NORWAY – Members of the Stephens Community Healthcare Foundation met on May 20 in the Harper Conference Center at Stephens Memorial Hospital.

Robert Harmon, Western Maine Health (board chairman, welcomed the group and led the business meeting, which included entertaining nominations for two members of the Stephens Community Healthcare Foundation board. Holly Brown and Scott Stone were nominated and elected.

Harmon also welcomed and thanked the following new “Legacy Circle” members: Peter and Katherine Bonney, Timothy and Donna Churchill, Richard and Wendy Penley and William Stockwell.

The Legacy Circle honors those who have made bequests or other estate gifts for the future support of Stephens Memorial Hospital.

Timothy A. Churchill, president and chief executive officer of WMH, presented the 2008 annual report highlights as well as outlining the goals for 2009 before he introduced speaker Dr. Barry Blumenfeld, chief information officer for MaineHealth and Maine Medical Center.

Blumenfeld has more than 15 years of experience in health information systems design, development and implementation.

He is responsible for leading the development and implementation of a strategic information systems and technology plan for the health system and will be the key system resource for setting policy, procedure and standards for the information systems that support MaineHealth’s member organizations.

Blumenfeld addressed the benefits and challenges of the Electronic Medical Record and Health Information Exchange as well as how these two healthcare information technologies are critical to future quality of care and controlling rising healthcare costs.

The Stephens Community Healthcare Foundation directs the fundraising and philanthropic activities of Western Maine Health, including Stephens Memorial Hospital.

Stephens Community Healthcare Foundation is a member of the MaineHealth family. Visit Western Maine Health online at www.wmhcc.org.