Maine Nurse Practitioner Association

Maine Nurse Practitioner Association Maine Nurse Practitioner Association (MNPA) is a Non-Profit Organization dedicated to coordinating e This applies to all state-regulated insurers and MCOs.

Maine Nurse Practitioner Association is the professional organization for nurse practitioners who constitute the largest group among Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), and number about 850 in Maine. Current standards require that, in order to become an NP, one must have an advanced graduate degree, along with clinical training in one or more specialty areas, with Board Certification as an adult, family, pediatric, geriatric, women's health or psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. Frequently, Family (FNPs) or Adult Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) may also have specific areas of interest and expertise, such as diabetes education, chronic medical illness in underserved populations, and rural health care. These are only a few examples of the significant contribution that NPs make to the healthcare of the citizens of Maine. Maine NPs earned the right to practice independent of physicians in the mid-1990s, following completion of at least 24 months of supervised work. More recently, they also won the right to be credentialed as participating providers, and won the opportunity to become primary care providers (PCPs) in managed care organizations (MCOs). The services of NPs (and Certified Nurse Midwives) must be billed to insurers using their own identification codes or numbers assigned by insurers, making it illegal to submit claims "incident to" a physician if the physician did not provide the service to the patient. NPs practice in a wide variety of clinical and other settings, including hospitals, private and public clinics and practices, educational institutions, correctional facilities, and more. The scope of practice of NPs is typically 50% to 70% of that of a physician, according to a federal study some years ago. Maine NPs can prescribe Schedule II, III, IV and V medications using their own DEA numbers. MNPA conducts at least one major conference each year at which NPs are provided a wide array of continuing education opportunities.

01/18/2026
Congratulations Dr. Alane O'Connor, DNP!
01/18/2026

Congratulations Dr. Alane O'Connor, DNP!

Dr. Alane O’Connor to be inducted into Maine Women’s Hall of Fame

The 2026 inductees to the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame will be Dr. Alane O’Connor, Director of Perinatal Addiction Medicine at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center who has been in the forefront of addiction medicine in the state, and the late Frances Perkins, U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Franklin Roosevelt and architect of New Deal programs that Americans rely on today.

The honorees will be inducted in a ceremony on March 21, 2026, at the University of Maine at Augusta during Women’s History Month. The public event begins with a reception at 1 p.m., followed by the induction ceremony at 2 p.m. To attend, RSVP by March 15 to mainewomenshalloffame@gmail.com. Snow date is March 22.

This is the 36th Maine Women’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to improving opportunities for all Maine women.

O’Connor, an innovative, compassionate, purpose-driven leader in addiction medicine, was born and raised in rural Maine. She earned an undergraduate degree at Colby College, in Waterville, a master’s from Boston College and doctorate from Vanderbilt University. In 2005, she returned to Maine as the opioid epidemic was intensifying. She began caring for patients with substance use disorder as part of her rural family practice and later became board certified in addiction medicine.

O’Connor was one of the first providers in Maine to serve pregnant women with substance use disorders. She became the state’s leading expert and served as the medical director of the Maine Maternal Opioid Misuse (Maine MOM) initiative, a five-year, $5 million federal grant to expand access to substance use treatment for pregnant and postpartum women. She is the first Director of Perinatal Addiction Medicine at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center and is core faculty in Maine’s only addiction medicine fellowship. O’Connor has trained hundreds of physicians, including both residents and fellows, and published more than a dozen peer-reviewed manuscripts on maternal and infant outcomes following treatment with medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy, as well as related postpartum healthcare utilization and health policy.

Recognizing that some of her most at-risk pregnant women were not accessing health care in traditional settings, she developed a partnership with Portland Fire Department to create Project Lifeline, a nationally innovative medical and community paramedicine program that delivers street medicine services to unhoused pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorder who live in tents, shelters, vehicles, and on the street.

Beyond caring for pregnant women, O’Connor works in the correctional system as the Director of Addiction Medicine at Somerset County Jail and Franklin County Detention Center, and is the clinical advisor to the Maine Sheriffs’ Association. In this capacity, she developed and implemented a nationally innovative program using a monthly injectable medication (rather than a daily pill) to treat incarcerated individuals with opioid use disorder.

The outcomes, published in Health & Justice, showed that the injectable medication expanded access to treatment during incarceration, improved treatment continuation after release and reduced the risk of post-release drug overdose death. The project gained nationwide attention and was featured on the front page of the New York Times and a related podcast. Her current research on reproductive life experiences of incarcerated women with substance use disorder blends both health fields.

