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Maine News

  • USM closing child-care centersPortland Press Herald, 2/5/09. The University of Southern Maine will eliminate child-care centers on its Portland and Gorham campuses in six months to save $400,000 a year, college officials announced Wednesday.
  • Bill looks to expand OUI testing in MaineBangor Daily News, 2/4/09. All drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents in which someone is seriously injured would have to be tested for OUI under a measure before the Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee.
  • Bill targets 'energy drink' sales to minorsBangor Daily News, 2/4/09. The sale of high-caffeine “energy drinks” to minors could be outlawed if a proposal under consideration this week by Maine lawmakers is approved. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Peggy Pendleton, D-Scarborough, says consuming the sodalike drinks can cause health problems in young people, but a spokesman for the Maine Beverage Association argued that an age limit is unnecessary and unenforceable.
  • Cancer patients to get help with treatment tripsBangor Daily News, 2/4/09. Cancer patients who live in rural areas often have to travel long distances several times a week for treatment in Bangor or beyond.
  • Close to Home: A charity with teethPortland Press Herald, 2/4/09. Dr. Gary Howard is all smiles. Howard, owner of Cumberland Dental Arts, recently returned from a 10-day trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, where he joined 30 volunteers who performed corrective surgery for cleft lips and palates and other dental procedures.
  • Florence House will be welcome addition to cityPortland Press Herald Staff, Portland Press Herald, 2/4/09. The last few years have been especially tough on Portland's homeless women. With the 2007 closure of the YWCA, the only refuge for one of the city's most vulnerable populations has been a stop-gap shelter at the Preble Street Resource Center.
  • Former therapy assistant denies chargesSun Journal, 2/4/09. An Industry man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that he practiced physical therapy without a license at a Farmington nursing home.
  • Hospital layoffs avertedBangor Daily News, 2/4/09. At least some layoffs such as those announced Wednesday at Fort Kent’s Northern Maine Medical Center will be prevented at other hospitals by the state Legislature’s recent passage of a supplemental budget maintaining funding for 15 critical care centers, state officials said Wednesday.
  • Islander's death prompts emergency services reviewPortland Press Herald, 2/4/09. Peaks Island residents are calling for more reliable emergency medical services on the island, after only one person responded to an emergency medical call during which the patient died.
  • Layoffs announced at Northern Maine Medical CenterBangor Daily News, 2/4/09. Fifty-nine employees at Northern Maine Medical Center are affected by cost-saving measures announced Wednesday morning.
  • Maine Special Olympic athletes off to World GamesPortland Press Herald, 2/4/09. Special Olympics athletes from Maine will celebrate their journey to the 2009 World Winter Games tonight with a pizza party, and then it will be off to Idaho to represent the state in this awesome event.
  • No more butts on Maine's beachesPortland Press Herald, 2/4/09. The beaches of Maine are not ashtrays and one state senator wants to use the law to bring home the point.
  • State cool to expanded public health in schoolsKennebec Journal, 2/4/09. Three bills up for legislative hearings this week would expand the scope of schools' public health responsibilities as schools face shrunken budgets.
  • Stroudwater retirement housing on holdPortland Press Herald, 2/4/09. Add a $30 million retirement community to the list of projects in southern Maine that have stalled in the turbulent economy.
  • Emergency services volunteers soughtSun Journal, 2/3/09. The director of the Oxford County Regional Communications Center is looking for volunteers to jump-start a long-standing advisory committee.
  • Lawmakers to address public health in schoolsPortland Press Herald, 2/3/09. Three bills up for legislative hearings this week would expand the scope of schools' public health responsibilities during a year when schools face shrunken budgets.
  • Let budget season beginKennebec Journal, 2/3/09. Statehouse budget talks begin again next week.
  • Snowe supportive of key stimulus elementsPortland Press Herald Staff, Portland Press Herald, 2/3/09. If Sen. Olympia Snowe knows how far she will stray from the Republican base to support President Obama's stimulus bill, she's not saying.
  • Study says more Maine teens admit to suicidal thoughtsKennebec Journal, 2/3/09. More Maine teens are admitting to suicidal thoughts.
  • Suicidal thoughts on rise in teenagersSun Journal, 2/3/09. More Maine teens, including those in Lewiston-Auburn, are admitting to suicidal thoughts.
  • Tai Chi class helps students maintain balance, peaceSun Journal, 2/3/09. Judy Melcher-King and her nine students bow gently, breathe deeply and rest their eyes on the eight precepts of the eastern philosophy of Tai Chi.
