As the medical care provider shortage persists, area hospital officials are examining ways to increase the amount of care they can provide to current and new patients.

Many hospitals have already started using advance practice providers, such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants, to provide primary care and other types of services to some patients, including St. Mary’s Health System in Lewiston and Portland-based MaineHealth.

St. Mary’s, MaineHealth and Central Maine Healthcare in Lewiston have all ramped up their recruitment efforts to bring more providers into their systems.

The hospitals are also looking at ways in which other clinical care team members, such as pharmacists, can help provide more care.

Central Maine Medical Center has added about 10 new primary care providers and four pediatric providers in the last fiscal year, according to hospital spokesman Jim Cyr. That leaves about 10% of its primary care physician positions still open, officials said. And the hospital has hired several new pediatricians to serve children, allowing PCPs in its other offices to provide more care for adults.

St. Mary’s and CMMC officials said their work to establish new models of care include using technology for virtual visits between providers and patients.

And St. Mary’s officials said they are looking into using artificial intelligence technology to streamline record keeping and accelerate charting and paperwork, reducing the time providers spend on those tasks and allowing them to spend more time providing patient care.