Kathi Varney

Kathryn “Kathi” Varney, longtime Nurse Practitioner at the Sam & Jennie Bennett Breast Care Center at Central Maine Medical Center, officially retired in early December 2016. Varney, who stepped into her role at the center’s inception, left a legacy of delivering top-notch care by professional staff in a calm and welcoming environment.

“I am very honored to have been a part of the inception and advancement of the Bennett Breast Care Center,” said Varney. “It is a center of excellence which reflects greatly on the staff who work there and the center’s mission to provide the highest quality of breast healthcare to our community.”

Varney is considered by staff to be a “utility player” who was always willing to leave her title at the door to help check in patients for their appointments, answer phones, take patients to change, and assist other providers with procedures. She has been instrumental in acquiring membership status for the center with the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers; developing key breast health specific policies; working with providers to develop best practice protocols; and providing community outreach. Above all, she always put the needs of the patient first, regardless of what might be happening around her.

Varney will be succeeded as Nurse Practitioner by Stacie Kunas, who Varney has mentored to seamlessly step into the role. “I will miss my patients, but am confident that I leave them in very capable hands,” said Varney. “Stacie Kunas is a great addition to the team and is already making a difference in her role as Nurse Practitioner.”

The Bennett Breast Care Center, located in Suite 103 at 12 High Street in the medical complex connected to CMMC, offers mammography, breast ultrasound, and ultrasound guided and stereotactic core breast biopsies. Providers are available daily for consultation regarding benign and malignant breast health concerns. The Bennett Center coordinates treatments and services for patients coping with breast cancer and other breast health problems and works closely with the Dempsey Center. For more information, see www.cmmc.org/womens-health-breast-care-center.