A Colorado hospital leader who rose through the ranks of hospital management over a 20-year career has been named the next president of Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington.

Trampas D. Hutches Photo courtesy of Franklin Community Health Network

Trampas D. Hutches MHA, was named president of FCHN, succeeding Timothy A. Churchill, who is retiring at the end of the year. Hutches is serving as the president and chief executive officer of Melissa Memorial Hospital in Holyoke, Colorado, according to a news release from FCHN.

“In Trampas, we get a leader who understands the challenges of delivering health care in a rural setting and someone who has been on the front lines of health care and knows the kind of dedication it takes day in and day out to deliver great care to patients,” said Richard Petersen, president of MaineHealth, the Portland-based parent of FCHN, according to the release.

Clint Boothby, chairman of the FCHN Board, said Hutches demonstrated a clear understanding of what it takes for a rural health organization to succeed and willingness to enact positive change.

“We were very impressed by, not only his knowledge of health care management, but his insight into how rural hospitals must adapt to the current environment,” Boothby said, according to the release.

Hutches began his career in Colorado 20 years ago as a cardiac catheterization technologist, later working as an anesthesia tech before becoming the supervisor of the radiology department at a hospital in Nebraska. In 2013 he became the chief operations/information officer at Middle Park Medical Center/Centura Health, serving four communities west of Boulder. In 2016 he was named president and chief executive officer of Melissa Memorial Hospital in Holyoke.

“I have always had a passion for providing excellent care to patients in rural settings, and I know that to succeed in today’s challenging environment, we have to be entrepreneurial but also smart about managing our resources,” said Hutches, according to the release. “Franklin Community Health Network has a strong reputation for delivering great care, and MaineHealth is well positioned to assure that will remain the case for many years to come. I’m looking forward to working with the community and the team at FCHN to build on this great foundation.”

Hutches will begin his duties at FCHN at the start of the calendar year, when Churchill is also slated to retire. Churchill is the longtime president of another MaineHealth organization, Western Maine Health/Stephens Memorial Hospital of Norway. He was named the permanent leader of FCHN in 2017 in addition to his responsibilities in Norway. With the hiring of Hutches, FCHN will return to having a president overseeing just the operations there.

“We are grateful to Tim for his work on behalf of FCHN. The entire organization benefited from his experience and ability to inspire teams in a hospital setting,” said Boothby, according to the release. “Now we look forward to building on his good work with a new president who is an excellent fit for our organization going forward.”

Everett J. Prescott Inc. sponsors the Skating Association of Maine 

The Skating Association of Maine, based in Hallowell, announced the organization has received a sponsorship from Everett J. Prescott Inc. (Team EJP) to purchase new hockey uniforms for the SAM Moose tier IV hockey program. The sponsorship was to help build and support the SAM’s mission to encourage and promote ice skating programs in Maine, according to a news release from the association.

The new uniforms were purchased from STX, a Baltimore, Maryland-based company. The jerseys are reversible allowing the organization to save funds from buying home and away colored uniforms.

According to the release, the jerseys were custom designed for the boys and girls on the SAM hockey teams. The uniforms feature the SAM Moose logo on the front, the SAM logo on the right shoulder and STX brand logo on the left shoulder. The uniforms have the American flag on the top of each shoulder. To proudly show off their sponsorship, “Team EJP” is on the back of the uniforms. Team EJP continues to be a generous sponsor of SAM and they are an integral part of the hockey community that has helped make SAM such a successful program.

“Nobody can do it by themselves; everybody has to be a team. We’re lucky enough to have that and I think it is wonderful we have been able to build SAM and are getting the kids who are willing to play and I think it’s great. It’s an honor to watch those kids go out there and play,” said Peter Prescott, CEO of Team EJP, according to the release.

Team EJP was founded in 1955 in Gardiner by Everett J. Prescott. Team EJP served as the first waterworks distributor north of Massachusetts. The company offers a full line of solutions for all your water, waste water and storm water needs.

SAM is looking to secure sponsorships for the jerseys in the future. That company will be able to have their company name prominently displayed on the team jerseys.

The Skating Association of Maine is raising funds for scholarships, jerseys, equipment and other necessary items by selling the previous game-worn SAM jerseys from for $20. Learn more at the association’s website maineskaters.com.

Northern Light Inland Hospital earns ‘A’ in The Leapfrog Group’s fall 2019 Hospital Safety Grade

Northern Light Inland Hospital has been awarded another ‘A’ in The Leapfrog Group’s fall 2019 Hospital Safety Grade. The designation recognizes Inland’s efforts in protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the United States, according to a news release from the hospital. The Leapfrog Group is a national organization committed to improving health-care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers. The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, infections and other harms among patients in their care.

