Palliative Medicine

Honoring and supporting the lived experience.

Improving overall quality of life for people living with life-limiting illness, and their caregivers.

Serious illness affects every aspect of a person’s life—not just physical. Maine Center for Palliative Medicine goes beyond expert medical care for pain and symptom management to include emotional, spiritual and social advocacy, guidance, and support.

How can MCPM help?

Maine Center for Palliative Medicine (MCPM) works to reframe the language of illness and determine goals for care based on what matters most to you and your family. We’re here to support and guide you and your loved ones in navigating the complex dynamics of serious illness.

Through partnerships with patients, families, caregivers and healthcare providers, we honor your lived experience.

What is Palliative Care?

Palliative care is specialized medical care focused on improving quality of life for people living with serious illness, and their loved ones. Expert medical care is combined with emotional, spiritual, and social advocacy and support to provide whole-person care based on what matters most to an individual and their family.

Who Can Receive Palliative Care?

There is no age limit for palliative care. It can be provided to anyone at any stage of a serious illness.

Palliative care can be provided along with curative treatment or for individuals with a terminal diagnosis.

Clinical Staff

Lori has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and attended St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing and Southern New Hampshire University. She is a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse.

Following nursing school, Lori worked at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Oncology for 32 years and left in 2020 to work with the Palliative Care Team at Andwell Health Partners.

Julie is a Palliative Care Coordinator at the Maine Center for Palliative Medicine and is responsible for contacting the patient to introduce the Palliative Care program. She schedules the initial consultation, offers resource information, and meets and greets patients at the clinics.  Julie graduated from the University of Southern Colorado Pueblo with a Bachelor of Science degree in speech and language pathology with a minor in psychology and earned an Associate degree in business management from the University of Maine Farmington. She holds a license as a social worker and worked in the long-term health care system for over 20 years.

Nancy supports the Palliative Care team by managing documentation, coordinating and confirming appointments, and assisting with scheduling needs. She works closely with care coordinators to help ensure patients receive high-quality, compassionate care. With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare support services, Nancy brings a strong foundation of knowledge and reliability to her role. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Bible and Christian Education from Appalachian Bible College.

Elizabeth earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Southern Maine in 2004. She spent 13 years as a bedside registered nurse at Maine Medical Center and Central Maine Medical Center before transitioning to home health with Andwell Health Partners in 2017. During her time at Andwell, she served as a Telehealth RN and, in 2024, joined the palliative care team.

Tegan earned her nursing degree from the University of New England in 2011. Her career has focused on behavioral health across the lifespan, including emergency psychiatry and addiction medicine, with additional experience in skilled home health and hospice care. She has also served as a clinical nurse educator, supporting staff development and evidence-based practice, and worked in vocational education with high school students pursuing healthcare careers.

Tegan’s passion for palliative and hospice care began during her earlier work as a Certified Veterinary Technician, where she often provided end-of-life care for animals and supported their families—an experience that inspired her transition into nursing and continues to shape her compassionate approach to patient care.

Providers

Dr. Brown earned his undergraduate degree in biological sciences with a minor in psychology from Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. He went on to earn his degree as a Doctor of Medicine at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT. Dr. Brown then completed a residency in internal medicine at Yale-New Haven Medical Center; a residency in emergency medicine at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles; and served as chief resident in his family medicine residency at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. After years of clinical and leadership experience in prominent health care organizations, in June of 2019 Dr. Brown returned to his clinical roots and completed a Fellowship in Hospice and Palliative Medicine at Maine Medical Center and the VA Medical Center in Togus, ME.

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.

Shauna has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and attended Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine (formerly UMDNJ-SOM). She completed her Family Medicine Residency at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, ME and is Board Certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Following her three-year residency, Shauna joined the Central Maine Hospitalist Team and soon after the Inpatient Palliative Care Team. In 2014, she joined the Andwell organization as the Agency Medical Director. As the agency expanded its scope in palliative medicine, she transitioned to the Palliative Care Medical Director role in 2017.

Dr. DeSoi earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry from Mount Holyoke College, graduating magna cum laude. At Mount Holyoke College, she was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi, awarded prizes in Chemistry, French, and English and was also both a Sarah Winston Scholar and Mary Lyon Scholar. In 1985, Dr. DeSoi earned her MD from the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, NY.]