  • Hospital cuts are mitigated: Baldacci budget drops reductions for smaller hospitalsMorning Sentinel, 2/2/09. The state's smaller, rural hospitals -- including those in Pittsfield and Skowhegan -- won't be walloped with mammoth budget cuts after all.
  • Nonprofit agencies see funds drying up Corporations tightening purse strings along with individuals in face of downward economic spiralMorning Sentinel, 2/2/09. The Jason Program evolved over about nine years to where it employed a half-dozen medical and support staff to help families with children who were terminally ill or had debilitating health conditions like Lou Gehrig's disease and cerebral palsy.
  • Okie Double Murder Trial Raises Questions About PunishmentMPBN, 2/2/09. In the wake of a high profile double murder trial, Mainers with mental illness could see a change in the state law that sets guidelines for mandatory treatment orders. Advocates say that at the center of the debate is the delicate balancing act between protecting the rights of the mentally ill, as well as the health of patients and the safety of the public.
  • Penobscot Bay Medical Center remains on preferred listVillage Soup, 2/2/09. Penobscot Bay Medical Center will remain on a state list of preferred hospitals.
  • Screenings Find Increase in Teen Suicide TendenciesMPBN, 2/2/09. A screening program created at Columbia University has determined that an increasing number of students at six Maine high schools are admitting to suicidal thoughts and attempts. But opinions vary among mental health workers and educators as to what's causing the increase.
  • A warming welcome for cold newcomersPortland Press Herald, 2/1/09. Alaa Jasem and Oday Saood never had an opportunity to build snowmen with their son in central Iraq.
  • Leglislators comment on WCGH funding in budgetVillage Soup, 2/1/09. The Legislature passed a supplemental budget Tuesday, addressing the current budget shortfall. Reps. John Piotti (D-Unity) and Andrew O’Brien (D-Lincolnville) said Thursday while the budget included cuts to state services, the Legislature reached an agreement that continues support for Waldo County General Hospital, and other similar critical access hospitals on which many Mainers in rural areas depend.
  • Physician follows passion for changePortland Press Herald, 2/1/09. As a longtime local psychiatrist, Peter Wilk has often encouraged patients to take risks and follow their passions.
  • Final piece in our economic collapseJohn Rockefeller, 1/31/09. Having campaigned on a broadly sketched platform of hope for those on the fringes of economic and physical viability, President Obama is watching the ticker line expand to the point where half of the U.S. population considers itself either underemployed or underserved.
  • Grant to enhance Hospice servicesVillage Soup, 1/31/09. Massage, music, and pet therapies will soon be joined by energy work, aromatherapy, expressive arts and therapeutic humor to help hospice patients and their families reduce pain and anxiety.
  • Financial woes force NMMC to look at cutsBangor Daily News, 1/30/09. Officials at Northern Maine Medical Center are looking at all options to deal with a record budget shortfall.
  • POTTY TALK AT STATEHOUSEKennebec Journal, 1/30/09. The Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee voted unanimously Thursday to kill a bill that would have required all public places with restrooms to provide disposable toilet seat covers.
  • Responsible budgetingJohn Piotti, Bangor Daily News, 1/30/09. As Maine continues to grapple with the national economic downturn, the state Legislature is tasked with the difficult job of prioritizing spending at a point when the state budget will decrease in size for the first time since 1974. In other words, the Legislature finds itself in the position of deciding what to cut.
  • USM to drop Lifeline wellness programPortland Press Herald, 1/30/09. Lifeline, the fitness and exercise program offered by the University of Southern Maine, is shutting down in six months.
  • 3 towns search for place to keep ambulanceKennebec Journal, 1/29/09. It could be the difference between the ambulance arriving at an emergency in five or 10 minutes, instead of 25.
  • Another whooping cough outbreak in MaineBangor Daily News, 1/29/09. Maine health officials are reporting a whooping cough outbreak in Hancock County.
  • Don't fall prey to dependence on legal narcotic drugsPeter Mills, Bangor Daily News, 1/29/09. Anyone who has tried to give up drinking coffee or stop smoking cigarettes knows at least a little about chemical dependence. These daily habits we fall into can slowly gain possession of our minds and bodies in ways that are surprisingly insistent. They can’t compare, however, with narcotic drugs that can take control over a person’s life like nothing else on Earth.
  • Elderly-housing project on Belfast agendaBangor Daily News, 1/29/09. Despite the slumping economy, the city has a number of building projects on the drawing board that should create jobs and economic stability.
