WINTHROP -- NotifyMD is expected to create about 200 new jobs at a call center in a large part of a former manufacturing plant on U.S. Route 202.

NotifyMD officials joined Gov. John Baldacci and Maine & Company representatives Tuesday in announcing the new tenant.

The Tennessee-based company has six call centers already, including a Farmington call center that employs 80 people.

The company's clients include 4,000 physician practices, which, NotifyMD chief technology officer Jonathan A. McDevitt said, translates to about 20,000 physicians and 175,000 inbound calls each day.

He said the company provides services to physicians and hospitals including after-hours messaging, daytime business call management, patient notification and other services. The company also provides proactive care management, for instance, reminding people that it's time for an annual physical, mammogram or other medical procedure.

"It has been incredibly successful for clients and the patients being called," McDevitt said. "They're incredibly welcome calls."

McDevitt said the choice to locate another "care coordination center" in Maine was easy.

"We had the wonderful luxury of having a presence down the street in Farmington," he said.

He said the wages offered are higher than average and the company offers health care coverage and other benefits.

At the Farmington call center, the starting wage is $9 an hour, according to Sharon Cullenberg, general manager at that site.

"It very quickly moves to $10 an hour," she said. "We do outbound calls with physician referrals and trying to help people looking for services."

Cullenberg said about 80 people work at Farmington's center, with room for another 25.

Potential job seekers were told to apply for the Winthrop jobs via NotifyMD's Web site at www.notifymd.com.

The Winthrop call center is expected to begin operations in February or early March, said Dr. Gary Ferguson, president of the company. Ferguson said the Winthrop center will pioneer a disease management program working with hospital affiliates, outreach programs and others.

"Our goal is to be the No. 1 employer in the region so we can hire tough and manage easily," Ferguson said.

He said the firm will offer workers "meaningful health care careers."

"We are all patients and we're all serving patients," he said.

Baldacci thanked the staff of Maine & Company, the private, nonprofit firm, specializing in bringing business to Maine and growing businesses already here.

He said NotifyMD will become more prominent as national health concerns are addressed.

"We anticipate NotifyMD will see a replication of the Farmington success," Baldacci said.

NotifyMD signed a 10-year lease with building's owners, Jamie LeBlanc and Roger Beaulieu, partners in DeJour Realty of Yarmouth, to occupy 21,500 square feet.

LeBlanc and Beaulieu purchased the 137,000-square-foot building on U.S. Route 202 on Feb. 28, 2001.

There are several other occupants in the building:

• the state Department of Human Services Disability Determination Services, in 18,500 square feet of office space;

• Progressive Distributors, in 30,000 square feet of warehouse space; and

• Tex Tech Industries Inc., in 30,000 square feet of manufacturing space.

About 20,000 square feet remain unoccupied.

Beaulieu said a new parking lot was created, pavement poured and propane tanks relocated before Tuesday's announcement, which took place in a large room lit by windows but without interior walls.

Beaulieu said a new entry system will be installed for NotifyMD, along with three large skylights and a new heating unit.