Northern Light Health vice president ousted amid leadership shake-up

By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff

A vice president of Northern Light Health is the latest executive to leave the health care system amid a series of recent leadership changes.

Mike Smith’s role as vice president of the health system and president of the Northern Light Health Foundation was eliminated on Oct. 18, spokesperson Suzanne Spruce said. Other executives will absorb his job duties. 

He is the third high-ranking Northern Light employee to lose their job during the week. Those were “difficult but necessary decisions” by the hospital system to reduce operating expenses, Spruce said.

The leadership changes come just a week after a credit rating agency downgraded its scores for Northern Light Health, citing ongoing financial losses. The shake-up raises questions about the future of the health care system, which is the biggest employer in the Bangor area. 

Two presidents of Northern Light hospitals resigned effective immediately. Tricia Costigan stepped down from her role as president of Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville and Northern Light Continuing Care, Lakewood, on Oct. 17, while Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center President Gregory LaFrancois resigned from his role Oct. 16.

Since June, Northern Light Health has cut the hours at its Walk-In Care clinic on Union Street in Bangor, closed its Hearing Care service in Bangor, closed its Dexter Internal Medicine facility, and started charging for its ambulance service to seven Penobscot County towns.

Northern Light previously closed its clinic in Southwest Harbor and shuttered an Orono primary care practice.

The health care provider had a more than $60 million deficit at the end of the second quarter, according to hospital documents. 

Northern Light Health Senior Vice President Charlie Therrien is taking over Smith’s job duties. Therrien will be in charge of the foundation while also continuing his role as president of Northern Light Mercy Hospital. 

Cynthia Faulkner, consultant and director of philanthropy for Northern Light Mercy Hospital, will help with the daily leadership of the foundation, which is the philanthropy arm of the hospital system.

The new executive structure is designed to help with “good stewardship of scarce resources during these economic times,” Spruce said.