Medical Directors

AnnMarie Lattanzi, MD

Medical Director – Mid Coast Hospital Emergency Department

Medical Specialty: Emergency Medicine

Medical School: Georgetown School of Medicine, Washington, DC

Residency: Harvard-Affiliates Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Boston, MA

Michael Bell, MD

Medical Director - Nantucket Cottage Hospital Emergency Department

Chair of the Board

Medical Specialty: Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine

Medical School: University of New Mexico

Residency: Central Maine Medical Center Family Medicine

Undergraduate: Northwestern University

Awards/Recognitions :

Member to the American Board of Family Medicine
Member to the American Society of Addiction Medicine
McAfee Fellow, Daniel Hanley Center for Physician Executive Leadership
Chief Resident 2002-2003
Resident Teacher Award 2003

Growing up in New Mexico, Dr. Bell never expected to be living in the Northeast, and now is the Director of Emergency Medicine Services at Houlton Regional Hospital. After he completed his medical education at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Bell moved to Lewiston and attended the Central Maine Medical Center Family Practice Residency. Focusing his training in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care he later became an attending Emergency Physician in 2003. Dr. Bell joined BlueWater Health in 2012 and has served as Medical Director at four rural sites, Calais Regional Hospital, Down East Community Hospital, Houlton Regional Hospital, and is currently the Medical Director at Nantucket Cottage Hospital.

Dr. Bell has a special interest in Addiction Medicine and served as the Medical Director of a sober house in Portland for two years. He is currently the Chief Medical Officer of an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment facility in Portland. Dr. Bell is passionate about rural critical care and the importance of teamwork in limited resource environments. He is an instructor for Comprehensive Advanced Life Support (CALS) and serves on their curriculum committee.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Bell is blessed with his three sons. They all enjoy snowboarding, skiing, beach and lake activities.

Douglas G. Nilson, MD

Medical Director - Springfield Hospital Emergency Department

Member of the Board

Medical Specialty: Emergency Medicine

Residency: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University Emergency Medicine

Medical School: Northwestern University - Feinberg School of Medicine

Undergraduate: Colby College

Dr. Doug Nilson moved up to Maine after completing a residency in Emergency Medicine at Brown University in 2009. He worked in the ER at Southern Maine Health Care in Biddeford for 9 years which lead to him joining BlueWater Health. His medical interests include ultrasound, wilderness medicine, and EMS.

When not working, Dr. Nilson spends time with his four best friends – wife Rachel, and their three children Eli, Jonah and Zoe. Doug and his family love spending time outside hiking, exploring, fishing, boating, and skiing.

Thomas Dancoes, DO, FACEP

Medical Director - Houlton Regional Hospital Emergency Department

Immediate Past President Maine ACEP

Medical Specialty: Emergency Medicine

Medical School: Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine

Residency: Michigan State University

Undergraduate: University of Southern Maine

Awards/Recognitions:

Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians
Board-Certified Emergency Medicine Physician
Past President for the Maine Chapter/ National Council Member of AECP
Fellow member of the Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership

Dr. Dancoes was born and raised in Maine and is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He has a passion for bringing high-quality emergency medicine to rural communities across our state. Maine, Idaho, Missouri, Michigan, Maine, was the adventurous path that took Dr. Dancoes across the country and back to Maine to begin his career as a physician.

Dr. Dancoes is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine and his first career was as a music educator, leading him to teach classical guitar in Idaho. One of his students was a physician and later became an important mentor for Dr. Dancoes.

Ultimately, he attended medical school at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri. Dr. Dancoes then moved to Michigan to complete his residency in emergency medicine through Michigan State University to become Chief Resident.

Since returning to Maine Dr. Dancoes has been committed to his professional organization the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), he served as a past president of the Maine Chapter, and has served as a National Council member for nearly a decade. Dr. Dancoes also is a Fellow of the Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership. He has also worked with other Maine physician leaders and legislators to lead positive change in health care in our state. He continues his work in rural communities and is currently serving as Vice Chief of Staff at Calais Regional Hospital. Telemedicine is his latest passion, as the use of this technology through various platforms will advance access to health care for all Maine residents. Dr. Dancoes is an avid skier and enjoys time spent skiing and biking with his family and friends.