MDI Hospital Board of Trustees

Martha Thompson Wagner, PhD, is a Psychologist with degrees from Emory University and the University of Maryland.

Martha was the Founder and Executive Director of the Kennestone Regional Hospice Program in Georgia. She subsequently worked as the Educational Consultant for the Oncology Program at Kennestone Regional Health System, designing and facilitating support programs for Oncology patients and family members; in addition to Oncology staff.

In 2001 she turned her focus to the development of a comprehensive Health and Wellness Program for The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Ga., and was responsible for Health and Wellness curricula in several schools.

Martha now spends much of the year at her home on Mount Desert and she is dedicated to her local volunteer work, including with the Healthy Acadia Board of Directors, the Board of Trustees of MDI Hospital, the Palliative Care Committee of MDI Hospital, and as a volunteer in the Emergency Department at MDI Hospital.

She continues to volunteer her time as a Victim’s Advocate with the Sexual Assault Team in Georgia, and as a member of the Medical Ethics committee at the Wellstar Health System, in addition to the Bereavement Program of Wellstar Community Hospice.

Dr. Madeleine Braun serves as the Chief Information Officer at The Jackson Laboratory, where she has responsibility for enterprise and research information technology applications, infrastructure, project management and information security. A graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences, Genetics & Development, Madeleine holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Washington in Seattle. In May 2017 she earned her MBA, with advanced study in the Healthcare sector track, from the Yale School of Management.

Madeleine has held several laboratory management and business unit management positions at Jackson Labs as Senior Director, Transgenic Genotyping and Reproductive Sciences, as Business Unit Manager for JAX Breeding Services, and as Product Development Manager for development and launch of new products and services. These divisions are high throughput, industrial laboratories, and operations teams providing key genetic services for Jackson faculty and for scientists worldwide. Prior to joining the Laboratory, Madeleine worked in the biotechnology sector at two companies focused on cancer immunotherapeutics. As a Principal Scientist of Analytical Biochemistry and Formulations at Seattle Genetics Inc., she ran an immunogenicity testing laboratory for toxicology and Phase 1 & 2 clinical studies. As a Development Scientist at Corixa Corporation, she performed vaccine research and development work and oversaw a clinical immunology team in support of clinical trials.

Madeleine also serves on Board for the Maine Development Foundation. She lives in Bar Harbor, ME with her husband Bob and her two children, where she enjoys hiking, skiing, and participating in her boys’ swim and soccer meets.

Terry Wagner retired to Bar Harbor in 2018 after a 30 year career in health care information technology, serving many years as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the State University of New York health sciences campus and health system at Upstate Medical University. Terry’s portfolio included leadership of biomedical engineering and health information management departments and the university-wide Privacy Office in addition to the traditional information technology functions.

At Upstate, Terry was a member of the executive leadership team, sitting on the health system and university level leadership councils. She served on numerous other governance committees including Medical Records, the University Privacy Board, Hospital Finance Committee and Inpatient and Outpatient Services Committees.

Dr. Edward J. Benz, Jr. is President and CEO Emeritus of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an internationally recognized hematologist. Dr. Benz has enjoyed a distinguished career in academic medicine, and authored over 300 peer-reviewed books, articles, reviews, chapters, and abstracts. He graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1973 and received his training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Children’s Hospital of Boston, the National Institutes of Health, and the Yale University School of Medicine. In addition to serving as President and CEO Emeritus of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Benz is also Director Emeritus and Principal Investigator of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, a member of the Governing Board of Dana-Farber/Children’s Cancer Center, a Richard and Susan Smith Distinguished Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, a clinical hematologist and an active NIH-funded investigator.

Deborah “Deb” Block, MSN, MHA, BA, RNC, CENP joined the MDI Hospital Organization in April of 2025 as the Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer. Ms. Block is a native Floridian who recently relocated to Maine from central Georgia. Her nursing career began in 1980 when she graduated from Memphis State University’s AD RN program and started as a new graduate nurse at the City of Memphis Hospital. Since beginning her career, she’s worked in Tennessee, Florida, Virginia, Georgia and now Maine.

