Nathan Howell Named New CEO for Southern Maine Health Care

Executive with national healthcare experience has ties to Maine

Southern Maine Health Care (SMHC) has named Nathan Howell, a healthcare executive with national experience and ties to Maine, as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective May 21, 2018. Howell will replace Ed McGeachey, who is retiring after leading SMHC for the last 30 years.

Howell’s background and experience have prepared him particularly well for his new position at SMHC. He is currently president and CEO of North Star Health Alliance (NSHA) and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center in Ogdensburg, New York, a $125 million non-profit healthcare system that includes two hospitals with a total of 140 licensed beds, 10 outpatient clinical sites, and more than 70 employed providers.

Previously, Howell was Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Steward-St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a $360 million, 252-bed teaching hospital in Brighton, Mass., which serves as the tertiary hospital in the Boston area for Steward Health Care. He also previously held the COO position for three hospitals within Community Health Systems.

In addition to his strong professional background, Howell has significant ties to Maine. He was born at Goodall Hospital in Sanford, spent many summers at his family’s summer home in Brunswick, and graduated from Colby College. He received a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University.

"My mother grew up in Saco, so I spent a lot of time in the area when I was young. That’s really what led me to attend college in Maine," Howell stated. "I’m excited to return to the state with my family and contribute my experience in support of the professionals at SMHC who are providing exceptional healthcare to the people of York County."

As CEO of SMHC, Howell will oversee York County’s largest healthcare system and the largest employer home-based in York County, with more than 2,200 employees. SMHC includes a full service, acute care medical center in Biddeford and a medical center in Sanford. Both the Biddeford and Sanford centers provide 24/7 emergency care, surgical services, and diagnostic and therapy services. SMHC also includes 200 primary care and multi-specialty physician services providers, with practices in Biddeford, Kennebunk, Saco, Sanford, North Berwick and Waterboro, and Walk-In Care centers in Saco, Sanford, Kennebunk and Waterboro. Breast, cancer care, wound care, sleep, pain, and sports performance specialty centers are located in Biddeford, Kennebunk and Sanford.

SMHC is not-for-profit and a member of MaineHealth.

About Southern Maine Health Care
Southern Maine Health Care (SMHC) is a national award-winning healthcare system with a non-profit mission “to improve the health and health care of the communities we serve.”  SMHC includes a full service, acute care medical center in Biddeford, with York County’s only inpatient mental health unit. Emergency care, surgical services, and diagnostic and therapy services are available at SMHC’s Medical Centers in Biddeford and Sanford. SMHC offers primary care and multi-specialty physician services, diagnostic and therapy services, and Walk-In Care centers in various York County communities including Biddeford, Kennebunk, Saco, Sanford, North Berwick and Waterboro. SMHC is Joint Commission accredited and has been recognized for quality excellence by numerous outside organizations. To learn more about SMHC and SMHC providers, visit www.smhc.org, https://www.youtube.com/c/smhcorgme, or https://twitter.com/SMHCHealth.