(207) 882-6008

Hello WFH community –
—-or should I say “healow”? Right, that’s the “app” for access to our portal and helps with all this telehealth stuff.
I would prefer to see you, talk face to face, and connect with how you and your family are, what’s happening in this difficult time, what’s good and what is hard, but this is the safest way to communicate for now. I’m grateful for the technology, so we can all keep in touch!

Please call or email with concerns, questions and expect to be offered a “telehealth” visit. This is our way of documenting updates for all of our patients, as well as keeping up to date with your health care needs. We find ourselves covering for a lot of specialty offices,who are now closed or have limited hours, which is fine by us, but may take a little longer to respond based on tracking down records and background information, please continue to be patient.

At the office, we continue to “pre-screen” everyone coming in and have started wearing masks when we will be within 6 feet. As always, we are scrubbing every surface after any contact. The recommendations are ever changing and we are striving to stay on top of the latest information to keep our patients and staff safe.

On the plus side – have you ever seen this many people out walking in April in Maine? Greetings are physically distant, but emotionally warm. Mainers are coming together in our love of the outdoors and our interest in supporting each other.

I have been formulating this idea based on a recent post I read… This may be the end of the term “just a”. There are no more “just a” jobs – you are “just a teacher/hairdresser/nurse/gas station attendant/cashier/stay at home dad/day care provider/family medicine doctor” anymore. It turns out we are all pretty necessary to make a community function and thrive. Let’s reach out to the people we are missing and thank them and remind them we will be here for them on the other side, whenever that will be.

Cortney Linville, DO

What a week!! 

We have officially moved and are thrilled to be in our new space at 35 Water street in Wiscasset. I can’t say enough about the way our team came together during the move to make it fun, smooth and successful. I could NOT have moved to my new location without the staff’s dedication and diligence. 

We have all been struck by the speed at which COVID19 has hit home.  In an attempt to continue to serve the community, we are taking some important steps.  Since the opening of the new building, we are restricting patients to ONLY those who have NO respiratory symptoms, cleaning even more strictly than ever and developing telehealth services.  The future is NOW at 35 Water Street!!

If you are interested in a telehealth visit – it is super slick.  It can be set up through our patient portal and if your brain turns to mush at the mention of the word “portal”, I hear you. But I also want to SEE you, so call us and let us help you set this up. Before you know it, you could have a LIVE, FACE to FACE visit with your favorite Wiscasset Family Health clinician!!

Current recommendations are for those 60+ to hunker down and learn new recipes and phone old friends and watch great movies and exercise!! But, please consider getting connected with us via the internet, call us!! 

Thinking of you all, so grateful for the well wishes and look forward to seeing everyone in person again soon.

P.S. I am really enjoying the e-message updates from some of you about your adventures, thanks for helping us stay connected!!

Wiscasset Family Health is excited to announce its relocation to 35 Water Street.  Beginning Monday March 16^th they will start seeing patients in a newly renovated office space. 35 Water strews between Sarah’s Pizza and Water Street Kitchen & Bar overlooking the Sheepscot River.  Continued growth and a desire to participate in the revitalization of downtown Wiscasset spurred the practice to move from its original location and home of the past 40 years at 66 Water Street.

Physician and practice owner Dr. Linville purchased the building in the fall of 2019 with the very patient help of Nancy Carleton of William Raveis Real Estate. Tobias Gabranski, architect and SJ Wood Construction Company of Winthrop have transformed the existing space into a modern healthcare facility.  There will be an open house on March 16^th from 3-6pm.  All community members, patients and collaborators are invited to come explore the new location of this patient centered medical home.

Serving the mid coast area, Wiscasset Family Health is an independently owned primary care practice.  Dr. Cortney Linville, Sarah Robey, PA-C, Mary Rafter, FNP, Sarah Hurley, PA-C and Jesse Cheney, PA-C work collaboratively with staff to meet the evolving healthcare needs of our patients.  Services include comprehensive primary care, immunizations, osteopathic manipulation, psychiatric care, pediatrics, transgender medicine, contraceptive access, dermatologic evaluation, minor surgical services, and substance abuse and recovery programs.  New patients are welcome to contact our office at 207-882-6008 or visit the website for more detailed information.