  • Flu hits Auburn nursing homeSun Journal, 1/29/09. Two residents at a local nursing home have confirmed cases of influenza, a spokeswoman said.
  • Governor signs emergency budget billVillage Soup, 1/29/09. Gov. John Baldacci put the final completion on the Legislature’s work by signing the Fiscal Year 2009 Supplemental Budget, LD 45, into law today during a ceremony in the Hall of Flags.
  • Maine health care professionals often reach out to help the suffering poorSamuel Broaddus, Portland Press Herald, 1/29/09. In his inauguration speech, President Barack Obama has asked us to recognize "that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task."
  • Maine shelters, outreach sites conduct annual homeless countBangor Daily News, 1/29/09. A man named Irving sat inside the Bangor Public Library on Wednesday afternoon, slumped against a back wall watching as snow piled up on the ground outside. His heavy winter coat and hat were discarded on the floor nearby for the moment at least.
  • Maine's homeless, a snapshotPortland Press Herald, 1/29/09. Dana Sabine was sleeping under a loading dock Wednesday night in downtown Portland when social workers from the city's Oxford Street Shelter for men came by while conducting the annual "Point in Time Count."
  • Pertussis Outbreak In Blue Hill, BrooklinEllsworth American, 1/29/09. Since Jan. 9, eight cases of pertussis (whooping cough) have been reported in individuals ranging from 9 to 50 years of age in Blue Hill and Brooklin, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Prescription savings can be difficult to findSun Journal, 1/29/09. Senior citizen Louisette Lipstadt of Conway, N.H., needed a prescription that cost more than $200 a month.
  • State Reimbursement Plan Is Bad MedicineMeredith Norris, DO, Ellsworth American, 1/29/09. I’m disappointed that the subcommittee on hospital funding chose, on Wednesday, Jan. 21, to nonetheless recommend cutting MaineCare reimbursement to 70 percent of what Medicare pays (which is not a whole lot, either). I’m wondering what we primary care physicians in Maine (who, as you know, do the lion’s share of work in caring for this population, while remaining the worst paid physicians in the country) should infer from this decision?
  • Whooping cough hits Blue HillBangor Daily News, 1/29/09. State health officials have identified an outbreak of whooping cough, or pertussis, in Hancock County.
  • Bangor dental health program closure should raise alarmDr. James Schmidt, Bangor Daily News, 1/28/09. The recent closing of Bangor’s oral health program should be a source of concern for us all. While the reasons for closing the program make sense from the short-term financial view of the Bangor City Council, the long-term financial and public health implications are alarming.
  • DHHS taking wraps off latest Medicaid systemTimes Record, 1/28/09. The replacement of a failed computer system that processes the state's Medicaid claims is set to be phased in over the next two years.
  • EMMC eliminates 76 jobsBangor Daily News, 1/28/09. Job eliminations, overtime reductions and construction delays are among cost-saving measures announced Tuesday by Eastern Maine Medical Center. In a memo delivered to employees, President and Chief Executive Officer Deborah Carey Johnson said the cuts are essential to “getting EMMC back on track — both with this year’s budget and with permanent cost reductions for our patients.”
  • Hospitals hopeful over state budgetSun Journal, 1/28/09. Maine's hospitals received good news Tuesday as the state Legislature enacted a supplemental budget that lessened cuts included in Gov. John Baldacci's initial proposal.
  • Lawmakers OK $166M supplemental budgetBangor Daily News, 1/28/09. Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved an emergency measure Tuesday to bring the state budget out of the red for the fiscal year that ends June 30. The $166 million supplemental budget was enacted by votes of 120-22 in the House and 31-3 in the Senate.
  • Legislators move swiftly to pass budgetPortland Press Herald, 1/28/09. Moving with a speed that surprised even some of its own members, the Legislature on Tuesday passed a plan to close a $166 million gap in the current budget.
  • Legislators pass emergency supplemental budgetVillage Soup, 1/28/09. Legislators made quick work of passing the 2009 Emergency Supplemental Budget on Tuesday, Jan. 27, while congratulating each other for the bipartisan spirit in which it was vetted.
  • Medicaid Failed Computer System To Be ReplacedMaine Lincoln County News, 1/28/09. The replacement of a failed computer system that processes the state's Medicaid claims is scheduled to be phased in over the next two years. The switch will cost some state employees their jobs, but correct a nagging problem that's persisted since the day the system was plugged in.
  • Supplemental budget spares hospitals from deep cutsVillage Soup, 1/28/09. Maine hospital officials are probably sleeping a little better now that it appears that the state’s supplemental budget will spare major cuts to healthcare.
