Annual Report 2025
Table of Contents

Guiding the Way

Every day, our Northern Light Health team demonstrates extraordinary commitment to our mission and to the patients, families, and communities who rely on us. Their dedication serves as a constant reminder of the strength that only comes from working together with purpose.

This annual report tells some of the stories that reflect our determination to care for the people of Maine. From our smallest health centers to our largest hospitals, Northern Light Health is united in our belief that every person in our state deserves high-quality, compassionate care as close to home as possible.

We are proud of our progress, inspired by the work ahead, and committed to leading Northern Light Health toward a future filled with promise. We are committed to serving you for generations to come.

Thank you for your trust and support.

R. Guy Hudson, MD
President & CEO
Northern Light Health

John Ryan
Board Chair
Northern Light Health

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When Every Mile Matters

For babies born too soon or with critical health needs, every moment matters. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center now has a new modern ambulance created just for babies in need of critical care. Funded entirely by donations from the Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center Auxiliary, the Professional Logging Contractors of the Northeast, and compassionate community members, the new ambulance gives Maine's smallest patients their strongest possible start in life.

As the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) north of Portland, Eastern Maine Medical Center cares for more than 450 newborns each year, including about 150 who begin their fight for life in other hospitals. Our Neonatal Transport Team is made up of highly trained nurses who stand ready day and night to bring these babies safely to our NICU.

"Every time we transport a newborn, we know we're carrying someone's whole world,” says Ken Roy, RN, a member of the Neonatal Transport Team. "This ambulance gives us everything we need to provide the best care possible and helps us give families hope when they need it most. Parents are often fearful of their newborn infant leaving their side and traveling to a tertiary center miles away, and they are assured that their infant is traveling in a very safe and reliable ambulance,” he adds.

Neonatal transport ambulance pictured at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.

"This ambulance means peace of mind for families and a smoother, safer journey for their babies,” says Mikele Neal, RN, associate vice president of Patient Care Services. "It's a gift from our community that will touch lives for years to come.”

Traveling Home

There's no place like Hancock County

After 24 years on the road as a travel nurse, Karen Beinhauer, BSN, RN, has learned that every hospital has its own rhythm. It wasn't until she arrived at Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital that she realized she'd found something she didn't even know she was searching for—a place to call home.

"I knew this was where I wanted to stay because when I got here, it felt like coming home,” Beinhauer says. "The people, the community, the staff, it just felt comfortable and kind. Everyone waves, everyone helps. It's a special place.”

Beinhauer's path to Maine wasn't straightforward. She began her nursing career in Mississippi in the early 2000s, working as a single mother in an intensive care unit (ICU). "I was struggling to make my student loan payments,” she remembers. My mom suggested travel nursing, and I laughed, ‘That's for single people!' But the next day, a travel nursing brochure showed up in my mailbox. I called, signed up, and that was the start of my journey.”

After more than two decades on the road, Beinhauer worked across the country, and found her way to Maine. "It's paradise here,” she says. "The sea air, the trees, it smells like Christmas in June. I collect sea glass and shells, go clamming, and make little art pieces for friends. When I'm not at work, you'll find me on the beach on Little Cranberry Island just enjoying life.”

When she joined Maine Coast Hospital, Beinhauer felt an immediate connection with the team. "We have an incredible group,” she adds. "Our managers and supervisors step in to help whenever needed, and everyone supports each other. It's about caring for our patients and for each other.”

Beinhauer checks on a patient at Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital

For Ann-Margaret Shaheen, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer at Northern Light Maine Coast and Blue Hill hospitals, Beinhauer's story represents something much larger. "Travel nurses are vital to our staffing model at the current time, but they are not a permanent solution,” Shaheen explains.

Travel nurses typically sign 13-week contracts. Because they move frequently and work in varied settings, travelers are often quick learners who bring rich clinical experience. "We value their expertise,” states Shaheen. "Our goal, however, is to grow our local teams and to decrease turnover. This will help us improve teamwork, build relationships, and ultimately to standardize processes and quality initiatives that improve patient safety.”

"When a travel nurse decides to stay, I believe it speaks volumes about our culture and work environment. It also strengthens our care team.”

"We've had two former travel nurses stay and become charge nurses—leaders among their peers,” Shaheen says. "Another stayed and grew into a managerial role. It's wonderful to recruit these nurses and to see that professional growth happens right here.”

What draws them in? Beyond a supportive work environment with opportunity for professional growth, Shaheen credits the beauty of coastal Maine. "We have Acadia National Park, internationally renowned art, music, and sailing, community theater, organic farms, and a welcoming spirit,” she says. "People fall in love with this area and with the people who live and work here.”