She completed her Internship and Residency in the Combined Medicine and Pediatrics Program at the University of Chicago Hospitals and Clinics where she also served as Chief Resident and Instructor in Pediatrics. Dr. DeSoi also served as a Clinical Research Fellow, Section of Nephrology, at the University of Chicago from 1990 to 1991. Dr. DeSoi is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Nephrology.

Bio Coming Soon

Amy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College before earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at University of Southern Maine. She went on to work in many aspects of acute care nursing before attaining a nurse practitioner degree at Husson University in 2018. She completed the Maine Center for Palliative Medicine Fellowship in 2024, and works with the Palliative hospital teams at St. Mary’s and Central Maine Medical Center, in addition to Community Palliative care.

Kellie, DNP, GNP-C, is a board-certified gerontological nurse practitioner. She brings clinical expertise in community-based primary care of older adults, with a strong focus on dementia care, palliative care and hospice across diverse healthcare settings  She is also the program director of the adult-gerontology nurse practitioner program at Boston College school of nursing.  She is committed to preparing future nurse practitioners to deliver compassionate, person-centered care.

Alyssa is an Adult Gerontology and Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of New England and spent 10 years in hospice. She became a Certified Hospice and Palliative Nurse in 2020.

She earned her Master of Science in Nursing from Husson University and completed an accelerated fellowship with the Maine Center for Palliative Medicine in 2025 through the Andwell Health Partners. Her training included community-based care, hospital settings, and The Hospice House of Andwell. Following her fellowship, she transitioned into a palliative and hospice provider role within the Andwell organization

Bio Coming Soon

Sarah earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Vermont and began her career as a registered nurse in Boston hospitals. She later obtained her Master of Science in Nursing from Boston College and relocated to Maine to practice as a nurse practitioner.

With over 15 years of experience in geriatrics and long-term care, Sarah went on to spend seven years on the palliative care team at Central Maine Medical Center. She now brings her expertise to Andwell Health Partners, where she has served both on the inpatient palliative care team at Central Maine Medical Center and as a nurse practitioner at the Hospice House.

Sarah is certified in hospice and palliative medicine and is dedicated to providing compassionate, patient-centered care.

Jackie is a graduate of Boston College with a clinical nurse specialist in critical care and USM school of nursing where she attained a post Master’s with her Nurse Practitioner degree. Jackie was one of the first Hospice nurses in Maine before obtaining her NP.  Jackie was part of the founding of the inpatient CMMC Palliative consultation team as well as co director of the NP fellowship program in Hospice and Palliative care at Andwell Health Partners.  

Jackie is certified in hospice and palliative care and continues to provide consultative services at CMMC. 

Dr. Ross most recently served as Medical Director of Hospice and Palliative Medicine for the VA Maine Healthcare System where she oversaw their state-wide program. She is also the Site Director for the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship at Togus, a shared program with Maine Medical Center.

Dr. Ross is a pioneering Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellow in Maine, having graduated as one of the first two fellows in the Maine Medical Center/VA Maine Fellowship program’s inaugural year of 2014. She completed her Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at Maine Medical Center where she also served as Chief Resident. She is a graduate of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Ross has experience in home hospice, general inpatient hospice, both outpatient and inpatient palliative care, and is Board Certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine.

Dr. Katrina Sink has dedicated her career to compassionate end-of-life care. After early work as a nurse aide and paramedic, she discovered her passion for palliative medicine during medical school. She believes in whole-person, high-quality care that supports both patients and their families through serious illness.

Dr. Sink earned an associate degree in Applied Science from Davenport College, a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Calvin College, and her medical degree from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in 2010. She completed her Family Medicine residency and Hospice and Palliative Medicine fellowship at Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners.

Board certified in both Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative Medicine, Dr. Sink practiced in hospice and geriatrics in Grand Rapids before moving to Maine in 2017. After several years in primary care, she joined Andwell Health Partners and the Maine Center for Palliative Medicine in 2022.

Licensed Clinical Social Workers

  • Jennifer Reeder, LCSW
  • Heather Trickett, LCSW
  • Amy Manchester, LCSW
  • Wendy Youmans, LCSW
  • Will Liberty, LCSW