Work Hard, Live Well

Eyecare Medical Group is an ophthalmological subspecialty surgical group in the heart of Portland Maine. Working closely with optometrists across Maine and New England, EMG is focused on providing exceptional patient care to anyone in need.

In 1987, three Maine eye physicians and surgeons Elizabeth Serrage, M.D., William Holt, M.D. and Bruce Cassidy, M.D., shared a vision of bringing world-class eye care and eye surgery to Maine and northern New England. In response, they combined their individual practices and created Eye Care and Surgery Center of Maine to be later named Eyecare Medical Group. EMG continues the legacy set by the founders by:

  • Remaining committed to Private Practice. EMG has long believed that a physician owned and operated practice is one of the best ways to ensure high quality of care. Our board has committed to remaining independent from private equity, and we intend on helping those around us do the same.
  • Handpicking board-certified Ophthalmologists all fellowship-trained in their subspecialty areas of expertise and practice to join them in Portland. The physician team includes specialists in cataracts, cataract surgery & lens implants, refractive surgery, vitreoretinal diseases, retina surgery, corneal diseases & surgery, and glaucoma. Each EMG physician is chosen based on shared values, patient care excellence, and compassion.
  • Making a commitment to always be seeking out and evaluating advances in technology, surgical procedures and techniques, and then bringing the best of those innovations to Maine to become part of the Eyecare Medical Group daily practice pattern, right in Portland.
  • Continuously upgrading our world-class patient care facility that includes comfortable examination, testing, and treatment areas as well as a convenient Medicare-certified AAAHC (Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care) accredited surgery center.
  • EMG works alongside a vast network of Optometrists throughout Maine and New England caring for thousands of patients in a year. As one of the only Ophthalmological practices in the state, physicians at EMG enjoy a challenging array of eye conditions.
  • The strong collaborative efforts of the leadership team comprised of the Physician and Management group is the backbone of our success. You focus on patient care, and the management team ensures that you are supported by a strong and agile system to practice.

Eyecare Medical Group is a high-volume practice that strives to deliver the highest quality of care.  We pride ourselves on our patients’ results and experience.  We voluntarily participate in several industry-specific external benchmarking programs to deliver the best patient care and experience possible. EMG participates in the Outpatient Ophthalmic Surgery Society and the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association for external benchmarking purposes. Our ambulatory surgery center is AAAHC accredited and has consistently won the APEX Quality Award for Overall Patient Satisfaction.

Aligned values, strong process, an experienced team, and control are some of the ingredients to the EMG ‘Special Sauce.’ EMG has committed to independence, free from private equity and other external influence that only hinder the way a physician is ultimately able to practice. We own the buildings, the equipment, and every other aspect of operations with every intention of continuing in this manner. Our dedicated Management Team works closely with the Physician Board of Directors so that you can focus on what is important, patient care and optometric relations.

Benefits of Practicing at EMG

  • 5 Dedicated Exam Lanes and Support Staff
  • Half Day Fridays
  • No Operating on Fridays
  • Private Office with Bathroom
  • Holidays / Weekends Off
  • On-Call Schedule is Internal / No Hospital On-Call
  • On-Site ASC
  • All Services Under 1 Roof / Peer to Peer Assistance
  • Commitment to Autonomy: physician owned and operated practice
  • A professionally fun place to work

Eyecare Medical Group believes the best care possible for our patients depends on the individual excellence of everyone in the organization. We have worked hard to develop a culture that cultivates teamwork, staff engagement, accountability and fun.  We believe that if staff and physicians enjoy what they do and the environment they do it in then they will provide excellent care and a great patient experience. As a core value this approach is consistent in good times but even more important if times are bad.  COVID gave us a chance to live out our values when the going got tough.

When it became apparent that COVID-19 was going to have significant implications, preparation for the worst case scenario began. It was decided early that the primary priorities were taking care of urgent/emergent and chronic care patients in a safe way AND taking care of our staff and physicians. We committed to the physical, psychological, and financial safety and security of staff so they could be totally available to provide eyecare to the most at risk members of our community. The Management Team and Physician Team worked tirelessly to reinvent the way EMG would function. Everyone at EMG rallied and together we proved that EMG is ‘Stronger Together’, a phrase developed by staff that would later be incorporated into an alternate logo and “rally cry” on t-shirts.  EMG throttled back on volume and divided staff into 3 smaller teams each working one abbreviated week and then quarantining for 2 full weeks. During this time, everyone at EMG was paid full salary, no one was laid off or furloughed, and COVID was kept outside our doors. This was obviously a significant financial burden, but an extremely important endeavor in order to stay true to our core values. As things got better in 2020, we started slowly increasing the volume, and returning staff to work so that by year end we had worked through a back log of 800 surgeries and 3,000 clinic visits. In 2021, with the aid of the newly developed processes, our volume has increased 20% from 2019 totals.