Learn More
Explore Our Nursing Opportunities

Care that Meets You Where You Are

Located just a few blocks off the main road in Sangerville, the Northern Light Health Center serves as a vital connection point between Northern Light Mayo Hospital and Northern Light CA Dean Hospital. The facility offers greater access to services than many rural communities could imagine.

A 30-minute drive from Greenville and just a 12-minute drive from Dover-Foxcroft, the Sangerville health center is a hub for care, accessible to patients in Piscataquis and parts of Penobscot and Somerset Counties. The facility offers an unique breadth of services for a rural location, including urology, women's health, prenatal care, newborn and pediatric care, primary care, diabetes management, physical and occupational therapy, ultrasound and x-ray, lab draws, walk-in care, and behavioral health support, all under one roof.

Many practitioners at Sangerville split their time between the health center, Mayo, and CA Dean Hospital locations. While Ahmed Elnoor, MD, a urologist and Kristin Hartt, MD, a family practitioner focusing on women's health, see patients in Sangerville, Dr. Elnoor performs surgery and Dr. Hartt delivers babies at Mayo Hospital. Galen Durose, MD, a family medicine provider, sees patients in Greenville and Sangerville. This integrated model allows patients to receive coordinated care close to home.

Pediatric physical therapist Samantha Kenney steadies infant Adley Lovell (left) while occupational therapist Bryanne Lovell cares for Iris Marie-Rose Holley.

"Being able to care for patients throughout their lifespan from routine primary care to pregnancy and delivery right here in Sangerville makes a meaningful difference for families,” says Dr. Hartt. "I'm proud to be part of a team that brings comprehensive care to our community, without the need for long travel.”

By building on historic ties with CA Dean hospital and leveraging proximity to Dover-Foxcroft, the Sangerville health center continues to ensure that patients in rural Maine have exceptional access to care right in their own backyard.

Mission ready for flight

Northern Light Acadia Hospital and the 101st Air Refueling Wing, Maine Air National Guard unite for mental health

At Northern Light Acadia Hospital, the mission to improve the health of our communities extends far beyond the hospital's walls. A growing partnership with the Maine Air National Guard's 101st Air Refueling Wing, is strengthening mental health awareness among military service members and changing lives.

For Susan Slick, MHR, MBA, director of education at Acadia, and a technical sergeant in the 101st, this collaboration represents the perfect intersection of her two worlds.

"I joined the Maine Air National Guard right out of high school,” Slick says. "I also started working at Acadia Hospital when it was first built. I thought I'd stay at both for my whole career.”

After a detour, led by her husband's active-duty Air Force career around the country, Slick returned home to Bangor and rejoined the team at Acadia. "I left the best job I ever had,” she says. "When I got the chance to come back, I took it.”

After resuming her role at the hospital, Slick wanted to do more. "I really wanted to bridge the two worlds, what I've learned in the military and what I've learned in mental health,” she says. "So, I rejoined the Guard with the goal of bringing mental health training and understanding to my fellow service members.”

That vision led to several joint mental health and resiliency workshops between Acadia and the 101st, including Psychological First Aid, a course designed to teach calm, compassionate support in times of crisis.

Master Sargent Amanda Allard and Susan Slick, MHR, MBA at the Maine Air National Guard Base in Bangor

"Psychological first aid is like CPR for emotional health,” Slick explains. "It's not just for when someone is depressed or suicidal.

It can be used anytime someone is in crisis like after a car accident, a natural disaster, or a difficult deployment.”

For Master Sergeant Amanda Allard, executive secretary for the 101st and member of the base's Disaster Mental Health Team, the training proved immediately valuable.

"Acadia Hospital approached us about the Psychological First Aid course, and we jumped at the chance,” Allard says. "It taught us techniques we can use right away, like box breathing, to help calm someone and get them through that initial phase of trauma.”

Allard soon found herself using the skill outside of work. "My husband and I came across a car accident one night,” she recalls. "One woman was very upset, so I used box breathing with her, in for four seconds, hold, out for four seconds, hold again. She looked at me afterward and said, ‘Do it again.' It was so validating to see how much it helped.”

Allard says the training changed the way she approaches stressful situations. "It helped me understand that if I walk into a situation calm, that calm spreads,” she says. "These are things I use not just at work, but in my personal life, too.”

"The collaboration between Northern Light Acadia Hospital and the 101st Air Refueling Wing to provide these trainings is crucial,” Allard says. "The continued collaboration helps us all be better prepared to take care of each other.”

