LEWISTON — Central Maine Healthcare has named Lucretia Stargell president of Bridgton and Rumford Hospitals and senior vice president at CMH, system officials announced Monday.

Stargell will replace Steve Littleson as president of the critical access hospitals. The CMH president and CEO has been serving in an interim position since former president Peter Wright resigned in November. Stargell’s first day will be March 29.

Bridgton Hospital and Rumford Hospital are 25-bed critical access hospitals that are part of the CMH network, which also includes Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.

“Lucretia’s background is perfectly tailored for rural Maine and I am very pleased to pass the baton to this well-seasoned leader,” Littleson said.

Stargell said in a news release that she was drawn “immediately” to Bridgton and Rumford.

“They are remarkably similar to where I have spent most of my professional career and raised my family,” she said. “I am looking forward to a leadership role with Central Maine Healthcare and being a familiar face in these communities, working in partnership with team members and location leaders.”

Stargell most recently worked as a consultant, according to her LinkedIn profile. Prior to that, she served as vice president and administrator for two community hospitals in rural North Carolina for nearly 15 years, until March 2022. Harris Regional Hospital, an 86-bed acute care facility, and Swain Community Hospital, a 47-bed critical access hospital, are part of the Duke LifePoint Healthcare network.

Her work there included expanding health care access to rural areas and opening new service lines, according to the release.

CMH board member Marney Chalmers said she is looking forward to the “leadership, care and innovation” that Stargell will bring to Bridgton Hospital.

“Lucretia understands how vitally important it is to keep health care ‘close to home,’ and will be a wonderful addition to our hospital,” Chalmers said.

“It was important to take the right amount of time to find a strong executive leader to fill this crucial role,” CMH board member Janet Koski said. “Lucretia possesses the unique balance of warmth, approachability, strength and vision to lead Rumford Hospital into the future.”

Stargell holds an M.B.A. from Western Carolina University, a B.A. in Art History and Communications from Hollins University and a certificate in patient safety from Boston-based nonprofit Institute for Healthcare Improvement. She is also a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

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