HRSA Awards St. Joseph Healthcare, Community Care Partnership of Maine $1.2 Million to Expand Virtual Specialty Curbside Consults
September 10, 2025
Bangor, Maine — St. Joseph Healthcare and the Community Care Partnership of Maine (CCPM) have been awarded $1.2 million from the Health Resources & Services Administration’s (HRSA) Rural Health Outreach and Network Development Program.
Over the next four years, this funding will expand access to virtual “curbside” specialty consultations for nearly 250 primary care providers across CCPM’s network of 22
healthcare organizations — including 17 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and 5 community hospitals, including St. Joseph Healthcare. By strengthening real-time access to specialist expertise, the initiative aims to improve patient outcomes and care quality for thousands of Mainers living in rural communities.
Timely access to a specialist is proven to improve disease prevention, enable earlier detection and treatment, enhance quality of life, and reduce preventable healthcare costs. Yet rural residents often face delays in care due to specialist shortages and long travel distances — factors that can result in undiagnosed illness and poorer long-term health outcomes. This innovative initiative directly tackles those challenges.
“We’re grateful to lead this effort alongside CCPM,” said Greg LaFrancois, President of St. Joseph Healthcare. “Sustained access to curbside consultations supports our primary care providers, enhances patient care, and builds a stronger, more resilient healthcare system for rural Maine.”
Used across CCPM’s statewide network, the PicassoMD curbside consult platform gives primary care providers instant, secure access to a broad range of medical specialists.
“We are so grateful to HRSA for supporting this innovative initiative,” said Sandy Nesin, Esq., Chief Executive Officer of CCPM and Vice President of Operations at St. Joseph Healthcare. “By empowering Maine’s clinicians with immediate specialist insight, we’re delivering better care for patients and strengthening the health of our communities.”
“This award enables rural providers across Maine to connect instantly with a wide range of medical specialists in over 30 disciplines,” added Dr. Reza Sanai, Co-CEO and Founder of PicassoMD. “Our mission is to make high-quality specialty expertise accessible to any community — no matter its size or location. With HRSA’s support, we’re helping Maine’s providers deliver the right care at the right time.”
The platform has already had a measurable impact, improving satisfaction for patients and care teams while supporting provider recruitment and retention in rural healthcare organizations.
Dr. Todd Kitchens, Medical Director at Sacopee Valley Health Center and a practicing primary care provider, reflected: “Having immediate access to curbside consults has been a game-changer. It’s helped us attract and retain talented clinicians, knowing they’re backed by a strong specialist network to consult with. Most
importantly, it’s given our patients the access and continuity they deserve.”
HRSA’s Rural Health Outreach and Network Development programs support innovative community-based models to expand healthcare delivery, address disparities, and improve access in rural America.
Media Contact:
St. Joseph Healthcare Media Relations — Hannah Carrier,
Communications@sjhhealth.com
Community Care Partnership of Maine — Mary Butler-Fleming,
marybutlerfleming@ccpmaine.org
Over the next four years, this funding will expand access to virtual “curbside” specialty consultations for nearly 250 primary care providers across CCPM’s network of 22
healthcare organizations — including 17 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and 5 community hospitals, including St. Joseph Healthcare. By strengthening real-time access to specialist expertise, the initiative aims to improve patient outcomes and care quality for thousands of Mainers living in rural communities.
Timely access to a specialist is proven to improve disease prevention, enable earlier detection and treatment, enhance quality of life, and reduce preventable healthcare costs. Yet rural residents often face delays in care due to specialist shortages and long travel distances — factors that can result in undiagnosed illness and poorer long-term health outcomes. This innovative initiative directly tackles those challenges.
“We’re grateful to lead this effort alongside CCPM,” said Greg LaFrancois, President of St. Joseph Healthcare. “Sustained access to curbside consultations supports our primary care providers, enhances patient care, and builds a stronger, more resilient healthcare system for rural Maine.”
Used across CCPM’s statewide network, the PicassoMD curbside consult platform gives primary care providers instant, secure access to a broad range of medical specialists.
“We are so grateful to HRSA for supporting this innovative initiative,” said Sandy Nesin, Esq., Chief Executive Officer of CCPM and Vice President of Operations at St. Joseph Healthcare. “By empowering Maine’s clinicians with immediate specialist insight, we’re delivering better care for patients and strengthening the health of our communities.”
“This award enables rural providers across Maine to connect instantly with a wide range of medical specialists in over 30 disciplines,” added Dr. Reza Sanai, Co-CEO and Founder of PicassoMD. “Our mission is to make high-quality specialty expertise accessible to any community — no matter its size or location. With HRSA’s support, we’re helping Maine’s providers deliver the right care at the right time.”
The platform has already had a measurable impact, improving satisfaction for patients and care teams while supporting provider recruitment and retention in rural healthcare organizations.
Dr. Todd Kitchens, Medical Director at Sacopee Valley Health Center and a practicing primary care provider, reflected: “Having immediate access to curbside consults has been a game-changer. It’s helped us attract and retain talented clinicians, knowing they’re backed by a strong specialist network to consult with. Most
importantly, it’s given our patients the access and continuity they deserve.”
HRSA’s Rural Health Outreach and Network Development programs support innovative community-based models to expand healthcare delivery, address disparities, and improve access in rural America.
Media Contact:
St. Joseph Healthcare Media Relations — Hannah Carrier,
Communications@sjhhealth.com
Community Care Partnership of Maine — Mary Butler-Fleming,
marybutlerfleming@ccpmaine.org