  • WCCC to house emergency shelterBangor Daily News, 1/28/09. The area soon will have an emergency shelter that will offer a safe haven not only for people caught in a catastrophe, but also for pets — everything from gerbils to horses.
  • Debate set on budget to erase shortfallPortland Press Herald, 1/27/09. Lawmakers are ready to debate a plan that would close a $166 million gap in the current state budget.
  • Defendant says mental health care failed himKennebec Journal, 1/27/09. Audrey Lou Benn was a nice woman and a good neighbor, the first one to welcome Raymond Leslie Clark and his then-girlfriend to the apartment one floor above her at 20 State St.
  • Genetic testing offered Feb. 14 in EllsworthBangor Daily News, 1/27/09. A genetics counseling and referral clinic will be held between 9 a.m. and noon Saturday, Feb. 14, at Maine Coast Pediatrics, 32 Resort Way. This clinic is offered free of charge by the Center for Human Genetics in Bar Harbor, and an appointment is necessary.
  • Maine biotech testing new drugPortland Press Herald, 1/27/09. After more than 10 years of scientific research, a small Maine biotechnology company is headed to its first round of human trials of a drug designed to reduce the addictive properties and sometimes-debilitating side effects of opioid-based pain medications such as OxyContin and Vicodin.
  • Money woes? Healthful foods a dollar awayBangor Daily News, 1/27/09. With today’s economy and rising food prices, many people are shopping on a budget and thinking they have to sacrifice eating healthfully, but that’s not true, two University of Maine educators say.
  • Patients offer reviews of hospitalsVillage Soup, 1/27/09. Pen Bay Healthcare officials said they are unsure why the hospital has scored less than the state average on a patient satisfaction survey, but stressed they would work for improvement.
  • SMH joins HealthInfoNetSun Journal, 1/27/09. HealthInfoNet, a statewide demonstration project designed to allow emergency room physicians, pharmacists and primary care physicians to share medical information that could lower costs, improve care and save lives, is scheduled to go online this year.
  • With care, we can cut health costsDr. Erik Steele, Bangor Daily News, 1/27/09. In previous recessions, most of us with health insurance looked somewhere other than our health care to save money. Nowadays, high deductibles and co-payments have meant getting health care takes money right out of our pockets, and that has some of you cutting your personal expenses by putting parts of your health care on hold. But cutting your own health care costs is potentially deadly work; if you are not prepared to operate with the care of a surgeon, cut somewhere else. On the other hand, with a little care, many of us can cut our medical spending without cutting our own throats.
  • Point Man on HealthBangor Daily News Staff, Bangor Daily News, 1/26/09. Tom Daschle, slated for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and director of a new White House Office on Health Care Reform, has already told President Barack Obama how to get started: “The next president should act immediately to capitalize on the goodwill that greets any incoming administration.”
  • Federal cash could expand insurance program for poor childrenPortland Press Herald, 1/25/09. A bill working its way through Congress could stabilize and possibly allow expansion of a program that provides health insurance for poor children in Maine.
  • Maine Reports: Blue Hill hospital lays off 15Portland Press Herald, 1/25/09. Efforts to put Blue Hill Memorial Hospital on firm financial footing and avoid bankruptcy led to employee layoffs this past week.
  • Testing costs for kids' products seen as problemBangor Daily News, 1/24/09. Some small business owners in Maine say a new federal law designed to protect the health of children is forcing them to scale back their operations because the compliance costs are too high.
  • Commission cuts proposed E-911 budgetMorning Sentinel, 1/23/09. The Maine Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday cut $1.96 million out of the state Department of Public Safety's proposed $16.2 million two-year budget for 911 dispatch services.
  • Lawmakers may cut hospital fundsBangor Daily News, 1/23/09. Among the many state budget changes likely to be voted on today for the current fiscal year, lawmakers on the Appropriations and Financial Services Committee will consider two proposals to cut Medicaid funding to Maine hospitals. The combined measures would save $4.5 million out of the state’s General Fund this year, but would have a significantly larger impact due to the resulting loss of federal matching dollars.
  • Maine hospital to release Iraqi girlPortland Press Herald, 1/23/09. Noora Afif Abdulhameed is expected to be discharged from Maine Medical Center today after undergoing another operation to repair her damaged skull.
  • Support center for sex-assault victims holds open houseMorning Sentinel, 1/23/09. The support center for Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services Inc. opened its new office space doors to visitors for their 25th anniversary celebration.
