Jeff Zewe, RN, president and CEO of Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent, and CFO Aaron Teachout will take on the same roles at Houlton (Maine) Regional Hospital under a new one-year management agreement between the hospitals.
In a news release posted on LinkedIn on May 29, the hospitals said NMMC will provide executive management to HRH under the deal.
Mr. Zewe and Mr. Teachout will take on the same roles at HRH, effective immediately. Both hospitals will remain independent, each with their own board.
The critical access hospitals, both located in Aroostook County, each have 25 acute care beds. They said the new agreement is “focused on collaboration leading to a formal affiliation” and aims to increase patient access, enhance quality outcomes and improve the long-term financial stability of both facilities.
“In this critical time for rural hospitals, this is a great opportunity to align services for the future of both hospitals and the care they provide to their communities,” Mr. Zewe said in the release. “The outlook for rural hospitals as stand-alone facilities is precarious. We have seen rural hospital closures rise across the nation, even here at home with the closure of Inland Hospital at the end of May. Rural hospitals need to pull together to remain viable through growth, sharing services, recruitment and financial stability.”
Lynette McLaughlin, president of the HRH board, said in the release that the agreement “will make us stronger together. The synergies through this management agreement are truly exciting.”
The new agreement comes after HRH shared plans in April to close its inpatient labor and delivery unit, effective May 2. It also comes as more than a dozen hospitals have closed across the U.S. this year, including in Maine.
