Bangor, Maine — St. Joseph Healthcare and Community Care Partnership of Maine (CCPM) have been awarded more than $491,000 from the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) to increase access to specialty healthcare expertise across Maine. CCPM is a network of 22 nonprofit healthcare organizations across the state of Maine that participates in value-based payment arrangements as an accountable care organization (ACO).
Over the next three years, the funding will sustain access to virtual curbside specialty consultations for nearly 250 primary care providers (PCPs) across CCPM’s network, which includes 17 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and 5 community hospitals. The project aims to increase real-time access to specialist expertise, improve the care team experience and improve patient outcomes for thousands of Mainers living in rural communities.
“We’re grateful to lead this effort alongside CCPM,” said Greg LaFrancois, President of St. Joseph Healthcare. “Sustained access to curbside consultations supports our primary care providers, enhances patient care, and builds a stronger, more resilient healthcare system for rural Maine.”
The virtual curbside consult platform provides instantaneous, secure access to a broad range of medical specialists. This effort directly addresses priorities identified by Maine’s medical directors, community surveys, and the state’s economic development plan, including innovation, workforce recruitment and retention, and facilitates equitable access to multiple types of high-demand specialties, including dermatology and behavioral health.
“We are so grateful to the NBRC for supporting this innovative initiative,” said Sandy Nesin, Esq., Chief Executive Officer of CCPM and Vice President of Operations at St. Joseph Healthcare. “By empowering Maine’s clinicians with immediate specialist insight, we’re delivering better care for patients and strengthening the health of our communities across Maine.”
The use of virtual curbside consults has already had a measurable impact across CCPM’s provider network, improving satisfaction for patients and care teams while supporting provider recruitment and retention in rural healthcare organizations. In the two years since CCPM adopted the platform, it has completed nearly 5,000 consultations and prevented more than 1,900 avoidable in-person specialist and emergency department visits, saving patients significant time, travel and expense.
Dr. Todd Kitchens, Medical Director at Sacopee Valley Health Center and a practicing primary care provider, was one of the program’s earliest adopters: “Having immediate access to curbside consults has been a game-changer. It’s helped us attract and retain talented clinicians, knowing they’re backed by a strong specialist network to consult with. Most importantly, it’s given our patients the access and continuity they deserve.”
The funds for NBRC programs are available thanks to the support of the Congressional Delegations of all four NBRC states: Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont. The Catalyst Program is designed to stimulate economic growth and inspire partnerships that improve rural economic vitality across the four-state NBRC region. To learn more about Community Care Partnership of Maine, please visit ccpmaine.org. To see the full list of Fall 2025 Catalyst awards, visit this link.
Media Contact:
St. Joseph Healthcare Media Relations — Hannah Carrier-Beatham, Communications@sjhhealth.com
Community Care Partnership of Maine — Mary Butler-Fleming, marybutlerfleming@ccpmaine.org