our letter


An open letter to Maine state leaders for immediate publication

An open letter to Maine state leaders

Congratulations on your recent election.

We, the undersigned, are practicing and retired physicians across the State of Maine who are calling upon our newly elected state leaders to take urgent action in the setting of the worsening crisis of access to birthing care across Maine. We represent physicians of Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Anesthesia, and other medical specialties whose patients and practices are negatively affected by ongoing reductions in access to care.

As physicians, we are committed to the health of our patients and our communities; this is the reason we chose this work. Our state has experienced an alarming and accelerating rate of closures of hospital labor and delivery units, with a dozen closures in the past ten years, and five announced since last year alone. This is a dangerous trajectory and is simply unacceptable. We know that when families have to travel longer distances to give birth, the risk of maternal and infant complications increases, including preterm birth, cesarean delivery, severe maternal morbidity, complications leading to NICU admission, and even death. In the decade leading up to the rash of closures in 2025, the average driving distance to a birthing unit had already doubled. We are already seeing obstetric and newborn emergencies occurring far from needed medical care that was previously available.

We affirm that equitable access to quality care for families in all stages of life is essential to the health and sustainability of our communities. Timely and appropriate care should remain within reach for people and families throughout Maine, regardless of zip code or resources. Care should be safe, evidence-based, and well-coordinated. 

Now, let’s get to work together. Let’s put an end to this crisis and work towards long-term solutions to improve access to safe pregnancy and birthing care across all of Maine for the generations to come.

Maine Physicians for Healthy Beginnings
Signed by physicians from across Maine in support of this letter.

Shannon L. Carr MD MS,  FACOG Ob-Gyn

Anne Coates, MD, FAAP, Pediatric Pulmonologist 

Florence Dasrath MD, Family Medicine, Maine Academy of Family Physicians Treasurer

Marya Goettsche Spurling MD, FAAFP, Family Medicine, Maine Academy of Family Physicians board member

Anne Marie van Hengel MD, FACOG, Ob-Gyn

Joe Anderson DO, FAAP Pediatrician

Guy Nuki MD MBA, FAAFP  Chief Medical Officer  BlueWater Health Emergency Medicine

Jennifer Pofahl, MD FACOG   Ob-Gyn

Stephanie Grohs, MD FACOG Ob-Gyn ( ret)

Alicia Kane DO, Family Medicine

Marco Cornelio MD, FAAFP President of Maine Academy of Family Physicians

Lisa Torgersen MD, Family Medicine with Ob, Addiction Medicine

Stephanie McCullough MD, Family Medicine with Surgical Obstetrics

Constance Adler MD, FAAFP (ret)

Sveva Brown MD Family Medicine

Kate Gelman MD, Family Medicine

Hope Huntley MD, Family Medicine

Julia Deziel MD, Family Medicine

Rebecca Spear DO, FACP Internal Medicine, Geriatric Medicine

Jenna Elkhoury MD, Family Medicine

Jessica Faraci MD, Family Medicine

Emily Young MD, Family Medicine

Casey Riddell DO, Family Medicine

Dieter Kreckel MD, Family Medicine

Samantha Deming-Berr DO MPH, Family Medicine, Emergency Med

Rose Fuchs MD, Family Medicine

Ariel Zodhiates MD, Family Med-Obstetrics

Amy Trelease-Bell MD, Family Medicine

Alyssa Finn MD, Family Medicine

Kieran G Kammerer MD, Pediatrics

Bradley Weitz MD, Pediatrics

Dylan Brash MD, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics

Jessie Kerr MD, Pediatrics

Lawrence Losey MD, FAAP Pediatrics

Sydney Green DO, Pediatrics

Wenda Saunders MD, Pediatrics

Stephanie Phelps MD, Pediatrics

Kate Woodworth MD MPH, Pediatrics

Iris Silverstein MD, Pediatrics (ret)

Melissa Keeport MD, Pediatrics

Patricia Nobel MD, Pediatrics

Margaret Kloby MD. Pediatrics

Rosalinda Maraya-Husted MD, Pediatrician

Hannah Diou-Cass DO, Family Medicine

Erica Shumaker MD, Pediatrics

Carolyn Delk DO, Ob-Gyn

Charles Zelnick MD, Family Medicine

Cheryl Seymour MD, Family Medicine

George Conover MD, Family Medicine

Susan Luthin MD, Family Medicine

Jeff Safer MD, Family Medicine (ret)

Kathryn Bourgoin MD, Family Medicine

Jeff Lovitz MD, Family Medicine

Timothy Goltz MD, Family Medicine

Courtney Linville DO, Family Medicine

Jacylin Ticacatic MD, Family Medicine

Abigail Blake-Sheehy DO, Family Medicine

Paul Forman MD, Family Medicine (ret)


Please sign this letter to lend your voice to protect access to quality perinatal care across the state of Maine