Community Health Center

Care Philosophy: “I aspire to help be in a partnership with patients to work towards making them the best version of themselves, focusing on mind, body and spirit to achieve the optimal physical, emotional and spiritual health. I feel preventative care is the most important. Together we will focus on diet and exercise to optimize health and avoid disease processes.

I was lucky enough to be able to complete a fellowship at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona with Andrew Weil, MD. The concept of integrative medicine is to compliment Western medicine by incorporating alternative therapies such acupuncture, herbal remedies and meditation just to name a few.”

Dr. Hanke specializes in integrative and family medicine. Her medical interests and expertise include preventative care, patient education, integrative medicine and osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT). She chose family medicine as a specialty in order to afford her the opportunity to take care of patients in all the stages of life including infants, adolescents, adults and the elderly.

Dr. Hanke chose to attend medical school at the University of New England in Biddeford before ever stepping foot in the state of Maine. “I had visions of rocky coasts, small towns, and friendly neighbors,” she said. “As soon as I moved to Maine, I fell in love. From that point on I recognized I would like to live in Maine to practice and raise a family here. I applied to work in Lincoln, Dover Foxcroft, and MDI. It was a joint decision with my fiancé Jeff to move here. When we interviewed at MDIH, we immediately recognized that this would be a perfect fit for us. We find that each season has something special to offer on MDI. I enjoy the solitude of the winter and the excitement of the summer.”

In her free time, Dr. Hanke enjoys hiking, swimming, and kayaking. She loves gardening and is currently trying to get her basil and cucumbers to grow. She also enjoys traveling and is looking forward to going to Iceland and the Czech Republic in the future. She and her fiancé like exploring MDI, shopping at the farmers market and enjoying an ice cream cone at Mount Desert Island Ice Cream.

Care Philosophy: “As a primary care internist, I believe that long term relationships with my patients allow me to give them the best medical care. Many of my patients are coping with multiple chronic medical conditions, and we work together not just to manage an illness, but to help them continue to enjoy the best life possible in the face of whatever conditions they have. I view the role of the physician not to tell patients what to do, but to get patients the information they need to make the right choices for their own unique situation.”

Dr. Peter Witham specializes in internal medicine. His medical interests and expertise include the evaluation and care of patients with multiple ongoing medical conditions and the care of older patients. He believes in establishing long term relationships between patient and providers leads to the best patient care. “I came to MDI to work with a group of people who are dedicated to caring for both their patients and the community as a whole,” he says.

Outside of work, Dr. Witham enjoys photography, hiking, baking, and spending time with his wife and their Bernese Mountain dogs. He and his wife were originally introduced to MDI when they visited the Appalachian Mountain Club on Echo Lake for a camping trip in the early 90s, and they still go every year.

“Throughout life people experience many different stressors. My job as a psychologist is to support clients through these difficult times and to help them use their own personal strengths to develop more effective coping mechanisms.”

Dr. Koscherak is a Diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology with more than 40 years’ experience treating children, adolescents and adults. Trained in family systems theory and divorce mediation, he uses a short-term, solution oriented approach in therapy sessions. Dr. Koscherak specializes in resolving marital and parent-child relationship issues as well as treating anxiety and depression.

Dr. Koscherak enjoys nature, hiking, kayaking and photography. After visiting Acadia National Park for 35 years, Dr. Koscherak and his wife decided to move to MDI with their dog to live year-round in an environment that they all love.

Melissa has over 30 years in healthcare; 27 years as a registered nurse and 3 ½ years as a Nurse Practitioner. Born in Nova Scotia, Canada, Melissa graduated from Dalhousie University in 1992 with a BScN, then from Simmons University in 2019 with a MSN FNP. She has lived and worked in Texas, Maryland and North Carolina and returned to the Northeast to be closer to family and make a home in beautiful Maine. She brought her husband, Ed, 19 year old son, Jesse and 9 year old dog, Bailey with her. Her 22 year old son, Christian is at the Coast Guard Academy in New London CT.  Melissa loves the outdoors, hiking, running, swimming and skiing in the past. She is looking forward to all that Maine has to offer.

She is very excited to bring her holistic experience to her daily practice here at the MDI Community Center in Southwest Harbor.

Care Philosophy: “Developing a relationship with patients that promotes joint decision making; allowing for a collaboration that promotes health and wellness utilizing evidence-based medicine, lifestyle changes, nutrition and holistic care.”

Maddrey Coover, FNP provides care at MDI Hospital’s Community Health Center in Southwest Harbor. Graduating from Purdue Global University, Maddrey earned her Masters in the Science of Nursing. Maddrey is board certified through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and shares this message to new and prospective patients: “I look forward to sharing your health goals and helping you achieve them.”

Maddrey’s specialty is family practice with her medical interests revolving around physical and mental wellness, health promotion, and nutritional support for patients of all ages. Outside of work, Maddrey enjoys spending time with family, horseback riding, farming, spinning and knitting, and paddling.

Jessica Hardy provides skilled Physical Therapy at the Trenton Health Center. She grew up in Turner, Maine. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Maine in Orono in 2010 with a major in Biology and a minor in Psychology. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of New England in 2013. Jessica has worked in acute care, skilled nursing facilities, and outpatient clinics. Jessica’s specialties include rehabilitation following orthopedic injuries or elective surgeries, treatment of low back pain including SI dysfunction, and balance and gait training. She has treated patients as young as eight years old and as old as 104. Jessica has attended continuing education classes for evaluation and manipulation of the spine. When she isn’t working, she enjoys camping, skiing, and just generally being outside. She lives in Hancock with her husband, Brian, and her young son, Sam.

Care Philosophy: “The Maine State Motto is “Dirigo”, or Latin for “I lead.” Doctors are often looked at as the leader in healthcare, but this is a journey that we will travel together and it is not possible without everyone on our healthcare team, from the front desk staff, to the medical assistants and nurses, and to our providers in the clinic and in the hospital. We are fortunate to have such a wonderful community across MDI and I look forward to building your trust with our team.”

Natasha Neal, DO, MPH, is a family medicine physician who cares for patients at all stages of life. Originally from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Dr. Neal completed degrees in health science and business at Western University before moving to Boston for a Mater’s of Public Health. She first came to Maine to attend medical school at the University of New England, with clinical training at Eastern Maine Medical Center. After medical school, Dr. Neal completed a family medicine residency at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Neal moved back to Maine with her husband, three boys, and two dogs to enjoy hiking, reading, ice cream , and maybe a little snow too! She enjoys trying out new recipes but also welcomes woodworking tips.