Jul 21, 2026
Waterville — HealthReach Community Health Centers’ President & CEO, Connie Coggins, is pleased to announce that Heidi Richards has been chosen as the organization’s new Assistant Director of Operations.
Heidi Richards
Over the past five years, Richards has served as the Practice Manager for HealthReach’s Western Maine Family Health Center in Livermore Falls and has also led the Medication Refill Department. In that time, she has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, operational insight, and a deep commitment to our teams and the patients we serve. Director of Operations, Randi Bento, said, “Heidi has played a key role in developing the Medication Refill Department, strengthening workflows, and improving communication across teams. She is widely respected for her collaborative approach, willingness to step in where needed, and dedication to fostering a positive and supportive workplace culture.”
Of her new position, Richards says, “I’m truly excited to start this new chapter in my career. HealthReach is a fantastic organization, and I look forward to serving our communities in a new capacity.” Heidi’s leadership style, experience with the organization, and care for our patients will be wonderful assets in this new position.
Richards joins the HealthReach Executive Team – President & CEO, Connie Coggins; Director of Operations, Randi Bento; Medical Director, Amy Madden; Assistant Medical Director, Melissa Hackett; Director of Behavioral Health, Leslie Lufkin; Director of Clinical Quality Improvement, Tarsha Rodrigue; Director of Human Resources, Brenda Bowden; Director of Information Technology, Scott Reid; and Director of Finance, Donna Williams.
HealthReach Community Health Centers — founded in 1975 and headquartered in Waterville, Maine — is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating 11 community health centers and 1 school-based health center with the mission of serving the otherwise medically underserved communities of Central and Western Maine. HealthReach delivers high-quality, accessible healthcare services, including general primary and preventative healthcare, behavioral healthcare, substance use disorder treatment, dental, and podiatric care services. To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare, and major insurance providers, and there are no eligibility requirements to access care through HealthReach; all are welcome. An Affordable Care Program is available to both uninsured and underinsured people. Assistance is available for applications to programs that help with your healthcare and medication costs, including enrollment support for Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.
The above is issued in furtherance of HealthReach Community Health Centers’ federally funded health center project. In 2025, HealthReach received $4,436,654 in federal assistance, which is estimated as constituting 12% of project costs. Of total project costs for 2025, HealthReach estimates 88% financed with non-governmental sources.
The contents above are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the official views of or an endorsement by, HRSA, DHHS, or the U.S. Government.
May 26, 2026
Gardiner – HealthReach Community Health Centers is partnering with MSAD #11 to open a health center at Gardiner Area High School beginning in the fall semester. Healthcare services will be offered to students enrolled in the Gardiner school district, as well as staff, throughout the school year.
Gardiner “Tiger” Health Center will offer primary and mental healthcare services. These services include routine checkups, sports physicals, diagnosis and treatment of minor illnesses, management of chronic conditions, labs, immunizations, and more. Services available at the SBHC will reflect the same services offered at any primary care office, providing an easy-to-access alternative to a traditional office for families and staff members in need of a convenient healthcare option. Locating health centers within schools helps communities by reducing costs for transportation, supporting working parents, and increasing the time each student can spend in the classroom — improving educational outcomes. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, HealthReach’s mission is “to provide high-quality, affordable, patient-centered healthcare in the medically underserved communities of Central and Western Maine.”
All enrolled students and school staff are eligible to receive services through HealthReach’s SBHCs, regardless of whether they have insurance coverage. HealthReach provides sliding fee scales, medication cost support, and other pay support options to patients who qualify. Patients are not turned away based on their ability to pay. Additionally, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare, and most other major insurers. HealthReach will partner with the district to organize exam space to see patients, which will offer convenient, positive health and educational outcomes; but funding for clinical operations — including salaries, equipment, and supplies — is funded entirely by HealthReach Community Health Centers.
