Maine Medicine Weekly Update - March 25, 2019
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MMA Extends its Appreciation to Maine Physicians in Observance of Doctors' Day, March 30th

 The Board of Directors and staff of the MMA wish to thank MMA members and all the physicians of Maine for your service to the patients of our state.

"We are proud to recognize the commitment of service to the people of Maine shown each day by Maine physicians," said MMA President Robert Schlager, M.D. in observance of Doctors' Day which is March 30, 2019.

National Doctors' Day is held every year on March 30th in the United States. It is a national holiday on our calendars to celebrate the contribution of physicians who serve our country by caring for its' citizens. The first Doctor's Day observance was March 30, 1933 in Winder, Georgia. Eudora Brown Almond, wife of Dr. Charles B. Almond, decided to set aside a day to honor physicians. This first observance included the mailing greeting cards and placing flowers on graves of deceased doctors. On March 30, 1958, a Resolution Commemorating Doctors' Day was adopted by the United States House of Representatives. In 1990, legislation was introduced in the House and Senate to establish a national Doctor's Day. Following overwhelming approval by the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, on October 30, 1990, President George Bush signed S.J. RES. #366 (which became Public Law 101-473) designating March 30th as "National Doctor's Day."  

You can find more information about Doctors' Day on the U.S. Census Bureau web site here.

Insurers' Progress on Fixing Prior Authorization is Disappointingly Slow

The AMA has been working to improve the prior authorization process as described in this article and the MMA has been part of this effort.  As described in earlier editions of this newsletter, the MMA has partnered with Senator Geoffrey Gratwick, M.D. on L.D. 705, An Act Regarding the Process for Obtaining Prior Authorization for Health Insurance Purposes, a bill which has had a public hearing before the Health Coverage, Insurance & Financial Services Committee and will be scheduled for a work session in the next week.

A year ago, health insurance trade organizations agreed on the need for plans to reduce unnecessary burdens and promote timely access to care by revising their prior authorization (PA) processes to be more data-driven and transparent, but new physician survey results show that insurers have not widely implemented these changes and the process has instead become more burdensome and time consuming than ever.

"Physicians follow required insurance protocols for prior authorization that involve recurring paperwork, multiple phone calls and hours spent on hold," said AMA President Barbara L. McAneny, MD. "At the same time, patients' lives can hang in the balance until health plans decide if needed care will qualify for insurance coverage."

Physicians are reporting an increase in PA volume that includes requirements for drugs and services that are neither new nor costly. This includes long-available generic drugs and prescriptions for patients on an established medication regimen to manage a chronic condition.

The AMA has worked across several fronts to reform PA, including submitting an op-ed, producing videos on how PA harms patients and burdens physicians, advocating with state legislatures and collaborating with health plans.

The AMA worked with payer trade organizations America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) and national associations representing hospitals, pharmacists and medical groups to develop a PA reform consensus statement that was released in January 2018.

The statement identified five opportunities to right-size PA, and it included agreements to take specific actions on each of them. But little to no progress has been made and, in some areas, the situation is getting worse, according to 1,000 practicing physicians surveyed in December 2018.

Under the consensus statement, AHIP and BCBSA agreed to encourage their member health plans to:

Selectively apply PA and exclude physicians who have high rates of PA approval, prescribe according to evidence-based guidelines or participate in risk-based payment contractual agreements. Yet only eight percent of physicians surveyed reported contracting with health plans that offer programs exempting them from PA.

Adjust the volume of PA requirements to reflect drugs and services with low variation in utilization or low PA denial rates. However, instead of experiencing a reduction in the number of drugs requiring PA, 88 percent of physicians said the number has gone up. Similarly, 86 percent of physicians reported that the number of services requiring PA has gone up, too.

Improve transparency and clearly articulate PA criteria, rationale and program changes. But 69 percent of physicians reported it was difficult to determine which medications or services required.

Protect continuity of patient care by ensuring continued access to effective treatment during health plan or coverage changes and eliminating repetitive PA requirements. Surveyed physicians indicated that this is not happening, as 85 percent report that PA interferes with continuity of care.

Accelerate use of automation in PA processing. Despite health plan commitment to utilization of standard electronic transactions for PA, physicians report that phone and fax are still the most common methods for completing PAs. Additionally, only 21 percent of physicians report that their electronic health record system offers electronic PA for prescription medications, despite an existing standard process.

A rare example of progress involves removing delays in treating opioid-use disorder (OUD). In Pennsylvania, for example, insurance companies agreed to remove PA requirements for medication-assisted treatment to help people with OUD. Bills mandating similar action have been introduced in the Kentucky, Maine, and Vermont legislatures. The AMA is working to get other states to remove PA barriers to treatment.

