Hematology/Oncology

Physician Opportunity Profile
Hematology/Oncology
Pines Health Services, Caribou, Maine

VISION STATEMENT: To deliver the highest quality healthcare in a compassionate and nurturing environment throughout Aroostook County

MISSION STATEMENT: We are a community of providers committed to excellence in patient-centered healthcare and to improving the lives of those we serve. We are actively engaged in advancing the health and wellness needs of people in Aroostook County, including the unserved and underserved.

Hematology/Oncology Opportunity
Pines Health Services is a physician practice management organization with 40 physicians and 20 mid-level providers. Pines’ northern Maine locations include Caribou (3 offices), Presque Isle, Washburn, Fort Fairfield and Van Buren. In the Fall of 2007, the practice was designated as a Federally Qualified Health Center, providing enhanced access to health care services for all members of the community, and allowing the practice to employ providers holding H-1B and J-1 visas. In 2016 The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded Pines Health Services for Oral Health expansion. The HRSA grant award improves and expands the delivery of oral health through our services area which encompasses 22 towns across 900 square miles. In addition, HRSA also awarded Pines with multiple grants for their quality performance. Pines led the field of 18 health center grantees in Maine with awards across four categories, including a prestigious National Quality Leaders award.

For over 38 years Pines Health Services has provided care to a service area population numbering about 35,000 people. Pines Health Services has a dedicated, volunteer Board of Directors and a strong, supportive relationship with Cary Medical Center. Pines providers are active members of Cary’s Medical Staff and work closely together to deliver seamless health and wellness services to every patient we serve.

Pines Health Services has received recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH). PCMH is a comprehensive, coordinated team-based approach that enables patients to take an active role in their health status and decision making. This innovative model puts patients at the center of care as their primary care practitioner leads an interdisciplinary team of health care professionals to treat all aspects of the patient’s health. NCQA Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition raises the bar in defining high-quality care by emphasizing access, health information technology, and coordinated care focused on patients.

Unlimited potential exists for a Hematologist/Oncologist to join our practice as we expand our cancer program to serve additional patients and communities. The communities we serve are economically, culturally, and socially inviting. Our Hematologist/Oncologists and Mid-Level Provider have been instrumental in building a program from scratch into a very successful, continuously growing practice that was QOPI, (Quality Oncology Practice Initiative) certified in 2018. They work in a new, dedicated cancer center (Jefferson Cary Cancer Center), have dedicated Oncology Nurses, Chemotherapy Infusion Nurses and Patient Navigators. They are actively involved with quality improvement organizations and participate in ASCO national collaborative initiatives. It’s a professionally stimulating environment, with relationships established with the premier Hematology/Oncology group in Maine at the Maine Medical Center, as well as researchers at the Jackson Laboratory and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Statistics for calendar year 2019 include:
Physician Statistics:
New Hematology Patient Visits: 185
New Oncology Patient Visits: 142
Total New Patient Visits: 327
Total Established Patient Visits: 2,543
Total Bone Marrow In-Office: 28
Total Patient Visits: 2,571
Average Patient Visits/Day: 11.57

Infusion Suite Statistics:
Total Patient Visits: 2,825
Average Patient Visits/Day: 11.3

The Hematology/Oncology practice uses Intergy for an electronic medical record system, while the hospital uses CPSI. Approximately 8 – 10 patients are seen per day, depending on what mix of new patients, follow-ups and pre-chemotherapy check patients that are scheduled. This is almost a purely outpatient practice. As such, there is no formal call schedule. Any inpatient work, such as a floor consult, would occur during regular business hours. Acute patients are transferred to a higher-level facility downstate, then return here for ongoing outpatient treatment.

We have an active, inter-professional tumor board comprised of hematology/oncology, general surgery, imaging, and pathology. An adjacent community hospital 12 miles to the south houses the county’s only radiation therapy and PET scanning services.

As an employee of Pines Health Services, the successful Hematology/Oncology candidate will receive a competitive salary, generous health and welfare benefits package, professional liability insurance, relocation assistance, licensing, DEA registration, and medical education loan repayment (if applicable). Physicians also receive an annual allowance for professional society memberships, subscriptions (print and online), and Continuing Medical Education. All of our primary care health centers are approved for participation in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayer program. Immigration assistance provided by expert legal counsel is provided at the expense of the practice for candidates needing a J-1 waiver, H-1B visa or permanent resident (green) card.