  • BH Hospital Announces 15 LayoffsEllsworth American, 1/22/09. Efforts to put Blue Hill Memorial Hospital on firm financial footing and avoid bankruptcy led to employee layoffs this week.
  • Blue Hill hospital needed in remote areasSharon Bray, Bangor Daily News, 1/22/09. Blue Hill Memorial Hospital has been a leader in providing safe, family-centered childbirth for Hancock County for four decades. Recently administrators have proposed closing the obstetrical unit as financial problems increase. If BHMH no longer serves birthing families, the community will suffer great loss, and the hospital is likely to become a geriatric center.
  • Candidates differ on Dirigo, fiscal issuesMorning Sentinel, 1/22/09. Questions posed to the candidates vying for the House District 89 seat during a debate Wednesday night ranged from consolidation of schools to gay marriage, the state budget, wind power and predictions for where the country will be in two years.
  • Growing need seen for family sheltersBangor Daily News, 1/22/09. When city councilors heard a story last week about a needy family of five, including an 8-month-old baby, reportedly living in their car, they wanted to know how the family had fallen though the cracks.
  • Maine salmonella cases linked to outbreakPortland Press Herald, 1/22/09. Four confirmed cases of salmonella poisoning in Maine are linked to contaminated peanut-butter products that have caused more than 485 illnesses and at least six deaths in 43 states and Canada.
  • Proposed hospital cuts may not gouge so deepVillage Soup, 1/22/09. Proposed cuts in state funding for hospitals will be mostly avoided for now if the Appropriations Committee and Legislature accept recommendations from a subcommittee that has been working on the issue since last week.
  • SAVES celebrates move to Holman HouseSun Journal, 1/22/09. Sexual Assault Victim's Emergency Services, a Farmington-based support center, celebrated its move to new offices and 25th anniversary Wednesday with an open house at the Holman House on Main Street.
  • School board rejects plan to shift sex-ed dutiesPortland Press Herald, 1/22/09. The Portland School Committee on Wednesday rejected a controversial proposal to scale back the city's sex-education program.
  • Sister-in-law now AG, judge in AMHI case must step awayKennebec Journal, 1/22/09. There will be a new judge in the Augusta Mental Health Institute consent-decree case.
  • Training begins for at-risk kids programBangor Daily News, 1/22/09. A group of about 40 child care workers and community members from Hancock and Washington counties received initial training Wednesday for a new program designed to decrease the number of Maine children placed in residential care programs.
  • Breaking it down: Programmable thermostatsSun Journal, 1/21/09. You can save as much as 10 percent on your heating bill a year by lowering your thermostat 7 to 10 degrees for eight hours a day during the heating season. You can do it manually. But you can also do it automatically, without sacrificing comfort, by installing an automatic programmable thermostat, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
  • Budget cuts scrutinized; tweaked package headed for LegislatureVillage Soup, 1/21/09. The closure of a section of Charleston Correctional Facility and a reduction in state payments to hospitals were on a track toward being spared last week as legislative committees scrutinized spending cuts proposed by Gov. John Baldacci.
  • Effort to discourage bill filings appears to have some successPortland Press Herald, 1/21/09. An effort by lawmakers to reduce the number of bills filed for the current legislative session has paid off.
  • Hospital in crisis lays off 15 staffBangor Daily News, 1/21/09. Hoping to stem an ongoing financial crisis, officials at Blue Hill Memorial Hospital announced Tuesday that they have laid off 15 staff members.
  • More peanut product recalled in salmonella scarePortland Press Herald, 1/21/09. Federal officials say more than 125 products have been recalled in a salmonella-and-peanuts investigation that keeps getting bigger.
  • New Dirigo Pines Inn executive namedBangor Daily News, 1/21/09. Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, Rosscare, and Dirigo Pines Retirement Community announced Tuesday that registered nurse Margaret “Maggie” Michaud of Bangor is the new executive director of Dirigo Pines Inn. Registered nurse Barbara Steller, who was Dirigo Pines’ first executive director and served in that position for six years, retired at the end of December.
  • New Dirigo Pines Inn executive namedBangor Daily News, 1/21/09. Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, Rosscare, and Dirigo Pines Retirement Community announced Tuesday that registered nurse Margaret “Maggie” Michaud of Bangor is the new executive director of Dirigo Pines Inn. Registered nurse Barbara Steller, who was Dirigo Pines’ first executive director and served in that position for six years, retired at the end of December.
  • The Wii wayPortland Press Herald, 1/21/09. Physical therapists are increasingly turning to Wii technology as an effective – and fun – way to help their patients return to form. As for the patients: They've definitely got game.
