State says infection control issues at CMMC in Lewiston could jeopardize Medicare agreement
Central Maine Medical Center, the flagship hospital of the Central Maine Healthcare system in Lewiston, has been placed in a precarious position by state and federal regulators after an investigation uncovered a persistent contamination problem in its sterile‑processing department.
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began probing the hospital on August 21, 2026, after reports surfaced that an unknown orange‑yellow substance had been found on four “ready‑for‑use” surgical instrument trays. Staff confirmed that the same stain was present on every tray that passed through the sterile‑processing unit. The problem, which hospital workers say has been “known since 2023,” raises the risk of spreading infections to patients.
The DHHS immediately declared the issue an “immediate jeopardy” situation—defined as a scenario in which a patient has already suffered or is likely to suffer serious injury or death. Although the hospital sent some surgical patients to other facilities following the discovery, the state said the jeopardy condition had been resolved by the afternoon of August 24. Regulators continued to interview staff and review documentation.
On October 8, CMS sent a written notice to CEO Allen Stefanek that “substantial noncompliance remains” across three key Medicare conditions: infection‑control stewardship, the physical environment, and governance. The notice lists specific shortcomings, including failure to ensure that surgical supplies were sterile, operating‑room tables were free of rust and chipped paint, and expired items—such as tubing, clamps and airway devices that expired in 2024—had not been removed from patient‑care areas. Sanitization lapses affected six of seven operating rooms, two cardiac operating rooms, the cardiac catheterization lab, the emergency department, common areas and four other units, including a rehabilitation ward.
The CMS document also warned that if the hospital does not submit a plan of correction for each deficiency within ten days and fully address the problems by January 7, 2027, it could lose its Medicare contract entirely. The plan must be submitted promptly, the notice said, and the hospital’s failure to meet these requirements would “substantially limit its capacity to furnish adequate care and/or adversely affect the health and safety of patients.”
When regulators asked how many contaminated trays had been returned for reprocessing, the sterile‑processing manager answered, “None, no one turns the trays away. We would have to close the doors due to the prevalence of the issue.” The comment illustrates the depth of the problem and the hospital’s inability to manage it.
The investigation also uncovered a broader culture of neglect. The Central Maine Healthcare system’s infection‑prevention plan for fiscal year 2025 and 2026 both flagged the sterile‑processing contamination as a “high‑risk” issue. Yet an audit of 13 board‑of‑directors meetings in fiscal year 2026 revealed no discussion of infection‑control concerns, with the most recent meeting held in July.
The hospital is part of a larger system that was sold to the California‑based Prime Healthcare Foundation in February 2026. The nonprofit has pledged more than $50 million toward replacing the health‑care system’s electronic medical‑record system, rebuilding its workforce and recruiting additional staff. However, a spokesperson for CMMC and Prime has declined to comment on why the contamination issues have persisted for three years or whether any surgical patients are still being diverted.
In addition to the sterile‑processing failures, the DHHS identified standard‑level deficiencies at several outpatient practices owned by the system, notably Central Maine Obstetrics‑Gynecology. Front‑office staff reported being told to turn pregnant patients away because of short staffing and other issues, a violation of the system’s bylaws that require clear communication of wait‑list expectations and timely care.
The state’s investigation of CMMC is not a one‑off event. Over the past two years, the agency has examined the hospital 14 times, uncovering a mix of standard‑level and condition‑level deficiencies. A prior late‑2025 investigation concluded the hospital was in substantial compliance with infection‑prevention and control standards. Nevertheless, the most recent findings are far graver and threaten the hospital’s continued participation in the Medicare program.
If CMS chooses to terminate the hospital’s Medicare agreement, the federal program will no longer be the accreditor, leaving the state agency with full jurisdiction over accreditation complaints and monitoring visits. “This is a standard CMS process,” said Lindsay Hammes, a DHHS spokesperson, emphasizing that the hospital’s future depends on the speed and thoroughness with which it rectifies the identified problems.
For now, the central question remains: Will Central Maine Medical Center’s leadership be able to correct the deep‑seated infection‑control failures and restore confidence among patients and regulators before the January deadline? The outcome will shape the hospital’s ability to serve the Lewiston community and beyond for years to come.