O’Connor lectures regionally and nationally on substance use disorder to a variety of audiences, including medical providers, the child welfare system, the correctional system and judiciary, and law enforcement. She is a member of the Maine Maternal Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Panel and co-chairs Maine’s Opioid Response Clinical Advisory Committee, which advises the state’s opioid response director on clinical and public policy issues. Throughout her career, she has dedicated herself to serving the most marginalized individuals with empathy and compassion, and believes that human-centered and innovative strategies empower vulnerable individuals to thrive.

The Maine Nurse Practitioner Association (MNPA) stands in strong support of our health care colleagues—physician assista...
01/16/2026

The Maine Nurse Practitioner Association (MNPA) stands in strong support of our health care colleagues—physician assistants, occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses—in the recognition of their education and training as professional degrees.

Health care professionals across these disciplines complete rigorous graduate-level education, extensive clinical training, and ongoing certification to meet the complex needs of patients and communities. Classifying these degrees as anything less than professional fails to reflect the expertise required to deliver safe, high-quality, evidence-based care.

Limiting access to professional degree recognition and related financial support threatens to worsen workforce shortages across the health care system, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Such policies place unnecessary barriers on those called to serve and ultimately jeopardize patient access to care.

MNPA joins national nursing and health care organizations in affirming that PAs, OTs, PTs, nurses, and APRNs are essential professionals whose education, responsibility, and impact on patient outcomes merit full professional degree recognition. Supporting these clinicians is not only an investment in the workforce—it is an investment in the health of our communities.

Maine Academy of Physician Associates - MEAPA, MEOTA, Maine Academy of Physician Associates - MEAPA,

Nurse Practitioner Ranks Among BEST jobs of 2025
01/13/2026

Nurse Practitioner Ranks Among BEST jobs of 2025

See how nurse practitioner stacks up against other occupations.

MNPA President Lori Towne kicked off January’s Medical Provider of the Day at the State House last week, pictured here w...
01/12/2026

MNPA President Lori Towne kicked off January’s Medical Provider of the Day at the State House last week, pictured here with her local representative, Chad Perkins. We’re proud to represent and advocate for Maine’s outstanding nurse practitioners at the State House and beyond.

01/06/2026

AANP is proud to announce that nominations are open for the 2026 AANP National Leadership Awards. Two prestigious awards — the Sharp Cutting Edge Award and Towers Pinnacle Award — are presented annually to recognize the achievements of individuals who have made a positive difference for NPs and their patients. Submit your nominations before the March 3 deadline. Learn more: aanp.org/national-awards.

Preceptor request- please reply directly to the student if you can help.
01/06/2026

Preceptor request- please reply directly to the student if you can help.

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Woolwich, ME
04579

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Maine Nurse Practitioners Association is the professional organization for nurse practitioners who constitute the largest group among Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), and number about 1800 in Maine. Current standards require that, in order to become an NP, one must have an advanced graduate degree, along with clinical training in one or more specialty areas, with Board Certification as an adult, family, pediatric, geriatric, women's health or psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner. Frequently, Family (FNPs) or Adult Nurse Practitioners (ANPs) may also have specific areas of interest and expertise, such as diabetes education, chronic medical illness in underserved populations, and rural health care. These are only a few examples of the significant contribution that NPs make to the healthcare of the citizens of Maine. Maine NPs earned the right to practice independent of physicians in the mid-1990s, following completion of at least 24 months of supervised work. More recently, they also won the right to be credentialed as participating providers, and won the opportunity to become primary care providers (PCPs) in managed care organizations (MCOs). The services of NPs (and Certified Nurse Midwives) must be billed to insurers using their own identification codes or numbers assigned by insurers, making it illegal to submit claims "incident to" a physician if the physician did not provide the service to the patient. This applies to all state-regulated insurers and MCOs. NPs practice in a wide variety of clinical and other settings, including hospitals, private and public clinics and practices, educational institutions, correctional facilities, and more. The scope of practice of NPs is typically 50% to 70% of that of a physician, according to a federal study some years ago. Maine NPs can prescribe Schedule II, III, IV and V medications using their own DEA numbers. MNPA conducts at least one major spring conference each year at which NPs are provided a wide array of continuing education opportunities as well as a fall conference where Substance Abuse Disorder CME are provided to meet our state law for prescription of controlled substances. If you're not a member, you should think about joining. Join MNPA Today! You may contact us in a variety of ways: Maine Nurse Practitioner Association 11 Columbia St. Augusta, ME 04330 Phone: (207) 621-0313 or by emailing: pam@mnpa.us

Who is the Maine Nurse Practitioner Association?

2017-2019 MNPA Board of Directors

Anne Perry, President - 2017-2019