After four years of dedicated service to the Bridgton community, DFD Russell Medical Center has made the difficult decision to close its Bridgton location, with the last day of patient care scheduled for August 28, 2025.
This decision follows a comprehensive review of persistent financial and workforce challenges. Contributing factors include the loss of a vital community grant, the location’s ineligibility for federal funding under DFD’s Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) status, low reimbursement rates from commercial insurers, and ongoing uncertainty regarding Medicare and Medicaid. In addition to financial pressures, DFD has experienced significant difficulty recruiting and retaining highly skilled healthcare providers in rural Maine—a challenge shared by many rural health organizations.
Despite DFD’s strong desire to maintain services in Bridgton and its extensive efforts to explore alternative solutions, it became clear that continuing operations at this location is not sustainable.
“This is not a decision we made lightly, and it is not a reflection of our commitment to the Bridgton community,” the leadership team shared in a joint statement. “Rather, it is a decision rooted in responsibility—responsibility to quality care, our patients, our staff, and the long-term sustainability of rural health care.”
In collaboration with Central Maine Healthcare and other local primary care providers, DFD staff will support Bridgton patients throughout the transition to ensure continuity of care. Patients will receive personalized guidance to help them transfer to another local provider that meets their needs.
DFD remains fully committed to its mission of accessible, community-based care across its three remaining locations in Turner, Monmouth, and Leeds.