For more than two decades, Ellen DaCorte, RN, BSN, CBC, has been a trusted presence in the lives of families at Mount Desert Island Hospital. As a longtime OB nurse, she supported generations of families with calm reassurance, deep understanding, and genuine joy, celebrating every new life and every growing family.
When birth rates declined and the hospital’s Labor & Delivery Unit closed, it was a profound change for the community, and for Ellen personally. “The shift away from delivering babies has been a hard one,” she reflected. “That part of my role has meant a great deal to me and to the families I’ve cared for during my 29-year nursing career at Mount Desert Island Hospital.”
Even so, Ellen’s commitment to the women and families of the island never wavered. Today, she is the Women’s Health Nurse Navigator at MDI Hospital’s Lisa Stewart Women’s Health Center in Bar Harbor, where women can continue to receive the care they need at any stage of life. In this role in particular, Ellen helps women navigate every phase of their healthcare journey, with dedicated emphasis on prenatal care, the newborn transition period, and postnatal recovery.
“As women’s healthcare at MDI Hospital and our health centers evolves, I’m focused on continuing to serve this community in a new and different way, by engaging with families during pregnancy and providing continued support and connection when they return home after birth,” she said. “I recognize that the prenatal and postpartum period can be both an exciting and vulnerable time for individuals and families, so I am honored to be here for them during this time.”
Already, Ellen has hosted a breastfeeding education class at the Lisa Stewart Women’s Health Center, and lactation support appointments are underway. She has also begun meeting with pregnant individuals and connecting them with MDI Hospital OB providers. Whether it’s one-on-one guidance or group education, she brings the same warmth and dedication that have defined her decades of service.
In addition to prenatal care coordination, Ellen helps facilitate two-day postpartum visits on the island for newborns, hearing screenings, bilirubin checks, circumcisions with providers, and weight and blood pressure monitoring. “Being present for parents and their babies in those early days after hospital discharge is incredibly meaningful work,” Ellen said. “It’s a critical opportunity to offer support, guidance, and early intervention.”
For Ellen, listening is key. “I think it’s really important to listen, stay flexible, and help shape this new Women’s Health Nurse Navigator role to meet the evolving needs of our community, pivoting when necessary to help families access the care they need, as close to home as possible,” she explained. “Helping each patient receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time will help ensure health and well-being for the growing families in our community.”
Ellen’s colleagues also share her commitment to women’s healthcare on MDI. Katie Gassman, DO and Sveva Brown, MD, both Family Medicine providers with specialties in women’s health and obstetrics, continue to see patients at the Lisa Stewart Women’s Health Center. This includes pregnant patients for prenatal appointments and to answer questions and concerns leading up to deliveries at partner hospitals.
For Ellen, the setting may have changed, but the heart of her work remains the same: being there for women, babies, and families, as a resource and a warm presence.
If you are looking for family planning or pregnancy resources on MDI, please contact the Lisa Stewart Women’s Health Center at 207.288.8100.