  • A wish for better daysKennebec Journal, 1/20/09. The last year has been a roller coaster ride for Zach Pearce.
  • Alerts issued in Maine after two outbreaksSun Journal, 1/20/09. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has issued two public health alerts in recent days after outbreaks of salmonella poisoning and stomach flu were confirmed in the state.
  • Blue Hill hospital cutting 15 jobsPortland Press Herald, 1/20/09. Blue Hill Memorial Hospital is cutting 15 positions, or 5 percent of its staff, as part of its initiative to cut costs.
  • Blue Hill hospital lays off 15Bangor Daily News, 1/20/09. Hoping to stem an ongoing financial crisis, officials at Blue Hill Memorial Hospital announced Tuesday that they have laid off 15 staff members.
  • Inland touts $6M in local givingKennebec Journal, 1/20/09. -- Inland Hospital provided more than $6 million to the community last year in charitable funds, resources for health improvement, education and other services, according to a report released by its parent organization, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems.
  • Mercury program makes it pay to do the right thingPortland Press Herald Staff, Portland Press Herald, 1/20/09. It always feels good to do the right thing. But it feels even better when you get paid to do it.  The state has provided such an opportunity, and it's one that every eligible property owner should try to grab a hold of.
  • Partnership between LifeFlight, snowmobilers takes offVillage Soup, 1/20/09. A LifeFlight helicopter can deliver injured and ill people to hospitals considerably faster than an ambulance. The region's LifeFlight helicopters, for instance, which come from Bangor and Lewiston, can transport a patient from Belfast to Bangor in just minutes.
  • Rep. Treat, others seek to reduce health care costsVillage Soup, 1/20/09. A lawmaker, businesses, citizens and medical groups have formed a coalition in support of measures designed to reduce health care costs throughout the system.
  • 300 anti-abortion activists encircle state CapitolBangor Daily News, 1/19/09. Anti-abortion activists Saturday geared up for a new fight over access to abortion at their annual Hands Around the Capitol rally to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision announced 36 years ago that made the procedure legal in every state.
  • Baldacci's budget spreads the 'pinch'Portland Press Herald Staff, Portland Press Herald, 1/19/09. Speaking to a group of central Maine business people, Gov. Baldacci succinctly summed up his two-year budget proposal.
  • CDC issues advisory on peanut butterPortland Press Herald, 1/19/09. The Center for Disease Control has released a health advisory on the recent peanut butter recall as the result of salmonella outbreak.
  • Distraction affects drivers, young and oldAnne L. Hess, Bangor Daily News, 1/19/09. The ongoing discussion of older drivers has raised an important issue that is being presented in an oversimplified form, ignoring very complex underpinnings within the human nervous system. Solutions are vital to our state, as we have a scarcity of alternatives to individual driving. Let’s be objective and methodical in our approach rather than singling out people of a certain age.
  • EMMC overburdened by proposed state budget cutsDr. James Raczek, Bangor Daily News, 1/19/09. Recently, I had the privilege of sharing some frank and direct conversation with state legislators regarding the proposed cut to Maine’s hospital-employed physicians. As Eastern Maine Medical Center’s vice president and chief medical officer, I make sure that EMMC has the physician work force to provide specialty medical services for the northern two-thirds of Maine. That responsibility is weighing heavily on me as I contemplate the risks involved if the state withdraws substantial financial support for hospital-based physicians through MaineCare.
  • Limits on drivers' cell use backedMorning Sentinel, 1/19/09. Scott Lambert admits that he uses his cell phone while driving, particularly if he's on the highway for a long distance trip.
  • Maine CDC investigates peanut butter infections, issues warningVillage Soup, 1/19/09. Officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, in collaboration with public health officials in many states and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are investigating a multistate outbreak of human infections caused by Salmonella serotype Typhimurium.
  • Mercury recycling program has silver lining: Store credit of $5Portland Press Herald, 1/19/09. Keeping toxic mercury out of Maine's trash is now a little easier, and more rewarding.
  • More surgery for Iraqi girl todayMaine Today, 1/19/09. Noora Afif Abdulhameed, the 7-year-old Iraqi girl who came to Maine seven months ago for medical treatment, is having another surgery today to fix a small spot on her scalp that is not healing properly.
  • Rate increase looms for E-911 call servicesKennebec Journal, 1/19/09. More than 100 municipalities will turn to taxpayers to cover a 64 percent rate increase for dispatching fire and rescue units if the Maine Public Utilities Commission gives the go-ahead next week.