Slick agrees. "The Guard and Acadia both support each other in incredible ways,” she says. "Taking care of people mentally, emotionally, and physically is at the heart of what we do.”

Learn More
Explore Our Behavioral Health Services

From Hospital to Horseback

Healing through horses

At Northern Light Mercy Hospital, compassion often extends well beyond the walls of the workplace. For Donna Lariviere, an occupational therapist, that commitment continues at a local horseback riding center, where she spends countless hours supporting therapeutic riding and hippotherapy programs. This specialized therapy provided by trained clinicians, including occupational therapists, uses the horse's natural movement as part of treatment. She helps with lessons, barn operations, and daily horse care, serving riders who range in age from just 15 months to adults in their nineties. Each rider enters the arena with their own goals, challenges, and hopes, and Lariviere meets them where they are.

"Therapeutic riding gives disabled riders physical support by helping them get stronger, but it also gives them emotional support because it gives them confidence by doing something different,” Lariviere adds.

Beyond physical gains, therapeutic riding offers powerful emotional and psychological benefits. Riders often experience increased confidence, improved emotional regulation, reduced stress, and meaningful social connection, whether through bonding with the horse or interacting with others in the program.

Donna Lariviere with therapy horse Zippy. Photo courtesy of Lasting Moments Media.

The work, she says, is deeply rewarding, in part because her two worlds naturally overlap. "My two worlds really intersect,” Lariviere says. "The same skills I use as an occupational therapist at Mercy hospital, meeting people where they are, building trust, and focusing on what matters most to them, are the skills I bring into the arena every day.”

Advancing cancer care close to home

For people facing cancer, the journey can be uncertain. Between appointments, treatments, and everything that comes with a diagnosis, being surrounded by family, friends, and familiar places can make an incredible difference.

At Northern Light AR Gould Hospital, a new TrueBeam linear accelerator, an advanced radiation therapy system, now ensures that patients can continue to receive state-of-the-art care without leaving their communities. This technology delivers quicker, more precise treatments, and replaces an older model that served Aroostook County for more than a decade.

"Radiation is an essential option for cancer treatment,” explains Naghmeh Isfahanian, MD, radiation oncologist. "It can be used before surgery to shrink a tumor, after surgery to eliminate remaining cancer cells, or even as a primary treatment on its own. The new linear accelerator allows us to deliver those treatments faster and more accurately while protecting healthy tissue and minimizing side effects.”

With its enhanced imaging and speed, the TrueBeam also expands what is possible. "We can now treat certain cancers, like those in the liver or multiple brain lesions, that we could not safely treat before,” says Dr. Isfahanian.

For patients in northern Maine, where winter roads and long drives can turn daily radiation treatments into a major challenge, having this technology closer to home is life-changing. "Radiation therapy typically happens Monday through Friday for several weeks,” Dr. Isfahanian notes. "For someone who would otherwise have to travel two or three hours each way, being able to stay close to home truly matters.”

Other recent investments, including new infusion chairs at Northern Light Mayo Hospital and a hair preservation program at Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital, are just some of the ways Northern Light Health extends advanced, compassionate cancer care to patients throughout Maine.

"Every patient deserves quality, safe care,” says Brenda Farnham, BSN, RN, associate vice president for clinical services at Northern Light Cancer Care in Brewer. "Sixty-one percent of Maine's population lives in rural communities. We know the barriers people face, such as distance, weather, cost, and time away from work and family. By continuing to invest in facilities, equipment, and creative care models, we can reduce those burdens and improve outcomes.”

Learn More
Explore Our Cancer Care Services

Naghmeh Isfahanian, MD, Northern Light AR Gould Hospital

Safe Beginnings

Northern Light Health earns gold for infant sleep safety

Northern Light Health is proud to share that all of our hospitals with birthing programs have earned Gold Safe Sleep Hospital certification from the Cribs for Kids® National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program. This recognition honors our commitment to following the highest standards in infant safe sleep and ensuring that every newborn receives the safest start possible.

"This achievement reflects the dedication and compassion of our teams across Northern Light Health,” says Natalia Hall, MBA, associate vice president, Northern Light Women's Health. "Our caregivers have worked diligently to meet these gold-level standards, because every baby deserves a safe and healthy beginning.”

Congratulations to our safe sleep certified hospitals, delivering on our promise of comprehensive and compassionate care for expectant mothers, newborns, and families throughout Maine every day.

Infant Emmylou and her mother Cassie.

