Leadership

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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