Kristen Waitt, FNP will be joining Bethel Family Health Center this winter to provide medical care to area residents. She recently completed the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., and is board certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She obtained her undergraduate nursing degree at Connell School of Nursing, Boston College, Mass. in 2010 and subsequently worked in a Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Epilepsy Patient Care Center.

“As a registered nurse,” Waitt shared, “I discovered that many people do not have access to quality primary care. Because of this, a number of patients have preventable diseases that have progressed uncontrollably because of a lack of early detection. As an advanced practice nurse practitioner I hope to fill this void by providing quality primary care, with a focus on education and prevention, within the local community.” She continued, “I believe building longstanding relationships with patients is an important part of providing quality primary care. While growing up in southern Maine, Bethel became my home away from home after my family spent many weekends in the area. I now look forward to returning to the area and becoming a part of the Bethel community.”

At the health center, Waitt will work alongside physicians Rich DeCarolis and Kevin Finley as well as clinical social worker, Leslie Lufkin who provide medical care and behavioral health services to 3,800 people from Andover, Bethel, Gilead, Greenwood, Hanover, Newton, Upton, Woodstock and neighboring towns.

Bethel Family Health Center is part of HealthReach Community Health Centers, a group of 11 Federally Qualified Health Centers in Central and Western Maine. Dedicated providers deliver high quality medical and behavioral health care to citizens in over 80 rural communities. To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare and major insurances. In addition, an Affordable Care Program is available to uninsured and underinsured residents as well as assistance with applications for programs that help with the cost of health care and medications including the Health Insurance Marketplace. A private, non-profit celebrating a 40-year history, HealthReach is funded by patient fees, grants and individual donations.