This summer, Seaport Family Practice welcomes a trio of new graduates to Belfast. Megan Britton, M.D. is a family physician who just completed her fellowship in Integrative Medicine. Jeff Newsom, M.D. is a family physician who brings obstetrical services and hospital coverage to our practice. Elizabeth Connelly, P.A.C. is a physician assistant who will expand the coverage for nursing home residents and the homebound. While each has a special area of interest, all will practice the full spectrum of primary care. They trained in Maine, and Megan and Elizabeth were born and raised in rural Maine. Jeff hails from rural Pennsylvania. They chose the Belfast community as much as they chose our practice to begin their careers.

We would have preferred to space their arrivals. But when all three came knocking at once, we could not say no. There is a critical shortage of highly qualified primary care physicians, and we had been recruiting without success for years. We hope to blend our clinical experience with their latest training, our patience with their energy, our sense of tradition with their openness to change.

The current providers want to assure our patients that we're not going anywhere. The expanded workforce will allow us to extend our hours to Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. We can now more ably educate the next generation of physicians through our affiliation with the Tufts-MMC Medical School. We look forward to integrating mental health services, educating and involving our patients in their care, and taking advantage of the many health activities available in the wider community.

Megan Britton, M.D. grew up in Aroostook County, Maine and attended Bowdoin College. She graduated from medical school at the University of Queensland and returned to Maine for her Family Medicine Residency at the Maine Medical Center, where she also completed a 2-year fellowship in Integrative Medicine. Megan has a particular intersest in women's health and pediatrics. She spends her free time hiking, running, and skiing with her husband, Dan, and two young children. 

 

Jeff Newsom, M.D. was raised in rural Pennsylvania. After graduating from college at the University of New Hampshire, he worked for Outward Bound and travelled internationally. He attended the University of Vermont  College of Medicine and completed his training in Family Medicine  at Maine Medical Center. He and his wife, Laura, have two young children. In addition to spending time with his family, he enjoys canoeing, skiing, mountain climbing, and just about anything outdoors.

 

Elizabeth Connelly PA-C grew up in Greenville, Maine. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Maine at Farmington and graduated from the University of New England's Physician Assistant Program. In her spare time she can be found hiking the mountains of Maine, skiing, biking, kayaking, dangling her toes in the nearest lake, river, or ocean, and enjoying the great outdoors in every way possible.

 

Seaport Family Practice has been providing health care for the people of Waldo County for nearly 26 years. In order to meet the needs of the underserved, we began caring for persons with AIDs in 1989, became a Rural Health Center in 1992, started an office-based treatment program for opioid dependence in 2004, joined the National Demonstration Project in 2006, became a teaching site for the Tufts/MMC Medical School in 2009, and entered the Maine Patient-Centered Medical Home Pilot in 2010. We now have an opportunity to expand our vision and implement a groundbreaking redesign of primary care. We firmly believe that primary care is the centerpiece of an effective, efficient health care system. But such a network requires collaboration with local providers and outreach to regional organizations. In partnership with Penobscot Community Health Center, we would like to build a new office building that will be the physical expression of our programs and services. Among them:

· High quality health care for the whole family, regardless of ability to pay.

· Expanded hours to include evenings and weekends.

· Team approach that fully involves physicians, nurses, health educators, care managers, pharmacists, therapists, and especially the patient.

· Group visits to educate, support, and empower patients with chronic disease.

· Integrated mental health care, with therapists on site and involved in primary care.

· Community Resources Office to promote the full utilization of community resources, including the YMCA, WCAP, WCGH, and MCMHC.

· Integrative Medicine, under the leadership of Megan Britton, M.D. and with the involvement of area complimentary healers under the umbrella of the Wellness Collaborative.

· Integrative Geriatrics, providing the time, focus, and resources to support families in the care of the elderly.

· Dental care, especially in early childhood and for underserved adults.

· Rehabilitation, coordinating services in our office and throughout the community.

· Addiction medicine with special attention to group visits and recognizing early childhood trauma.

· Education and research to document and promote necessary changes in the way that primary care is understood, funded, and provided.

· Eco-conscious and neighborhood-friendly design of building and grounds.


The staff of Seaport Family Practice, P.A.