CMH physician honored by SeniorsPlus

Lewiston, Maine - Alan Verrill, M.D., an internal medicine specialist who works as a Central Maine Healthcare hospitalist, has been honored for his service to the region’s older residents.


SeniorsPlus recognized Verrill for his “singular and outstanding contributions toward improving the lives of older adults” at a recent SeniorsPlus benefit. Proceeds from the “Fill the Plate Breakfast” benefitted the organization’s Meals On Wheels nutrition program.


Verrill was presented the Ikaria Award, named for a Greek island in the Aegean Sea that is considered one of the world's five “Blue Zones” – places where an estimated one in three members of the population regularly lives an active life into their 90s. The award honors individuals whose contributions “directly impact older adults in our community to improve active, healthy aging.” Since 2010 he has contributed to SeniorsPlus education programming, which engages more than 1,000 people annually.


“Alan Verrill has built a huge following as a result of the time he donates regularly to the education
program at SeniorsPlus,” said SeniorsPlus Executive Director Betsy Sawyer-Manter. “He cares deeply about his audience and tailors his presentations to requests from participants. He is warm, interested, and engaging.”


Verrill is an internal medicine physician working as a hospitalist – a physician who provides care for patients admitted to the hospital – at Central Maine Medical Center and Bridgton Hospital. He serves as chief medical officer at Bridgton Hospital and chief of peer review at CMMC.


The youngest of six children, he grew up in Woodstock and attended Telstar High School in Bethel before studying medicine at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.  He served in the United States Air Force from 1993 to 2000. He has worked at CMMC and Bridgton Hospital since returning to Maine in 2000.


Last year, SeniorsPlus delivered 87,200 meals to more than 700 homebound older adults and adults with disabilities in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties through its Meals On Wheels program. Almost 600 volunteers donate more than 28,000 hours to the program annually. Each meal provides one third of the recommended daily allowance of nutrition to these vulnerable adults. Most Meals On Wheels customers are on a low fixed income.