Deb has over 40 years’ experience in the Women’s and Children’s healthcare arena. She’s held positions as a staff nurse, charge nurse, Nurse Manager, Director, Service Line Director and Chief Nursing Officer. Lifelong learning has always been important to Deb, and she’s continued to pursue her education by obtaining a BSN, MHA and MSN. She’s also a member of several professional organizations (AONL, AWHONN, AORN) and has achieved specialty certification status for Nursing Leadership and Inpatient Obstetrics and Fetal Monitoring. One of the accomplishments she’s most proud of is having been recognized and nominated by her nursing leadership team for a DAISY Nurse Leader award.

Ms. Block has been married to her husband Jeff for over 20 years, and they share 3 adult children, 5 granddaughters and one grandson. She enjoys cooking, is an avid reader, and loves spending time with family.

Sarah is an independent insurance agent, helping clients with understanding and choosing their Medicare supplemental insurance products.

She recently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Group in Boston, an agency representing MassMutual Financial Products, including Life, Disability, Long-Term Care Insurance, and Annuities.

Sarah is an active member of her community and belongs to various business organizations and fundraising efforts. She also serves on MDIH’s Development Committee.

Sarah is a graduate of Hobart & William Smith Colleges. She is a native of Massachusetts, yet currently resides in Seal Cove, ME. She enjoys hiking, biking, and cross country skiing on MDI, as well as traveling to and exploring new places.

Dana Fadley first joined the MDI Hospital Organization in April of 2019. As Senior Vice President of Provider and Ancillary Services at Mount Desert Island Hospital, he aims to continue the Organization’s tradition of providing high-quality care to the community and working with patients to make sure that their healthcare needs are met. As a career healthcare administrator, he is most proud of the work that he has done to build an atmosphere of teamwork and effective communication throughout every level of healthcare organizations. Dana is a member of the Maine Rural Health Collaborative and has plans to join the Bar Harbor Rotary Club. He holds a BA from the University of New Hampshire.

In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and watching sports, especially the Patriots, Bruins, Red Sox and Celtics.

Elsie Flemings is the Executive Director of Healthy Acadia, a community health organization serving primarily Washington and Hancock counties in Downeast Maine, with offices in Ellsworth, Machias and Calais. She is responsible for ensuring that the organization is responsive to local community health needs and priorities while assuring effective program management, communication and coordination with partners, community mobilization, financial management, ambassadorship, and resource development. Healthy Acadia works on a broad range of collaborative community health initiatives, with six areas of focus: Strong Beginnings; Healthy Food for All; Active and Healthy Environments; Healthy Aging; Substance Prevention and Recovery; and Health Promotion & Management. Elsie lives in Bar Harbor with her husband, Richard, and their two daughters, Fiona and Sylvia. Their older daughter (Elsie’s step-daughter, Rachel) lives in Florida with her daughter, Haven. As a family, they love to “walk the walk” (or “run the run”) of healthy living: running, hiking, biking, swimming, gardening, skiing, sledding, and adventuring together!

Care Philosophy: Passionate about Toxicology, Education, and Humanity, Dr. Flowers’ philosophy centers on dedication to caring for “Anyone. Anytime. Anything.” Reflected through problem solving and providing compassionate, comprehensive care tailored to each patient’s unique needs.

Patricia received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the George Washington University. She conducted research at the National Cancer Institute that contributed to the development of several clinical trials focused on improving the diagnosis and therapy of cancer. Patricia has a special interest in building collaborative multi-institutional research and research training networks. She has led the Maine IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence since its inception in 2001, a network composed of 13 Maine research and academic institutions dedicated to improving biomedical research capacity in Maine.

Patricia and her husband Victor have been full-time MDI residents since 2000.

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.

Dr. Joseph Jacobson is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He served as the Chief Quality Officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from 2011 to 2020. Before joining Dana-Farber, Dr. Jacobson was chairman of medicine at North Shore Medical Center. As part of the Partners Healthcare system, he co-developed the Partners Clinical Process Improvement Leadership Program. He has an extensive track record in quality measurement and quality improvement, serving as a founding member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI), as co-developer of the ASCO/ONS Chemotherapy Safety Standards and as recent past Chair of the ASCO Quality of Care Committee. He is the 2019 recipient of ASCO’s Joseph V. Simone Award and Lecture for Excellence in Quality and Safety in the Care of Patients With Cancer. In speaking with the Betsy Lehman Center about his work, Dr. Jacobson credited Dr. Simone, numerous individuals at ASCO, and others in the patient safety field who influence his thinking and work in safety systems improvement.