One cannot put a value on experienced staff. One of the biggest benefits of the EMG culture is the average tenure of our support staff. Knowledgeable, caring, and effective are just few words that describe our employees.

The Physician Team and Management Team work closely together in all aspects of operations. This relationship ensures that the patients receive the best care possible by allowing each team to narrowly focus their attention day-to-day. A large part of what makes EMG so great is the environment in which we practice, but this does not just happen by accident. EMG leadership is deliberate in their efforts to make sure that every employee has an opportunity to grow professionally and feel appreciated along the way. In 2020 we were not able to celebrate Employee Appreciate Week like we normally would. Instead, the physicians and management put together a video acknowledging and thanking the employees celebrating milestone years, this blooper reel was a biproduct of that effort.

Maine’s motto “Dirigo” is latin for I lead/I direct. In many ways, Maine is a quiet leader in the sciences and healthcare. As an example, The Jackson Laboratory is a world leader in mammalian genetics and human genomics research. Our 3 Hospital Systems, consisting of 36 hospitals across a largely rural state, must adapt early and incorporate the latest technology in order to provide our community the care they deserve. And for a similar reason, EMG’s slogan is “Tomorrow’s Eyecare Today.” It is our continued promise to our community that we are dedicated to providing the best care possible using the best technology available.

EMG and Optometry in Maine

As one of the only ophthalmology practices in the state, physicians at EMG enjoy a challenging array of eye conditions. We have built strong working relationships with the optometrists across the state. With over 200 active licensed optometrist regularly referring patients, EMG has a steady stream of patients with a variety of health and vision issues.

EMG’s strong relationship with optometry is the product of a 35 year commitment to supporting our optometric community. We do this by making co-managing patients easy, remaining available for questions/consults, and working everyday to make sure that their patients are well taken care when they are in our within our walls. We have a strong expectation that all EMG physicians can and will develop positive working relationships with optometry including active co-management and availability for “curbside” consults or other support.

EMG also provides free CME seminars twice a year. We have found this to be a great way to stay connected as well as share new and exciting information that will benefit them and their patients. EMG physicians make it a priority to attend these as it is invaluable in building and maintaining strong connections.

General

We work hard so that we can live well. Maine has a lot to offer, it is one reason our tourism industry is so strong. With an abundance of opportunity and a work schedule conducive to enjoying all that Maine has to offer, is there really any other option but to work at EMG?

Food and Drink

With over 3,200 Restaurants, 180 breweries, and a slew of distilleries and wineries to choose from, Maine offers a wide variety of award winning cuisine and beveridge options. Maine is consistently recognized as a top destination for food and drink, with Portland alone hosting a hand full of James Beard award winners. From Primo in Rockland to Arrows in Ogunquit, it’s hard to find a town on Rt.1 that doesn’t have a restaurant that has won a national or international award.

Area Attractions

What do you like to do in your free time? Maine is Vacationland for a reason.

Area Schools: Rankings Here

Maine has a lot to offer, and our nationally ranked education system is one of them. Over 92% of our population has at least a high school level of education, and over 1/3 of our population has at least a bachelor’s degree. Below are a few of the public and private school options in our area.

Population: 1.344 Million people / 41.3 people per square mile

Age Demographics: Median Age is 44.9 years old

  • 0 – 19                      26.2%
  • 20 – 44                    34.6%
  • 45 – 64                    24.8%
  • 65+                          14.3%

Maine Facts:

  • Maine has the oldest population in the country.
  • Portland Maine was originally the state capital until it was moved to Augusta.
  • Maine has the most forest cover of any U.S. state, about 90% of the land mass is forested.
  • Lubec, Maine is the easternmost point of the U.S.
  • Maine has over 2,500 lakes and 5,000 rivers.
  • Maine has more than 60 lighthouses, with Portland Headlight being the oldest. It was completed in 1791 and automated in 1989.
  • Eartha, the world’s largest rotating and revolving globe is in Yarmouth, Maine.
  • The Seashore Trolley Museum, in Kennebunkport, is the world’s largest and oldest transit museum.
  • Joan Benoit Samuelson from Cape Elizabeth was the first ever women’s Olympic Games marathon winner.
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