Multi-Specialty Characteristics
 6 Internists (including 5 Hospitalists) and 8 Family Medicine physicians at Pines Health Centers in Presque Isle, Van Buren, Fort Fairfield and Caribou.
 Hospitalists provide 24/7 inpatient coverage, including weekends, at Cary Medical Center
 9 mid-level primary care providers in Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield, Van Buren and Caribou, as well as 2 Certified Midwives who work in our OB/GYN practice
 A telephone triage system to screen after-hours calls.
 Specialists available in Pines Caribou offices include urology, orthopedics and sports medicine, surgical podiatry and wound care, general surgery, ophthalmology, and hematology/oncology. Pines pathologists work at Cary Medical Center’s clinical laboratory.
 Access to Cary Medical Center outpatient clinics including Cardiology, Pain Management, Nephrology, Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Nephrology, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatric Genetics, Wound/Ostomy and Rheumatology, along with diabetes counseling and nutritional therapy (delivered at Pines Caribou Health Center).

Expectations – grow the practice resulting from retirees and families moving into the area, support the growth of local industry, including the Defense Financing and Accounting Service (DFAS), and an influx in the number of U.S. Homeland Security (Customs and Border Patrol) officers.

The Opportunity:
 Status: Full-time, permanent position; salaried (exempt) professional:
8-hour shifts, 5 days per week.
 Patients: Patient profile includes a large cohort of elderly patients with co-morbidities

Qualifications of applicants:

* Completion of an accredited Fellowship in Hematology/Oncology (3 year) or Oncology (2 year) is required; Board Certified or board eligible while tracking to become Board Certified in Oncology; Board eligibility or certification in Hematology is desired, but not required.
* Allopathic and osteopathic physicians will be considered equally
* American born and trained physicians and foreign-born physicians who have completed a US residency (3-year minimum) and/or fellowship will be considered equally. H-1B and J-1 visa candidates are routinely sponsored utilizing the health center’s retained immigration attorney.
* In-practice physicians, fellows, and military-trained physicians will be considered equally

CARY MEDICAL CENTER
OUR MISSION STATEMENT: We are caring people committed to excellence in patient centered health care and community well-being.

OUR VISION STATEMENT: We aspire to create a healthier community. Cary nurtures a supportive, professional environment to the benefit of patients, visitors, staff members, medical providers, and volunteers.

Cary Medical Center is 65-bed acute care hospital in Caribou, Maine. Well-known for its patient-centered services, the hospital and its staff have won numerous state and national awards for quality in both customer service and clinical performance. The Cary family includes approximately 540 employees, 60 active medical staff providers, 100 courtesy and consulting physicians, and 75 volunteers.

In collaboration with Pines Health Services, Cary Medical Center services include: general and vascular surgery, pediatrics, 24-hour emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics and sports medicine, cancer care, physical and occupational therapy, neurology, one-day surgery, family practice, sports medicine, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, occupational health, internal medicine, ophthalmology, urology, radiology, pathology, and a wide variety of specialty clinics (see list below).

In recent years, significant investments in technology have been made to enhance patient services, reduce the risk of medical errors, and to improve access to health information. At Cary Medical Center, we’ve proven that you can have the most modern medical technology while providing personal, compassionate care. This high tech, high touch approach to healthcare separates Cary Medical Center from many hospitals in the United States. In fact, Cary Medical Center has been listed in the top 2% of hospitals in the nation for health information and patient safety technology.

Technologies implemented at Cary Medical Center include:

• Renovation project completed summer of 2016 to update all ACU Rooms
and Nurses Station. (all private rooms with the addition of two adjoining
Palliative Care Rooms); Renovations to continue with all Maternal/Child
Rooms and ICU Rooms
• Construction of the new Jefferson Cary Cancer Center in 2014
• Construction of a new Women’s Imaging Center with Digital Mammography
and Stereotactic Biopsy capabilities completed December, 2012
• Construction of a new Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Suite
on campus completed November, 2012
• New Siemen’s Mammomat Inspiration Full-Field Digital Mammography
System
• New MammoTest Digital Stereotactic Breast Biopsy System
• 64-slice CT and Digital Radiographic Imaging
• Phillips 1.5T MRI Fixed Base Unit, utilizing 40mT gradients
• Fixed Base Bone Densitometry service
• Northern Maine’s first Lithotripsy services
• Signature Series Nuclear Medicine system
• Advanced Sonography equipment
• Computerized physician order entry (CPOE)
• Automated medication dispensing
• Electronic nursing documentation
• Advanced endoscopy equipment
• PACS imaging
• Medication bar coding
• Automated laboratory diagnostic equipment

Cary Medical Center is also home to the first Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic located in a private rural hospital. Additionally, the hospital’s campus hosts a 40-bed long term care facility and a 30-bed residential care facility operated by the Maine Veterans Home.

