Northern Light Inland Hospital Closure Announced

WATERVILLE, Maine (March 13, 2025) — Like hospitals and healthcare systems nationwide, Northern Light Health continues to feel the immense pressure of higher operational costs, unsustainably low reimbursement rates, and a tight labor market. After lengthy and thoughtful consideration of many alternatives, the healthcare system has made the decision to close Northern Light Inland Hospital and its associated services and clinics in Waterville. The hospital has successfully served the people of Waterville and the surrounding communities for many years, however the availability of health resources available in the community have increased over time, making current operations at Inland unsustainable.
 
Tim Dentry, president and CEO, Northern Light Health shared, “Caring for our communities is at the heart of what we do and every decision we make, including this one. Northern Light Inland Hospital has proudly served the Waterville region for more than 80 years, caring for generations of Mainers in the community. While many of the challenges facing Inland are similar to those at hospitals throughout Maine and the rest of the country, solutions working well in other facilities and the communities we serve have not proven successful in Waterville.”
Waterville and the surrounding communities are within close proximity to a number of healthcare options, and this decision allows Northern Light Health to direct resources to those regions where access to care is more limited. “Every community is different, with different needs and varying resources available to them,” continued Dentry. “For Northern Light Inland Hospital, the number of service providers in the Waterville service area outweigh the operation’s critical resources available and patient volumes are not adequate to balance the costs of maintaining operations.”
 
Northern Light Health is fully committed to supporting the patients and team members affected by this change. The hospital and clinics plan to continue clinical services through May 27, while helping patients transition their care to other facilities or organizations in the Waterville area. During this time, Inland team members will be connected to new opportunities within the organization and beyond.
 
There are a number of regulatory requirements to closing a healthcare facility, and it will take several months to wind down operations. It is anticipated that the facilities will formally close operations June 11. Northern Light Health plans to maintain the facility and grounds while stewarding the sale of the property.
 
This decision does not affect Northern Light Continuing Care, Lakewood, also located in Waterville and there are no plans to close any other Northern Light hospital.
 
Updates on this closure will be shared as they become available. Patients and community members can stay up to date by visiting https://northernlighthealth.org/Campaigns/Notice.