Directors

Oka’s commitment to the Mount Desert Island community brought her to nonprofit work in MDI Hospital’s Office of Advancement in 2013. Her ability to forge meaningful connections and partnerships and drive improvement and innovation led her to the Director of Advancement role in 2022.

A skilled Advancement professional, she has led a variety of successful donor and community initiatives, drawing on her local roots, event management and communications experience. An award-winning journalist and photographer, she has served as Public Affairs Officer, Communications Director and Interim Director of Advancement since joining the organization.

Under her leadership, the Office of Advancement expanded to provide critical philanthropic and communications support, and the organization’s annual fundraising event, which she helped establish, set a new record with more than $400K raised.  She also successfully led the organization’s COVID-19 communications, dedicating countless hours to innovative public outreach efforts around testing, vaccination and education.

Before joining MDI Hospital, Oka worked in events management and catering for clients across MDI. She also worked for news and feature publications in Maine, Oregon and North Carolina including the Mount Desert Islander, the Ellsworth American, the Raleigh News and Observer and Oregon’s Future Magazine.

She holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Journalism with a concentration in Advertising and minors in English & Sociology from the University of Maine in Orono and has completed graduate coursework at Emerson College in Boston.

When she’s not at work, she enjoys spending time at her camp on Donnell Pond with family and friends, walking, boating and hiking with her two dachshunds, and traveling, cooking and reading.

Jon Bell serves as the Director of Emergency Department and Cardiopulmonary. Jon joined the MDI Hospital team in November of 2022, specializing in emergency care and vascular access. Over the course of his career, he has also worked as a paramedic and in large trauma centers. With degrees from Excelsior College and Grand Canyon University, Jon is certified in Vascular Access and Emergency Nursing. Additionally, he has worked as a consultant and clinical educator for multiple companies, as well as spoken at both local and national conferences around the country and in Canada. Jon continues to work as a consultant, speaker, and educator on Emergency and Vascular Access issues. Jon states that he came to MDI Hospital because, “I wanted to utilize the skills that I had learned in larger settings in a critical access hospital and work to ensure that the MDI community has world-class healthcare.”

Outside of work, Jon enjoys sailing and reading.

In addition to his many accomplishments and professional experience, Jon has contributed to the following published literature:
• Bell, J. A., Campos, C., & Moureau, N. (2023). Validation and Reliability of the
Comprehensive Difficult IV Access Scoring Tool. Int J Nurs Health Care Res, 6, 1414.
10.29011/2688-9501.101414
• Bell, J.A., Hawes, M., Gibson, S.M., & Diloreto, E. (2022). A Systematic Review of Central
Vascular Access Device Securement. Journal of the Association for Vascular Access, 24(4).
10.2309/JAVA-D-22-00013
• Bell, J. A., & Spencer, T. R. (2021). Implementing an emergency department vascular access
team: A quality review of training, competency, and outcomes. The Journal of Vascular Access,
22(1), 81–89.10.1177/1129729820924554.

David has worked at Mount Desert Island Hospital since 1990. Before joining the hospital, he served as a Lieutenant Colonel, US Army Reserve and worked in Occupational Health at the Jackson Laboratory.

Before assuming his role as Director of Laboratory Services, he worked as a Medical Technologist. David graduated from the University of Maine in Orono with a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Biology in 1978. He also completed master’s level work in Medical Technology at San Francisco State University from 1973 to 1975.

David is an active volunteer for the MDI Feral’s Program in Otter Creek which works to trap, neuter and release the feral cat population of MDI. He also served as a volunteer for MDI Search and Rescue for almost 20 years. He is a member of the American Society of Clinical Pathology, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the National Eagle Scout Association.

During his tenure at MDI Hospital, David has developed and formalized a Quality Assurance Program to help insure the accuracy of ordering, processing and reporting outpatient lab requests. He takes great pride in his work and is exceedingly proud of his laboratory team. “The care and compassion that our staff shows for our patients and their families and the dedication and hard work of our team members make me proud to be a part of the MDI Hospital Organization,” he says.

In his free time, he enjoys photography, European river cruising, and visiting Civil War battlefields and National Parks.

Holly Gray serves as MDI Hospital’s Director of Fiscal Services. Joining our team in January of 2023, Holly comes to us having previously been employed as a Sr. Financial Analyst at Northern Light Health Maine Coast and Blue Hill Hospitals. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and Computer Science. Throughout her career, she has always been drawn to working for non-profit organizations. In past years, Holly also served as the Finance Director at the MDI YMCA.

“I have been a resident of MDI for almost 30 years and both of my children were born at MDI Hospital,” says Holly. “The community support and quality of life here on MDI is like no other place I’ve lived.”

Outside of work, Holly enjoys biking, kayaking, camping and hiking.

As Health Center Director, Mike Kiers, RN, oversees operations at all Mount Desert Island Hospital and Health Centers as well as the Organization’s population health and school-based nursing programs. Since joining the MDI Hospital Organization, Mike helped establish the Employee Health Nurse position and had the opportunity to serve as the first person in the role. Before practicing Employee Health, Mike worked in a variety of nursing specialties, including Oncology, Pediatric ICU, Emergency and Clinic Nursing.