"There is no reason for insurers to use prior authorization for medications to treat opioid-use disorders when patients' lives hang in the balance," said Dr. McAneny.

Larger PA reform legislation is also being considered by state legislatures this year. States such as Kentucky, Colorado, Maine and Virginia are among those with bills to reduce delays in care as a result of PA and to increase the transparency of PA programs.

The AMA has also advocated extensively with federal regulators to oppose increased use of PA and other utilization management programs in Medicare programs. In September 2018, the AMA and over 90 other state medical associations and national medical specialty societies wrote the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) objecting to a policy change that permits the use of step therapy for drugs covered under Part B in Medicare Advantage plans. The AMA also submitted comments objecting to a planned expansion of PA and step therapy use in Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans. Finally, the AMA recently partnered with state and specialty medical organization in a sign-on letter urging CMS to provide strong guidance on use of PA in MA plans in its 2020 Call Letter.

The AMA invites patients to share their experiences with PA and to sign a petition urging reform at FixPriorAuth.org.  

New Resource Shows How to Counsel Patients About Firearm Safety

Learn more about the What You Can Do initiative from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program.

What You Can Do, an initiative from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program to reduce firearm injury and death, has released an educational video to equip health care providers with clinical strategies for counseling patients about firearm safety.

Physicians and other health care providers can play an important role in preventing firearm injury and death, but too few routinely assess risk and talk with at-risk patients about their access to firearms and firearm safety. This educational video, Preventing Firearm Injury and Death: A Targeted Intervention, details steps for identifying risk and discussing risk and safety with patients when clinically appropriate. The video has three primary sections: an introduction to the epidemiology of firearm injury and death in the U.S., a detailed discussion on risk identification and counseling and an overview of firearm policies relevant to health care providers.

Additional resources are available on the What You Can Do website.

Stopping the Scourge of Social Media Misinformation on Vaccines

It is common that patient searches for information and products related to the word "vaccine" yield top results pointing to harmfully inaccurate information about immunization safety. This place of prominence given to medical disinformation is deeply troubling to America's physicians, especially amid alarming new reports regarding measles, tetanus and other vaccine-preventable conditions.

It is common that patient searches for information and products related to the word "vaccine" yield top results pointing to harmfully inaccurate information about immunization safety. This place of prominence given to medical disinformation is deeply troubling to America's physicians, especially amid alarming new reports regarding measles, tetanus and other vaccine-preventable conditions. 

The AMA sent a letter to top executives at Amazon, Facebook, Google, Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube urging them to do even more to stem the "proliferation" of "health-related misinformation" that has helped vaccine-preventable diseases to reemerge. 

"We applaud companies that have already taken action but encourage you to continue evaluating the impact of these policies and take further steps to address the issue as needed," Dr. Madara, wrote in the letter to the social media and digital technology executives. "The overwhelming scientific evidence shows that vaccines are among the most effective and safest interventions to both prevent individual illness and protect public health." 

Dr. Madara noted that, when immunization rates are high, children who are too young to be vaccinated and others whose health conditions prevent them from being vaccinated, are protected from disease because exposure is so limited. These conditions include allergies to vaccine components, HIV infection and having a compromised immune system as a result of receiving chemotherapy cancer treatment. 

Read more here.

MIPS Deadline: Submit 2018 Data by April 2nd

See helpful resources from CMS.

The last day to submit 2018 data for credit in MIPS is less than two weeks away. Physicians and practice administrators have until 8:00 p.m. Eastern time April 2nd to finalize their MIPS data submission. MIPS participants must submit data and receive a minimum of 15 points to avoid a negative payment adjustment in 2020. This short CMS video describes how to review your preliminary data to ensure it is accurate before the April 2nd deadline. To get started, log in or register on the QPP website.

Photos from Physicians' Day at the Legislature 2019

Click through for photos of various events during Physicians' Day at the Legislature.

Boards Seek Comments on Proposed Rule for Office-based Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

The Board of Licensure in Medicine, State Board of Nursing, and Board of Osteopathic Licensure propose to adopt a new joint rule regarding office-based treatment of opioid use disorder. The proposed rule: defines terms; establishes minimum requirements for qualified clinicians to prescribe, and in limited circumstances, dispense approved medications to individuals requiring and seeking treatment for opioid use disorder; establishes requirements for prescriptions for approved medications; establishes principles for proper office based treatment for opioid use disorder; establishes requirements for clinical care and management; and establishes additional requirements for pregnant patients and adolescent patients.

