LEWISTON, ME — Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) has been awarded $2.1 million in federal funding to upgrade some of its surgical equipment. The majority of the funding will be used to replace surgical video towers. 

“These towers contain cameras, video screens and other equipment critical to performing minimally invasive surgery,” said Timothy Counihan, MD, chief of surgery at CMMC. “This equipment allows surgeons to perform procedures through small incisions, reducing the patient’s recovery time, and realize better outcomes. 

CMMC provides multispecialty surgical care to patients throughout Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin Counties. The hospital, which is part of Central Maine Healthcare, uses the towers in orthopedics, general surgery, colorectal surgery, surgical oncology, gynecological surgery, urology, otolaryngology and thoracic surgery.

 “I would like to thank Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) for helping secure this critical funding,” said Steve Littleson, president and CEO of Central Maine Healthcare. “By investing in these new video towers and the associated equipment, surgeons at CMMC will be able to provide the most reliable and timely care to patients, as well as provide precise localization of the anatomy to minimize patient risk.  The new, state of the art equipment will ensure CMMC continues to serve as a referral specialty center for the more than 400,000 residents of central Maine.” 

The funding for the equipment upgrades at CMMC are part of the congressionally directed spending which is part of the recently passed federal budget.