NORWAY – Kevin Carleton, chair of the Stephens Memorial Hospital Local Board, recognized outgoing members Tom Morton and Gene Benner for their dedicated service at the meeting held on Wednesday, October 6. Gene has served on the Board for Stephens for over 15 years, while Tom has dedicated nine years of service.

Both have served in Board Leadership roles as Chair, Vice-Chair, and Treasurer and were members of the Board during some of Stephens’ most significant transitions, including Critical Access Hospital accreditation and unification with MaineHealth.

The Local Board also welcomed newly appointed members, effective November 3: Mike Binette, DVM, Poland Animal Hospital; Jennifer Blastow, NP-C, Western Maine Primary Care; Mari Grover, active community volunteer; and Lindsay Luetje, dean of students, Telstar Middle School.

Binette earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New Hampshire and his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from Purdue University in 1999. He began his career at Norway Veterinary Hospital then joined Poland Animal Hospital in 2016 as the Chief of Staff. Michael and his wife Beth have resided in South Paris for 21 years, raising their three boys. Binette shares, “I am very excited for this opportunity with Western Maine Health and look forward to doing all I can to help such a wonderful organization.”

Blastow earned her Master of Science in Nursing in 2002 and joined Stephens in 2012, where she is a provider in Internal Medicine at Western Maine Primary Care. She has been an active participant in the community for many years, volunteering at the Otisfield Community School where her daughter attends, working in the classrooms, and reestablishing the PTO. As her children have grown into teenagers, she now volunteers alongside them, helping at the local Alan Day Community Garden and with the Otisfield Conservation Committee. She also coaches her daughter’s travel soccer team and various levels within the Rec and Boosters Program, and she’s a member of the Friends of the Norway Memorial Library, too. Blastow shares, “It is an honor to be asked to serve on the Local Board for Stephens Memorial Hospital. I hope I can contribute to this organization on par with its’ previous members.”

Grover graduated from Princeton University with a degree in East Asian Studies, lived in Japan at two different times during and after college, and worked in Cambridge, MA, for LionBridge Technologies. At LionBridge, she coordinated and managed teams to translate software suites into Japanese for Adobe and Microsoft. She has been a full-time homemaker since her first son was born in 2003. In addition, she has spent many years volunteering in the Oxford Hills community, including at The Boxberry School, coaching youth ice hockey, and assisting with the OHMS Lacrosse club.

In recent years, her family has had enriching experiences hosting foreign exchange students during their stays at Hebron Academy. Grover shares, “Whether through direct experience or tapping into their community connections, I am confident I can provide valuable feedback from the patient perspective to help various hospital projects
meet success.”

Luetje earned her bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Hamilton College, then traveled to Texas to volunteer with Americorps in a children’s home. She acquired her master’s degree in education from St. Joseph’s College and is a certified principal. Luetje has worked at Telstar Middle School for 21 years, serving 17 years as a teacher and four as dean. She and her husband coach soccer and baseball for Bethel Rec, and her family participates in community-minded events whenever possible. Lindsay resides in Woodstock, ME, with her husband, twin 8-year-olds, and two dogs.

Stephens Memorial Hospital is part of MaineHealth, a not-for-profit integrated health system consisting of nine local hospital systems, a comprehensive behavioral healthcare network, diagnostic services, home health agencies, and more than 1,700 employed and independent physicians working together through an Accountable Care Organization. With close to 23,000 employees, MaineHealth is the largest health system in northern New England and provides preventive care, diagnosis, and treatment to 1.1 million residents in Maine and New Hampshire.

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