A NEW ERA: Women-owned, women-run medical practice opens in Rochester

See cutline at end of article (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - The Seacoast's only women-owned and women-operated private medical practice for women has opened an office in Rochester.

A chamber ribbon cutting on Thursday celebrated the opening of the practice, which is owned and staffed by four female doctors: Emily Amarosa, MD, Saroj Fleming, MD, Heidi Keup, MD, and Caroline Scoones, MD.

Harbour Women's Health, which is located next to Frisbie Memorial Hospital at 21 Whitehall Road, Suite 201, provides specialized healthcare to women from Portsmouth up to the Lakes Region.

"We have women that were coming down from Alton and beyond that now will be able to come to Rochester for their medical needs," said Scoones.

Dr. Emily Amarosa, Dr. Caroline Scoones, Dr. Heidi Keup at their offices at 21 Whitehall Road (Rochester Voice photo)

The doctors serve the needs of women of all ages, including pre- and post-natal services and deliveries, which will all be done at Portsmouth Regional Hospital.

Frisbie recently terminated its baby delivery services, citing insufficient numbers to continue the program.

Scoones said Harbour Women's Health specializes in delivering a continuity of health care by ensuring that all the doctors at the practice will have visits with anyone who is expecting.

"That way whomever delivers their child they will feel comfortable with them," she said.

Harbour Women's Health has been serving the needs of women out of Portsmouth Regional Hospital for more than 50 years. They opened their Rochester office on Tuesday.

Harbour Women's Health's practice is designed to assist women throughout each stage of life and has been ranked Best of the Seacoast six years in a row and Best Maternity Hospital two years in a row.

According to a study by the American Medical Association, the number of private practices is declining nationwide, with less than half of all patient care physicians working in private practice.

In addition, the AMA found that only 34.3 percent of women hold practice ownership positions.

"Providing women of all ages access to individualized care is incredibly important to our team," said Amarosa, chief of division of Maternal-Child and chair of the Department of OB/GYN. "This expansion offers greater convenience to our patients who currently travel to our Portsmouth office, but this new location also gives us the opportunity to serve new patients who we look to establish lifelong relationships with."

Their hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-noon on Friday.

Prospective patients can visit harbourwomenshealth.com to learn more, make an appointment, access forms, and sign into the patient portal.

Caption for photo: Pictured in the photo along with part owner Caroline Scoones, MD (cutting the ribbon) and Harbour Women's Health staff, friends and family are Sharla Rollins, First Seacoast Bank; Dave Robart, Business Communications of Maine; Amy Brown, Yankee Electric & Co., LLC; Frisbie Memorial Hospital CEO Tim Jones; Harrison Thorp, the Rochester Voice, and Tanya Hervey, Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit: https://harbourwomenshealth.com

Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce staff contributed to this story and cutline directly above