HealthReach Community Health Centers — founded in 1975 and headquartered in Waterville, Maine — is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating 11 community health centers and 2 school-based health centers with the mission of serving the otherwise medically underserved communities of Central and Western Maine. HealthReach delivers high-quality, accessible healthcare services, including general primary and preventative healthcare, behavioral healthcare, substance use disorder treatment, dental, and podiatric care services. To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare, and major insurance providers, and there are no eligibility requirements to access care through HealthReach; all are welcome. An Affordable Care Program is available to both uninsured and underinsured people. Assistance is available for applications to programs that help with your healthcare and medication costs, including enrollment support for Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.
The above is issued in furtherance of HealthReach Community Health Centers’ federally funded health center project. In 2025, HealthReach received $4,436,654 in federal assistance, which is estimated as constituting 12% of project costs. Of total project costs for 2025, HealthReach estimates 88% financed with non-governmental sources.
The contents above are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the official views of or an endorsement by, HRSA, DHHS, or the U.S. Government.
Mar 4, 2026
Albion — This March, staff at the Lovejoy Health Center are happy to welcome
Linda Lovrien, LCPC, to their professional healthcare team.
Linda Lovrien, LCPC
Lovrien earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, TX. Lovrien has more than a decade of experience working with patients, and has expertise that includes trauma therapy, grief counseling, and cognitive behavioral therapy. Additionally, her certification as a yoga insctructor helps to inform meditation techniques as a mode of care for her patients. Her extensive range of experience will make her a great addition to the Lovejoy team.
Of her new position with HealthReach, Lovrien said, “I am very excited to be joining the Lovejoy Heath Center family. I am very passionate about sharing my diverse talents with the community and dedicated to helping individuals of all ages navigate life’s challenges in a safe, nonjudgmental, and caring environment. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone and exploring all treasures that make this area so special.”
Lovrien joins the existing Lovejoy clinical team — Doctor Dean Chamberlain; Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, Daniel Keane; Family Nurse Practitioner, Michelle Breen; Physician Assistants, Diana Dearden, Cory Miller, and Haley Sherman; Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Melanie Morin; and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Alyssa Alley.
Founded in 1978, Lovejoy Health Center is a part of HealthReach Community Health Centers — headquartered in Waterville, Maine. HealthReach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating 11 community health centers and 1 school-based health center, with the mission of serving the otherwise medically underserved communities of Central and Western Maine. HealthReach delivers high-quality, accessible healthcare services, including general primary and preventative healthcare, behavioral healthcare, substance use disorder treatment, dental, and podiatric care services. To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare, and major insurance providers, and there are no eligibility requirements to access care through HealthReach; all are welcome. An Affordable Care Program is available to both uninsured and underinsured people. Assistance is available for applications to programs that help with your healthcare and medication costs, including enrollment support for Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.
The above is issued in furtherance of HealthReach Community Health Centers’ federally funded health center project. In 2025, HealthReach received $4,436,654 in federal assistance, which is estimated as constituting 12% of project costs. Of total project costs for 2025, HealthReach estimates 88% financed with non-governmental sources.
The contents above are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the official views of or an endorsement by, HRSA, DHHS, or the U.S. Government.
Dec 20, 2024
Waterville — HealthReach Community Health Centers has launched a new Patient Portal solution, offered by software firm InteliChart. HealthReach patients can now securely access their own medical records, request appointments and medication refills, and send messages back and forth with the HealthReach clinical and front office teams. Advice from these teams helps patients to make better informed medical decisions — including whether the patient should visit urgent care or simply schedule an appointment at the center.
Connie Coggins, President & CEO of HealthReach, says, “We look forward to engaging our patients through our new Patient Portal. The Portal will improve communication channels and provide convenient, safe access for patients to their personal health information.”
