NORWAY — Western Maine Health Vice President of Clinical Services, M. Patricia Cook, RN, MBA, EdD, announced recently that Stephens Memorial Hospital Registered Nurse Anita Hakala, RN, MSN, has accepted the newly created position of bed manager at the hospital.

As bed manager, Hakala will streamline the admission process for patients as well as work with social services on coordinating the use of community resources.

A graduate of Central Maine Medical Center School of Nursing and with a master of science degree in nursing from USM, Hakala was most recently working as an instructor for CMMC’s College of Nursing. In addition to her teaching, she has been working per diem as a staff nurse at SMH for the last few years. She has extensive experience as a Med/Surg and ER nurse, as well as a staff educator, and relief supervisor. A Norway native, she began her nursing career at SMH and is very familiar with the patients, physicians and staff.

She is a certified nurse educator, serves on the board of the American Nurses Association — Maine, is a member of the Organization of Maine Nurse Executives and sits on the state steering committee for Partners in Education and Practice.

She lives in Norway.