Family Practice opening details

A Family Practice physician is invited to join the staff of an established community health center Stockton Springs, on the beautiful coast of Maine. New or recently graduated physicians are just as welcome as experienced doctors. This is a full-scope practice established over 20 years ago. This talented team cares for all patients, regardless of their insurance status.

The hiring practice operates in a modern facility located just a few miles up the coast from your admitting hospital, Waldo County General Hospital. This position is available because one of the primary care doctors here has elected to focus on inpatient medicine only, and so has become a hospitalist at this hospital.

NOTE: This practice encourages their doctors to develop special interests, including such areas as women’s health, obstetrics, geriatrics and hospice care, minor surgery, research and writing, office-based treatment of opiate dependence, and osteopathic manipulation. You can have a general practice, but physicians interested in one or more of these areas – or other fields of practice – are invited to apply!

Waldo County General Hospital is a 140-year old, 25-bed critical access community hospital (CAH) located in the city of Belfast, Maine. This hospital is the sole-community provider of health care for Waldo County. It serves Belfast, with a population of 7,000, and numerous rural communities within a 20-mile or so radius, bringing the hospital’s total service population to about 37,000 Mainers. Many surgical and other sub specialists have joined the medical staff in recent years, and the hospital recently completed a substantial expansion project.

This hospital has a full service, 24-hour Emergency Room; a Pulmonary and Sleep Lab; Cardiac Rehabilitation facilities; a Renal Dialysis unit; Maine’s foremost Voice and Swallowing Center for diagnostic testing and speech therapy; and a full array of surgical and specialty services. In the summer of 2005, a new capital campaign was launched to fund the replacement of three OR suites and two procedure rooms.

The city of Belfast and neighboring Searsport are two of the most beautiful and historically interesting coastal communities in Waldo County. Belfast is about 45 minutes east of Maine’s capital of Augusta, and 50 or so minutes south of Bangor. Settled in the 1700’s, these charming fishing villages have grown into bustling communities that are popular with tourists and families alike.

In the early days, the sea had a profound influence on the development of this region. During the nineteenth century, the combined shipyards of Belfast and Searsport produced 550 sailing vessels! At that time of great prosperity, shipbuilders and merchants built beautiful Greek revival mansions on spectacular lots, often with water views, and decorated them with treasures from the China trade. Many of these homes continue to adorn the community today. The fascinating history of these towns is preserved at the Belfast Museum and the Penobscot Marine Museum, where visitors can enjoy an educational and entertaining, in-depth look at the past.

Today, Belfast enjoys economic prosperity. A new branch of the University of Maine offers day and night classes. Credit card giant MBNA established its corporate headquarters in Belfast in the 1990s, where they now employ 3,000 people. The revival of the visual and performing arts adds additional color and drama to the current landscape.

Belfast has an excellent school system with a brand new central elementary school that opened within the past year. Troy Howard Middle School is where all of the 6th – 8th graders go, and 10-12 grade high school students attend Belfast Area High School.

If you love the outdoors, you will find a nearly endless number of recreational opportunities in Waldo County. On and near the coast you can enjoy a range of freshwater and saltwater activities. Or, travel inland, and try cross-country skiing, biking, camping, or hiking. If you prefer something a little more relaxed, you can pick your own strawberries, raspberries, or apples, and enjoy a picnic in Belfast City Park.

Contact: Cal Weaver, CPC

Email: cweaver@themha.org