Leadership

Executive Vice President, Chief People and Administrative Officer of Northern Light Health and President, Northern Light Acadia Hospital

Paul Bolin, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP is an Executive Vice President, Chief People and Administrative Officer of Northern Light Health and President of Northern Light Acadia Hospital.

In his role as Chief People and Administrative Officer, Paul provides comprehensive strategic leadership over all aspects of our workforce in support of the organization’s vision and mission with responsibility for guiding and directing HR and people and administrative initiatives throughout the system. He has dedicated his career to inclusive leadership and workforce development within Maine.

As the President of Acadia Hospital, Paul is responsible for overseeing the overall operations and strategic direction of the organization. He works closely with the clinical leadership team to develop and implement policies, programs, and initiatives that support the hospital's mission of providing high-quality mental health services to the community. Paul also plays a crucial role in fostering relationships with key stakeholders, such as government agencies, community organizations, and healthcare partners, to ensure that the hospital is well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of patients and families. In addition, he is responsible for oversight of the hospital's financial resources, ensuring regulatory compliance, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Throughout his career, Paul has given back to Maine communities through many volunteering roles, some examples of which include volunteer roles with the Maine Bar Association’s Fee Arbitration Commission, Eastern Maine Community College’s Early Education Program Advisory Board, The University of Maine’s Maine Business School Advisory Board, the City of Bangor Planning Board, Educate Maine, Girl Scouts of Maine, and The Maine Children’s Museum.

Education

Bachelor of Science and Master’s in Business Administration, University of Maine

Graduate of Leadership Maine

Paul became the Executive Vice President, Chief People and Administrative Officer of Northern Light Health in 2020. He was appointed President of Northern Light Acadia Hospital in 2025.

 

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Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Northern Light Acadia Hospital

Samantha Foss, DNP, MBA, MSN, RN, NE-BC, FACHE, is the vice president and chief nursing officer (CNO) at Northern Light Acadia Hospital.

As CNO, Sam is responsible for oversight of Acadia’s team of compassionate and caring nurses with specific emphasis on clinical excellence as well as professional growth and development of our nurses.

Prior to her arrival at Acadia Hospital, Sam served as vice president of Nursing and chief nursing officer at Mount Desert Island Hospital. Prior to that, she was Northern Light Health’s director for Clinical Effectiveness and Clinical Outcomes and interim system director for Patient Safety. Other roles within the Northern Light Health system include associate vice president of Patient Care Services at Eastern Maine Medical Center, nurse manager for Supplemental Staffing at EMMC’s Outpatient Observation Unit and Acute Rehabilitation, and for two years, Sam was the nurse manager for Med-Surg and Care Management at Northern Light Mayo Hospital. Over the course of her career, Sam has worked as an Emergency Department nurse and ED clinical supervisor, Transfer Center nurse, House Manager, travel nurse, and Intensive Care Unit RN.

Sam’s professional memberships and notable achievements include Fellow, American College of Health Care Executives (FACHE); American Nurses Association (ANA); American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AONL); Sigma Theta Tau International. She also serves on her local school board. 

Samantha is certificated in Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Trauma Nurse Core Course (TNCC), and Nurse Executive Board Certified (NE-BC).

In September 2024, Sam assumed the role of vice president of Nursing and Patient Care Services. 

Education
Bachelor of Science, Nursing, Husson University
Master of Business Administration (MBA) with an emphasis in Healthcare Administration, Husson University
Master’s Degree, Nursing, with emphasis on Executive Nursing Leadership, Purdue University Global
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with emphasis on Executive Nursing Leadership, Purdue University Global

Guiding Principals

• Practice generosity
• Be open minded
• Remain civil even in times of disagreement

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Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Northern Light Acadia Hospital

Charmaine Patel, MD is the chief medical officer for Northern Light Acadia Hospital. She also serves as president of the Medical Staff at Acadia, and chief of the Behavioral Health Service Line for Northern Light Health.

In her role as the chief medical officer, Dr. Patel manages the quality of medical care provided within the hospital, ensuring that care is aligned with best practices and latest regulatory standards. She leads the medical staff with a philosophy of care that uses a patient-centered approach, with a strong emphasis on teamwork, collaboration, and creative solutions. Dr. Patel believes that great healthcare organization begins with a psychologically safe workplace environment that supports staff wellness, as this sets the best foundation for each individual to provide the best possible care. She believes everyone in healthcare is both a lifelong learner and teacher; reflecting this commitment, she was honored with the AADPRT George Ginsberg Fellowship Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Richard A. Bernstein Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Dr. Patel is a strong proponent of Northern Light Health's psychiatry residency program, ensuring a comprehensive curriculum for the next generation of psychiatrists.  She served as the chief resident of her residency program before coming to work at Acadia Hospital as an adult inpatient psychiatrist. 

Prior to becoming chief medical officer in June 2025, Dr. Patel served as the medical director of Adult Inpatient Services at Acadia Hospital for 8 years.

Education

Psychiatry Residency – University of Vermont College of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine – University of Vermont College of Medicine
Bachelors of Science in Biology, minors in Chemisty and Studio Art – University of Maine, Orono
 

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Vice President, Operations, Northern Light Acadia Hospital

Raymond Douglas “Doug” Townsend, LCPC, MBA is the vice president of Operations for Northern Light Acadia Hospital.
 
In his role, Doug is responsible for all inpatient and outpatient operations related to Acadia Hospital.
 
Doug is passionate about developing great staff who can deliver great care to people in need. 
 
Prior to his current position, Doug has served in a number of roles at Acadia, including vice president of Ambulatory Services and associate vice president of Adult Services. Previous to joining Northern Light Acadia Hospital, Doug held a number of positions at Community Health and Counseling Services.

Doug became vice president of Operations in February 2023.

Education
Master of Business Administration – Healthcare, Husson University
Master of Science – Counseling, University of Southern Maine
Bachelor of Arts – Psychology, University of Maine 

Favorite Quote
“Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right” – Henry Ford

 

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