A graduate of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Julian Kuffler serves as the Director of Care Coordination for Mount Desert Island Hospital and has been a practicing family physician at Mount Desert Island Hospital for more than 30 years. He previously served as the Medical Director of the Community Health Center. Dr. Kuffler believes in providing medical services that treat the whole person.

In 2011, the Community Health Center became a Patient-Centered Medical Home where primary care, behavior health, and social services are accessible and integrated under one roof. This model inspired him to go one step further—to seek to provide for his patients’ oral health needs. “One of the major shortcomings of practicing in Maine has been the lack of access to dental services. Most of the babies I deliver start out healthy. Due to a combination of factors—including poor nutritional choices and lack of preventive dental care—cavities are one of the most common serious problems I see, says Dr. Kuffler, “Poor oral health is so preventable and treatment so expensive.”

The Community Dental Center, established in 2014 as MDI’s first-ever nonprofit dental clinic, grew directly out of this need. “I thought that it would be wonderful to work in an environment where all children born or living on MDI would get oral care from day one. If we could continue preventive services thru age 20—most of the chronic dental problems I see would be minimized,” says Dr. Kuffler.

Dr. Kathryn J. Lucchesi (Kathy) is a retired senior clinical research administrator and senior medical writer. She was a senior clinical research administrator for Mass General Brigham [MGB]) in the Division of Nephrology until 2018. Prior to her retirement in 2019, she was a clinical research consultant to the MGB’s Chief of Nephrology and Vice Dean for Research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Kathryn continued to consult for MGB, participating in the development of a longitudinal research study to track Covid-19 antibodies.

Prior to her joining the Board in 2023, Kathy served on the MDIH Planning Committee since 2017 and Steering Committee overseeing the forthcoming MDIH renovation and expansion. She resides full time in Bar Harbor and recently also joined MDIH’s Credentialing Committee.

In addition to her work at MGB, Kathy was a medical writer for nearly 20 years. She has been a consultant for various clients in the pharmaceutical industry with 25+ years combined academic and industry experience in pharmaceuticals, pre-clinical investigation, drug information, pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, and clinical research. She has written scientific publications from original data, review articles, educational materials, and drug information, and regulatory documents (clinical study reports, research protocols, investigator brochures), and has helped prepare New Drug Applications for FDA and regulatory documents for European and Canadian Regulatory Agencies.

Areas of therapeutic focus have been in hematology and oncology, anemia and blood management, hormone replacement therapy, anti-infectives, reproductive health, diabetes and metabolism. Kathy has broad methodological experience related to pharmacology, clinical and basic research, drug safety, and pharmacoeconomics. She has held the position of Director of Clinical Science at Wyeth Research, focusing on recombinant therapy for hemophilia patients. Her work involved writing and implementing clinical research protocols and development of clinical investigator brochures, study reports, and responses to inquiries by regulatory authorities. Prior to that, she directed the Drug Information group at Genetics Institute (GI), where her charge was to provide scientifically credible information to healthcare professionals and to train internal staff about hematopoietic cytokines and coagulation factors manufactured by GI’s proprietary recombinant technology. Kathy and the group she supervised also handled all aspects of post-marketing drug safety and product quality reporting.

Formerly a registered pharmacist, Kathy spent several years at the University of Pennsylvania and the Lahey Clinic coordinating investigational drug services and serving on their Institutional Review Board. She received her doctorate in Pharmacology from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where the topic of her thesis research was transport mechanisms of hydrophilic solutes across the blood-brain barrier. Kathy completed a 3-year post-doctoral fellowship at Yale School of Medicine, investigating the biophysics, electrophysiology, and biochemistry of ion channels derived from mammalian skeletal muscle tissue.

Kathy has published several research articles in peer-reviewed journals on subjects as varied as the clinical effects of immune therapy for acute myeloid leukemia, a device used to treat preeclampsia, and the pharmacology of snake and insect venoms related to neurotransmission.

Christina “Chrissi” Maguire, BS/BA, MHA, has worked at MDI Hospital Organization for over 13 years and currently is the President and Chief Executive Officer. The Mount Desert Island Hospital Organization, encompasses MDI Hospital, Health Centers, and Birch Bay Retirement Village. Chrissi has been serving the mission of healthcare and life sciences organizations for over 25 years. Chrissi’s background is in finance, accounting, project management, and strategic planning. Her acumen for health care, financial structure, and innovation is most noted in our ongoing strategic efforts, long-range campus expansion, and commitment to moving the Hospital forward in an ever-changing healthcare environment.

