18. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ Bennett, Alan (2016-11-08). "MaineHealth, SMHC recognized for healthy-eating initiatives". Press Herald. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
- ^ typhoon. "History & Mission". MHIR. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ "MaineHealth joins NIH-funded long COVID clinical trials | PenBay Pilot". www.penbaypilot.com. 2025-05-30. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ Lawlor, Joe (2024-10-17). "MaineHealth to participate in major chronic Lyme study". Press Herald. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ "UNE professor develops new test for breast cancer". Press Herald. 2025-02-27. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ Wight, Patty (2025-04-07). "MaineHealth Institute for Research grant funding cut due to previous research on vaccine hesitancy". Maine Public. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ a b Cordes, Renee (March 18, 2019). "MaineHealth's dynamic duo chart a new course for the health system and its member hospitals". Mainebiz. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ Lundy, Rose (2025-05-11). "As Maine diversifies, so does its health care workforce". The Maine Monitor. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
- ^ "Fixing Maine's Broken Hospitals: A Case Study". www.thirdway.org. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
- ^ "MaineHealth Maine Medical Center History | MaineHealth". www.mainehealth.org. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ Maine Medical Center (2012-01-01). "A Hospital for Maine: Part 1- The Rise of Maine General Hospital". History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons.
- ^ "Maine Medical Center, Portland, 1998". Maine Memory Network. Retrieved 2025-05-30.
- ^ Yang, Maya (2025-11-04). "Maine's largest healthcare system informed still-living patients of their own deaths". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2025-11-06. Retrieved 2025-11-06.
- ^ Bishop, Bonnie (2026-01-23). "MaineHealth seeing 'higher than usual call-outs' amid increased ICE operations". WMTW. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
- ^ Sainato, Michael (2026-02-09). "Maine shaken by ICE raids as backlash threatens Republican Senate control". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-05-29.