Full details can be found by following the link, Proposed Rule.

Comments are due by Friday, April 12, 2019 at 4:30 p.m.

MMA Legislative Call Tuesday, March 26th

The Maine Legislature is in full swing, with over 1,200 bills printed. All committees are holding public hearings and work sessions and voting on bills. That means there's lots of work to do on the MMA Legislative Calls. The next call will be Tuesday, March 26th, at 8 p.m.

MMA Legislative Committee Chairs Jay Mullen, M.D. and Lindsey Tweed, M.D. welcome you to participate in the weekly conference calls of the MMA Legislative Committee.

The last MMA Legislative Committee weekly conference call for the First Regular Session of the 129th Maine Legislature will take place Tuesday, March 26th, at 8:00 p.m.

Legislative Committee members and specialty society legislative liaisons are strongly encouraged to participate. Any physician, practice manager, or other staff member who is interested in the MMA's legislative advocacy also is welcome to participate. It is not necessary to RSVP for the calls.

Please use the following conference call number and passcode. These will remain the same for every weekly call during the session.

Conference call number: 1-603-766-5646

Participant ID - 699139#

The purpose of the weekly conference calls is to discuss the MMA's position on bills printed the previous week, to hear the views of specialty societies on the new bills or their concerns about any current health policy issues, and to discuss the highlights of legislative action of the week. The calls rarely last longer than an hour.

The following are bills of interest to the physician community printed last week. (For those not familiar with the term, a "concept draft" is a bill that contains only a title and a brief description of what it is intended to do. It does not contain the actual bill text.) We will discuss the priority bills marked with an asterisk (*) first. This will be important when the list grows in the next few weeks.

Following are the bills of the week: 

March 26, 2019

*LD 1337,  An Act To Save Lives by Establishing a Homeless Opioid Users Service Engagement Program within the Department of Health and Human Services. Establishes program for rapid accerss to low-barrier treatment, with stable housing, for 50 homeless opioid users.

LD 1343,  An Act To Improve Health Education and Physical Education in Schools. Requires ½ hour per day of health  ed and 1 hour per day of physical ed, at all levels.

LD 1344,  An Act To Improve Nutrition in Maine Schools. Concept draft, to codify federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

*LD 1349,  An Act To Create a Licensing Board and Licensure Requirements for Intentional Peer Support Specialists. Creates new license category and requires licensure for “intentional peer support” for persons with mental health or SUD issues.

LD 1350,  An Act To Improve Rural Health Care. State tax deductions to employee for hospital-paid student loan payments; MaineCare rate increase for physician costs in at least 6 named rural hospitals & clinics.

*LD 1351,  An Act To Allow for the Recovery and Redistribution of Food in Public Schools. Requires variance of food safety rules to allow uneaten food taken by students to be placed on share table and redistributed during same meal or later.

*LD 1352,  An Act To Provide for Consistency Regarding Persons Authorized To Conduct Examinations for Involuntary Hospitalization and Guardianship. Adds PAs, NPs, CPCNs, to physicians and psychologists as persons authorized.

LD 1353,  An Act To Establish Transparency in Primary Health Care Spending. Defines primary care and requires insurers to report primary care expenditures to MHDO; requires other studies.

LD 1356,  Resolve, Regarding Legislative Review of Portions of Chapter 101: MaineCare Benefits Manual, Chapters II and III, Section 40: Home Health Services, a Late-filed Major Substantive Rule of the Department of Health and Human Services. As stated.

LD 1360,  Resolve, To Expand Eligibility for Presumptive Eligibility Determinations by Hospitals. Rule amendment for expanded eligibility, including care by Home health agency, long-term home care program, hospice or residential health care facility. Hospitals must assist with MaineCare application forms.

*LD 1361,  An Act Regarding Health Care Providers and Patient Trust. Prohibits state from requiring licensed persons to provide information not medically accurate or appropriate for patient, not evidence based, and from prohibiting dissemination of such information. Does not alter standard of care or licensee’s duty to patient. Applies to licensees of MD, DO, and nursing boards.

LD 1362,  An Act To Fund Opioid Treatment by Establishing an Excise Tax on Manufacturers of Opioids. Establishes Opioid Stewardship Fund, taxes opioids distributed in State at $0.001 per MME. Exempts tax exempt persons and opioids used for MAT. Prohibits manufacturers from passing tax on to consumers.

LD 1373,  Resolve, To Reduce MaineCare Spending through Targeted Nutrition Interventions. Requires application for demonstration waiver for medically tailored food & nutrition on order of health care provider.