Serving in many capacities throughout her career as an accountant, reimbursement specialist, controller, director of fiscal services, and Chief Financial Officer, in October of 2018, she was appointed to serve as the organization’s first Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Chrissi has also served as the chair of the Public Policy Council, CFO Council for the Maine Hospital Association, the secretary of the Maine Chapter of HFMA, National HFMA Governance Task Force, chair of the CFO Council for the Critical Access Hospital, State of Maine SIM Grant Steering Committee Member, Community Care Partnership of Maine Board of Managers, Maine Hospital Association’s Public Policy Council, and the Task Force on Pricing and Transparency. Chrissi has also been actively involved in the Downeast Treatment Center, Downeast COVID-19 Taskforce, and has served as the Treasurer of the Maine Rural Health Collaborative, LLC.

Chrissi’s commitment extends beyond her professional life. She is an active member of her community, serving as a longtime member of the Ellsworth Lioness Club, a newly elected member of the Board of Trustees for Saint Joseph’s College, and the past president of the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce and Ellsworth Economic Development Committee. Her past roles include chair of the Lamoine School Board and Treasurer of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. She is currently a member of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Finance Committee, demonstrating her dedication to community service.

Outside of her professional and community commitments, Chrissi enjoys a balanced life. She finds joy in biking, skiing, and tennis and cherishes the time spent with her two children, Ashley and Nick. These personal interests reflect her well-rounded personality and her ability to find fulfillment in various aspects of life.

Arthur C. Martinez is a retired retail executive and corporate board leader. Previously, he was Chairman and CEO of Sears, Roebuck and Co., and Vice Chairman of Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC. He served as Executive Chairman of Abercrombie & Fitch and Non-Executive Chairman of HSNi, Inc. Arthur received a B.S. degree from Polytechnic University, an M.B.A. from Harvard University, and is the 1999 recipient of Harvard’s Alumni Achievement Award, the school’s highest honor. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Notre Dame in 1997 and an honorary Doctor of Engineering from Polytechnic University in 2008. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of AIG; as a Director of PepsiCo, IAC/Interactive Corporation, Kate Spade, Ameritech, Amoco and Martha Stewart Living Omni Media; as Chairman of the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and of the National Retail Federation. He served as Chairman of the Board of ABN-AMRO, the Netherlands largest bank. He is a Life Trustee of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Northwestern University; he served as a Trustee of The Maine Coast Heritage Trust for nine years and served as a Trustee for nineteen years (and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for nine years) of Greenwich Hospital. He also served on the Board of the National Urban League from 1998-2004.

Among the many honors he has received throughout his career are selections as CEO of the Year in 1996 by Financial World magazine, Business Statesman of the Year in 1997 by the Harvard Business School Club of Chicago and in 1998, he received the National Retail Federation’s Gold Medal for Excellence in Retailing. He is the author of “The Hard Road to the Softer Side”, published by Crown, a division of Random House.

Noelle was born in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii where she attended the Hawaii School for Girls at La Pietra. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the USC School of Cinema and Television then began a career in photography. Working in both New York and Los Angeles as a photo agent, she represented world-renowned photographers in advertising, fashion, celebrity and music. Her career transitioned to public relations working with fashion designers and publications such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, In Style and more.

In 2005, Noelle shifted her focus to the non-profit world, applying her skills and support to the causes that were closest to her heart. Noelle has donated her time to the Princess Grace Foundation, Lupus L.A., The Jackson Lab, and the New York Stem Cell Foundation.

Currently she participates as a board member of the Joyful Heart Foundation, The Alliance for Children’s Rights, Mount Desert Island Hospital, and the Hawaii School for Girls. She recently named the Children’s Museum of Santa Barbara of exploration and innovation – MOXI where Noelle is also a board member.

One of Noelle’s most proud moments was her recent chair position for Friends of Acadia’s 25th Anniversary where she raised .3 million for the conservation of the park. Noelle spends most of her time between Montecito, California, and Seal Harbor, Maine, with her two children and their horses, dogs, fish, and a cat.

Vince Messer was involved in learning and organizational development for non-profits and service organizations throughout his career.