  • Salmonella outbreak linked to 4 cases in MaineBangor Daily News, 1/19/09. Health officials say four people in Maine have been sickened as part of the salmonella outbreak that has been linked to 474 illnesses and six deaths in 43 states.
  • HANDS AROUND CAPITOL Anti-abortion protesters circle Statehouse, decry Roe v. WadeKennebec Journal, 1/18/09. Melissa Coppa stood before the roughly 300 anti-abortion marchers gathered for the annual Hands Around the Capitol rally and march Saturday to talk, barely holding back tears, about the child she had aborted.
  • Hospitals hope cost cuts keep ache of recession, debt at bayPortland Press Herald, 1/18/09. The recession and delayed state MaineCare payments are causing significant financial problems at hospitals across the state, with a third borrowing money to meet payroll and two-thirds considering budget cuts, according to a soon-to-be-published survey.
  • Kids' health coverage within reachElinor Goldberg, Sun Journal, 1/18/09. Congress is working this week to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (better known as SCHIP). This will be the first significant legislation submitted to President-elect Barack Obama when he takes office, and could not have come at a better time for Maine children and their parents.
  • 'Get the children moving'Morning Sentinel, 1/17/09. Forty percent of people living in Somerset County are overweight and 18 percent are obese, area health officials said Friday during the 2009 launch of New Balance Foundation's "Move More Kids" project.
  • EMMC in Bangor urges driver cautionBangor Daily News, 1/17/09. Eastern Maine Medical Center is urging people traveling on State Street to slow down and use extra caution while navigating the stretch of road around EMMC as the next phase of EMMC’s parking garage expansion has begun.
  • Four whooping cough cases found in MainePortland Press Herald, 1/17/09. Maine health officials say they've identified a cluster of four cases of whooping cough in southern Maine.
  • Group cites health-care demandSun Journal, 1/17/09. A group says its survey of nearly 200 Maine small businesses shows support for a public health care plan and greater government oversight over health insurance.
  • Hundreds of bills submitted for new legislative sessionSun Journal, 1/17/09. One lawmaker wants to ban smoking on public beaches. Another on state park beaches. Both submitted bills.
  • Panel OKs DHHS budget proposalBangor Daily News, 1/17/09. Lawmakers on the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee have endorsed the majority of items in the department’s supplemental budget proposal for the current fiscal year, paving the way for significant reductions in services to Maine people.
  • Pro-life activists ready for fight over abortion rightsBangor Daily News, 1/17/09. Pro-life activists Saturday geared up for a new fight over access to abortion at their annual Hands Around the Capitol rally to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision announced 36 years ago that made the procedure legal in every state.
  • United Way’s contributions down; more is needed to reach 2009 goalDaily Bulldog, 1/16/09. FARMINGTON - The local United Way needs your help now in meeting its goal.
  • After rehab, life took a sad turnMorning Sentinel, 1/16/09. Arthur "Brian" Traweek was a man who said often that he lived a sad life.
  • Arctic blast drives people indoorsBangor Daily News, 1/16/09. A bone-numbing blast of arctic air settled over the Northeast for an extended stay with temperatures Thursday that fell to 38 below zero in northern Maine.
  • Cities take extra steps to keep homeless warmPortland Press Herald, 1/16/09. The bitter cold that hit Maine on Thursday prompted Portland officials to open shelters early, visit known homeless encampments during the night to offer blankets and aid, and expand foot patrols to make sure that people needing shelter were safe.
  • EMMC planning cutbacks, cost savingsBangor Daily News, 1/16/09. Eastern Maine Medical Center is bracing for tough financial times ahead, stemming from the overall economic downturn and expected reductions in the state’s Medicaid budget. Earlier this week, hospital officials notified employees of stepped-up efforts to “achieve rapid and substantial cost reductions,” which could include laying off staff, putting off capital projects and paring back nonessential services.
  • Maine bill backs health care consumer rightsBangor Daily News, 1/16/09. Mainers would get a “Health Care Bill of Rights” to assure them more information about health insurance policies and protection from arbitrary insurance company decisions under legislation announced Thursday at a State House news conference.
  • Maine group cites health-care demandMaine Today, 1/16/09. A consumers' group says its survey of nearly 200 Maine small businesses shows support for a public health-care plan and greater government oversight over health insurance.
  • Martin's Point, Bowdoin Medical Group weigh mergerTimes Record, 1/16/09. In what could presage a major medical merger, Bowdoin Medical Group and Martin's Point Health Care are discussing a possible affiliation between the two groups, which both provide primary care services in Brunswick and other sites in Maine.
