After a nationwide search, Maine native Dr. Kendra Emery is appointed new CMO
BANGOR – Penobscot Community Health Care is privileged to announce that Kendra Emery, DO will be PCHC’S new chief medical officer, effective March 2. The appointment was made after a year-long, comprehensive, national search.
Raised in Wayne, Dr. Emery earned her undergraduate degree at Bowdoin College and a doctor of osteopathic medicine at the University of New England College Osteopathic Medicine. She has also worked as a physician in rural parts of Maine such as Farmington, Rockland and Franklin County since 2013. She recently completed a certificate in healthcare leadership (Yale, 2023) and is in the process of earning a certification in AI in healthcare (Harvard, spring 2026).
“I am honored to join PCHC and work alongside such dedicated clinicians, staff, and community partners. The strength of PCHC’s people and their commitment to patient-centered care inspires me, and I’m excited to support and uplift the work already happening across the organization,” said Dr. Emery. “PCHC has long been a leader in innovative, community-based care, and I look forward to partnering with the team to advance high-quality, equitable, and forward-thinking solutions for the patients and families we serve.”
Dr. Emery comes to PCHC with an impressive record of success in executive roles within the MaineHealth system, most recently as the chief medical officer of the MaineHealth Accountable Care Organization. Before that, Dr. Emery served in a number of executive roles at Pen Bay and Waldo County General Hospitals, as medical director of the Rockland primary care practice, as well as overseeing service lines like occupational health and walk-in care. Dr. Emery also led MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital’s outpatient COVID-19 response.
“Dr Emery has demonstrated a strong commitment to our mission and has an astute understanding of PCHC and its unique role in the Maine healthcare landscape,” said Lori Dwyer, president and CEO of PCHC. “I am thrilled to welcome her to the PCHC team.”
Those who have known and worked with Dr. Emery say her world view is rooted in kindness and she has an inexhaustible passion for primary care and the community health model used at PCHC. She is patient-centered and leads with strength and compassion, guided by evidence and best practice. Throughout her leadership journey, she has continued to practice family medicine at the Rockland Pen Bay clinic.
Penobscot Community Health Care is a non-profit, Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) founded in 1997 to ensure access to comprehensive, integrated primary health care services for all to improve the health and wellbeing of patients and the Maine communities served. Sixteen practices and program service sites in the Bangor area, and in Belfast and Jackman, offer a wide range of services including family medicine, dental, pediatrics, geriatrics, mental health and substance use, specialty services, pharmacy and healthcare for the homeless. Online at www.pchc.com.
