Thank you for putting your trust in MaineHealth Maine Medical Center (MHMMC). Whether you are a patient or visitor, we want your experience to be as pleasant as possible. Please review this page for answers to commonly asked questions. Once you arrive, care team members will be available to answer further questions and direct you to your destination. PLEASE NOTE: Weapons of any kind are prohibited from all MaineHealth facilities and locations.
Visitor Check-in
All MHMMC visitors must stop at a designated check-in point. All visitors over the age of 18 will be asked to present a photo ID. Talk to a care team member if you do not have photo ID. Visitors will be issued visitor badges to wear while at MHMMC. You may need to wait a few minutes due to this important safety measure. Thank you for your patience.
Visitor Hours and Masking Guidelines
Visiting hours and policies vary throughout MHMMC and can change based on federal and state guidelines. MaineHealth reserves the right to limit visitation due to operational, space or crowding concerns. Visitation is open during pre-established visiting hours. Any after-hour visitation requests will be coordinated through the unit charge/nurse leader.
When visitors are allowed, children are usually welcome too. Please ask your nurse to confirm the visiting hours and policy in your unit. Masking is no longer required throughout our facilities except in certain cases; anyone can mask at their discretion and we will make masks available. The use of recording devices (video, photo, or audio) by any visitor is restricted to include only the patient and the patient’s family members or visitors. No recording of other persons, including care team members, is permitted without consent.
If visitors have a new or worsening sore throat, cough, shortness of breath or fever, or other symptoms of respiratory infection, they are asked to always wear a mask in the facility, including patient rooms, or to consider not visiting the hospital at this time. Masks will still be required in areas and circumstances where appropriate; standard and transmission-based precautions must be followed, including interactions with patients exhibiting respiratory infection symptoms.
To pre-register for scheduled services at MHMMC, please call 207-662-2433 or 1-800-619-9715 (toll-free) Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 6:30 pm.
Patients & Staff Working Together
- Speak up: We urge you to take an active role in your care. Please speak up if something doesn’t seem right. If you don’t understand any part of your care; a medicine, test, or treatment please let us know so we can ensure your questions or concerns are answered.
- Identification: Please wear your ID band at all times. You can expect all care team members to check for your name, date of birth and medical record number before any treatment or test. All care team members should wear name badges and introduce themselves and their role in your care.
- Medications: Please carry a list of all the medicines you take, including vitamins, herbs and supplements. The care team should explain all medicines to you including the benefits, potential side effects and the reason for the medicine.
- Prevent the spread of germs: Please clean your hands after using the bathroom, before eating and whenever you enter or exit your room. All care team members should clean their hands before touching you.
- Help prevent unsafe situations: To prevent falls, keep your call bell and personal items within easy reach and ask for assistance to get out of bed. Report any situation that makes you worry or feel unsafe, such as equipment that’s not working or a slip hazard.
MyChart is the MaineHealth online patient portal. With MyChart, you can complete your registration for an upcoming visit or update your registration information online. You can also schedule future appointments, review your health information, send a message to your provider and more.
Tobacco Use
Tobacco use is not allowed at any MHMMC campus, including campus grounds. This includes e-cigarettes. MHMMC Portland campus visitors can get free emergency nicotine gum 24/7 from the MaineHealth Pharmacy on the ground floor of the Coulombe Family Tower.
Tobacco treatment services are available for patients during their medical center stay. This includes counseling, support, and help with nicotine replacement to manage cravings or help with quitting. Ask your nurse or doctor to place an order if you would like this support.
Fragrance, perfume, cologne, scented products, etc.
For the health and safety of our patients, visitors, and staff with severe allergies, we ask that you remain fragrance-free. This includes not using perfume, cologne, lotions, or oils with fragrance, and being free of smoke odor.
Before you come to the medical center:
- Talk to your insurance company to make sure your insurance covers the procedure. Prior authorization may be required.
- If you do not have insurance, please contact our financial services team through MyChart, the MaineHealth patient portal, or call 1-866-804-2499 (toll-free) Monday through Friday: 8 am – 4:30 pm.
- Arrange transportation home from the hospital.
- Chose a family member or friend to speak on your behalf, take calls or relay information about how you're doing.
- Complete an advance directive.
- Pre-register for your stay.
- Be sure to know what time to come to the hospital. If you have not been told, please check with your doctor.
- Take a shower or bath. If provided, use special soap as directed by your provider.