LD 1374,  An Act To Amend the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act. Prohibits delivery of medical MJ except from registered dispensary or registered caregiver retail store, or from caregiver’s plants within legal 30-plant limit.

LD 1376,  An Act To Direct the Department of Education To Amend Its Rules To Ensure That Physical Restraint and Seclusion Policies Are Followed for Special Education Students and Make Biennial Reports on the Use of Physical Restraint and Seclusion. As stated, birth to age 20, reports of all uses.

LD 1377,  An Act To Enhance and Improve the Maine Developmental Services Oversight and Advisory Board and To Establish an Independent Oversight Panel To Review Deaths of and Serious Injuries to Persons with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism. Establishes 14-member panel reporting to DHHS Commissioner and Developmental Services Oversight Board. Also requires disclosures of Adult Protective Services reports to board and to person’s guardian, shifts administration of Board’s budget to DAFS.

*LD 1378,  An Act To Ensure the Provision of Medical Assessments for Youth in Foster Care. Requires DHHS to provide medical overview to foster homes and requires appointment for medical exam within 3 working days of DHHS custody (reduced from current 10).

*LD 1384,  An Act Relating to Complementary and Alternative Medicine Licensure. Establishes new license category for “holistic health practitioner”, with licensing criteria.

*LD 1385,  An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Corrections Officers Who Suffer Certain Injuries, Impairments or Medical Conditions. Establishes rebuttable presumption of compensability for disabling infectious diseases, heart disease, and hypertension, and provides supplemental benefits.

*LD 1387,  An Act To Increase Access to Safe and Affordable Prescription Drugs. Allows individual importation of prescription drugs from Canada, with exceptions.

*LD 1389,  An Act To Address Transparency, Accountability and Oversight of Pharmacy Benefit Managers. Allows DHHS to revoke PBM registration for fraud or to protect consumer safety or “interest.” Defines certain PBM prohibited practices and requires annual reports. (See LD 1409.)

LD 1399,  An Act To Improve Oral Health and Access to Dental Care for Maine Children. $1.6 million over 2 years for oral health employees, expanded preventive services, and reporting.

LD 1402,  An Act To Allow State-chartered Credit Unions To Service Medical and Adult Use Marijuana Business Accounts. Allows state-chartered CUs to procure private insurance rather than NCUA coverage to service these businesses and employees.

LD 1406,  An Act To Require Certification of Radiologic Technologists Who Are Licensed Chiropractic Assistants. As stated, lists criteria.

*LD 1409,  An Act To Improve Price Transparency of Prescription Drugs Sold in Maine. New definitions and reporting requirements for pharmacy benefits managers, including requirement to pass on to consumers at least half of prescription drug savings and rebates negotiated by PBM, with annual transparency report. Must report certain drug costs and price increases.

*LD 1410,  An Act To Create Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits. Maximum benefit 100% of state average weekly wage, rate is 90% or 67% depending on wage rate. Covers any employee who has worked 26 or more weeks for employer during prior 12 months, or self-employed person who elects coverage. All employments covered regardless of size. State insurance fund established, funded by wage tax (not ton wages below $12K per year).

State House Highlights of the Week: Prior Authorization is Among Issues Before HCIFS Committee, HHS Takes Testimony on Extended Opioid Prescriptions

Click through for news on the past week's developments in the Legislature and from the Governor's office.

Last Thursday, the Health Coverage, Insurance & Financial Services Committee held a public hearing on three bills opposed by MMA:  LD 1082, a bill that would require a physician to recommend an alternative treatment for pain before prescribing an opioid pain medication; LD 1072, a bill that would require all physicians to have 2 hours of CME credit in Alzheimer's disease and dementia; and LD 943, a bill that would specifically authorize the use of a laser in spine surgery.  The MMA's testimony is posted on the MMA web site, www.mainemed.com. 

In the Health & Human Services Committee, hearings were held on LD 493 (shared decision-making for lung cancer screening); LD 500 (extended time periods for opioid prescriptions in some cases); and LD 511 (Alzheimer's disease & dementia coordination in DHHS), among a few other bills. The hearings were relatively uneventful and non-controversial. The committee did have some questions about how shared decision-making is coded for reimbursement purposes.

After the long hours and strong feelings expressed in the public hearings on the immunization bills, one could certainly consider this a relatively quiet week!

Upcoming Specialty Society Meetings

Below you will find an on-going list of Upcoming Specialty Society Meetings.  Any questions should be referred to the contact person listed for each specialty.

Below you will find an on-going list of Upcoming Specialty Society Meetings.  Any questions should be referred to the contact person listed for each specialty.

