Kevin Curwick is president of ConvenientMD Primary Care. Denise McDonough is president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine.

As healthcare leaders serving Maine, we believe improving access to primary care is a shared responsibility.

ConvenientMD, the state’s leading urgent care provider, was built to offer accessible, affordable, high-quality care. But over the past decade, we’ve increasingly found ourselves filling gaps in a primary care system that’s becoming harder to access.

At Anthem, we know conversations about healthcare often center on cost. But for the people we serve — employers and members — the priority is simple: getting care when and where they need it. That’s why we support and prioritize access to quality care at prices people can afford.

Today, accessing primary care in Maine can be a real challenge. When people can’t get timely appointments, small issues turn into emergencies, chronic conditions worsen and emergency departments and urgent care centers become the default entry point.

The result? We spend more treating preventable conditions, while primary care — the part of the system designed to prevent them — remains out of reach. Too often, care begins at the point of crisis instead of the point of need.

Urgent care was never meant to replace primary care. But it can be part of the solution. That’s why ConvenientMD has opened dedicated primary care clinics in Bangor and Portland, in-network with Anthem, with plans to expand.

Together, we’re focused on one core issue: access. If patients could more easily connect with a primary care provider (PCP), much of today’s complexity could be avoided.

Primary care providers are stretched thin, often managing large patient panels with limited time. In some cases, meeting recommended care standards would require more hours than exist in a day.

Our approach shifts away from paying for volume and toward rewarding outcomes. That means longer visits, smaller patient panels, less administrative burden and stronger care teams — including pharmacists, care coordinators and behavioral health specialists. The result is more comprehensive care — and more time for patients.

Same- or next-day primary care appointments are still hard to find. Our partnership removes cost as a barrier, with $0 visits for both primary and urgent care.

Urgent care offers immediate access for everyday needs, while primary care provides continuity. By linking the two, patients can get the right care at the right time, without sacrificing either convenience or connection.

Across New England, independent primary care practices have declined by 37%, often due to system consolidation that can drive up costs.

By creating new opportunities for independent providers, we can increase competition and support care models focused on better outcomes — not just more services. With Anthem’s support, ConvenientMD plans to expand primary care access across Maine.

We know these solutions won’t fix everything overnight. Demand still outpaces supply in some areas, with new patients in Bangor often facing wait times of several months.

But meaningful change takes time. If we want lower costs, better outcomes and a simpler experience, it starts with making primary care easier to access, before small issues become serious ones.

No single organization can solve this alone. But by working together, we can make sure the right care, at the right time, is also the easiest care to get.