MERGE Collaborative

The Maine Monitor recently published this article about the state of maternal healthcare in Maine. The MERGE Collaborative is working hard to create a training program that prepares medical residents to practice obstetrics in our rural areas.

Birthing unit closures hitting rural Maine hard Some rural Mainers are now driving 45 minutes one-way to the nearest birthing hospital, according to a recent analysis.

This is the last week to apply for the MERGE Internship! For full details, please visit: https://mergecollaborative.org/summer-internships/

This is the last week to apply for the MERGE Internship! For full details, please visit: https://mergecollaborative.org/summer-internships/

To our colleagues practicing obstetrics in a rural setting - please take a moment to complete this 5-10 minute needs assessment survey: https://forms.office.com/r/tgECM7narr

This survey was developed by Dr. Jeannette Andrews of MaineHealth Stephens Hospital as part of her work with the Rural Education Leadership Academy. This tool is now being used to inform the development of the MERGE Collaborative's Rural Obstetric Training Initiative.

Thank you for your participation and please forward this to other colleagues practicing obstetrics in a rural setting.

To our colleagues practicing obstetrics in a rural setting - please take a moment to complete this 5-10 minute needs assessment survey: https://forms.office.com/r/tgECM7narr This survey was developed by Dr. Jeannette Andrews of MaineHealth Stephens Hospital as part of her work with the Rural Education Leadership Academy. This tool is now being used to inform the development of the MERGE Collaborative's Rural Obstetric Training Initiative. Thank you for your participation and please forward this to other colleagues practicing obstetrics in a rural setting.

https://www.mainehealth.org/news/2025/01/mainehealth-receives-hrsa-grant-enhance-rural-obstetric-training

MaineHealth Receives HRSA Grant to Enhance Rural Obstetric Training The grant will allow the Maine Rural Graduate Medical Education Collaborative to help address the gap in obstetrical care in rural communities.

NEW TODAY! The iHELP Maine Platform has been updated. New version can be accessed here: https://mergecollaborative.org/ihelpmaine/

The iHELP Maine platform has been updated to ensure up-to-date resources that best support healthcare educators and preceptors across the state.

Key updates include:
- Featured precepting and teaching resources, including quick links to general resources and refreshers

- Detailed teaching content including information about specific settings and techniques

- Grouped resources, curated by top needs such as population health resources, DEI & cultural humility, research info and more!

- A new “Rural Resource” marker denotes articles
specifically about a rural setting or supporting a rural competency.

The goal is to provide up-to-date content relevant to Maine's unique healthcare needs - especially in rural and underserved communities.

NEW TODAY! The iHELP Maine Platform has been updated. New version can be accessed here: https://mergecollaborative.org/ihelpmaine/ The iHELP Maine platform has been updated to ensure up-to-date resources that best support healthcare educators and preceptors across the state. Key updates include: - Featured precepting and teaching resources, including quick links to general resources and refreshers - Detailed teaching content including information about specific settings and techniques - Grouped resources, curated by top needs such as population health resources, DEI & cultural humility, research info and more! - A new “Rural Resource” marker denotes articles specifically about a rural setting or supporting a rural competency. The goal is to provide up-to-date content relevant to Maine's unique healthcare needs - especially in rural and underserved communities.

Look at the amazing work one of our summer interns did! Way to go, Madison!

Making a World of Difference in Rural Maine A Tufts medical student who spent her summer studying health care transportation in northern Maine went above and beyond for a pregnant patient.

MERGE research intern Olivia Lopes (Tufts School of Medicine - MaineHealth Maine Track, '27) had the chance to visit Jackman Community Health Center in Jackman, ME as part of her research on addiction medicine in Somerset County. While there, she met with paramedic Schyler Carpenter. The paramedic team in Jackman works with the emergency department of St. Joseph's Hospital in Bangor, ME through telemedicine to provide high-quality emergency care to residents who live hours away from an ER.

We are very excited to support Olivia Lopes in her research and we are proud to have Jackman Community Health Center as a MERGE site for rural GME rotations.

To learn more, visit www.mergecollaborative.org.

MERGE research intern Olivia Lopes (Tufts School of Medicine - MaineHealth Maine Track, '27) had the chance to visit Jackman Community Health Center in Jackman, ME as part of her research on addiction medicine in Somerset County. While there, she met with paramedic Schyler Carpenter. The paramedic team in Jackman works with the emergency department of St. Joseph's Hospital in Bangor, ME through telemedicine to provide high-quality emergency care to residents who live hours away from an ER. We are very excited to support Olivia Lopes in her research and we are proud to have Jackman Community Health Center as a MERGE site for rural GME rotations. To learn more, visit www.mergecollaborative.org.

Our May newsletter is here! You can see it online at

Publications and Presentations – MERGE Collaborative Varaklis, Kalli (2023, November 9) The Maine Rural GME Education (MERGE) Collaborative: An innovative, state-wide collaboration to address rural physician recruitment. New England Rural Health Association. Killington, VT, USA. https://mergecollaborative.org/merge-presentation-2023-nerha/

We are excited to release our first promotional video about the MERGE Collaborative! Thank you to all of our residents and preceptors who shared their experiences. Please share this with any resident or rural clinical site who could be interested in getting involved!

Introducing the MERGE Collaborative The Maine Rural Graduate Medical Education (MERGE) Collaborative is an initiative to provide high-quality rural elective rotations for resident physicians ac...

We are looking forward to attending and presenting at the upcoming Health Workforce Summit hosted by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. We hope to see you there!

2024 Health Workforce Summit. Online registration by Cvent

Did you know that Maine will have a total lunar eclipse on April 8th, 2024? We have three MERGE rotations available in the path of totality. It is widely expected that any area with the path of totality will see a major population increase around the day of the eclipse. I am sure our sites at Jackman Community Health Center, Northern Light Mayo Hospital, and Houlton Regional Hospital would be thrilled to have some extra hands on deck with a resident physician on the team. Interested in rotating out to any of those sites? Reach out to us at www.mergecollaborative.org