Maine's Premier Medical Community: Physician Inspired Stories of Innovation

The medical community in Portland, Maine in the 1950’s and 1960’s was similar to that of most smaller cities in the US - dominated by general practitioners, internists and general surgeons. From the mid 1970’s through the early 1990’s the physician complement in Portland doubled. Many well trained primary care doctors and subspecialists relocated here, frequently from well-respected academic centers, to pursue the “Maine lifestyle” while practicing and in many cases continuing their academic careers in a collegial and “livable” environment. They brought with them the training, experience, work ethic and imagination to transform the medical community into the clinical powerhouse that currently exists. The initial investment, risk, and personal effort required to attract the most talented available physicians to Portland - and to support them financially and professionally during their early years - was borne almost exclusively by the existing doctors and their private practices. The purpose of this collection of 36 chapters, comprised of individual narratives written by the participants, is to ensure that the story of this now aging generation is not lost. These doctors, most often sole proprietors of their own small businesses, provided the spirit, energy, collegiality, and generosity that were the driving force behind our now sophisticated and high-functioning medical community.