about us

Maine Physicians for Healthy Beginnings grew out of a shared concern about the future of obstetrical and newborn care in Maine.

Over the past several years, Maine has seen a growing number of hospital birthing unit closures. Families are traveling farther for care, emergency departments and EMS are increasingly being called upon to manage obstetrical emergencies, and hospitals that continue to provide birthing services are facing growing demands on their staff, facilities, and resources.

These changes affect far more than the communities losing their birthing units. They are reshaping how care is delivered across the state.

At the same time, important work is underway through state and national initiatives, grants, and regional partnerships to address these challenges and explore new approaches to care.

But as these efforts have moved forward, one concern has become increasingly clear: the voices of practicing physicians are often missing from the conversations.

Many of the meetings and planning discussions take place during the workday, when physicians are caring for patients and simply cannot reliably be available to participate. As a result, the people who understand the day-to-day realities of providing care are often underrepresented in discussions that will directly affect their patients and practices.

Recognizing this gap, physicians from different specialties Medical groups, began coming together. to work on addressing these concerns. From those conversations, Maine Physicians for Healthy Beginnings was formed.

Our goal is not to duplicate the work of existing organizations or initiatives, but to complement and strengthen those efforts by creating a more coordinated physician voice.

Just as importantly, we want to establish a way for information to flow in both directions. Physicians need opportunities to share their experiences, concerns, and ideas with those developing plans and policies. They also need to know what discussions are taking place, what changes are being considered, and how those decisions may affect the care they provide.

By creating this connection, we hope to make it easier for physicians to stay informed, contribute their perspectives, and participate in shaping the future of care in Maine, even when they cannot personally attend every meeting.

We recognize that different communities face different challenges and that there is no single solution that will work everywhere. We won’t always agree on every issue, but we believe meaningful progress depends on collaboration across specialties, healthcare systems, and communities.

Above all, we share a common goal: ensuring that every family in Maine has access to safe, high-quality care throughout pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and the newborn period, regardless of where they live.