Vince Conti
2007 Muskie Access-to-Justice Award Honoree
I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.
-From the classic Hippocratic Oath
Vincent S. Conti is president and chief executive officer of Maine Medical Center, the largest hospital in Maine and the flagship of the MaineHealth family of health care services. Vince joined Maine Medical Center in 1997, after a long career in hospital administration at Yale-New Haven Hospital and earlier work in several other healthcare settings in Connecticut and New York. He earned his master’s degree from Cornell University Sloan Institute of Hospital Administration, and his bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.
From the beginning of his career, Vince has promoted programs and services that fall outside the medical setting but contribute to improved health for low-income and needy patients. He provided leadership in the creation and development of Paul Newman’s acclaimed “Hole in the Wall Gang Camp” in Connecticut for children with cancer and life-threatening illnesses, a cause that he continues to support today as a member of their Advisory Board.
While many recognize the importance of having medical providers advocate for their patient’s well-being, not everyone can see the potential for partnership between lawyers and doctors. It is a tribute to Vince’s vision for healthcare that he was been quick to recognize the ways in which legal aid providers can work side by side with healthcare staff in addressing problems for individuals of concern to each group. His tenure at Maine Medical Center has seen the formation of a partnership between the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project and the Maine Medical Center International Clinic to support recent immigrants needing help with immigration law, as well as a project launched in 2004 between KIDS LEGAL, a children’s legal aid project within Pine Tree Legal Assistance, and the Pediatrics Clinic at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital. This partnership supports improved health for low-income children by using legal interventions to tackle social or environmental problems that contribute to those health concerns.
Vince Conti serves as a trustee of the American Hospital Association, the first Maine hospital CEO to hold this position in more than 22 years. He has also served on the board of the Maine Hospital Association and currently serves on its Public Policy Council. Vince was honored with a Distinguished Citizen’s Award from the Boy Scouts in 2004.