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The Â鶹´«Ã½ has named Dora Anne Mills, MD, MPH, FAAP, vice president for clinical affairs, to strengthen UNE's clinical partnerships and its community and public health mission. She will join Â鶹´«Ã½on September 1.

A pediatrician by training, Mills served as director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention for 15 years under Governors Angus King and John Baldacci. She is widely recognized for her public health accomplishments, including reducing Maine’s rate of tobacco use, teen pregnancy and childhood obesity. As Maine's CDC director, she established numerous statewide partnerships with hospitals, agencies and schools, including Healthy Maine Partnerships, which provide public health programs on a local level. Dr. Mills received her MD degree from University of Vermont College of Medicine, and her Master of Public Health from Harvard University.

"Dr. Mills' outstanding record of public health service and collaboration makes her the ideal choice to lead UNE's interprofessional health care education efforts and expand our public health and clinical outreach programs in Maine," states Â鶹´«Ã½president Danielle Ripich, Ph.D.

Marc B. Hahn, DO, Â鶹´«Ã½senior vice president for health affairs and dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, adds, "Dr. Mills is a well respected leader in public health, for Maine and our region. Dora's expertise will be an asset to the Â鶹´«Ã½ and she will contribute to the continued success of the medical school and our health-related programs."

Health care reform has redefined national priorities for healthcare delivery to ensure coordinated patient care. Â鶹´«Ã½is the leading educator of health care professionals in Maine, and its commitment to a patient-centered approach aligns with this goal. With Dr. Mills' leadership, Â鶹´«Ã½is prepared to develop clinical education sites that will inform best practices throughout the state.

Health care leaders from around the state responded enthusiastically to Dr. Mills' appointment.

Robert McAfee, MD, former president of the American Medical Association and Â鶹´«Ã½trustee emeriti, stated, "As 'The Public Health Voice of Maine' for the past 15 years, Dr. Mills has been recognized by her peers for excellence as an administrator, caregiver, teacher and role model. She now brings to Â鶹´«Ã½a unique statewide, nationwide and international experience in not only the delivery of care, but also the critical need for prevention. Her proven ability to assess our needs and craft solutions to improve our health as well as improve the health care system itself is well known. She is the perfect person for the job at UNE."

Joel A. Kase, DO, MPH, president of the Maine Osteopathic Association and division chief for public health at the Â鶹´«Ã½College of Osteopathic Medicine, stated: "With an impressive breadth of experience and a reputation for integrity and accountability, Dr. Mills is recognized as the leading public health expert in our state. Combining her many years of clinical practice, health policy development, and public service, Dr. Mills possesses a unique skill set that will help ensure the success of UNE's InterProfessional Education Collaborative."

Gordon Smith, executive vice president of Maine Medical Association, added, "Dr. Mills is probably the best known physician in the state. I'm delighted to learn she is staying in Maine and using her considerable talents to contribute to the already excellent clinical education at UNE. This appointment is another important osteopathic-allopathic collaboration to improve health care in our state."

Timothy Ford, Ph.D., UNE's vice president for research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies (COGS), which houses UNE's programs in public health, says, "In my role as COGS dean, I am absolutely delighted that Dr. Mills is joining the university as vice president for clinical affairs. Dr. Mills was an outstanding director of the Maine CDC, and has been Maine's spokesperson for public health for many years. Her wisdom and experience will bring added vitality to our public health programs and help promote our vision to serve the public health needs of the state. I look forward to working with Dr. Mills to help build the much needed public health workforce, and, in particular, begin to address the health needs of Maine’s more rural and underserved regions."