LIKE
Thursday March 28, 2024


Click the logos
for news and info
about these companies

Non-Profits & Special Events








Products & Services










Banking & Finance




Construction &
Real Estate






Travel & Tourism








Public Affairs











Top Headlines

For Immediate Release
September 1, 2000

Contact:
Amy Weinschenk
(207) 774-5801
E-mail: amyw@martinspoint.com

Beryl Wolfe
(207) 775-5115

Web Site: http://www.martinspoint.org

Martin's Point Physicians Available to the Media

Martin's Point Health Care
Media Resource Guide
May, 2000

This guide is for use by the media when looking for an articulate, knowledgeable source on a health care topic. Martin's Point Health Care, Maine's largest primary care practice, has a number of physicians who are well suited to speak to the media on topics ranging from managed care and the rising cost of health care, to more clinical topics such as skin cancer, smoking cessation, living longer, flu shots, allergies, or other pediatric and family practice issues.

Included in this guide are brief descriptions of seven different physicians who we feel can contribute to your stories when you need them, along with some of the topics they can address and background information on the physicians themselves.

If you need to reach one of these doctors for a news story, please call Amy Weinschenk, Director of Communications and Marketing at Martin's Point Health Care (instead of the doctor directly). She can be reached at 774-5801, ext. 2231 and will assist you in setting up an interview. Or, call Beryl Wolfe at Wolfe Public Relations, 775-5115. Thank you.


David H. Howes, M.D.

As president and chief medical officer, David H. Howes, M.D. has maintained financial well-being for Martin's Point in today's chaotic and crisis- driven health care climate. He can talk to the media on all aspects of health care, from managed care and HMOs to insurance trends, coverage, cost controls and access.

Regarded by many as a visionary in the health care industry, Dr. Howes is the only practicing physician in the state who heads a major health care organization. An expert on health care policy, he was a featured speaker at a national Department of Defense Conference, recently served on a public policy forum sponsored by the Greater Portland Chambers of Commerce and the Muskie School for Public Service at the University of Southern Maine and will speak at two national conferences this spring. He is a resident of Brunswick and a 1977 graduate of Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, N.H. Dr. Howes is a member of the American College of Physician Executives and the American Academy of Family Practice.


Jan Wnek, M.D.

Medical Director Jan Wnek, M.D. is a pediatrician whose medical practice has specialized in learning disabilities, gifted children and discipline issues. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Physician Executives, the Community Health and Physician Advisory Committee (CHANS) and the Maine Assessment Foundation's Pediatric Group.

At Martin's Point, Dr. Wnek oversees all 35 physicians at four locations. Before being named medical director in 1998, Dr. Wnek served as chief of pediatrics and unit medical director at Martin's Point. She was the chief of pediatrics at Mid-Coast Hospital from 1992 to 1995 and previously served as a pediatrician with the Neonatal Service at Maine Medical Center. A resident of Brunswick, Dr. Wnek is a magna cum laude graduate of Boston University, where she was Phi Beta Kappa. She received her M.D. from the Northwestern University School of Medicine.


Douglas Couper, M.D.

A primary care physician for adults at Martin's Point Health Care for eight years, Dr. Couper is an internist who can comment on a number of health care topics in the news, ranging from diabetes, cancer prevention and heart disease to seasonal issues such as allergies, Lyme disease and influenza.

For example, Dr. Couper can speak about the recent report that the diabetes drug Rezulin may cause fatal liver problems, or a recent study on how early discharges affect heart patients. In addition, Dr. Couper could comment on the importance of colon cancer screenings as well as more everyday topics such as summer colds, the flu, asthma, smoking cessation, and cancer detection and prevention.

A resident of Falmouth, Dr. Couper serves as Chief of Internal Medicine at Martin's Point. He previously served as co-chair of the Maine American College of Physicians Scientific Program Committee and as director of Medical Education at Mercy Hospital. Dr. Couper received his M.D. from the Boston University School of Medicine and is a graduate of Bates College in Lewiston.


William F. Schirmer, M.D.

William F. Schirmer, M.D., has been a family practice physician since 1983. He is available to comment on a range of medical issues, including skin cancer, melanoma and other preventative health subjects for the whole family. A board certified gerontologist, he is an expert in the area of aging andsenior health care issues.

