LEWISTON — The estate of an Auburn physician has donated $500,000 to Central Maine Medical Center.

Dr. Andre Marcotte established the charitable trust fund for the hospital shortly before he died of cancer in August at the age of 57. Marcotte was on the medical center’s staff for 25 years, serving many years as chief of orthopedic surgery.

Hospital officials said the donation was one of the largest in the medical center’s 102-year history. They said the money would be put in an endowment fund and the interest would be spent on surgical equipment or orthopedic services.