LEWISTON — Anyone who’s tried to find a primary care physician in recent years has likely found it a frustrating endeavor.

But it’s not impossible.

There are at least three clear paths to potential success:

• Talk to friends, family and co-workers, who may have leads.

• Check the websites of both Central Maine Medical Center and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center for advice (or another hospital in the area).

• Call the PCPs listed as accepting your insurance to find out if they are accepting new patients.

Be persistent. Established practices occasionally take new patients because people move on, creating an opportunity for others to take their place.

Even if you are accepted as a new patient, it can sometimes be many months before you can get an appointment for a routine exam. But experts say it’s helpful to have a doctor who considers you a patient, even if they haven’t yet seen you, because they will typically agree to check you out if you’re ill. It gives you somewhere to go for medical help.