Nationally recognized for achievements in quality, safety and patient satisfaction
Quality Oncology Practice Initiative
MaineHealth Waldo Hospital achieved exceptional results during their Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI) certification program site survey, receiving a perfect survey outcome with no deficiencies cited. This accomplishment reflects an extraordinary level of compliance with nationally recognized oncology quality standards and contributes to MaineHealth Cancer Care’s oncology accreditation and quality improvement across the system. Read the full press release.
Lown Institute Hospital Index Awards
MaineHealth Waldo Hospital has been recognized by the Lown Institute for outstanding performance, earning the #1 ranking in Maine for social responsibility as well as #1 in the state for Health Equity and Avoiding Overuse. In addition, the hospital is in the Top 10 in the Nation for Avoiding Overuse, and received “A” grades across multiple categories in the 2025-26 Lown Institute Hospitals Index.
The hospital ranked #1 among 13 critical access hospitals in Maine and 20th nationally for social responsibility, reflecting strong performance across more than 800 critical access hospitals evaluated nationwide. According to the Index, Waldo Hospital also received “A” ratings in Health Value of Care, Patient Outcomes, Clinical Outcomes, Community Benefit, and Inclusivity in addition to the other metrics mentioned. The Lown Institute Hospitals Index is an independent assessment, and hospitals do not apply or pay to be included.
2025 Practice Greenhealth Partner for Change Awards
MaineHealth Waldo Hospital has earned national recognition with the 2025 Practice Greenhealth Partner for Change Awards, highlighting their strong commitment to environmental sustainability in health care.
Presented by Practice Greenhealth (PGH), the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable health care, the award honors hospitals that have made significant progress in reducing their environmental impact through comprehensive sustainability programs. Read the full press release.
MaineHealth Waldo Hospital Recognized as Pediatric Innovator
In June 2025, Maine EMS recognized Waldo Hospital for its readiness to care for pediatric patients, awarding the hospital the Pediatric Innovator designation—the highest recognition offered by the Always Ready for Children (ARC) Program. This voluntary initiative ensures that Maine-based emergency departments are best prepared to care for pediatric emergencies.
To earn the Pediatric Innovator designation, a hospital must:
- Identify a designated physician and nurse pediatric emergency care coordinator (PECC) to support Emergency Department staff
- Be willing to share resources with other hospitals in Maine to improve pediatric care
- Achieve a score of 80 or above on the National Pediatric Readiness Project assessment, which measures the “readiness” of an emergency department to care for an ill or injured presenting pediatric patient
MaineHealth Waldo Hospital’s emergency department achieved an impressive score of 94 out of 100 from the National Pediatric Readiness Project—significantly above the national median of 71.
2020 Leapfrog Top Rural Hospital
MaineHealth Waldo Hospital was one of nineteen rural hospitals given the prestigious Leapfrog Top Rural Hospital Award in 2020. Given annually by the Leapfrog Group, the award honors hospital performance under national standards of safety, quality and efficiency. The group represents many of the country’s largest corporations and public agencies that buy health benefits. The hospital’s performance was measured through standards for complex, high-risk procedures, staffing standards, implementation of procedures to prevent medication errors, mortality rates for certain common procedures, infection rates and value. Leapfrog ranked the hospitals on 20 separate categories for care and procedure. Read the full press release.
Safe Sleep Certification
MaineHealth Waldo Hospital has been recognized by the National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program at the silver level for our commitment to best practices in promoting infant safe sleep. The National Safe Sleep Hospital Certification Program was created by Cribs for Kids, the only national infant safe sleep organization. Based in Pittsburgh, Cribs for kids is dedicated to preventing infant sleep-related deaths due to accidental suffocation. Read the full press release here.
Certified Quality Breast Center of Excellence
The Ann Hooper Center for Women’s Imaging has been recognized as a Certified Quality Breast Center of Excellence in the National Quality Measures for Breast Centers Program™ (NQMBC™). This distinguished honor represents a commitment by the breast center to provide the highest level of quality breast health care to patients in the community.