UPCOMING SPECIALTY SOCIETY MEETINGS

April 3-6, 2019
27^th Annual Family Medicine Update & Annual Meeting
Atlantic Oceanside – Bar Harbor, ME
Full brochure & registration available after Jan 15, 2019 at www.maineafp.org
Contact: Deborah Halbach at 207-938-5005 or maineafp@tdstelme.net

April 25-26, 2019
Maine Association of Psychiatric Physicians Annual Spring Program
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY:  An Update and a Look Ahead
Hilton Garden Inn, 5 Park Street, Freeport, ME 04032
Contact:  Dianna Poulin 207-480-4194 or dpoulin@mainemed.com

May 10, 2019
Maine Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons Spring Educational Program & Business Meeting
Harraseeket Inn – Freeport, ME from 11:30am – 5:00pm
Contact:  Shirley Goggin 207-445-2260 or sgoggin@mainemed.com

May 17-19, 2019
Maine Chapter, American College of Surgeons
Harborside Hotel and Marina – Bar Harbor, ME
Contact: Cathy Stratton at 207-592-5725 or cstratton@mainemed.com

May 18-19, 2019
Maine Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics 2019 Spring Conference
Point Lookout – Northport, ME
Contact: Dee Kerry at 207-480-4185 or dakerry@aap.net

June 27, 2019
Maine Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians Chapter Meeting
Cabbage Island Clam Bake – Boothbay Harbor, ME
Contact: Cathy Stratton at 207-592-5725 or cstratton@mainemed.com

September 7, 2019
Maine Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians Chapter Meeting
Harborside Hotel & Marina – Bar Harbor, ME
Contact: Cathy Stratton at 207-592-5725 or cstratton@mainemed.com

September 20, 2019
Maine Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons Fall Business Meeting
(Held in conjunction with the 17^th Annual Downeast Ophthalmology Symposium)
Harborside Hotel & Marina – Bar Harbor, ME from 10:30am – 11:45am
Contact:  Shirley Goggin 207-445-2260 or sgoggin@mainemed.com

September 20-22, 2019
18^th Annual Downeast Ophthalmology Symposium
(Presented by the Maine Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons)
Harborside Hotel & Marina – Bar Harbor, ME
Contact:  Shirley Goggin 207-445-2260 or sgoggin@mainemed.com

December 11, 2019
Maine Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians Chapter Meeting
Portland Regency Hotel – Portland, ME
Contact: Cathy Stratton at 207-592-5725 or cstratton@mainemed.com

Identifying Substance Use Early Saves Lives! - SBIRT with Motivational Interviewing Training - 1-day Sessions Offered on April 6 and June 8

Maine continues to see deaths from opiate use increase. Rates of opiate use are highest in the 18-25 year old group and data from those entering treatment suggest that the majority begin using before the age of 17. Maine AAP is committed to helping practitioners identify youth on this path earlier and intervening earlier! SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) is one evidence based approach to doing this.

Maine continues to see deaths from opiate use increase. Rates of opiate use are highest in the 18-25 year old group and data from those entering treatment suggest that the majority begin using before the age of 17. Maine AAP is committed to helping practitioners identify youth on this path earlier and intervening earlier! Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment is one evidence based approach to doing this. Maine AAP will be offering several trainings throughout the state over the next 6 months. Please consider joining us to enhance your skills in identifying and offering brief interventions in the primary care settings for youth on the path to substance use disorders.

The Maine AAP will be offering one day Saturday sessions in several regions of Maine, providing training and coaching to Pediatricians and Pediatric Specialists in SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) and effective conversational skills in Motivational Interviewing.

Confirmed Dates for all sessions:

Instructor: Stephen R. Andrew LCSW, LADC, CCS, CGP is a storyteller, consultant, trainer, co-author of Game Plan: A Man's Guide to Achieving Emotional Fitness, and Chief Energizing Officer of Health Education & Training Institute. He maintains a compassion-focused private practice in Portland, Maine (USA) where he also facilitates a variety of men's, co-ed, couples, and caregiver groups. Stephen has been a member of the International Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) since 2003 as well as a MIA-STEP (Motivational Interviewing Assessment; Supervisor Tools for Enhancing Proficiency) trainer for the New England ATTC. Stephen has been MITI trained and has over 100 hours of training in Motivational Interviewing. He provides coaching and training domestically and internationally for social service agencies, health care providers, substance abuse counselors, criminal justice, and other groups.

NAMI Maine’s Beyond the Basics in Suicide Prevention Conference - Friday, April 12, 2019

NAMI Maine is excited to announce that Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas is our keynote speaker.