Things you will need with you:
- Your insurance card and photo ID
- A list of current medicines - including how much you take and how often
- Completed advance directive form.
- Personal health devices.
You may also want these items to make your stay more pleasant:
- Something to read.
- Comfortable pajamas and slippers
- Personal hygiene items (no scented products please)
Things to leave at home:
- Valuables, cash and jewelry
- Medicines you take at home, including medical marijuana
- Electric fan
- Electric heating pad
- Electric radio
- Electric razor
- Hair dryer
- Pets
- Television
- Weapons
Upon Arrival
Our staff will do what they can to make the admitting process easy and efficient for you. We will ask you to sign forms saying you agree to your treatment. Please read the forms carefully. While your room is being prepared, we will make you as comfortable as we can in our waiting room. Sometimes there may be a shortage of rooms because of unexpected emergencies. If this is the case, we will do our best to work with your care team to tell you before you come to the hospital. Unfortunately, we may not know we’ll be short of rooms until the day you arrive. We appreciate your patience.
Pre-Operative Readiness and Education Program (PREP)
- If you are having surgery at any MHMMC location, your surgeon will give you information about your surgery, such as how to prepare and what time to arrive.
- There are two parts to our Pre-Operative Readiness and Education (PREP) program:
- PREP phone call
- PREP visit
- Every surgical patient will receive a PREP phone call. It is very important to call us back quickly if we leave you a message.
- Some patients will also be asked to come to the PREP clinic for an in-person visit. This depends on the type of surgery and any health conditions you have.
Your safety and satisfaction are top priorities and we highly value feedback from patients, family members and visitors. We recognize employees for their excellence and want to know if we do not meet your expectations. Please let us know if you have any concerns or questions.
Patient Surveys
After you return home, a patient survey may be mailed to you. Your opinion is very important to us and helps us continue to improve our care and services. Your participation in this survey will be very helpful to us and to our future patients. Please take a moment to complete this survey and let us know how we did.
Patient Relations
Please let us take care of any concerns you or your family may have regarding your care before you go home. All members of our team are here to advocate for, and assist, you. Should you have concerns or questions during your medical center stay, please share them with your nurse, the nurse manager or the supervisor. You may also ask to speak with our patient relations team if you require further assistance. If you would like to share compliments or concerns after your visit, please contact the patient relations team.
If you have any questions, please call 207-662-2983. Calls are returned Monday - Friday during business hours. Please note, the patient relations team cannot assist with billing questions. Please contact MaineHealth Patient Financial Services at 1-866-804-2499 (toll-free) with any billing questions.
Other Options
If you have a concern or complaint about your care or safety, we are here to help. Please consider these options:
Bring your concern or complaint to the attention of a care team member, so we can take care of it as soon as possible. If they do not take care of the issue to your complete satisfaction, ask to speak to the person in charge.
If the person in charge is still unable to resolve the issue to your satisfaction, you may contact:
Department of Quality & Patient Safety: 207-283-7253
Or, mail your comments to:
MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Biddeford/Sanford
1 Medical Center Drive
Biddeford, ME 04005
MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland
22 Bramhall Street
Portland, ME 04102
If you are a Medicare recipient, you may contact Northeast Health Care Quality Foundation at 1-800-772-0151, 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or TTY/TTD 1-877-486-2048.
Whether or not you take any of these steps, you may also contact the following state agency about your complaint or concern:
Department of Health & Human Services
Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services
State House Station #11
41 Anthony Avenue
Augusta, Maine 04333
Tel.: 1-800-791-4080 or 207-287-9300
TDD: Maine relay 711
If you feel that your patient care issues, safety concerns or complaints cannot be taken care of through the hospital’s internal grievance process, you may contact The Joint Commission’s Office of Quality Monitoring to register your complaint. To contact The Joint Commission, call 800-994-6610 or send an e-mail to: complaint@jointcommission.org
PLEASE NOTE: Neither the Department of Health & Human Services nor The Joint Commission can address billing concerns. Please contact MaineHealth Patient Financial Services at 1-866-804-2499 (toll-free) with any billing questions.
At MaineHealth, the privacy of your health information is a top priority. All MaineHealth locations follow strict guidelines that secure your medical records in accordance with your rights, and with federal and state regulations. You, or your legal representative, have the right to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical records. We do not offer walk-in services but can provide records electronically, on paper, on a USB flash drive, or on a compact disc (CD). Upon request, we will also send a copy of your medical records to another health care provider.
Pay a bill, ask a billing question, apply for financial assistance and more.