Inland has achieved an A grade in every eligible rating period since the program began in 2012. To see Inland’s full grade details, and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.

“‘A’ hospitals show us their leadership is protecting patients from preventable medical harm and error,” said Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, according to the release. “It takes genuine commitment at every level — from clinicians to administrators to the board of directors, and we congratulate the teams who have worked so hard to earn this A.”

Developed under the guidance of a national expert panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses 28 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.

Franklin Memorial Hospital nationally recognized with ‘A’ for the fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

On Nov. 7, Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington was awarded an ‘A’ for the fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a national distinction recognizing Franklin Memorial Hospital’s achievements protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care, according to a news release from the hospital. The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization driven by employers and other purchasers of health care committed to improving health-care quality and safety for consumers and purchasers.

The Safety Grade assigns an A, B, C, D or F grade to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.

“We have an organizational effort and commitment to best-practice standards of care with a focus on patient safety and robust clinical information systems aimed at improving patient care,” said Miriam Leonard, chief operating officer, according to the release. “This positive affirmation by an independent reviewer only strengthens our determination to continue our efforts to excel at all levels of our health delivery system.”

To see Franklin Memorial Hospital’s full grade details, learn how employers can help and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.

Northern Light Pediatric Cardiology welcomes Dr. Michael R. Epstein

Dr. Michael R. Epstein, a doctor of medicine, has joined Northern Light Pediatric Cardiology in Bangor as a pediatric/congenital electrophysiologist providing state of the art care to both its pediatric and adult patients with congenital heart disease, according to a news release from Northern Light Health. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Epstein completed his internship and residency in pediatrics as well as fellowships in both pediatric cardiology and pediatric/congenital electrophysiology all at Boston Children’s Hospital. He holds several licenses and certifications and is a diplomate of both the American Board of Pediatrics (Pediatric Cardiology) and the American Board of Internal Medicine (Adult Congenital Heart Disease).

Dr. Michael R. Epstein Photo courtesy of Northern Light Health

According to the release, Epstein is the only pediatric fellowship-trained electrophysiologist who lives and works in Maine. He will provide a full range of electrophysiology services, including outpatient and inpatient consultation, invasive diagnostic electrophysiology testing, catheter ablation, and implantation and monitoring of pacemakers, ICDs and loop recorders.

He has held several academic appointments during his career including:
• Instructor in pediatrics, Harvard Medical School.
• Assistant professor of pediatrics, University of Cincinnati Medical School.
• Associate professor of clinical pediatrics, University of Vermont College of Medicine.
• Associate clinical professor of pediatrics, Tufts University School of Medicine.

Prior medical positions held by Epstein include stints at Boston Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Maine Medical Center. He has authored numerous publications; lectures at local, regional and national meetings; and is a member in good standing of the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, Heart Rhythm Society, Pediatric and Congenital Electrophysiology Society and New England Congenital Cardiology Association.

Epstein is also member of the executive board of the New England Congenital Cardiology Association and is the medical director of Camp Meridian, a weekend camp for children with congenital or acquired heart disease.

In addition to seeing patients at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, Epstein will bring his expertise to a new clinic at Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville, and to patients in southern Maine at Northern Light Mercy Hospital in early 2020.

Franklin Savings Bank buys new bibs for ski team

The Farmington Area Ski Team will soar downhill this year in new bibs, purchased for the team by Franklin Savings Bank, according to a news release from the bank.

The youth ski team had been using the same ski bibs for many years, and they were nearing the end of their life.

“Titcomb’s last set of bibs were purchased a little over 20 years ago. Within that time, the style of bibs and their overall use has changed dramatically,” said Titcomb General Manager Seth Noonkester, according to the release. “The original bibs were purchased primarily for the two youth races we hosted at that time, but recently we’ve had to use them for all races hosted at Titcomb Mountain. As you can imagine, (the) bibs experience constant wear and tear from race to race and even begin to disappear over time.”

“Titcomb Mountain is so thankful for Franklin Savings Bank supporting the Farmington Ski Club in the purchase of new bibs to cater to the variety of events we’ve hosted in recent years,” Noonkester said.

FAST members for the 2019-2020 season, JJ Alexander, Trent Beaudoin and Jackson Hardy, were pleased to be the first to try out the new bibs.

The new bibs will make their debut at the USSA Dual Slalom in January, followed by the Maine Principals Association Class A, B, C Nordic High School Championships during February break and then the USSA Wes Marco Night Slalom in March, according to the release.

FAST is coached by Nate Yeaton and Monica Clark, and its season will begin Dec. 2 for students in grades four through eight. Titcomb will open for the season offering space for many ski programs and teams Dec. 14.

Compiled from submitted releases.