Lenny is the Director of Surgical Services at MDI Hospital. His responsibilities include overseeing, staffing and equipping of our surgical services department and ensuring patient safety and quality standards are continually assessed, maintained and improved. His team of registered nurses and technicians work with the Hospital’s surgeons to provide a comfortable, safe experience for patients and to ensure the best surgical outcomes. “My goal is to accommodate the needs of the patients while providing the best environment for our physicians and staff to practice and work,” he says. “The best thing about MDI Hospital is that it is small enough to focus on every patient, yet modern enough to provide technically advanced services.”

After receiving his Surgical Technician certification in 1985 from Georgetown University, Lenny pursued and received his nursing degree from Montgomery College in Maryland in 1991. From 1987 to 1991, he served as a Surgical Technician at Prince George’s Hospital Center in Maryland. From 1991 to 2005, Lenny worked as an OR nurse at Prince George’s, including seven years as Assistant Department Manager. He moved with his family to Maine in 2005 where he took the position of OR nurse at MDI Hospital and was promoted to Division Director in 2009.

Tom has been part of the MDI Hospital organization since 2002. Before coming to MDI Hospital, he worked in a variety of clinical positions. He has experience in dietary services, dialysis technology and critical care. Tom attended both Quincy College and Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. He is very active with multiple committees and volunteers at many community events as well as sports events.

When Tom was asked what makes him proud to work at Mount Desert Island Hospital, he said, “I love the small town, community feeling.” In Tom’s free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, kids and grandkids, sports and home improvements.

Sara O’Connell joined MDI Hospital in 2017. She previously worked as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Bar Harbor Bank and Trust. Sara holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business & Parks, Recreation & Tourism from the University of Maine.

As a Human Resources Director at MDI Hospital, Sara enjoys being a consistent resource for employees and deploying creative problem-solving solutions. “I am proud to work at MDI Hospital because it is a pillar of support for our community. MDI Hospital’s integrated care approach and local, home-town feel provide an unparalleled experience for our patients,” she says. “Being born and raised in Bar Harbor I am passionate to our community and taking care of the people who live here.”

Sara demonstrates her commitment to her community as an active volunteer at Big Brothers & Big Sisters, the Downeast Family YMCA, and the MDI YMCA, where she currently serves as Board Chair. When she is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and family, raising chickens, camping, hiking, tennis, and golf.

Philip Pizzola, BHCM, R.T. (R) joined MDI Hospital in December of 2019. As the Director of Medical Imaging Philip strives to maximize team performance by engaging and supporting talent at all levels of the MDI Hospital with a focus on supporting the Organization’s mission, vision and strategic initiatives. He is dedicated to constant improvement, embracing evidence-based best practices to ensure that patients receive top-quality care.

The diversity of his expertise in the field of healthcare not only includes Radiology Administration but also extends into other skills such as development and implementation of customer service initiatives, accreditation and certification in various hospital departments, project management, union negotiations, and service development in other areas such as cardiology, respiratory, and laboratory. He is also a member of the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists, American Healthcare Radiology Administrators, American Society of Radiologic Technologists.

In his free time, he enjoys boating, hiking, fishing, kayaking and camping.

Doug first joined the MDI Hospital team in 1997. In 2015, after a 9-year hiatus, he returned to the organization to become the Director of Project Management, Physical Plant & Nutrition Services. Doug was thrilled to return to the MDI Hospital organization to fulfill the role. “I love the people here. I never knew how much I loved working here until I left. That’s why I jumped at the chance to come back.”

At MDI Hospital, Doug serves as the chair of the Safety and Space Committees. An active husband and father to three daughters, he serves as a volunteer for the Downeast Family YMCA swim and gymnastics programs. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and three daughters – camping, biking, swimming, and of course, doing GYMNASTICS!

Charlotte Winger serves as MDI Hospital’s Director of the AHA Training Center, Integrated Care Team, Care Management, Clinical Education, ICU, MST, and OB. Charlotte joined the MDIH team in August of 2022 because of the mission MDI Hospital believes in and the dedication of staff to the community. She has 21 years of experience in the professional field of nursing in both intensive ICU and leadership roles. Charlotte performed as the Nurse Manager of an ICU, Nurse Supervisor of a 75-bed hospital and now Director of Patient Care Services here at MDI Hospital.

“My experience includes being an instructor for ACLS and PALS,” says Charlotte. “I obtained my certification in Critical Care and I currently maintain this certification. I have maintained a journey of learning throughout my career. To continue with this educational journey, I am currently enrolled with Purdue Global to expand my professional growth in leadership.”

Since assuming this director role, Charlotte has supported cross training of staff to various departments, building on our flexible workforce model, and working diligently to increase the workforce of MDIH. She has also developed a clinical on-boarding model for CNAs, RNs, supporting workers under the age of 18 (in employment at MDIH in partnership with HCTC), and has collaboratively worked across disciplines to improve the quality care to patients with a focus on preventing hospital acquired pressure injuries and foley catheter associated infections.

Outside of work Charlotte enjoys family oriented time and enjoying the outdoors.