Leadership

Senior Vice President for Northern Light Health and President of Northern Light Acadia Hospital and Acadia Healthcare

Mark A. Lukens, MBA is a senior vice president for Northern Light Health and president of Northern Light Acadia Hospital and Acadia Healthcare. As president, Mark is responsible for the overall operational performance and mission fulfillment of Northern Light Acadia Hospital. Adept at developing and implementing process improvements and cost efficiencies, Mark’s vast background in strategic leadership in health care, sales and marketing, technology, process improvement, and talent management compliment his ability to lead with compassion, accountability, integrity, and respect for all.

Prior to joining Northern Light, Mark served as president and CEO of Integre Health, Behavioral Health Services North, and CWI, all of whom are regional integrated health care leaders across the physical health, mental health, and social wellbeing space in the central and northern New York region. Mark also served as president of Northwinds Integrated Health Network, a large Intelligent Processes Automation (IPA) company actively engaged in value-based payment contracting.

Mark has also held various other roles spanning from a flight/SWOT medic, deputy director under the Pennsylvania Department of Health (County of Montgomery), and chief operating officer of a leading critical care services company, to entrepreneur and founder of several companies across the pharmaceutical research, management consulting, technology, and human resource space.

Mark currently serves on the faculty of the State University of New York and teaches in the School of Business and Economics with a focus on management, marketing and branding, MIS, Human Resource policy and practice, health care, and international business.

Mark became president of Northern Light Acadia Hospital in July 2023.

Notable professional and community membership and leadership roles:

• Board Member, Lake Forest Senior Living Community
• Board Member, Joint Council of Economic Opportunity
• Board Member, Town of Peru, NY Planning Board
• Board Member, VISION 2040 & Vision2Action

 

Certifications:

• MCSE – Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
• Paramedic
• Lean Six Sigma – DFSS
• Accomplished member and contributor, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
• Contributor, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM)
• Former chief of operations for multiple EMS agencies

 

Education:

AS, Pre-Medical concentration, University of South Florida/Edison 
BA, Management and Organizational Development, Eastern University
MBA, Master of Business Administration, Eastern University
 

Guiding principles

• Lead with Purpose.
• Exhibit passion.
• Act with integrity.
• Remain faithful to your promises.
• Surround myself with people who talk about ideas—not events or people.
• Know yourself – Try to uncover my weaknesses, especially ones that exist in my blind spots – then either fix or compensate for them.
• Have a bias towards action.
• Have fun.
• Always be more in the service of others

 

Favorite quote(s):

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Believe you can and you’re halfway there." – Theodore Roosevelt

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." – Albert Einstein.

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Vice President, Senior Physician Executive, Northern Light Acadia Hospital

John J. Campbell III, MD, FANPA is the vice president and senior physician executive for Northern Light Acadia Hospital.

In his role, Dr. Campbell oversees care provided through the Northern Light Behavioral Health service line, strategic planning, program development, and continuous quality improvement

He is passionate about providing high value health care that achieves the quadruple aim.

As a leader, Dr. Campbell is past president of the American Neuropsychiatric Association, and is a member of the American Neuropsychiatric Association Leadership Council.

Prior to joining Northern Light Health, Dr. Campbell was the medical director of general hospital psychiatric services, Maine Medical Center.

Dr. Campbell became the vice president and senior physician executive in October 2017.

Education
Fellow in Neuropsychiatry, Brown University
Adult Psychiatry Resident, Brown University
Transition internship, Boston University/Brockton Hospital
Medical Degree, University of Vermont College of Medicine
Bachelor of Science Degree, Brown University

 Favorite Quote
“Keep calm and carry on.”
 

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Vice President of Nursing and Patient Care Services, Northern Light Acadia Hospital

Samantha Foss, DNP, MBA, MSN, RN, NE-BC, FACHE, is the vice president of Nursing and Patient Care Services, Northern Light Acadia Hospital.

As vice president of Nursing, 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, Clinical Excellence and Innovation, Northern Light Acadia Hospital

Brent is vice president of Clinical Excellence and Innovation for Northern Light Acadia Hospital. He is responsible for leading the development and execution of strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing clinical performance, reducing variability in care, and improving patient health outcomes across the organization. He provides administrative oversight of Acadia’s Quality, Education, Regulatory, and Patient Experience departments, as well as clinician services. He is passionate about high quality, patient-centered, evidence-based care.
 
Brent shares his knowledge as a part-time faculty member at the University of Maine. Prior to working at Northern Light Acadia Hospital, Brent held clinical and administrative leadership positions across the Northern Light Health organization.

Brent first joined Acadia Hospital in 1999 and has held a variety of leadership positions since that time. He was named vice president of Clinical Excellence and Innovation in February 2024.

Education
Ph.D., Disability Studies and Social Work, University of Maine
Master’s Degree in Social Work (MSW) University of Maine
Bachelor of Arts Degree, English, University of Maine
 
Favorite Quote
“People are generally better persuaded by the reasons which they have themselves discovered than by those which have come into the minds of others.” – Blaise Pascal
 

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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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