Dr. Sally wears many hats: clinical psychologist, mental health advocate, faculty member, researcher, and suicide loss survivor. She has diligently earned her reputation in social change by helping to establish many mental health efforts, including Man Therapy and National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention.

The theme for this year’s conference is Building Resiliency Through Effective Interventions. Several breakout sessions will focus on different methods of intervention. We are pleased to announce that the conference offers both a clinical and a non-clinical track. Several sessions will include CME credits and CEUs for professionals who attend.

In the late afternoon, there will be mini breakout sessions focusing on building your self-resiliency, supporting self-care, and preventing burn out.

NAMI Maine is excited to announce that early bird registration for the Beyond the Basics in Suicide Prevention Conference 2019 is available at a reduced cost of $65 until March 1^st. For more information, click here.

Mid Coast Maine - Adult Psychiatrist and/ Psychiatric NP/PA Opportunity

Maine Behavioral Healthcare (MBH) is seeking a BC/BE Psychiatrist or NP/PA to join its expanding team located in Rockland, Maine.

Maine Behavioral Healthcare (MBH) is seeking a BC/BE Psychiatrist or NP/PA to join its expanding team located in Rockland, Maine. The ideal candidate will provide medical leadership to the multidisciplinary teams in the treatment process within the MBH continuum care. Provider is responsible for the treatment planning process, pharmacologic, consulting/integrating with primary care and therapeutic interventions. This unique opportunity involves providing care to patients 18 years of age and older. Excellent benefit package.

“MBH, a MaineHealth member, is Northern New England’s leading integrated behavioral healthcare system serving predominantly southern, western, central and Mid-Coast Maine, and is composed of southern Maine’s only nonprofit psychiatric hospital, outpatient treatment, crisis services, Crisis Stabilization units, as well as 5 ACT teams. This fully integrated and growing system of behavioral healthcare makes it a regional and national model for treating people with serious mental health issues.”

Work in Mid-Coast Maine a truly magnificent area, with spectacular natural beauty and outdoor recreation not found anywhere else in the country.

For more information, please contact Alison C. Nathanson, Director, MaineHealth Physician Recruitment Center at (207) 661-7383 or nathaa@mainehealth.org

Family Medicine Opportunity in Beautiful Western Maine

Western Maine Primary Care, a department of Stephens Memorial Hospital, is currently seeking a BC/BE family medicine physician to join our exceptional team of providers.

Western Maine Primary Care, a department of Stephens Memorial Hospital, is currently seeking a BC/BE family medicine physician to join our exceptional team of providers. Western Maine Primary Care is committed to providing high quality care. Now is a great time to join our team as we recently relocated our practice to our brand new, state-of-the-art medical office building.

Stephens Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed critical access hospital, is a part of the MaineHealth family, the premier healthcare system in Maine, and is nationally renowned for its innovative programs in rural healthcare. This position offers teaching opportunities of medical students, as Stephens Memorial Hospital is one of the teaching sites for the Maine Medical Center – Tufts University Medical School program. Come be a part of our dynamic team of providers and exceptional support staff and experience the warmth of a small town combined with a medical community working closely with colleagues throughout the MaineHealth system.

Competitive salary and benefits, including student loan repayment and relocation assistance. FMI please contact Abbie Graiver, Director of Physician Recruitment at (207) 744-6049 or graiverab@wmhcc.org.

PCHC in need of Pediatrician for Brand New Pediatric Center!

Penobscot Community Health Care is seeking a Pediatrician in our Penobscot Pediatrics in Bangor. Become a part of the legendary Penobscot Pediatrics, at our new location set to open fall of 2019.

Penobscot Community Health Care is seeking a Pediatrician in our Penobscot Pediatrics in Bangor. Become a part of the legendary Penobscot Pediatrics, at our new location set to open fall of 2019. Penobscot Peds has been a staple amongst the Bangor community for over 30 years! We are the largest and most comprehensive FQHC in Maine and the 2^nd largest in New England. Seaport and Penobscot Pediatrics are both NHSC loan repayment eligible sites! PCHC offers loan repayment to those that are not awarded or eligible for NHSC. Competitive benefits package, 403(b) retirement, signing and retention bonuses, relocation assistance and more! Questions? Contact Vanessa Sanderson, PCHC Recruiter at (207)404-8015 or at recruitment@pchc.com.

4/15/19

Medical Director - Maine Mobile Health Program

The Maine Mobile Health Program (MMHP) seeks a Medical Director to support its mission of improving the health status of Maine’s seasonal workers and their families by providing culturally appropriate care and services in an all-mobile health center setting.