After teaching for several years, he left public education to work at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in training and development, and eventually directed the organization’s entire training function. Vince also led the development of a centralized function for learning, staff development and organizational development for American Red Cross staff and volunteers nationwide. In 2002, he started an independent consulting practice which he continues to operate on a part-time basis.

Vince has been a year-round MDI resident since 2008. In addition to his work with MDI Hospital, Vince also serves on the Board of Healthy Acadia.

Dean S. Read was born and raised in Belfast. He graduated from Kents Hill School in 1965 and from Husson College in 1970 with a B.S in Management with a major in Finance. He started his banking career with Depositors Trust Company in Augusta (now Key Bank) in March 1970, and completed it as President of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust in March 2005 when he retired.

Outside his banking career, he was heavily involved with the American Heart Association, serving in Maine, New England, and nationally.

Dean now invests his time volunteering for MDI Hospital, MDI YMCA, YMCA Alliance of Maine, MDI Rotary, and MDI Biological Laboratories. He enjoys fitness activities including riding his bicycle 5-6000 miles/year, and walking with Penny, his wife of 48 years. The Reads reside in Bar Harbor and have two daughters who live in New England.

Edward L. Samek is the retired Chairman & CEO of the MRC Group, a leading national provider of medical record services to hospitals and large medical providers. Ed served as the Chair of the Friends of Acadia National Park from 2011 to 2017 and continues to be an advocate for national parks and the National Park Service. Currently he is on the board of the Trust for the National Mall and the National Park Conservation Association, Northeast Region. He previously served as President of Childcraft Education Corporation, President & CEO of Hudson Pharmaceutical Corporation, and President & CEO of SecrePhone Medical Transcription, Ltd. He has been a member and advisor on numerous public and private corporate boards, including Alliance Healthcare Services, MedPlus, CareMedic, Veritext, WaterJel, Third Millennium Healthcare, and as Vice Chair of Medquist.

Past involvements in other board leadership positions include Treasurer and Finance Chair of The Jackson Laboratory, President of the Board of The Hartridge School, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Wardlaw-Hartridge School. Ed grew up in Westchester County, New York. He and his wife, Martie, live in Manhattan and Southwest Harbor, Maine. They have three daughters and eight grandchildren.

Louise Soucy is the owner of Soucy Accounting Services, which provides bookkeeping and accounting services to small businesses and non-profit organizations. She grew up in Caribou, Maine and attended the University of Maine where she earned a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting/finance. She began her career at Arthur Young & Company in Portland, Maine working as an auditor and earning her CPA license. Louise came to Mount Desert Island in 1994 when she became Vice President of Finance and Support Services at MDI Hospital. She loved the job, enjoying the different challenges each day brought. However, after 8 years, she left to find a position which would allow her to spend more time with her 2 young children. She worked part time for 10 years at the Mount Desert Island YMCA as Finance Manager.

Over the past 25 years, Louise has been active in the community, serving as a Girl Scout leader and as a member of several boards. She is currently on the board of the Causeway Club in Southwest Harbor, and she remains active with the University of Maine Foundation and Alumni Association. She likes playing golf and spending time with family and friends. She is a big sports fan, following the Red Sox, Patriots, and UMaine Black Bears.

Louise and her husband Jim Geary live in Southwest Harbor. They have 2 children (who were both born at MDI Hospital).

As Vice President of Finance/CFO and Corporate Compliance Officer, Michelle Smith oversees all finance and accounting activities for the organization, ensures regulatory compliance and manages the ongoing development of compliance policies and programming. Michelle greatly enjoys her work at MDI Hospital. “The organization is providing amazing care for its patients and is continuously challenging itself to always be better,” she says. Since joining the organization in 2015, Michelle has optimized financial performance and demonstrated positive financial and cash flow results.

Michelle previously served as MDI Hospital’s Director of Fiscal Services. She has worked in healthcare finance since 1999, and previously served as a Controller for Maine Coast Memorial Hospital. Michelle graduated from Husson College in 1995 with a degree in Accounting. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Augusta with a primary focus in Business Administration, Accounting and Human Resources.

She serves as Board Treasurer for the Northern New England Chapter of the Health Finance Management Association. Michelle is also an active member of her community, and a lifetime member of Gouldsboro Fire & EMS, where she served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for more than 15 years.

In her free time, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, enjoying the outdoors, fishing, snowmobiling, ATV-ing, horseback riding, camping and traveling to new places with her husband.