WRITTEN BY WANDA CURTIS
Portland has many interesting sights to see — Portland Head Light, the Old Port, Portland Observatory, and more. A recent addition to the city’s landscape is the eight-story Malone Family Tower adjoining MaineHealth Maine Medical Center on Congress Street. Tall glass windows extend from floor to ceiling inside and surround the exterior of the building, overlooking the city.
The $378 million building, which opened in 2024, was constructed to address the growing need for cardiac and cardiovascular care in the region. MHMMC Chair of Cardiac Services and Chief of the Cardiovascular Service Line, Dr. Marco Diaz, said the incidence of cardiovascular illness is expected to increase in the area because of Maine’s large aging population. At the same time, he said, advances in cardiac therapeutics and treatments continue. The new facility, with its increased space and modern technology, positions MHMMC’s care team to better prepare for the future of cardiac care.
“Providing this type of care, close to home, is critical to patient outcomes and access, particularly as we see rising prevalence of conditions such as coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease that require increasingly complex, multidisciplinary care,” Diaz said.
The 300,000-square-foot building houses 96 private rooms, 10 operating rooms, nine procedure rooms, 40 pre- and post-procedure beds, six post-anesthesia care unit beds, five cath labs, four electrophysiology labs and one transesophageal echocardiogram room. It also includes 32 additional intensive care unit beds, increasing MHMMC’s total ICU capacity to about 100 beds.
Spacious, More Accommodating Patient and Procedure Rooms
MHMMC Director of Communications and Marketing Matt Wickenheiser said the spacious patient rooms benefit patients, care team members, and visitors. He said the rooms are also more accommodating for interdisciplinary patient care.
“The MFT patient rooms were designed for healing,” Wickenheiser said. “Each patient room in the Malone Family Tower is private, with floor-to-ceiling windows specifically angled to maximize patient views and access to natural light while reducing direct sun and glare. The spacious rooms are beneficial for patients, care team members, and visitors alike.”
Procedure rooms at MHMMC’s Malone Family Tower are also larger, Wickenheiser said. The additional space allows room for equipment, multidisciplinary care teams, and integration with other systems.
“The MFT supports dozens of complex cardiac, vascular, and robotic procedures for both adult and pediatric patients,” Wickenheiser said. “A number of rooms were constructed with ceiling-mounted equipment to improve patient access to robotic procedures. This expansion empowers and supports our top-notch care teams through enhanced patient care capacity, higher-quality facilities, stronger collaboration, innovative training, and a better workforce experience.”
Leading-Edge Technology
In regard to technology upgrades, the MFT not only houses more accommodating procedure rooms, but also features leading-edge technology, including advanced robotic surgery platforms, hybrid operating rooms designed to support minimally invasive and complex procedures, and next-generation imaging systems, Diaz said.
“The tower also enables the use of laser-based procedures, sophisticated cardiac ablation technologies for treating arrhythmias, and robotic-assisted cardiac surgery — capabilities that enhance precision and recovery times,” Diaz said. “Its procedure spaces were intentionally designed for evolving technologies and future upgrades. Team members underwent comprehensive training on this new equipment prior to the tower’s opening, ensuring readiness.”
Sterile Processing Department Serves All of MHMMC
The new 20,000-square-foot sterile processing department is located on top of the Malone Family Tower. It serves all operating and procedure rooms at the medical center.
Ready for the Future
“The Malone Family Tower ensures MHMMC’s commitment to the most acutely ill members of our community for years to come, expanding our ability to meet growing demand with more procedures requiring large, interdisciplinary teams,” Wickenheiser said. “Our new suite of procedure spaces can accommodate the latest innovations in medicine — and we have the care team to match.”