Mainebiz

31 W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z M A R C H 1 8 , 2 0 1 9 O ne's a strategy guy known for his directness, the other more of a people person. Meet William L. Caron Jr. and Richard W. Petersen of MaineHealth, Maine's largest health system and the state's largest private employer. Both have been with the organiza- tion for many years, and at the start of 2019 assumed new roles to lead the next chapter of MaineHealth and its largest hospital, Maine Medical Center in Portland. Caron is now CEO of MaineHealth, while Petersen wears two hats as MaineHealth president and Maine Med CEO. "We both work hard, but you have to balance that," Caron says in an interview at MaineHealth's Portland headquarters on Free Street, whose bright and airy feel belies the building's past as a Sears department store and windowless office. Already northern New England's largest integrated health system, MaineHealth projects revenues to go up by 20% to $3 billion in 2019. Founded in 1998, it's also Maine's largest private employer with a workforce of more than 19,000. MaineHealth became a single, seven-hospital nonprofit sys- tem in Maine on Jan. 1. Momentum for further growth remains strong, with Mid Coast- Parkview Health in Brunswick con- sidering joining the system and Maine Med's $534 million expansion and modernization project moving ahead. Career paths and community impact Caron, 65, and Petersen, 62, are fixtures at MaineHealth and Maine Med, with a clear appreciation for each other's management skills and approaches. Petersen calls Caron an "incredible strategic thinker" and sees himself as strong on the operating side, while Caron admires his colleague's inter- personal skills. While Caron says people tell him "there's more of an edge or aggressive- ness to my management style," he isn't bothered by it. "I don't ask anything of anyone I don't do myself," he says. A self-confessed bean counter, Caron holds a master's degree in accounting from Northeastern University and an undergraduate degree from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. e Dover, N.H., native got his start in consulting, heading Ernst & Young's East region health care consulting practice in Philadelphia before joining Maine Medical Center in 1992. Six years later he joined MaineHealth, and served as president for more than 18 years before he became CEO in January. Petersen, originally from the Binghamton area in upstate New York, earned a bachelor's in health care admin- istration from Ithaca College and an MBA from Canisius College in Buffalo. He joined Maine Med in 1998 and served as president and CEO for 11 years before assuming his new duties in January. Both have a strong community presence through involvement in sev- eral organizations including United Way of Greater Portland, where Caron has spearheaded fundraising efforts and was a mentor to Liz Cotter Schlax when she first became president and CEO of the nonprofit in 2015. "Bill not only offered assistance and support," she says, "but also passion for United Way and harnessing the power of the community working together." She also recalls Caron's "spectacular" fundraising efforts in 2015 that raised 6% more than the year before and reversed a multi-year slide. Delivering better care to patients Delivering better and more affordable care statewide drove the move towards a more unified health system to ensure the better flow of resources — human and financial — between hospitals. So that doctors in rural areas don't feel isolated, they now have the possibility of being connected to a practice group at Maine Med with regular rotations there. at also lets them schedule procedures using expensive technology that would otherwise be outside their reach. MaineHealth's dynamic duo Charting a new course for the health system and its member hospitals B y r e n e e c o r d e S Maine lawyers working for Maine businesses. Por tland / Kennebunk • 207-775-7271 • 1-800-756-1166 • jbgh.com At Jensen Baird, our commitment is to you. Launching a new business in Maine calls for innovative legal strategies. At Jensen Baird we help emerging small businesses achieve their goals cost effectively. Let us help you find the right strategies for your business. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » BETTER LEADERSHIP THROUGH BETTER COMMUNICATION 1 7 8 M I D D L E S T R E E T, O F F I C E 5 0 3 | P O R T L A N D , M A I N E 0 4 1 0 1 R E G I S T E R AT: sethrigoletti.com OWNING THE ROOM: PROFESSIONAL PRESENCE — April 9th COMMUNICATING THROUGH CONFLICT — June 11th CLAIMING YOUR EXECUTIVE VOICE — September 10th THE ART OF STORYTELLING — October 8th 2019 Workshops

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