Cary operates a 9-bed intermediate care facility for mentally challenged adults in Van Buren, Maine, where Pines Health Services also maintains a community health center. The hospital offers numerous outpatient specialty clinics including a Wound/Ostomy and Continence Clinic, Memory Clinic, and Pain Management Service. In 2013 we added two new permanent full-time Oncologists to our Provider Staff for the first time in Cary’s history, and in June 2015, our Specialty Clinic area was renovated to accommodate our new Jefferson Cary Cancer Center.

Cary features the Center for Women and Children’s Health, operated by Pines Health Services, the most comprehensive pediatric and OB/GYN program in Northern Maine. The hospital is a leader in health education and promotion, and features a Nationally Accredited Diabetes Education Program and Mammography Service.

Cary features all private patient rooms, a family centered maternity program, and a modern one-day surgery unit. The hospital provides the largest outpatient rehabilitation service in Northern Maine including a multi-stage cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation program. In 2012 we opened our new Women’s Imaging Center and Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine Suite. And, with the addition of our Hematologist/Oncologists and the Jefferson Cary Cancer Center, our Outpatient Rehabilitation Services staff have teamed together to provide a new comprehensive and specialized Oncology Rehabilitation Program involving physical, occupational and speech therapies, and a comprehensive navigator program for our patients.

List of Awards, (2009- 2020)

– 2020 Women’s Choice Award – America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Obstetrics

– 2020 Women’s Choice Award – America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Patient Safety

– 2020 Kris Doody, RN, CEO, named by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of “60 Rural Hospital CEO’s to Know”

– 2019 Kris Doody, RN, CEO, Cary Medical Center & Pines Health Services Inducted into Junior Achievement Maine Business Hall of Fame

– 2019 Pines Health Services was named as one of the 2019 Best Places to Work in Maine. The awards program was created in 2006 and is a project of the Society for Human Resource Management – Maine State Council (MESHRM) and Best Companies Group. Partners endorsing the program include: Mainebiz, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and Maine HR Convention. This statewide survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Maine, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses. The 2019 Best Places to Work in Maine list is made up of 100 companies in three size categories: small (15-49 U.S. employees), medium (50-249 U.S. employees) and large (250+ U.S. employees).

– 2019 “A” Hospital Safety Score by the Leapfrog Group

– 2019 Platinum Level Status for Tobacco-Free Hospital Gold Star Standards of Excellence (8th Consecutive Year)

– 2019 – Spirit of Caribou Award Presented to Bill Flagg by the City of Caribou – Work with Recovery Aroostook

– 2019 Gold Award – Presented to Bethany Zell by Aster National Advertising Awards – In the Pink Series of Ads on Breast Cancer

– 2019 – Bronze Award – Presented to Elizabeth Singer by Aster National Advertising Awards – Heartbeat Newsletter Category

– 2019 Silver Award – Presented to Bethany Zell by National Cancer Awareness Awards Program – Pink Aroostook Public Service Ad Campaign

– 2019 – Gold Award – Presented to Elizabeth Singer by National Cancer Awareness Awards – Cancer Patient Guidebook

– 2019 Leadership Award – Presented to Bethany Zell by Relay for Life Committee – Event Leadership and Planning Team

– 2019 – Aroostook Achiever Award – Presented to Casey Bouchard by Momentum Aroostook Business – Business and Leadership Development Category

– 2018 Kris Doody, RN and Chief Executive Officer at Cary Medical Center, and Pines Health Services was named by the Becker’s Hospital Review as one of “60 rural hospital CEOs to know.” Becker’s Healthcare is the leading source of cutting-edge business and legal information for healthcare industry leaders. Becker’s Hospital Review is published 12 times each year and reaches nearly 20,000 healthcare leaders

– 2017 “A” Hospital Safety Score by the Leapfrog Group, (One of only 63 hospitals from more than 2,500 in the nation to earn the ‘A’ grade since the inception of the grading process in 2012.)

