Following other medical groups, InterMed drops mask requirement

Courtesy / Davis InterMed serves primary care patients at 84 Marginal Way in Portland, shown here, as well as locations in South Portland and Yarmouth.

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By Alexis Wells

In the past two weeks, two Maine hospital groups made a change to their mask mandate and now InterMed is following suit. Three years since the COVID pandemic started, the medical staff members are finally able to hang up their masks.

InterMed, Maine’s largest physician-owned and physician-led medical group has lifted its mask requirement at all of its facilities effective May 1, saying the change reflects evolving trends.

The announcement comes a week after Northern Light Health and MaineHealth announced they were ending their universal masking policy.

Masks at MaineHealth and Northern Light Health will still be required under certain circumstances, such as interactions with patients who have COVID.

“Masking has been invaluable in preventing transmission of various illnesses, and we encourage everyone who is experiencing respiratory symptoms to stay home or, at the very least, mask,” said Dora Anne Mills, MaineHealth's chief health improvement officer. “We will have masks available for all who wish to use them. We believe that this change will be very beneficial to communications between our care team members and our patients, and will overall help with our provision of care at all levels.”

The facilities care, team members, patients, visitors and others entering InterMed facilities will no longer require masks in the health care system’s hospitals or clinics.

InterMed will continue to provide masks for those who choose to wear one. Similar to MaineHealth and Northern Light, patients can also request that caregivers wear a mask.

“We decided to make this change in our masking policy only after careful analysis of COVID rates in Southern Maine,” said Dan Loisells, chief medical officer. “Prevalence of the disease has been low and vaccination rates are high and COVID-related hospitalizations continue to decline. “

On May 11, the federal government’s Public Health Emergency will expire, as will a number of measures designed to provide flexibility earlier in the pandemic response.

Founded in 1993, InterMed serves primary care patients in Portland, South Portland and Yarmouth.