Family Medicine Department Units


deptsThe Department of Family Medicine includes Clinical Services, the Division of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, the Division on Aging, the Division of Medical Humanities, and Post-Graduate Education:

Clinical Services

The University members of the Department of Family Medicine provide clinical care services and family practice residency education at two ambulatory care centers through University Health Care. These locations provide clinical care to university members and to the communities of Saco/Biddeford.

The Saco facility is a 25,000-square-foot facility providing ambulatory care services and residency education with four full-time certified family practitioners utilizing 13 examination rooms, two procedure rooms, laboratory, and radiology services. In addition to a full array of Family Practice care, including women's health, manipulative care, and adult and child care, as well as counseling services provided by a team of licensed clinical social workers and a psychiatrist. The Veteran's Administration has an ambulatory care practice in the same building and shares some of the services provided at the locale.

The Petts Center located on the University campus is a 10,000-square-foot facility with 10 examination rooms offering a broad array of family medicine services including prenatal care, worker's compensation, osteopathic manipulation, geriatrics, physical therapy and counseling services. Certified family practice physicians provide care and residency supervision. 

In addition to ambulatory care and long-term care at area nursing homes, the UHC Family Practice Group also provides inpatient care at Southern Maine Medical Center on a rotating coverage. This allows for continuity of care for patients and as a role model for residents and students

Community Preceptor Program 

This program is primarily responsible for the coordination of early clinical experience exposure for students. Beginning in the first month of the first year, and through the preclinical curriculum, students are able to experience a contextual relationship with the precepts and principles of the classroom to the community and practice environment.

The Division on Aging

The Family Practice Department Division on Aging conducts educational, consultative and clinical services. It has been recognized as a leader in osteopathic education for its approach to end of life care education. Active in Alzheimer's' screening, continuing education, and consultative services, the division is directed by Medical Director Charlotte Paolini, D.O.

The division plays a key role in the functions of the Maine Geriatric Education Center. In this role the division pursues educational and research opportunities in rural geriatrics and gerontology. A major focus of this initiative is the fostering of successful aging among elders and providers. Specific attention is given to continuing education to meet the needs for ambulatory geriatric care for private practitioners and their staffs.

  Clinical Services - MatureCare

MatureCare is an interdisciplinary, multi-provider practice devoted to elder care in the community and institutional setting. This service is provided in cooperation with University Health Care. Family physicians, three of whom have certificates of added qualification in geriatrics and are certified medical directors, work along with nurse practitioners and licensed clinical social workers, an administrator and nurses to provide care to more than 3800 long-term and assisted-living patients. It is our intent to establish ambulatory care and to conduct a feasibility study for a possible post doctoral program in geriatrics.

In addition to providing clinical care for community elders, MatureCare provides consultative and administrative services to long-term care facilities from Kennebunk to Augusta. These include such activities as in-service education programs, medical director services and other operational consultations.

AGES

The Division on Aging provides the Alzheimer's Geriatrics Evaluation Service (AGES). This community service is a team effort of nursing, social work and physician evaluations for community elders with concerns regarding cognitive issues. Whether self-referred or physician-referred, clients receive a comprehensive evaluation that is made available to the patient's primary provider for follow up care. Social service and agency referrals may also be made depending on the nature of the evaluation. This service is provided at the MatureCare offices in Portland.

Pre-Doctoral Education

The Division on Aging is responsible for geriatric topics in year one and two of the COM curriculum. These activities include a geriatric practicum, lectures and small group exercises. Direct patient contact is provided in the geriatric practicum that is conducted in area long-term care facilities and assisted living environments. In this practicum, geriatric issues are incorporated while students practice interviewing, physical examination, charting and case presentation skills. A hospice experience is also offered for students in the life continuum portion of the community preceptor program.


The Division of Medical Humanities

Directed by Rev. Reuben P. Bell, D.O., M.S., M.Div., the Division of Medical Humanities deals with the psychosocial aspects of medicine. The division emphasizes medical ethics, osteopathic philosophy, the patient-physician relationship and the art of practice. By applying the humanities in the teaching of medicine, students are reminded that the practice of osteopathic medicine is more than diagnosis and treatment alone, but is the person-centered practice of finding the health in the patient.

Post-Graduate Education

UNECOM, in cooperation with the Northeast Osteopathic Medical Education Network conducts post-graduate training in family practice. The AOA-approved internship is conducted largely at Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine with a pediatric out-rotation at Eastern Maine Medical Center. The UNECOM Family Practice Residency Program utilizes Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford as its base hospital with out-rotations for specialty services. The Interim Family Practice Residency director is Richard Stockwell, D.O.

Both programs utilize the family practice centers in Saco and on the University Campus for their continuity care ambulatory experiences. Richard Stockwell, D.O., a member of the Department of Family Medicine, is the medical education director for all the residency programs at UNECOM and is assisted by Assistant Director Rorie Lee, Ph.D., M.P.H., CHES, and Administrative Director Michelle Klinke. Click for more information on Graduate Medical Education.
    
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