– 2017 Women’s Choice Award – America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Obstetrics, (4th time we have received the award, also received in 2013, 2015, and 2016)

– Kris Doody, RN, CEO was awarded the 2017 Board of Trustee Award by The American Hospital Association (AHA). The award is presented to individuals or groups who have made substantial and noteworthy contributions to the work of the AHA.

– Kris Doody, RN, Cary CEO, named 2016 CEO of the Year by Quorum Health Resources

– 2016 “A” Hospital Safety Score by the Leapfrog Group (One of only 72 hospitals nationwide to have achieved Straight A’s from the Hospital Safety Score since 2012.)

– 2016 Women’s Choice Award – America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Obstetrics, (3rd time we have received the award, also received in 2013 and 2015)

– 2015 Top Rural Hospital Award by the Leapfrog Group (One of only 98 Top Hospitals recognized and selected from more than 1600 hospitals nationwide participating in The Leapfrog Group’s annual survey. The list includes:
• 24 Top Rural Hospitals
• 62 Top Urban Hospitals
• 12 Top Children’s Hospitals

– 2015 “A” Hospital Safety Score by the Leapfrog Group (One of only 133 hospitals in the country to have achieved Straight A’s from the Hospital Safety Score since 2012.)

– 2015 AVATAR Exceeding Patient Expectations Award (10th year in a row)

– 2015 AVATAR Exemplary Service Overall Best Performer Award (5th year in a row)

– 2015 Gold Recognition for Cary’s National Hospital Organ Donation Campaign, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

– 2015 Gold Star Standards of Excellence Award, Maine Tobacco Free Hospital Network

– 2015 Women’s Choice Award – America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Obstetrics, (2nd time we have received the award, also received in 2013)

– 2014 AVATAR Exceeding Patient Expectations Award (9 years in a row)

– 2014 AVATAR Exemplary Service Overall Best Performer Award (4th year in a row)

– 2014 Named a 2014 Healthstrong Hospital by IVantage Health Analytics

– 2014 “A” Hospital Safety Score by the Leapfrog Group

– 2014 Top Hospitals HealthGrades

– 2014 Quorum Health Resources Leadership in Quality Award

– 2014 Women’s Choice Award – America’s Best Breast Centers

– 2014 NDNQI/ANA Outstanding Commitment to Patient Care Award

– 2013 The Jefferson Cary Cancer Center was recognized by the QOPI Certification Program, an affiliate of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, for successfully completing a three-year certification program for outpatient hematology-oncology
practices that meet nationally recognized standards for quality cancer care.

– 2013 AVATAR Exceeding Patient Expectations Award (8 years in a row)

– 2013 AVATAR Exemplary Service Overall Best Performer Award (3rd year in a row)

– 2013 Women’s Choice Award – America’s Best Hospitals for Patient Experience in Obstetrics

– 2013 “Case In Point” Case Management Society of America Platinum Award for Inpatient & Outpatient Case Management Programs

– 2013 Maine Department of Environmental Protection Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence – Community Safe Sharps Disposal Program

– 2013 Quorum Health Resources Leadership in Quality Award

– 2012 AVATAR Exceeding Patient Expectations Award (7 years in a row)

– 2012 AVATAR Exemplary Service Overall Best Performer Award (2nd year in a row)

– 2012 “A” Hospital Safety Score by the Leapfrog Group

– 2011 AVATAR Exceeding Patient Expectations Award (6 years in a row)

– 2011 AVATAR Overall Best Performer Award

– 2011 HCAHPS Best Performer Award for Nursing Communications

– 2011 Cary received the American Hospital Association’s (AHA) “Award of Honor” for service to America’s veterans. The award is given to organizations and individuals in recognition of exemplary contributions to the health and well-being of people hrough
leadership on major health policies or social initiatives.

– 2011 Robert Lester, RPh., Pharmacist at Cary Medical Center, was awarded the Maine Society of Health-System Pharmacists highest and most prestigious award, the Marco Gasbarrone Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

– 2011 Sarah Anderson, CPhT, a Certifield Pharmacy Technican at Cary Medical Center received the 2011 Technician of the Year Award from the Maine Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

– 2011 Betty Walker, Cary Volunteer and Seniority Program Coordinator, was named the Maine Hospital Association’s 2011 Caregiver of the Year.

