Coastal Communities Live Well Better Breathers Group (adults)

Join us for a support group that provides a welcoming space for individuals with chronic lung diseases, as well as their family members, friends and caregivers. Learn about disease management, share experiences and get tools to stay active and healthy. The group covers everything related to breathing, including oxygen equipment, medications, CPAP machines and more. Guest speakers will provide specialized knowledge and education.

Classes are led by trained facilitators and are offered both in person and via Zoom on the third Wednesday of each month. A Zoom link will be provided after registration. Families and caregivers are welcome.

The American Lung Association's Better Breathers Club program has connected people living with lung disease to education, support and each other in communities around the country for over 50 years.

To register, email or call Suzan Michelle Collins at: 207-301-5892 or Suzan.Collins@mainehealth.org     

Suzan Michelle Collins, BSRT, RRT, is a second-year graduate student working on her graduate degree in Respiratory Care at Boise State University. She is a certified asthma educator and holds specialty certifications as a COPD educator, pulmonary disease educator, tobacco treatment specialist and in pulmonary rehabilitation.

She has received national awards for her work in Asthma Management from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Dr. Charles H. Hudson Award for her work in Cardiopulmonary Health from the ARCF and the Nick Jones Breathe Strong Rally Champion Award from the COPD Foundation. Locally, she has received the 2024 Operations Transformation Advocate Award from MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital and has been invited to present her research and work performed here for several national conferences.

Please join our postpartum support group to find the village you deserve! You will get to meet other new moms and find out that many of the struggles you may be experiencing are common and you are not alone. You will also get good ideas for coping. We vent, we celebrate, we cry, we encourage, we drink coffee and eat snacks! You can weigh your baby here and ask any questions at all to another mother or a nurse. 

The group meets every Wednesday morning at 10:30am at MidCoast Hospital. Sometimes we meet in Conference Room 1, right next to the cafeteria. If that room is not available, our back up location is the waiting room outside the Maternity unit. The group is led by our breast/bottle feeding specialists. Mothers with children 0-6 months are welcome. 

This informal support group for breastfeeding families provides interaction as well as individual assistance when needed. Women wanting more information about breastfeeding are also welcome. This group is facilitated by a lactation consultant from the Women and Infants unit.

Please call (207)301-8337 for more information. 

Join us for a 2-hour Preparing for Birth and Feeding Your Baby Class, led by a Labor & Delivery Nurse/Lactation Consultant and the Perinatal Outreach Education Coordinator.   Recommended for all first-time pregnant patients and their birth partners; this class is designed to provide you and your labor partner with the information, skills and resources to prepare you for the birth of your baby.

THIS CLASS IS LOCATED IN NORWAY, MAINE - IN PERSON

The class will be informal focusing on:

• How do you know you’re in labor and when to call the doctor
• Stages of Labor
• Vaginal & Surgical Deliveries
• Terminology
• Comfort Measures
• Equipment Review
• Medications and Interventions
• Feeding Your Baby
• Watching Educational Videos
• And More!

Light refreshments will be provided during class.  All participants are required to review self-screening questions for COVID-19 and remain masked during class.  

Contact the Perinatal Outreach Education Coordinator with any questions: 207-393-3462

****PLEASE NOTE: ONLY REGISTER ONE PARTICIPANT. You will have space to put who is attending with you on your registration form (do not register them separately).****

Coastal Communities Teens Kicking Asthma Breathe Well Group
Join us for a self-management education program designed for teens ages 11–16 (grades 6–10). Through a fun, interactive approach, the program empowers teens by using learning techniques tailored for their age group.

The curriculum highlights asthma self-management practices, including recognizing early warning signs, identifying and avoiding triggers and using medications properly. By practicing these skills in a supportive setting, teens will gain the knowledge and confidence needed to better manage their asthma every day.

This program is taught by an American Lung Association-trained facilitator that delivers structured curriculum in a community-based small group setting.

To register, email or call Suzan Michelle Collins at: 207-301-5892 or Suzan.Collins@mainehealth.org   

Suzan Michelle Collins, BSRT, RRT, is a second-year graduate student working on her graduate degree in Respiratory Care at Boise State University. She is a certified asthma educator and holds specialty certifications as a COPD educator, pulmonary disease educator, tobacco treatment specialist and in pulmonary rehabilitation.

She has received national awards for her work in Asthma Management from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Dr. Charles H. Hudson Award for her work in Cardiopulmonary Health from the ARCF and the Nick Jones Breathe Strong Rally Champion Award from the COPD Foundation. Locally, she has received the 2024 Operations Transformation Advocate Award from MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital and has been invited to present her research and work performed here for several national conferences.  

Suzan volunteers for many organizations, supporting and advocating for patients and the cardiopulmonary profession.

Join us for an infant CPR course to gain knowledge in how to perform CPR and choking rescue of an infant up to 1 year of age.  This course will be provided by in-person instructor, video and hands-on practice.  

THIS CLASS IS LOCATED IN NORWAY, MAINE - IN PERSON

Class is scheduled for an estimated 1 hour.   Any caregiver is welcome to join, parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, etc.

Contact the Perinatal Outreach Education Coordinator with any questions: 207-393-3462

You don’t have to walk the caregiver path alone. This group is for caregivers interested in sharing, learning, and supporting each other in a confidential and friendly environment.

For more information, contact MaineHealth employee facilitators Kim Danforth, LMSW-cc at 207-301-3095 or Catherine Athay, LCSW at 207-301-8977.

Thank you for your interest in the MaineHealth Maine Medical Center PORTLAND CNA Apprentice Training Program.  Please read the information below carefully.  If you would like to know more about this program, please contact us at mmc.cnaprogram@MaineHealth.org 

These CASAS test dates are for the MHMMC Portland CNA Apprentice class that begins in January 2026. The application deadline for this class is November 24. If you register for a CASAS date, please make every effort to attend!

To apply, you must complete the following before the application deadline:

--Be at least 16 years old.

--High school diploma or equivalent preferred.

--Be a US citizen or hold current, valid US work authorization.

--Pass the CASAS reading assessment with a score of 239 or higher. You must bring a photo ID to the reading test and go to the main office at Portland Adult Education when you arrive.  Passing this test is not a guarantee that you will be placed in the class.

Note:  If you hold a bachelors or associates degree from an accredited US institution of higher learning, the CASAS assessment may be waived (send copy of diploma or transcript to mmc.cnaprogram@mainehealth.org)

If you have recently taken the CASAS, you must wait 6 months before taking it again.

--Submit the CNA Program Application and all other requested documents by the deadline given above. The list of documents will be sent to you when we receive your application.

--Attend a virtual information session: we'll send you an invitation after you score 239 or higher on the CASAS. 

Please email mmc.cnaprogram@mainehealth.org if you have any questions or for info about MHMMC Portland’s CNA Program.