  • Northern Light AR Gould Hospital
  • Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center
  • Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital
  • Northern Light Mayo Hospital
  • Northern Light Mercy Hospital

Northern Light Health Foundation

Philanthropy

David Brewster:

A Neighbor's Gift, A Community's Lifeline Northern Light CA Dean Hospital

Some places stay with you long after you first encounter them. For David Brewster, that place is Moosehead Lake. A college trip decades ago brought him to the region for the first time, and something about its vastness, quiet strength, and sense of community settled into his soul. He never got it out of his system, nor did he ever want to.

Today, Brewster, a retired attorney from Boston, treasures his home in Beaver Cove, where his family now gathers and feels connected to something larger than themselves. With that deep affection has come an equally deep sense of responsibility to the people who call this region home year-round.

Brewster has long been known locally as someone who gives generously and quietly, supporting Northern Light CA Dean Hospital and other charities that ensure his neighbors have access to food, shelter, transportation, and healthcare.

"The Moosehead Lake region has been part of my life for so many years, and giving back has always been central to who I am. Helping neighbors access care is one small way to honor a place that means so much to our family,” reflects Brewster.

In 2025, that commitment took on new urgency. Donors of Northern Light CA Dean and Mayo Hospitals learned of the critical need for a wheelchair-accessible van to help patients across Piscataquis County, where there is no public transportation. For older adults, people with mobility challenges, and patients requiring frequent medical visits, reaching care can sometimes feel impossible.

Brewster understood this immediately. After decades navigating the rural roads and long distances of the Moosehead Lake region, he knew how life-changing reliable transportation could be. Within days of receiving the appeal, he contacted the philanthropy team to learn more. When he heard how many people the van would serve, he offered to fund the entire purchase so the barrier could be removed at once.

His gift is more than a donation; it is a lifeline. The new van will help residents reach essential appointments safely, restore mobility, and lift a heavy burden off of families and caregivers.

For the people of Piscataquis County, Brewster's generosity is invaluable. For Brewster and his family, it is a heartfelt tribute to a place they love and a community they proudly call home.

Giving by Organization

Acadia Hospital $154,145
AR Gould Hospital $151,445
Blue Hill Hospital $490,320
CA Dean Hospital $210,058
Eastern Maine Medical Center & Children's Miracle Network Hospitals $3,851,036
Home Care & Hospice $498,322
Inland Hospital $55,964
Maine Coast Hospital $322,378
Northern Light Mayo Hospital $77,368
Northern Light Mercy Hospital $2,502,496
Northern Light Health and Northern Light Health Foundation $24,310
Sebasticook Valley Hospital $95,153
Total $8,432,996

Learn more about how donors are supporting care in our communities

On the road or in the hospital, these new devices never skip a beat

Every second counts when your heart stops. Thanks to a grant from the Maine Emergency Medical Services Stabilization Program, our teams now have new chest compression devices.

"Manual compressions require switching out providers every two minutes, which can be hard in urgent situations,” explains Michael St. Laurent, EMT-P, manager of EMS operations. "With these devices, we can maintain consistent compressions while allowing our team to focus on other critical aspects of care for that same patient.” Chest compression devices are portable, automated machines built to keep chest compressions going without interruption, allowing EMS and emergency staff the chance to place more focus on airway support, IV access, medication, and other needs.

One device is ready around the clock on a 24-hour ambulance, and the other moves between a 12-hour ambulance before moving to the Emergency Department at Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital overnight.

"We're so grateful for the state funding that made this possible,” says Randy Clark, MBA, president of Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital. "This is another way we can be there for our patients, whether on the road or here in the hospital when every heartbeat matters.”

Lead paramedic Rich Wilson works with a chest compression device.

The grant also funded devices that benefit communities supported by Acadia Hospital, CA Dean Hospital, Eastern Maine Medical Center, and Mayo Hospital.

Community Benefit

For the year ended September 30, 2025

Total Community Investment by Category

Community Health Improvement Services $2,366,195
Health Professions Education $1,822,491
Research $1,517,647
Cash and In-Kind Contributions $131,121
Community Building Activities $347,504
Community Benefit Operations $1,901,310
Traditional Charity Care $10,300,762
Unpaid Cost of Public Programs
Medicaid $68,118,402
Medicare $151,080,806
Total Systemwide $237,586,238

Northern Light Health Member Community Benefit

Northern Light Acadia Hospital $12,992,305
Northern Light AR Gould Hospital $19,401,076
Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital $443,598
Northern Light CA Dean Hospital $416,063
Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center $143,946,350
Northern Light Home Care & Hospice $1,070,707
Northern Light Health Home Office $442,685
Northern Light Inland Hospital $11,620,066
Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital $9,281,055
Northern Light Mayo Hospital $103,478
Northern Light Mercy Hospital $36,320,867
Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital $1,557,988