– 2011 The Downeast Association of Physician Assistants (DEAPA) recognized Lori Eckerstorfer, PA-C, as the Outstanding Health Care Professional of 2011.

– 2010 The Maine Primary Care Association (MPCA) awarded Dr. Samuela Manages the 2010 Karen J. Hallee, MD Memorial Award for New Medical Professionals.

– 2010 Dr. Carl Flynn, a Family Practice physician with Pines Health Services and at the time, President of the Medical Staff at Cary Medical Center, was named Maine’s 2010 Family Physician of the Year by the Maine Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP).

– 2009 Jason Tremblay, Pharm. D., Pharmacy Director at Cary Medical Center, was named the 2009 Maine Pharmacist of the Year by the Maine Society of Health System Pharmacists.

– 2009 – 2010 Cary and Pines received the 2009-2010 “Director’s Award,” (the highest award presented by the State’s Immunization Program), from the Maine Immunization Program, a Division of the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The award was given in recognition for their public and school based clinics as part of their annual H1N1 and Seasonal Flu Vaccination Program.

– 2009 – 2011 The Maine Department of Labor and the Bureau of Labor Standards presented Cary Medical Center with a SHAPE Award, (Safety and Health Award for Public Employers for Dec. 2009-Dec. 2011) Cary was the first hospital to receive the award in Maine.

– 2009 The Senior Management team at Cary Medical Center was named the 2009 Top Leadership Team in the nation for the ‘Small Hospital Division’ by HealthLeaders, an industry trade magazine that reaches over 40,000 healthcare leaders in the United States.

– 2009 Cary Medical Center was recognized as being one of the top 50 rural hospitals in the nation for their complete and compliant coding practices in Ingenix’s fifth annual study of inpatient coding performance.

Caribou, Maine
Caribou, Maine, is the most northeastern city within the United States, and has a population of approximately 8,000 people. This dynamic community is economically, culturally, and socially inviting. Caribou promotes and aggressively pursues innovative business and economic development, and welcomes, supports and responds to the diversity of new people and new ideas. Caribou prides itself on the high quality of its public school system, extremely low crime rate and family-oriented community activities.

The residents of Caribou recognize children as their future, and share collective responsibility for the nurturing and education of each generation. The community boasts a new multi-million dollar Recreation and Wellness Center that offers programs and activities for all ages, including a basketball court, walking/running track, field trips and game rooms. A comprehensive weight/fitness center and indoor pool are planned for the next phases of this facility. Cary Medical Center has been a catalyst in this effort.

An excellent school system is available and offers outstanding academics, athletics, music, the arts, and extracurricular activities. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1. Construction began in 2017 to build a new K-8 Community School. The $50 million project is expected to be completed in the summer of 2020 to accommodate student enrollment that fall. Family ties are strong, self-respect and respect for others is instilled, trust and courtesy are a way of life, and the pace of life is consistent with these ideals.

This community celebrates the values and lessons of a multi-cultural heritage that serves as its strength and foundation in a progressive, modern world. Caribou offers an outstanding environment in which to raise a family. Enjoy breathtaking sunsets on nearby lakes. The ocean is within easy travel distance.

Aroostook County provides great hunting and fishing, as well as a multitude of outdoor activities, including camping, biking, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, snowmobiling and downhill and cross-country skiing. The Maine Winter Sports Center was developed as a premier cross-country skiing venue. The Center has hosted several World Cup, Paralympics and Biathlon World Cup events since 2004. Rural northern Maine enjoys a four-season environment, abundant opportunities for relaxed living, welcoming friendly communities, and a variety of recreational pursuits within minutes (rather than the typical hours). A regional airport is available in nearby Presque Isle.

Websites of Interest

Cary Medical Center
www.carymedicalcenter.org

Pines Health Services
www.pineshealth.org

Caribou, Maine
www.cariboumaine.org

Aroostook County, Maine
www.aroostook.me.us

Caribou Area Statistics:

Northern Maine Development Commission
www.nmdc.org

Cost of living index:
(Select Presque Isle, Maine for our area)
www.bestplaces.net

Local Media:

Bangor Daily News
www.bangordailynews.com

Aroostook Republican – Caribou
www.republican-me.com

St. John Valley Times – Van Buren
www.sjvalley-times.com