Trellis Health make healthcare simple
Author: Vivien Leigh (NEWS CENTER Maine)
Published: 3:54 PM EST February 13, 2026
Updated: 7:27 PM EST February 13, 2026
PORTLAND, Maine — Direct primary care, where patients pay a monthly fee to join a doctor's office, is becoming more popular in Maine. A similar option has already signed up 1,400 patients in less than two years.
With Trellis Health, a MaineHealth subsidiary, employers or patients pay a membership fee to see a primary care team all in one place. Health officials say the service has helped more people access care and has reduced insurance claims to date.
When Steve Brown moved from Georgia to manage ticketing and partnerships for Portland Hearts of Pine, he worried about finding health care for himself and his growing family. Things got better when he learned that the professional soccer club's health insurance included Trellis Health. For about $100 a month, employers and patients have full access to a primary care team.
"It's nice to have everything in one location. Every single time I tried to book an appointment, they always had a time when I needed it," Brown recalled.
Trellis' Portland clinic includes a doctor, two nurse practitioners, a behavioral health specialist, a physical therapist, a pharmacist, a nurse, and other staff. The program began in 2024 with about 700 Maine Health employees. Since opening to the public last fall, that number has doubled to 1,400. This membership-based program is helping reduce the strain on other parts of the health care system. Patients with specialists use them more than 40 percent less than those with traditional primary care.
"The cost savings come from greater access to an expanded team; the utilization we are preventing is ER visits, specialty visits, and hospital inpatient trips," Marty Wesolowski, the Chief Medical Officer of Trellis Health, explained. Luke's Lobster has up to 600 full-time and seasonal employees and, like many companies, is dealing with rising commercial health insurance costs.
"We can't pass that on to employees, and we can't absorb that as a business either," Jim Gensheimer, the Chief People Officer for Luke's Lobster, admitted.
In January, the seafood company and restaurant group began offering a basic insurance plan paired with Trellis Health. Chief People Officer Jim Gensheimer says employees are happy to see a provider quickly, whether in person, via secure text, or via telehealth. They are also spending less time in the ER, which could help lower costs.
"We give this to employees, and health care utilization will actually go down, utilization that is pegged to their insurance plans," Gensheimer said.
Trellis Health plans to expand its patient base by offering membership-based primary care to Medicaid and Medicare patients.