The Maine Mobile Health Program (MMHP) seeks a Medical Director to support its mission of improving the health status of Maine’s seasonal workers and their families by providing culturally appropriate care and services in an all-mobile health center setting.

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and federally qualified health center (FQHC), MMHP has an innovative approach to care that is low-barrier, values cultural competency and embraces the human dignity of an invisible and vulnerable population. MMHP’s unique model brings medical, dental and behavioral health services to patients where they live and work via mobile medical units and by connecting clients to local partners.

The Medical Director (MD, DO, NP) is based part-time in the Augusta, ME office with some provision of state-wide care. Click here to read the full job description or visit us at www.mainemobile.org.

To apply, please send cover letter and resume to Lisa Tapert at ltapert@mainemobile.org. EOE.

Board Certified Family Physician - Newport, RI

East Bay Community Action Program, a Federally Qualified Health Center, has a full-time opportunity for a RI-licensed, board-certified Family Physician to join our location at 6 John H. Chafee Boulevard in Newport, RI.  

East Bay Community Action Program, a Federally Qualified Health Center, has a full-time opportunity for a RI-licensed, board-certified Family Physician to join our location at 6 John H. Chafee Boulevard in Newport, RI.   He/She will provide patient education and direct medical services for all ages including health promotion, disease prevention, routine health maintenance visits, and acute care, while providing supervision to a multidisciplinary team.    

The position requires an MD or DO degree, completion of an accredited residency in Family Medicine, current licensure through the RI Department of Health, current DEA registration/RI Controlled Substance Licensure, completion of all privileging and credentialing requirements, and Board Certification in Family Medicine by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Interested candidates may log onto our website at www.ebcap.org, and apply to the position through our Careers page link.  For additional questions, candidates may contact Debbie Scott, Senior Staffing Specialist either at dscott@ebcap.org, or 401-431-9870 x 124.  

Internal Medicine Outpatient Physician

Maine Medical Partners Internal Medicine Westbrook is seeking a BC/BE Internal Medicine physician for their well-established outpatient practice located in the greater Portland, Maine area. 

Maine Medical Partners Internal Medicine Westbrook is seeking a BC/BE Internal Medicine physician for their well-established outpatient practice located in the greater Portland, Maine area.  The selected candidate will join 4 internal medicine physicians, 4 family medicine physicians and a geriatrician.

Maine Medical Partners is a division of Maine Medical Center and is Maine's largest multi-specialty medical group serving the healthcare needs of patients locally and throughout northern New England.  This high quality team of more than 500 physicians and 200 advanced practice professionals provides a wide range of hospital based, primary, specialty, and sub-specialty adult and pediatric care delivered throughout a network of 30 locations across the State and acts as a regional referral network.

Maine Medical Center has 637 licensed beds and is the state’s leading tertiary care hospital and Level I Trauma Center, with a full complement of residencies and fellowships and an integral part of Tufts University Medical School.  The successful candidate will have an academic appointment at Tufts University School of Medicine, and the position involves teaching and mentoring residents and medical students from the Maine Medical Center-Tufts University School of Medicine Medical School Program.

Situated on the Maine coast, Portland offers the best of urban sophistication combined with small-town friendliness.  The area provides four season recreational opportunities, such as skiing, hiking, sailing, and miles of beautiful beaches.  Just two hours north of Boston, this is an exceptionally diverse and vibrant community. 

For more information please contact Alison C. Nathanson, Director, MaineHealth Physician Recruitment Center at (207) 661-7383 or nathaa@mainehealth.org.

3/25/19

BC/BE Family Medicine Physician

Strong Area Health Center seeks aBC/BE Family Medicine Physician to provide medical care to people of all ages.

Strong Area Health Center seeks aBC/BE Family Medicine Physician to provide medical care to people of all ages. As a NCQA-Patient-Centered Medical Home, the health center offers accessible, high quality healthcare with integrated behavioral health services focused on the patient’s care experience. We also provide on-site general dentistry.

Over 2,000 people from Strong, Phillips, New Vineyard, as well as Farmington and other surrounding communities access family health care at the health center. The practice has been a vital part of the community since 1986 and is part of HealthReach Community Health Centers, a group of eleven Federally Qualified Health Centers in Central and Western Maine serving 28,000 residents in 80 Maine towns.

The selected candidate will receive competitive salary and benefits, malpractice coverage, pension plan with employer match, and eligibility for loan repayment. EOE. Contact: Recruiter, HRCHC, 10 Water Street, Suite 305, Waterville, ME  04901 ~ 207.660.9913 ~ Fax 207.660.9901 ~ Communications@HealthReach.org ~ www.StrongCHC.org

Psychiatric Mental Health NP - Leeds

DFD Russell Medical Centers (DFDRMC) operates three community health centers in central Maine.  We are seeking a full time PMHNP, for our Leeds location.