Financials

Consolidated Balance Sheets

Years Ended September 30, 2025 and 2024
Assets 2025 2024
Total Current Assets $640,178 $635,371
Assets Limited as to Use
Capital Replacement & Other Designated Uses $294,209 $339,716
Self Insurance Funds & Other Trusts $54,417 $72,482
Donor Restricted Gifts $92,656 $94,384
Total Assets Limited as to Use $441,282 $506,582
Property & Equipment, NET $810,766 $870,770
Other Long-Term Assets $82,674 $72,838
 
Total Assets $1,974,900 $2,085,561

(In thousands of dollars)

Liabilities 2025 2024
Total Current Liabilities $524,823 $616,573
Accrued Post-Employment Benefits $221,633 $242,329
Long-Term Debt $552,193 $573,096
Other Long-Term Liabilities $40,337 $41,024
Total Liabilities $1,338,986 $1,473,022
Total NET Assets $635,914 $612,539
Total liabilities & NET Assets $1,974,900 $2,085,561

(In thousands of dollars)

Consolidated Statements of Operation

Years Ended September 30, 2025 and 2024
2025 2024
Net Operating Revenue $2,371,825 $2,159,385
Operating Expenses
Salaries & Employee Benefits $1,107,950 $1,114,620
Supplies & Other $1,278,819 $1,201,067
Total Expenses $2,386,769 $2,315,687
Loss from Operations ($14,944) ($156,302)
Other Gains & (Losses)-net $9,032 $43,844
Deficiency of Revenue and Gains Over Expenses and Losses ($5,912) ($112,458)
Operating Margin -0.63% -7.24%
Total Margin -0.25% -5.10%
Reinvestment in Clinical Equipment, Technological Advancements & Facilities $26,121 $65,219

(In thousands of dollars)

By the Numbers

Who We Are

9
Hospitals
34
Primary Care Locations
38
Primary Care Practices
1
Integrated Physician Organization
7
Nursing Homes
6
Emergency Transport Members
5
Joint Ventures
9,790
Employees
1
Home Care & Hospice Organization

Joint Ventures

County Physical Therapy, LLC
LifeFlight of Maine, LLC
LTC, LLC
MedComm, LLC
Uniship Courier Services, LLC

Home Care & Hospice and Telehealth

Home Health Patient Visits 132,154
Hospice Patient Visits 44,736
Total Home Care & Hospice Patient Visits 176,890
Telehealth Visits (Days Monitored) 198,938

By the Numbers

What We Do

379,154
Primary Care Visits
30,714
Inpatient Admissions
7,393
Observation Admissions
2,995
Births
28,546
Surgical Cases (Outpatient)
7,363
Surgical Cases (Inpatient)
462,302
Imaging Procedures
525
Nursing Home Long-Term Care Beds
721
Available Acute Care Beds
15,686
ER Visits (Inpatient)
101,789
ER Visits (Outpatient)
2,292,865
Outpatient Visits
104,048
Telehealth Visits
451
EMMC Cardiac Surgeries
1,300
Home Care & Hospice Patients
7,410
Cath Lab Procedures
69,808
Walk-In Care Visits

LifeFlight of Maine

Helicopter Air Transports 1,866
Fixed Wing Air Transports 220
Ground Transports 836
Total Scene Calls 257
Towns Responded to for Scene Calls 113
Traumatic Injury Transports 514

Northern Light Medical Transport

Total Transports 17,607
Total Number of Wheelchair Van Transports 1,999
Total Number of Towns / Townships / Unorganized Territories in Response Area 112

About Us

Our Mission

We improve the health of the people and communities we serve.

Our Vision

We will live our promise to make healthcare work for you.

Our Values

To accomplish its mission and vision, Northern Light Health will embrace the values of integrity, respect, compassion, and accountability.

Integrity

We commit to the highest standards of behavior and doing the correct thing for the right reasons.

Respect

We respect the dignity, worth, and rights of others, and are deeply committed to fostering psychological safety for all. We prohibit discrimination against and harassment of others

Compassion

We deliver care focused on the needs of each person and guide families and individuals through the experience with kindness and professionalism.

Accountability

We take a responsible and disciplined approach to achieving our priorities and responding to an everchanging environment.

Our Members

Map of Northern Light Health Member Organizations

Contact Us

Northern Light Health

43 Whiting Hill Rd, Brewer, ME 04412
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