After more than two years of collaboration, research, and community input, MDI Hospital and its affiliated health centers, community services, and Birch Bay Village are celebrating the launch of their unified brand: MDI Health.
While the familiar and trusted names of MDI Hospital, our health centers, and Birch Bay Village will remain unchanged, we will be more united under the shared identity of MDI Health, better reflecting the full scope of services offered across our organization.
Key Points & FAQs
- MDI Health is our new unified brand name
It brings together MDI Hospital, our Health Centers, and Birch Bay Village under one shared identity, instead of all organizing under ‘hospital’. - We are still the same organization you know and trust
Our providers, team members, leadership, and our commitment to care and have not changed. - No, we have not been bought or merged
MDI Health remains an independent, community-based healthcare organization. - This brand was developed internally
It is the result of over two years of work by various stakeholder teams, including input from staff, patients, community members, and business friends. This feedback resulted in an efficient process that did not financially impact on our organization. Adoption of the new brand will happen over time throughout the organization with the first impact on signage and wayfinding.
Our location names are NOT changing
- So, what is changing?
We are now organizing everything under MDI Health instead of under “MDI Hospital.” - Why the change?
The word “hospital” didn’t fully represent everything we offer, and it caused confusion. Hospital is singular and as an organization we offer integrated services which are key to our mission and the health and vibrancy of our community.
We heard consistent feedback from patients and the community:
- MDI Health helps make things clearer and more connected
It reflects the full range of care and makes it easier to understand how to access services. - We offer much more than hospital care
Services include:- Primary Care
- Emergency Medicine
- Surgical Services
- Women’s Health
- Pediatric Care
- Behavioral Health
- Pain Management
- Physical Therapy
- Medical Education
- Community Program & Events
- This change supports better access to care
Patients can more easily understand where to go and how services connect. - Our mission stays the same
We are patient-centered, community-minded, and committed to high-quality care close to home. - Think of it this way:
MDI Health = one connected system of care, working together for you.
Independent Health Network
MDI Health is still an independent, community health network serving the Mount Desert Island region. MDI Hospital, our Health Centers, and Birch Bay Retirement Village have not been bought, we are not changing the names of our facilities, and your care will continue uninterrupted by this change.
Historical Context
Mount Desert Island Hospital’s roots date back to 1897, when the previously named Bar Harbor Medical and Surgical Hospital was founded. In 1931, the name was changed to MDI Hospital, and from then on, our organization has continued to evolve in response to the community’s changing needs and medical innovation.
Today, with expanded services and an evolving community, MDI Health represents the next chapter, one that brings clarity, connection, and a shared identity to the entire system of care.
Patient Feedback
During two years of internal work, including in focus groups, patients shared confusion about billing, access, and where to seek care. Many were unaware they could be seen quickly at other locations within the network for acute needs like tick bites, colds, or minor illnesses.
These stories are not singular, and what we discovered was ‘hospital’ is a word that limits our ability to tell the whole story of the incredible work our teams do across our organization.
What to Expect
You will start to see the MDI Health logo on our digital platforms, paperwork, billing, signage, and more over the next several weeks. We expect a full transition to happen over several months.
MDI Hospital signage will still say MDI Hospital for identification purposes, but the branding will match that of MDI Health with the island and crescent logo.
Hospital and Health Center names will remain unchanged and delivery of care will not be impacted at all.
Unified Brand Development Timeline
Click the image below to explore our full development timeline.
Press Release
BAR HARBOR, Maine: Mount Desert Island (MDI) Hospital, its affiliated health centers, and Birch Bay Village today announced the launch of their own unified brand, Mount Desert Island (MDI) Health, a milestone that brings clarity, connection, and a shared identity to the region’s independent healthcare system.
The unified brand reflects what has long been true: care across Mount Desert Island is delivered through a connected network. While the trusted names of MDI Hospital, its health centers, and Birch Bay Village remain unchanged, they are now united under MDI Health, making it easier for patients to understand and access the full range of services available to them.
“For many people, the word ‘hospital’ only tells part of our story,” said Chrissi Maguire, President and CEO of MDI Health. “Today, we are so much more. From primary care to behavioral health, emergency services, and community programs, we provide a continuum of care that extends far beyond hospital walls.”
The launch marks the culmination of more than two years of organizational collaboration, research, and engagement with staff, patients, and community partners. That work revealed a consistent challenge: many people did not realize that the hospital, health centers, and specialty services were all part of an integrated, independent health system.
Patients shared confusion about billing, access, and where to seek care. Many were unaware they could be seen quickly at other locations within the network for acute needs like tick bites, colds, or minor illnesses.
“MDI Health is about all of us, taking care of all of you. We want you to know you belong here,” said Kate Mulrenin, PhD, Psychologist at the Trenton Health Center. “We work together across disciplines to care for the whole person, whether that’s family medicine, nursing, physical therapy, radiology, social work, or psychotherapy, to deliver the care each patient truly needs.”
Founded in 1897 as Bar Harbor Medical and Surgical Hospital and renamed MDI Hospital in 1931, the organization has continued to evolve in response to the community’s changing needs. Today, MDI Health represents the next chapter, one that better reflects all it offers.
MDI Health remains an independent, community-driven system delivering high-quality, patient-centered care. From primary care, emergency medicine, general surgery, orthopedics, women’s health, and pediatrics, to behavioral health, physical therapy, pain management, medical education, and community-based programs. MDI Health provides essential care to the MDI region and beyond.
MDI Hospital, Birch Bay Village, and all physical Health Center locations will be keeping their respective names. This includes the Breast Health Center, Cadillac Family Practice, Community Dental Center, Community Health Center, Cooper Gilmore Health Center, Lisa Stewart Women’s Health Center, MDI Behavioral Health Center, Northeast Harbor Health Center, and Trenton Health Center.
Under MDI Health, patients will continue to receive care from the same trusted providers, in the same locations, without interruption. The unified brand is designed to make accessing that care simpler, clearer, and more connected.
For more information, visit mdihospital.org/UnifiedBrand or mdih.org/UnifiedBrand.
