About the MERGE Collaborative

Improving Health Outcomes for Maine’s Rural Population

The State of Maine funded the four ACGME Sponsoring Institutions in Maine to create a first-of-its-kind collaboration in Maine to develop high quality rural residency rotations at hospitals and community-based healthcare center across the state with a focus on giving medical residents experience caring for Maine’s diverse socio-economic, racial and regional populations.

The ME Rural GME Education (MERGE) Collaborative – a partnership with Northern Light Health, Central Maine Medical Center, Maine Medical Center and Maine-Dartmouth Family Residency Program at Maine General Hospital – will also develop faculty development for rural practitioners and a shared learning platform for an inter-disciplinary and inter-professional rural healthcare providers.

Mission

To collaborate to create a state-wide infrastructure for the purpose of increasing access to high quality GME rural training.

Vision

The State of Maine will be the premier provider of rural GME and produce highly skilled, diverse and talented providers who remain in the state after graduation because they are committed to, and prepared for, meeting the unique needs of the people and communities they serve.

Our Goals and Initiatives

The MERGE Collaborative aims to increase the number of physicians in Maine’s rural areas, as multiple studies have demonstrated that doctors are more likely to practice in the areas where they completed their residency training.
Through this grant the MERGE Collaborative will:
For more information, contact the MERGE Program Manager or the MERGE Principal Investigator
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"We are thrilled to partner with all of Maine’s teaching hospitals to establish state-wide best practices that best educate our rural residents to care for our rural patients."
Dr. Kalli Varaklis, MD, MSEd, DIO Maine Medical Center

MERGE Executive Council

  • Annie Derthick, PhD – Council Chair and MERGE Rural GME Director – Central Maine Medical Center
  • Jim Jarvis, MD – MERGE Rural GME Director – Northern Light Health / Eastern Maine Medical Center
  • Tom Gearan, MD – MERGE Rural GME Director – Maine Medical Center
  • Kate Hoffmann, DO – MERGE Rural GME Director – Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency
  • Brad Schimelman, MD – VA Maine Health Care System – Togus
  • Ross Isacke, MD – Franklin Community Health Network
  • Mike Murnik, MD – Blue Hill Hospital
  • Yvonne Jonk, PhD – University of Southern Maine
  • Taz Noori, MD – Central Maine Medical Center
  • Lauren Struck, MD – Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency
  • Kneka Smith, EdD, MPH- MaineHealth
  • Jennifer Blossom, PhD – University of Maine
  • Tonya Bailey-Curry, LCSW – DEI Ombudsman – Mindfully Melanated
  • Kalli Varaklis, MD, MSEd – Principal Investigator – Maine Medical Center
  • David McLellan, MBA – MERGE Program Manager