The Mount Desert Island Hospital will open its new main entrance facing downtown Bar Harbor’s Main Street — the first completed phase of the hospital’s multi-year, $42 million expansion — in mid-October.
The roughly 130-year-old nonprofit hospital cares for the island’s year-round residents, many of whom are older adults, as well as the seasonal influx of visitors flocking to Acadia National Park, which recorded more than 4 million visits last year. The island’s aging population and tourism industry have reinforced the need for a larger, more accessible hospital, officials said.
“MDI Hospital has been here serving our community for 130 years. This project is about ensuring our campus and facilities meet the needs of our community today, and for generations to come,” Chrissi Maguire, president and CEO of MDI Health, said Thursday in a written comment to the Bangor Daily News. “Expanding our emergency services and creating a more visible, accessible main entrance and dedicated [emergency department] entrance will mean quicker access to lifesaving care for our year-round residents, seasonal residents and visitors alike.”
The former emergency room was at the rear of the hospital, and the main entrance sat adjacent to the ambulance bay, hidden from Main Street. For visitors unfamiliar with the area or older residents with mobility issues, the entrance “was challenging to find and wasn’t very accessible,” according to Mariah Cormier, a hospital spokesperson.
“We serve our year-round population, which is a little bit older and aging, so to have that accessibility is really important, and the visibility for visitors and seasonal residents who might not use our services on a regular basis,” Cormier said.
The hospital’s extensive renovation, which broke ground over the summer of 2025, is aimed at improving patient access, emergency services and surgical units. After the new entrance opens in October, facing Main Street for the first time in the hospital’s history, the project’s next major milestone will be the completion of the expanded emergency department next summer, Cormier said.
The current emergency department — built in 1962 and renovated in 2000— will double in capacity to 16 patient care rooms, Cormier said. The new emergency services will have two trauma, three behavioral health, four treatment and six triage rooms, she added.
“This will improve triage capabilities, patient comfort and patient privacy,” Cormier said.
The remodeling is part of a larger $55 million campaign to modernize hospital operations, including with the investment in behavioral and mental health services, partnerships with top medical schools and workforce housing programs.
The expansion’s funding exclusively came from private donations and grants, Cormier said, adding that the hospital didn’t withdraw from its operational budget for the project nor did it use any taxpayer dollars.
Dick Wolf, the Emmy-award winning creator of “Law & Order” and who for years has had a $10-million summer home in Seal Harbor, contributed $10 million to the project in 2025. It was the hospital’s largest donation to date, officials said at the time.
MDI Hospital opened in 1897 as Bar Harbor Medical and Surgical Hospital and assumed its current name in 1931.