FORT KENT – Northern Maine Medical Center is excited to announce its new President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Zewe, who will join the organization later this month.
When current NMMC President and CEO Peter Sirois announced his upcoming retirement to the Board of Trustees in spring of 2021, the Board engaged in a nationwide search for the right person to lead NMMC into the future. After months of reviewing candidates, they invited three to the St. John Valley for in-person meetings with the Board, staff, and organization leaders.
“Many of our patients are deeply connected to the St. John Valley’s rich heritage. Our Board understands and respects this and so made a priority of finding a leader who possessed skill and experience to lead Northern Maine Medical Center into the future, and additionally who would embrace the region and its people and be a good match for the culture of our organization. We believe we have found all of the above in Mr. Zewe,” said Sirois.
NMMC became the St. John Valley’s community hospital seven decades ago when it first opened its doors as Peoples Benevolent Hospital. Board Chair Don Guimond said the Board wanted to honor the traditions of leadership and community in its choice for the next individual to head the organization.
“Northern Maine Medical Center has been blessed with strong leadership and direction since its inception 70 years ago with the visionary skills of its first leaders in Les Petites Franciscan de Marie, a Catholic order of nuns with special skills in hospital management, to our current CEO Peter Sirois who has successfully guided the organization throughout his years of service, and in particular during these trying times in the health care industry. The Board’s responsibility to the organization, it’s employees, and to those we serve, is to ensure that the tradition of strong dedicated leadership continues into the future. As a board we believe that we have accomplished that in the selection of our new leader, Jeff Zewe. Welcome to the NMMC family,” said Guimond.
Zewe is a seasoned leader with more than 30 years of experience in health care. Most recently, he was president and CEO of Upper Allegheny Health System in western New York State along the Pennsylvania border, leading that organization through the challenging first months in the onset of the pandemic. He began working with UAHS in 2011 in various roles prior to becoming president and CEO, including senior vice president and chief operating officer, and senior vice president and chief nursing officer. He served as president of Excela Health – Frick Hospital in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania from 2008-10; vice president of Patient Care Services at Excela Health – Latrobe and Frick Hospitals from 2006-08; and nursing director at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh from 2000-06. Zewe holds a bachelor’s degree in science of nursing from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and received his master’s degree in business administration from Point Park University, also in Pittsburgh.
“I am honored and privileged to have been selected as the next president and CEO of Northern Maine Medical Center. NMMC has an incredible culture and passion for providing exemplary patient care demonstrated by a 5-star rating earned from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for patient experience and earning Leapfrog A grade for safety,” said Zewe. “I am proud to continue Peter Sirois’s legacy of patient-centered quality care and look forward to working alongside the board of directors, management team, physicians, staff, and community to continue the outstanding care delivered to those in the St. John Valley. From a personal perspective, I look forward to enjoying the beautiful landscape by boating, ATVing, skiing, hiking and visiting neighboring Canada.”
Zewe will begin his transition to president and CEO at NMMC on Feb. 28, working alongside Sirois to familiarize himself with the organization and operations before fully assuming the role May 1.