35 Water Street has a long history in the town of Wiscasset.  Historically a bustling, shipping port, the Sherman family opened Wiscasset Lumber at this waterfront location in 1918.  For nearly 70 years the family were stewards of a vibrant lumber business before the space was transformed into the Ports of Wiscasset retail space in the mid 1980’s.  A plethora of businesses have since called this address home including a book store, travel agency, naval architecture design, custom sewing & upholstery, an engineering firm and a rural business and development agency.  Wiscasset Family Health will continue the legacy of community engagement and service that has long been the foundation of this address.

“We are excited to be putting roots down on the south side of route one.”  Says office manager Shelley Strozier.  “We will miss some of the unique character and history the original farmhouses have offered our practice.  As with many families- we have out grown our first home.  We look forward to settling into our new space, and continuing the personalized and evidence based care that keeps our community thriving for generations to come.”

We are so excited to welcome this fresh new graduate with enthusiasm for community oriented family medicine. He will be supported on this journey by our entire staff, but having had him here as a student, we already are confident in his knowledge and compassion. So, we thought it would be great to get to know him better! 

1) Jesse, why did you go into medicine and why family medicine specifically? In northern New England, there is a huge need for high-quality healthcare providers. Starting with my Associate’s degree in Surgical Technology, the more I learned, the more I wanted to know. My work in the operating room led to curiosity about how the body works and medicine more generally. Clinical rotations confirmed that family practice was where I wanted to end up because it allows you to work with patients at all ages and stages of their life, not only the two hours in the operating room. I’m personally vested in family care because of my two small children whom I love to watch learn, grow, and discover new things everyday. It will be exciting to participate in the care of other families in the community as they grow over time.

2) We know this is not your first career path, please tell us how past job experience will help or hinder your new career as a physician assistant? Working in the operating room as a surgical assistant provided opportunities to be part of a patient-focused team that was providing cutting-edge robotic surgery on the Seacoast of New Hampshire. I was fortunate to work with a supportive group of surgeons, nurses, CRNA’s, and staff who encouraged me to continue my education and increase my scope of practice. In becoming a PA, I’m able to realize my desire to support patients through the whole cycle of care, rather than just on the operating table. 

3) What are you most looking forward to as you are joining our team here?
My wife and I always said that we would come “home” to Maine and after starting my clinical rotations at Wiscasset Family Medicine, it was clear that my philosophy of medicine is well aligned with the team and they provide such care and compassion to everyone who walks through the door. This is an environment that I wanted to be a part of.

4) What are you doing when you are not in the office? Spending time with my family swimming at the Alna dam or the Mills. Renovating our home in Alna is an ongoing project. 

5) Please share with us a memory of growing up locally. I have great memories of sporting events in town. My grandfather and I spent a lot of time fishing and hunting together. It is really fun to be back in the area and see so many familiar, friendly faces. 

Wiscasset Family Medicine is taking new patients, today! Please call 882-6008 or register through the portal.  

On September 14th, 2018 Dr. Kitfield announced his retirement from practicing medicine after 43 after years . The Wiscasset Family Medicine team is incredibly grateful for the service and opportunity Dr. Kitfield provided to so many along with enriching everyone’s life that had contact with him. Below is a letter from Dr. Kitfield released in conjunction with his announcement.

Dr. Kitfield’s Retirement Letter

Wiscasset Family Medicine is currently seeking a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant to join our team. We are an independent primary care practice located in the heart of Wiscasset overlooking the Sheepscot River. This physician owned practice is an integral part of family medicine in the Midcoast community and has been established and thriving for more than 40 years. As a patient centered medical home we strive to provide high quality, collaborative healthcare for acute and chronic health issues.

The Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant will be responsible for assisting Family Medicine physicians in providing primary healthcare to our diverse pediatric and adult patient panel. This work focuses upon health maintenance, disease prevention, patient education and counseling, coordination of care with specialty providers. The ideal candidate would provide care for their panel utilizing contemporary, evidence based medicine. Sub-specialization in geriatric medicine, in office surgical procedures, or other areas of specialty will be supported based upon interest of applicant.

Providers at Wiscasset Family Medicine work collaboratively to provide healthcare to their patient panels with mentorship available as needed. The office is open weekdays from 7am – 5pm and closed most Federal Holidays. Evening and weekend access for patients is available through a rotating, telephone based on call service. Employment contract includes a competitive salary based upon prior experience, comprehensive benefits packages and continuing education stipends. We offer a relaxed, creative work environment with full administrative and clinical staff support.

Experience/Education Requirements:

• Current license to practice medicine as a Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant in the State of Maine
• Current DEA License
• Graduate from an accredited Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant program.
• Minimum of three years experience as a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant with background in geriatrics and family practice is preferred.

To Apply:

By Email: mail to:  sstrozier@wiscassetfamilymedicine.com

By Mail: Wiscasset Family Medicine
c/o Shelley Strozier
PO Box 351
Wiscasset, ME 04578

Wiscasset Family Medicine will be closing today February 7th at 1:00 pm. We will reopen on Thursday, February 8th at 8:30 am. Please remember that we do have a provider on call 24/7, we’re here when you need us. Stay safe everyone!

Wiscasset Family Medicine recognizes that tick season in Maine continues and seems to have been year round this year.  We are putting out a request regarding tick bites that happen when the office is closed:

We have 24 hour on call services to provide guidance when the office is closed. If you have a concern that can wait until office hours, please call the office after it has opened. “On call services” are our providers taking call from home.   If it is a weekend, please attempt to call between 7am and 7pm.  Preventive (prophylactic) dose of antibiotics for tick bites can be given within 72 hours of tick removal (if the tick has been attached for more than 24 hours). We would request that you call on call services during the day.  This will improve your chances of alert, thoughtful, effective care.

If you are looking for more information about removing ticks, treating tick bites or lyme disease, please reference maine.gov or cdc website.  Additionally, we would be happy to have an appointment to discuss any concerns you may have, in the office during office hours.

Thank you!

Wiscasset Family Medicine will be offering flu clinics (easy way to get a quick vaccine!) starting in Late September and we recommend waiting until late September to get your flu shot. If you are traveling for the winter, we can do it before you leave, but peak flu season is December through February.

Why should I get the flu vaccine – I’m healthy!

The flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself, your family and the vulnerable members of our community from influenza.

Will the vaccine cause the flu?

No, a flu shot cannot cause the virus. Flu vaccines given with a needle are currently made in two ways: the vaccine is made either with a) flu vaccine viruses that have been ‘inactivated’ and are therefore not infectious, or b) with no flu vaccine viruses at all (which is the case for recombinant influenza vaccine). The most common side effects from the influenza shot are soreness, redness, tenderness or swelling where the shot was given. Low-grade fever, headache and muscle aches also may occur.

Please let us know if we can answer any questions for you about the flu vaccine! We want our community to have a safe and healthy winter.

Here we are!!! The most beautiful time of the year can be autumn in Maine.

Now is your chance to find a routine for activity.  It’s not “too hot” and it’s not “too cold” and we still have light and the kids are in school, the traffic is better and the community center and ymca is open and WOW!

You have NO excuses.  This is the time of year to enjoy our great weather AND start thinking about how you will stay active over the next six months.

Let us know what you’re up to!  You can walk, run, take an exercise class, bike, swim, golf, dance, pogo stick, play tag, kickball…..what else??   Post a picture of your activity on our facebook page or instagram, tweet at us “@WiscassetFamMed”  or do whatever you do and #WFM, #activeoctober, and throw in a #mainefall and let’s get the word out there!!

If you aren’t on social media, let us know what you are up to when you come in for a flu shot or use the portal or tell us at your wellness visit – we are rooting for you and want to hear about your active fun!!