Northern Light Mercy Hospital

We were proud to take part in this year’s Imagine Portland event this week, where businesses and community leaders gathered to celebrate organizations making a meaningful difference across our region.

During the event, Marie Vienneau, President of Mercy Hospital, presented the Imagine Portland Champion Award to Sai Reddy Guntaka, owner of Taj Indian Cuisine. Taj was honored for its ongoing commitment to helping neighbors in need, including efforts to provide hot meals and support to community members across Greater Portland.

In presenting the award, Marie reflected on the importance of leadership rooted in generosity, compassion, and service, noting that community impact is measured not only by success, but by how that success is used to lift others.

Events like Imagine Portland are a reminder that strong communities are built through partnership, collaboration, and a shared commitment to caring for one another.

Congratulations again to Sai Reddy Guntaka, his family, and the entire Taj Indian & Indo-Chinese Cuisine team on this well-deserved recognition. Thank you to the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce for hosting this meaningful event each year.

We’re excited to announce that several new providers have joined our primary care team! Please join us in welcoming:
• David Poor, MD to Windham
• Patrick Butsch, MD to South Portland
• Maria Theresa “Marites” Petropoulos, MSN, FNP to Falmouth
• Matthew Mullen, NP to South Portland
• Anne Smith, NP to Yarmouth
• Hanna Campbell, PA to Falmouth

We’re grateful to have these talented clinicians caring for patients and communities across the region. Read more about them here: https://ow.ly/V24f50Z3kok

We're proud to announce that Mercy Hospital has been recognized among the nation’s top performers for patient experience by Healthgrades as part of its 2026 Outstanding Patient Experience Awards. This is Mercy's third year in a row receiving this recognition.

Healthgrades recognized 373 hospitals nationwide with the award, representing the top 15% of hospitals for patient experience across 46 states. Award recipients achieved the highest overall experience scores based on patient survey data measuring 10 aspects of patient experience. According to Healthgrades, physician communication, nurse communication, and clear communication about care at discharge were the three factors most likely to influence whether a patient would recommend a hospital.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/vIfI50Z3ckS

More than two decades ago, a young labor and delivery nurse named Alexandra Hughes welcomed a baby girl into the world at Mercy Hospital, gently washing her hair as her family looked on. Years later, that baby girl returned to Mercy, this time as a nurse.

Emily Hobbs, now in her own nursing career in labor and delivery at Mercy Hospital, recently discovered an old family photograph while going through pictures with her mother. In the photo: Alexandra Hughes caring for Emily as a newborn. Today, Alexandra is not only Emily’s colleague, but also her preceptor.

“Fate is a funny thing,” Emily shared after finding the photo and showing Alexandra.

Emily gave Alexandra a handwritten note thanking her for her patience, encouragement, compassion, and guidance during her transition into nursing. She wrote that Alexandra “set the bar so high for the kind of L+D nurse I hope to be someday.”

Stories like this are a reminder that the compassion our teams provide can leave a lasting impact for generations, sometimes in ways no one could ever predict.

Enjoy Emily's baby photo below as well as one with her and Alexandra recreating the moment they first met.

We welcome you to sign up for our Beyond the Ribbon event, a National Survivor's Day celebration we that we are cohosting with New England Cancer Specialists. Register today for this no-cost, family friendly event. For more information, visit: https://ow.ly/XT1s50Z2qRG

May is National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, a time to recognize the incredible professionals who help patients communicate, connect, recover, and regain confidence in everyday life.

At Northern Light Mercy Hospital, our speech-language-hearing teams support patients of all ages through hearing services, speech therapy, swallow studies, and inpatient care that helps people safely return to the moments and routines that matter most. Their work touches nearly every part of the patient journey, collaborating closely with providers, nurses, therapists, radiology, nutrition, care management, and families to support healing and recovery.

We’re grateful for the compassion, expertise, and teamwork they bring to our patients and community every day. Thank you for all you do!

It was a wonderful Sunday morning around Back Cove in Portland for the 2026 American Heart Association - Maine's Heart Walk!

Thank you to everyone who walked, volunteered, or donated to support heart health awareness throughout our community. We were proud to join people and organizations from across Maine in support of healthier lives and stronger hearts.

We’re also grateful to Dr. Aline Iskandar of Northern Light Mercy Cardiovascular Care for helping raise awareness around hypertension and heart health on WMTW during World Hypertension Day.

And congratulations to Chris Merritt, who was recognized with AHA’s Lifestyle Change Award, an honor that reflects the power of perseverance, wellness, and positive change.

Thank you to the American Heart Association and everyone who made the day so meaningful.

Congratulations to Melissa Skahan on receiving an honorary degree from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, recognizing her compassionate leadership and service to our community.

Melissa’s work reflects the enduring mission and values of the Sisters of Mercy, whose vision continues to guide and inspire the work of Northern Light Mercy Hospital every day. Their legacy of compassion, dignity, justice, and service lives on through leaders like Melissa as well as our caregivers and staff who carry our mission forward in the communities we serve.

We could not be more grateful for Melissa's leadership and for the lasting example of mercy in action set by the Sisters of Mercy.

Read more here: https://ow.ly/31xk50Z1jNT