The specialty of family practice combines the latest in medical technologies with a long tradition of caring and service. Family physicians are educated and trained to care for the whole person, treating the majority of medical problems of both genders and all ages. A resident of Falmouth, Dr. Schirmer was recently certified as a Diplomate of the American Board of Family Practice (ABFP). He earned diplomate status by passing the ABFP's certification examination, an intensive written test of a physician's knowledge in pediatrics, internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, psychiatry, prevention and other aspects of family practice.

Dr. Schirmer received his M.D. from Georgetown University Medical School in Washington, D.C. in 1980 and completed both his residency and internship in family practice at Maine Medical Center in Portland. He also received an M.S. in biology from Georgetown University in 1973, and a B.S. in psychology/pre-med from Colby College in Waterville in 1971. He is a member of the American Academy of Family Practice, the first medical specialty organization to require its members to earn 150 hours of approved continuing medical education every three years.


Nicole Cherbuliez, M.D.

Nicole Cherbuliez, M.D. is one of five Martin's Point physicians who go out into the community and offer their expertise on a health care topic as part of the Physician Outreach Program. She gives a talk on smoking cessationcalled "Smoking: the Effects, Methods and Benefits of Quitting." Dr. Cherbuliez can provide the media with a series of tips on quitting smoking for smoking-related stories and talks regularly on the many benefits and challenges for someone who attempts to quit.

Dr. Cherbuliez received her M.D. from New York Medical College in Valhalla, New York. She also served as a lab technician at the Medical Genetics Hospital at the University of Geneva in Switzerland and at Harvard Medical School in Boston. She is board certified by the American Board of Family Practice.


Patrick Connolly, M.D.

Patrick Connolly, M.D. is available to discuss the keys to living a long life. As part of the Physician Outreach Program, he has developed a talk that details "10 Ways to Live to be 100." The talk includes advice about monitoring cholesterol and blood pressure, watching less TV, checking your own blood pressure and most importantly, managing stress. He also talks on the value of humor in the workplace and other tips on living longer, from wearing your seat belt to seeing your doctor more regularly.

Dr. Connolly received his M.D. from the University of Medicine and Dentistry and serves as practice medical director for Portland at Martin's Point. He is certified by the American Board of Family Practice.


Thomas Mills, M.D.

Thomas Mills, M.D. is an expert in the area of understanding the pros and cons and the far-reaching health impact of herbs and supplements. His Physician Outreach Program talk, "Herbs and Supplements: Health or Hazard?", includes discussion of drug approval and testing, FDA, herbals, and steps to take to promote a long life.

Prior to joining Martin's Point, Dr. Mills served as an emergency room physician as well as a general medicine liaison in the psychiatric unit at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital. He also served as a family physician at a rural New York hospital. Dr. Mills received his M.D. from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. He serves as the practice medical director for family practice at Martin's Point in Portland.

Board certified by the American Board of Family Practice, Dr. Mills completed a family practice residency preceptor at the University of Rochester (N.Y.), and a family practice internship at the Canadian College of Family Physicians at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta.



About Martin's Point

Established in 1981 by a group of physicians to provide care for the uninsured, Martin's Point Health Care is now Maine's largest primary care practice, employing 290 healthcare professionals who serve 44,000 patients at clinics in Portland, Windham, Brunswick and Newington, N.H. A new clinic is under construction at the Pease International Trade Port in Portsmouth, N.H.

Headquartered in Portland at 331 Veranda Street, Martin's Point accepts all major health plans and insurance, including but not limited to HealthSource, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Harvard Community Health Plan, Maine Partners, Champus, Tricare, Aetna, Cigna and NYLCare.

Martin's Point holds a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to provide health care services for retired military personnel and more than 16,000 dependents of active duty personnel in Maine and seacoast New Hampshire.


In August, 1999, Martin's Point took patient care and treatment to a new level with the introduction of Patients Personal Points, an Internet service that creates a cyber link between patients and their primary care physicians. The service allows patients to set up confidential, personal medical Web pages to make appointments, fill prescriptions and obtain medical information.

For more information on Martin's Point, please call Amy Weinschenk, Director of Communications and Marketing, at 774-5801, ext. 2231, or visit the Martin's Point website at www.martinspoint.org.

# # # #




NOTE: Wolfe News Wire is an online source for news and information about noteworthy companies and organizations. We invite you to share this content and/or leave a comment. Background info and past news items from a specific organization can be found by clicking the side logos. For more info, please email info@wolfenews.com. Thank you!



Terms of Use and Privacy Policy




©2015 Wolfe Public Relations. All Rights Reserved.