DFD Russell Medical Centers (DFDRMC) operates three community health centers in central Maine.  We are seeking a full time PMHNP, for our Leeds location.

Our three health centers serve a multicultural, rural population and have a family practice focus serving pediatrics to geriatrics.

Responsibilities: Assessment of mental health needs for children or adults; Diagnosing mental health/psychiatric conditions; Developing and executing treatment plans; Providing primary health care; Prescribing medication (Suboxone waiver, required); It is a full-time 4 days per week.

This position combines making a difference in patients' lives with a family-friendly work life, please e-mail your resume to Laurie Kane-Lewis, CEO. (Laurie.Kane-Lewis@DFDRussell.org) EEO

Requirements
Current Maine License. Proficiency with electronic medical records.

Benefits
Excellent benefit package: medical, dental, life, 401(k), flexible spending accounts and a generous paid time-off plan. Salary is commensurate with experience; there is also an incentive plan and a CME reimbursement.

4/8/19

Outpatient Internal Medicine Physician – Bangor, Maine

Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center seeks a primary care physician, board-certified/board-eligible in internal medicine, to join our well-established, quality-driven, outpatient practice.

Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center seeks a primary care physician, board-certified/board-eligible in internal medicine, to join our well-established, quality-driven, outpatient practice. Our practice is one of seven primary care practices operated by Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center. Our practice was the second in the nation to achieve “Patient-Centered Medical Home” status with NCQA. All physicians are NCQA-certified in diabetes and cardiac care. Our primary care network, largest in our area, has adopted a new practice model to include teams of one physician, one nurse practitioner, two registered nurses, and two medical assistants.

Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center is a 411-bed, regional, tertiary care and level II trauma center serving the more than 500,000 residents living in central, eastern, and northern Maine We offer a collegial atmosphere, cutting-edge EMR, generous vacation and CME benefit, flexible work schedule, and reasonable call schedule. No hospital call required. We also offer a relocation bonus and sign-on bonus in addition to our generous educational loan repayment program.

Candidates in need of J-1 visa waivers welcome to apply.

For confidential consideration, please contact:
Amanda Klausing, AASPR, Physician Recruiter
Northern Light Health
Phone: 207-973-5358
ProviderJobs@NorthernLight.org

4/22/19

Opportunities at the VA for Volunteer Physicians

Take advantage of this opportunity with the Veterans' Administration to thank our veterans in a concrete way for their service and their sacrifices.

The Physician Ambassador Program was created by the Department of Veterans Affairs as a best practice recruitment and placement initiative seeking fully licensed physicians and clinicians to enhance health care services for Veterans.

The Physician Ambassador Program is a without compensation program that provides civilian physicians and clinicians an opportunity to give back to the Veteran community by serving in a volunteer role to deliver health care services to Veterans. 

If you are interested in participating in this program at VA Maine Healthcare System, please contact Jonathan Barczyk at (207) 621-4886.

Volunteer Opportunity with Partners for World Health

Partners for World Health has a great need for advice from certain medical professionals on how to sort and package the vast amount of supplies received, for shipping and use in destination countries.

Volunteer Opportunity with Partners for World Health - Portland, ME

Partners for World Health (PWH) is a non-profit 501(c)3 based in Portland, Maine committed to reducing medical waste, improving the quality of healthcare in underserved countries, and educating our local community about global healthcare issues.

Our mission is to collect unused/discarded medical supplies from local medical facilities and to distribute those medical supplies to international communities in need. This work limits the negative impact we have on the environment and provides much-needed resources to the developing world. To support our work in improving health conditions around the world, we send local medical personnel on medical missions to developing countries, and we educate our local Maine community about global health issues. 

PWH has a great need for advice from certain medical professionals on how to sort and package the vast amount of supplies received, for shipping and use in destination countries, specifically, in the areas of:

• Surgery: all aspects of OR medical supplies and equipment
• Respiratory: any and all aspects
• Anesthesia
• Laparoscopic surgery: advice on the proper components of a “tower”
• Cardiology

Please note: this request is not for ongoing time commitment but rather for a few hours of a professional’s time to help organize certain supplies appropriately.

While PWH receives tens of thousands of pounds of equipment/supplies from hospitals and clinics, there are certain critical items always in short supply.

For more information, contact volunteer Rita Zanichkowsky at rznct@maine.rr.com or 207-232-3264, or contact Partners directly at 774-5555.  Thank you! 
https://www.partnersforworldhealth.org/