CARIBOU, Maine — Northern Light AR Gould Hospital welcomed two new full-time providers to their primary care office in Caribou in August.
“We are very excited to have Haris Zaheer, MD and Adais Viruet-Torres, FNP join us,” said Tina Melvin, manager of Northern Light Primary Care, Caribou. “Both will be here five days a week, allowing easier, quicker access to care for patients.”
Dr. Zaheer is an internal medicine provider who joined the practice in early August. He completed his bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery at Aga Khan University in Pakistan and his residency in internal medicine at Danbury Hospital in Connecticut.
Dr. Zaheer will be providing primary care for those ages 18 and older and is accepting new patients.
“We are confident that patients will find him to be a knowledgeable, compassionate provider who will meet their care needs,” said Melvin.
An example of that compassion can be seen through his animal rescue work. He has volunteered at animal welfare organizations and has fostered animals before they found their new homes. Dr. Zaheer is also an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hiking, kayaking, swimming, and tennis. He is fluent in English, Urdu, and Punjabi.
Also joining the primary care team in August was Adais Viruet-Torres, FNP. She is a family nurse practitioner with a comprehensive background in healthcare and ties to the region.
Viruet-Torres started out as a certified nursing assistant after completing the CNA program at Loring Job Corps in Limestone. She went on to graduate from Beals College, becoming a certified medical assistant. She then continued growing in her career path and went on to Husson University, where she graduated first with her bachelor of science in nursing and later with her master of science in nursing.
“I came back to The County because I want to work in an area of high need where I can build long-term relationships,” said Viruet-Torres. She has moved her family here and is looking not just to provide primary care, but to become involved in the community on a personal level. She has a passion for tackling issues around the social determinants of health and finding ways to bridge the gap.
She will be seeing both pediatric and adult patients. She will be working closely with both Dr. Zaheer and pediatrician Peter Morningstar, MD, who also sees patients several days a week in Caribou.
In addition to pediatric and primary care, certain specialty care areas are offered at the Caribou clinic during the month, including orthopedics, podiatry, diabetes management, and nutrition services. Lab services are also available daily during the week.
The Caribou Primary Care practice, located at 118 Bennett Drive, is open on Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. In the same building is Northern Light Health’s Caribou Walk-In Care clinic, which is open daily from 12-8 p.m.
