Family Practice opening details

A personable and talented Family Practice physician is invited to join an established, hospital-owned primary care group in the coastal community of Blue Hill, Maine, to replace a retiring family physician that has practiced there for 28 years! Blue Hill Family Medicine (BHFM) is one of four federally-recognized Rural Health Clinics that are a part of the Blue Hill Memorial Hospital system. BHFM is a busy existing eight physician, two nurse practitioner office. The incoming physician will offer a broad scope of Family Practice services. Performing OB is an option as three of the Family Physicians currently offer obstetrics. You will receive full hospital privileges, including ER and SCU. The call schedule for this position is 1:8.

The selected physician will be offered a competitive compensation package that includes a generous base salary plus productivity bonuses calculated using a very reasonable formula. You’ll also receive a full benefits package that includes paid relocation expenses, fully paid liability insurance, a generous amount of paid time off for vacation, CME and other professional expenses, and possibly even medical education debt assistance.

Blue Hill Memorial Hospital is a patient-centered primary healthcare network with a service area over 18,000 area residents. As New England's first federally designated "Critical Access Hospital," BHMH specializes in providing diagnostic, rehabilitative and acute care services. Blue Hill Memorial Hospital is proud to be an affiliate hospital of Eastern Maine Health Systems. Through this affiliation, BHMH and EMMC work together as a team to successfully, comprehensively and cost-effectively address the medical needs of western Hancock County.

The town of Blue Hill, in Hancock County, sits on the eastern coast of Maine just 30 minutes southwest of Ellsworth and 60 minutes southeast of Bangor. Settled in 1762, its name derives from Blue Hill Mountain, altitude 940 feet, just north of the downtown area. The town is a fast growing coastal community, leaping in population by over 23% from 1990 to 2000.

This area is rich with New England history, antiques, fine restaurants, inns, and art galleries; all creating the perfect setting for tourism in the summer months. The appeal of small villages with peninsula settings and water related activities have created flourishing year-round communities across this area that are perfect for families, or for those seeking a bit of solitude.

If you are a nature lover, Blue Hill will be your paradise. You can go kayaking in the ocean or canoeing on fresh water ponds and streams, take a cruise on a schooner, or you can even board the mail boat in Stonington and visit Isle Au Haut (part of Acadia National Park) to go exploring for a few hours. Maine Environmental Research Institute Eco-Cruises are another great way to enjoy the ocean. You can have fun, and also benefit from the educational aspects of this cruise and tour.

If you’re not ready to try out your sea legs, you could go hiking at Holbrook Island Sanctuary in Brooksville, where the bird-watching is exceptional! Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy at Smith Cove. If you seek a challenging hike, climb Blue Hill itself! Once you reach the top, you’ll enjoy amazing views of the mountains and the sea. Great indoor adventures can be found at Kneisel Hall on Friday evenings, when talented local faculty, students and guest artists perform phenomenal music in the historic concert hall. If you’re busy on Friday, the performances are recreated on Sunday afternoons.

Mary Ellen Chase, a writer reflecting local culture and history, was born in Blue Hill in 1887. Her biography of Jonathan Fisher (1768-1847) chronicles the life of a remarkably versatile and energetic scholar, artist, craftsman and farmer who brought culture and dignity to a frontier village in the wilderness. The Jonathan Fisher House he designed and built is one of the town's major assets, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Blue Hill has a superb school system comprised of a public elementary and middle school, The Bay School (a private elementary and middle school), George Stevens Academy (a semi-private high school where students are offered an excellent education and a number of extra curricular activities), and The Liberty School, Inc. (a private high school that offers programs for “students who are self-motivated, independent thinkers�).

College-bound students should consider an excellent nearby institution of higher learning as a unique place to further their education: Maine Maritime Academy and its training ship, State of Maine, are based in the town of Castine just 15 minutes west of Blue Hill. This is a public college offering Associates, Bachelors, and Masters Degrees in the following disciplines: Business, Logistics, Engineering, Engineering Technology, Science, and Transportation. Established in 1941, The Maine Maritime Academy is rated among the best undergraduate engineering colleges in the US. Because of the quality of the education provided there, MMA has “one of the highest professional placement rates of any college in the U.S.,� according to their career services director.

When you visit the Blue Hill area, take time to make a side trip to Bar Harbor, just an hour away. The city of Bar Harbor is on Mount Desert Island, which is also home to Acadia National Park, with 41,000 acres of land to explore. You will find granite cliffs side by side with sand and cobblestone beaches. Glacier-carved mountains rise from the sea, cupping deep lakes in their valleys. Here, too, are meadows and marshes and dense evergreen forests. Everywhere the ocean makes its presence felt, whether by sight, sound, or smell. It is a magical place!

Acadia National Park is the second most visited national park in the country, with 3 million visitors each year. Many come to enjoy the diverse terrain, accessible by over fifty miles of groomed carriage roads (for walking, riding, biking, and skiing) and another 100+ miles of hiking and biking trails. The park also manages over 27 miles of paved motor roads, also suitable for bicycle riding. There are 26 mountains in this National Park, highlighted by Cadillac Mountain, with an altitude of 1,530 feet. From October to March, Cadillac Mountain is the first place in the United States where you can see the sun rise.

Property in Blue Hill is perfect for everyone! You can choose from oceanfront property, or acreage inland, or you can even buy your own island to live on! You can find land with pre-existing homes, or property where you can start from scratch to build your own dream home. No matter where you choose to live in the Blue Hill area, you’ll discover all the satisfying aspects of living in a Down-East fishing village in Maine!

Contact: Cal Weaver, CPC

Email: cweaver@themha.org