Existing HealthReach patients can sign up for the new Patient Portal online with an existing email address by using this link: https://patientportal.intelichart.com
Becoming a HealthReach patient requires no special eligibility — everyone is welcome to learn more about HealthReach’s high-quality, affordable healthcare available at health centers close to your home in Central or Western Maine. To reach out for information about establishing yourself and your family as patients of HealthReach, or for information on the new Patient Portal, please visit: https://www.HealthReach.org/contact
HealthReach Community Health Centers is a Federally Qualified Health Center consisting of twelve community health centers located across rural Central and Western Maine. Since 1975, HealthReach clinicians have delivered high-quality healthcare — inclusive of primary care, behavioral health, substance use disorder, dental, and podiatric services — to residents from 9 of Maine’s 16 counties. To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare, and major insurance providers. An Affordable Care Program is available to both uninsured and underinsured people. Assistance is available for applications to programs that help with your healthcare and medication costs — including enrollment support for Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.
The above is issued in furtherance of HealthReach Community Health Centers’ federally funded health center project. In 2024, HealthReach received $4,815,606 in federal assistance, which is estimated as constituting 17.8% of project costs. Of total project costs for 2024, HealthReach estimates 82.2% will be financed with non-governmental sources.
The contents above are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the official views of or an endorsement by, HRSA, DHHS, or the U.S. Government.
Jun 6, 2024
Waterville – Connie Coggins, HealthReach President & CEO, is pleased to announce that HealthReach has received the highest award level for tobacco-free achievements. The MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence (CTI) Breathe Easy Maine initiative recognized forty-four healthcare, hospital, higher education, and behavioral health organizations – as well as four individual Gold Star Champions – for efforts to address tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure.
HealthReach Community Health Centers was recognized for meeting Platinum Status through the 2024 Gold Star Standards of Excellence program, for efforts to both prohibit smoking and tobacco use on campus, and to address patient tobacco use. This was the first year that HealthReach has participated in the initiative, and we look forward to a continued partnership with CTI to address tobacco use and exposure.
All Maine behavioral health organizations, hospitals, higher education organizations, and healthcare organizations were encouraged to apply for recognition. Qualifying organizations are recognized at Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels, based on program criteria. Best practice criteria include smoke- and tobacco-free campus policies, annual screening practices for tobacco use, referral processes for tobacco use treatment, and the provision of employee education in tobacco treatment topics.
“We applaud the ongoing efforts of Maine hospitals, healthcare, higher education, and behavioral health organizations to address tobacco use, secondhand smoke exposure, and nicotine dependence, by meeting the Gold Star Standards of Excellence,” says Sarah Rines, Senior Program Manager for CTI. She continued, “Advice and assistance from healthcare providers are powerful tools to help individuals quit tobacco products. These awardees are taking key steps to support their patients, clients, and communities.”
For more information about Breathe Easy Maine and the Gold Star Standards of Excellence, please visit BreatheEasyMaine.org/GSSE.
MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence’s Breathe Easy Maine initiative is dedicated to providing Maine’s hospitals with the information and resources needed to make all organizations smoke- and tobacco-free. Learn more at BreatheEasyMaine.org. This initiative is supported through a grant from the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention, Department of Health & Human Services.
HealthReach Community Health Centers is a Federally Qualified Health Center consisting of twelve community health centers located across Central and Western Maine. Dedicated clinicians deliver high-quality healthcare – inclusive of behavioral health, substance use disorder treatment, dental, and podiatric services – to residents from 9 of Maine’s 16 counties. To ensure access for everyone, HealthReach accepts Medicare, MaineCare, and major insurance providers. An Affordable Care Program is available to both uninsured and underinsured people. Assistance is available for applications to programs that help with your healthcare and medication costs – including enrollment support for Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.
A private non-profit with a 49-year history, HealthReach is funded by patient fees, grants, and by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) as part of an award totaling $4,815,606 with 82.2% financed by non-governmental sources.
The contents above are those of the author, and do not necessarily represent the official views of or an endorsement by, HRSA, DHHS, or the U.S. Government.
Patient Portal
Pay a Bill
Donate