A Familiar Face: Ellen DaCorte Starts New Role as Women’s Health Nurse Navigator
This summer, we welcomed longtime OB nurse Ellen DaCorte, RN, BSN, CBC to the role of Women’s Health Nurse Navigator. For 29 years, Ellen has been a trusted presence in the lives of families at Mount Desert Island Hospital. She has supported generations of families with calm reassurance, deep understanding, and genuine joy, celebrating every new life and every growing family.
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.”
A New Face: MDI Hospital Welcomes Dr. Kara Dwight, OB/GYN
At the end of this month, MDI Hospital is thrilled to welcome Dr. Kara Dwight, a board-certified OB/GYN who will bring expanded gynecology and urogynecology services to women across our region. With Dr. Dwight’s arrival, women on MDI will no longer need to travel far for many of the specialized services that were once only available off-island.
Focused on patient-centered, minimally invasive treatment options, Dr. Dwight will provide comprehensive gynecology care, including hormone replacement therapy, contraception management, evaluation and management of abnormal pap smears, and treatment for abnormal uterine bleeding and fibroids.
Her urogynecology expertise further enhances local women’s health care, with both office-based and surgical treatment options for pelvic floor disorders, minimally invasive surgery for pelvic organ prolapse, and long-lasting injection therapy for stress urinary incontinence that can remain effective for up to 12 years with little to no side effects.
A Fond Farewell: Dr. Katie Gassmann
After years of caring for women and families on the island, Dr. Katie Gassman has decided to transition out of her role with MDI Hospital at the end of December. While her departure is bittersweet, her legacy of compassionate care continues, and the women’s health team she has helped build remains strong because of her leadership.
In the past few months, under Dr. Gassman’s leadership, women and families have already begun experiencing this new model of care, receiving prenatal support on the island, delivering safely at partner hospitals, and then returning to MDI Hospital for postpartum care and newborn well-child visits. This continuity ensures that families remain closely connected to their providers and receive ongoing care on the island they call home.
Reflecting on her time at MDIH, Dr. Gassmann said, “While I am excited for the professional opportunities my new position will allow, I am sad to leave the hospital and community. I am so grateful for my time at MDI Hospital and the families I have had the privilege to care for here. I am excited for my colleagues, Ellen DaCorte, Dr. Brown, and Dr. Dwight, who continue to provide exceptional care to women and families on MDI.”
On behalf of all of us at MDI Hospital, we thank Dr. Gassman for her many years of dedicated service to this community, her unwavering commitment to women’s health, and her compassion for every life she touched.
In Summary:
Together with Ellen DaCorte, RN, BSN, CBC, Dr. Sveva Brown, Dr. Kara Dwight, and our network of Family Medicine practitioners across our island health centers, the team at MDI Hospital is committed to ensuring that every woman in this community receives the right care, in the right place, at the right time. Dr. Gassman will continue to see patients leading up to her departure in December. Dr. Brown will continue to see OB patients and Dr. Dwight will begin seeing OB patients after her start at the end of this month. If you have questions about accessing OB and OBGYN care at the Lisa Stewart Women’s Health Center, please contact Ellen DaCorte at 207.288.8100 ext. 2550.
Questions?
Thank you for taking the time to read this update. If you have questions about any information in this message, please contact the Lisa Stewart Women’s Health Center at 207.288.8100.