Bar Harbor, Maine – Mount Desert Island Hospital’s new Kogod Center for Medical Education, expanding infrastructure with a new climate-resilient central utility plant that reduces reliance of fossil fuels, and planning for renovation and expansion of the Emergency Department were just some of the accomplishments highlighted at the organization’s 2024 Community Celebration on Wednesday.
The meeting opened with the announcement of the organization’s Employees of the Year. This year’s recipients are Lauren Shirley of Birch Bay Retirement Village and Natalee Spencer of MDI Hospital and Health Centers. The recipients were chosen by their fellow employees for their dedication and commitment to the organization.
During her remarks, MDI Hospital President/CEO Chrissi Maguire spoke about the innovative new Kogod Center for Medical Education, a new home for the hospital’s Medical Education program led by Director of Medical Education Dr. Nate Donaldson and Program Coordinator Ann Worrick. This project was designed to train the next generation of medical education students by helping them to achieve individualized experiences in a variety of rural healthcare specialties. “Completion of the new Kogod Center for Medical Education provides much-needed housing for students and residents who are critical to our staffing model,” says Maguire. For 2024, the organization is on track to host 62 students, serving as the first of a series of major campus upgrades planned at MDI Hospital.
As part of MDI Hospital’s efforts to provide the community with integrated care, the organization is investing in a series of infrastructure expansions and renovations. Maguire was pleased to report that MDI Hospital’s Emergency Department has secured $5 million dollars in federal funding by U.S. Senator Susan Collins, vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Angus King, to expand the current ED to three times its current size. Plans also include upgrades to the hospital’s surgical suites and a new, more accessible main entrance from Bar Harbor’s Main Street. The organization has also prioritized behavior health by investing in increased staffing for all ages, enhancing child and adolescent therapy support, co-founding the MDI Regional Wellness Coalition, and partnering with Healthy Acadia and other regional agencies to provide substance use disorder treatment. “Behavioral health remains a key priority, and we are steadfast in our dedication to expanding access to mental health services in our region,” says Maguire. “Together we are building a bolder, brighter future for healthcare in Downeast Maine.”
The hospital organization finished its 2023-2024 fiscal year in the black with a net operating gain of $3.6 million according to its 2024 Annual Report. In addition, the organization provided more than 530 jobs and $772,166 in free and uncompensated care to the community during that time period.
To learn more about MDI Hospital and to view their 2023-2024 Annual Report, visit
mdihospital.org.
