Emergency Medicine Physicians Now Responding to Medical Calls in Central Maine

A brand new program, the first of its kind, has just been launched in Central Maine.

According to an article published in the Kennebec Journal, the new program is called MD3.

What does MD3 stand for? Well, medical doctor for the MD, and 3 which signifies "region 3" of emergency medical services which encompasses Kennebec County, the newspaper reported.

The new program is exactly what it sounds like.

It allows medical doctors to respond with other units to medical calls across the region, according to the Kennebec Journal.

Currently, MD3 is funded through September, though proponents of the program hope that the fiscal plan passes to allow it to continue long past that, the Kennebec Journal stated.

The Kennebec Journal explained that there are three emergency medical physicians who are part of the program, and the physicians respond to calls as needed in a fully equipped Toyota Rav-4.

The idea is to provide emergency department-level care in the field and help reduce the strain on area emergency rooms.

Additionally, the hope is that this will help combat the current paramedic shortage and area departments struggle to not only hire, but retain qualified paramedics, according to the Kennebec Journal.

The program, which has been in place for a little while now, has seen physicians respond to an assortment of emergencies from a diabetic coma to a full-on cardiac arrest, the newspaper reported.

It's worth noting that the cardiac arrest patient was able to be revived in the field, the KJ said.

Meehan-Coussee, one of the three rotating emergency physicians, told the Kennebec Journal in part,

“One of the things we have discussed is that having a physician respond could limit some of the calls we’re doing. So let me examine you in the field and decide you don’t need to go to the emergency department right now. Maybe you need to follow up with your primary care doctor. Maybe I need to write you a prescription for your cellulitis. Maybe I need to wash out and repair your wound. Maybe I need to remove your fish hook.”