At Andwell Health Partners we are united in a dedication to make each of our patient’s here and now the best it can possibly be.
Leadership Team
A Maine native, Ken’s background is rich in medical experience, including 17 years of clinical practice in emergency and intensive care settings. He served as Director of Emergency Services at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC), as the Administrator of the Occupational Health Center affiliated with CMMC, and as the Lewiston Site Manager for LifeFlight of Maine.
For five years, he traveled across the United States providing critical care nursing in metropolitan, rural and tribal communities. He also taught Legal Issues in Health Care Administration as an adjunct faculty member at New England College.
Ken is a graduate of the CMMC School of Nursing and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Southern Maine, Magna Cum Laude, and a degree of Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law with honors in health law.
“The mission at Andwell focuses on improving the quality of life for members of the Maine community by providing innovative and compassionate health care. This aligns beautifully with my professional objectives, and I get to work with a team that is incredibly competent, talented and dedicated to our mission.”
Dr. Brown has held several staff physician positions over the years including time at Maine Medical Partners in Scarborough, ME; Cleveland Clinic in Ohio; Marymount Hospital in Ohio and at Family Medicine Associates in Worcester, MA. Dr. Brown has held key leadership positions over his career, including Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, Medical Director and Research Director at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, Residency Director at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester, MA, and Chief Medical Officer at Maine Health from 2008 to 2014. Prior to joining Andwell, Dr. Brown served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Bassett Healthcare Network, a six-hospital system based in upstate New York.
“I am very excited to be joining Andwell at this time of significant growth. The organization is extremely well positioned to be a regional force in the delivery of high-quality home, palliative, and hospice care that I believe is an essential element of an effective health care system. I look forward to being part of a progressive team and organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals in the community setting.”
Carol M. Weir R.N., M.S.N., M.B.A is an experienced healthcare executive who joined the Andwell team in 2023, bringing a solid 25 years of home care experience with her. Prior to joining Andwell, Carol served as Executive Director for Patient Care in LHC Group’s New Jersey market. LHC is the largest provider of home care in the United States. Prior to working with LHC, Carol directed home health, hospice, and other programs for Bayonne Visiting Nurse Association in NJ.
Carol studied and worked as an operating room R.N. in the U.K. before emigrating to the U.S.A., where she began her nursing career in America as an intensive care and flight nurse in Texas. She remained in intensive care settings when she moved to Louisiana and then Maine, where she held clinical and leadership positions at the Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle. While in Maine, Carol founded Core Charting Systems, Inc., a clinical documentation system that promoted the continuum of care. She sold Core to a home care digital platform and it is still in use today. Carol was also a contributing author on documentation for Springfield Publishing.
Carol furthered her education at St. Joseph’s College of Maine, earning master’s degrees in both nursing science and business administration, with a specialization in leadership. Carol has worked in public, private, for-profit, and non-profit sectors throughout her career. When she is not working, Carol is an avid sailor, animal lover, hiker and gardener who loves spending time in the great outdoors.
“I am incredibly excited to belong on such a dedicated team, and to work alongside individuals who are committed to enhance the quality of life, by providing the best medical care possible, with a focus on health through all of life’s stages to their patient populations and Maine communities. Through the organization’s innovation and leadership, Andwell has positioned its health care system as a beacon of efficacy and caring. I believe this is a necessary element to successfully address and solve health care challenges today and prepare for the future”
Dr. Gagnon is a two-time graduate of Thomas College, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. RJ also holds a Doctorate degree in Business Administration, with a specialization in Healthcare Administration from Walden University. He has worked in all areas of financial management from the public, private, for-profit, and non-profit sectors.
RJ is the Chair of the Payment & Reimbursement committee at the National level, and a member of the Young Professionals committee of the Home Care & Hospice Financial Managers Association (HHFMA). Additionally, he is a member of the HHFMA Advisory Board and Workgroup where he holds appointed positions nominated by other experts in the field of finance and management in the home healthcare & hospice sphere. RJ’s work also includes being a member of the National Association of Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) Mentor Advisory Council where he is a facilitator to Mentors and Mentees of the program.
At the State level, RJ holds the Treasurer position at the Home Care and Hospice Alliance of Maine. While on the local stage, RJ is on the Board of Directors for the Dempsey Center in Lewiston while also sitting on the Finance Committee.
“It’s an honor to be part of an organization with such strong values that have employees like myself striving to do their part in providing the best quality care to our patients. I’m excited to share my strategic and financial knowledge with our organization and the industry at large, in hopes to drive change for patients and providers alike.”
Steve has been with the organization since 1997 when he was hired as a part-time employee working on the facility maintenance team. He has since gone on to earn an undergraduate degree in Information Technology from University of Phoenix, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Over the years he has held several leadership positions of progressive importance to the overall success of Andwell’s mission.
In this role, Steve will serve on the organization’s executive leadership team ensuring that Andwell Health Partners evolves its digital capabilities and data insights to drive exemplary clinical and operational performance supported by a state-of-the-art information technology center of excellence. He will also grow Andwell’s Health Informatics team supporting our electronic health records platforms, and expand data analytics capabilities that will enhance clinical outcomes and operational performance with the use of predictive analytics and a comprehensive data warehouse. As a member of the executive leadership team, Steve will provide influential leadership in all governance matters including our patient and employee experiences, quality, safety and security, and fiscal oversight.
Board of Directors
Debra Fournier, RN – Chair
Healthcare Executive, Business Owner
John L. Alexander, MD – Vice Chair
Chief Medical Officer, Chief Operations Officer, President of Centeral Maine ACO
David MacMahon – Treasurer
Retired CEO
Christopher Pezzullo, DO – Secretary
Clinical Director, Maine Primary Care Association
Philip Harriman – Officer At Large
Founding Partner, Lebel & Harriman LLP
Elizabeth Keene – Immediate Past Chair
COO, Maine Primary Care Association
Kenneth Albert, RN, Esq.
President & CEO, Andwell Health Partners
Phillip Crowell, Jr.
City Manager, City of Auburn
Daniel Bazemore
CFO, MaineHealth – Franklin Community Health Network
Christopher Gagnon
Ameriprise Financial Services – Adelphi Group
Lorrie Marquis-Evans
VP, Off Platform Kooth Digital Health
Heather Printup
Community Relations Manager, Poland Spring Brand
Alex Roy
Managing Member, Royal Technology Management, LLC
Kevin Simoneau
General Manager, The Fortin Group Funeral Homes
Committees
Deb Fournier – Chair
John L. Alexander, MD – Vice Chair
David MacMahon – Treasurer
Christopher Pezzullo, DO – Secretary
Philip Harriman – Officer At Large
Kenneth Albert, RN, Esq. – President/CEO, Ex-Officio
Christopher Pezzullo, DO – Chair
John L. Alexander, MD
Lorrie Marquis-Evans
Elizabeth Keene
Vance Brown, MD, Chief Medical Officer – Executive Staff
David MacMahon – Chair
Daniel Bazemore
Christopher Gagnon
Philip Harriman
RJ Gagnon, Chief Finance and Operating Officer – Executive Staff
Kenneth Albert, R.N., Esq, President – CEO, Ex-Officio
Alex Roy – Chair
David MacMahon
Heather Printup
Kevin Simoneau
Mary MacMahon
Christine Bosse
Cindi Robbins
Cathy MacDonald
Elizabeth Keene – Chair
Phillip Crowell, Jr.