  • MDI hospital plans no layoffsVillage Soup, 1/16/09. MDI Hospital is not experiencing the financial woes that have left Blue Hill Memorial Hospital near bankruptcy.
  • More competition, or just more costs?David T. Flanagan, Times Record, 1/16/09. This year, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Certificate of Need Division will review a proposal by Central Maine Medical Center of Lewiston to take over operations of Parkview Adventist Medical Center in Brunswick. Parkview's parent company announced earlier in the year that it could no longer sustain operations and CMMC, one of Maine's largest health systems, stepped in and offered to take over the 55-bed hospital.
  • Sub-Zero Weather Drives More Mainers to SheltersMPBN, 1/16/09. The sub-zero weather that swept into Maine two nights ago is not expected to leave until the latter part of the weekend. Already, icy winds and overnight temperatures plummeting below zero throughout the state have homeless shelters overflowing and municipal officials scouring neighborhoods for people in need of help.
  • TO YOUR HEALTHKennebec Journal, 1/16/09. Consumers for Affordable Health Care and other groups announced a renewed effort Thursday to make health insurance information easier to understand and access.
  • Balancing the BudgetEllsworth American, 1/15/09. Calling for “shared sacrifice and a commitment to work together for the common good,” Governor John Baldacci on Friday unveiled a $6.1-billion biennial budget for 2010-2011 that addresses a shortfall of $838 million and comes in at about $200 million less than the current two-year budget. That follows on the heels of a supplemental budget plan for the current fiscal year that includes additional cuts of $140 million necessitated by declining state revenues resulting from the national recession.
  • Baldacci sees budget cuts as a necessary painPortland Press Herald, 1/15/09. Gov. John Baldacci told business leaders Wednesday that his proposed two-year budget – and the cuts necessary to balance it – spreads the pain to many sectors.
  • Bangor health advocate moving to AugustaBangor Daily News, 1/15/09. After more than five years in Bangor, Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, pediatric dentist and children’s public health advocate, is preparing to move his dental practice to Augusta. It’s a change he’s somewhat reluctant to make, he said Wednesday, but important to maintaining family harmony and personal connections.
  • Conference on health care costs in Augusta todayPortland Press Herald, 1/15/09. A new report on reducing health care costs will be released at noon today at a press conference in the State House Hall of Flags.
  • Dangerous Arctic cold blasts MaineBangor Daily News, 1/15/09. As a cold blast hit the state Wednesday, forecasters warned that wind chills could make it feel like 47 below zero in some parts of northern Maine overnight and Thursday.
  • Expect fffrrrrigid temperatures over next three daysMaine Today, 1/15/09. Haul out the long underwear, slap on your overcoat, and don't forget the warm gloves and scarf: the weather over the next three days is going to be fffrrrrrrigid.
  • Hospitals in Dire Straits, Implore Legislature To Restore CutsEllsworth American, 1/15/09. Blue Hill Memorial Hospital’s desperate financial situation could go from critical to devastating, depending on the Legislature.
  • Katahdin warming centers get chilly responseBangor Daily News, 1/15/09. A brutal cold snap has settled over Maine, but warming centers to help Katahdin region residents escape high heating bills haven’t yet gotten much use, officials said.
  • Maine Health unveils plans for Orion CenterThe Current, 1/15/09. Maine Health unveiled plans Monday night to relocate two of its medical organizations to the Orion Center in Scarborough, a retail property located off Route 1 that has sat vacant for four years.
  • Maine's Rare DiseasesBangor Daily News Staff, Bangor Daily News, 1/15/09. People on Deer Isle have a special interest in a rare disease called SPG4. Dozens of them carry the mutant gene that make them susceptible, although worldwide it strikes only two to four in 100,000.
  • Parkview hosts Medevac simulationTimes Record, 1/15/09. Just after 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, June Coffin looked out her back window to see red lights soaring over her Meadowbrook Road home, as a dull whirring noise rose in the background. Over the tall pines bordering her yard, a LifeFlight helicopter hovered, then slowly landed on the other side of the woods — outside the emergency department at Parkview Adventist Medical Center.
  • Pharmacist gets prison time for morphine theftBangor Daily News, 1/15/09. A former pharmacist at Waldo County General Hospital in Belfast has been sentenced in U.S. District Court to a month in prison and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine for taking morphine and replacing it with a saline solution while working in the hospital pharmacy.
  • Residents oppose plan to cut sex-ed positionPortland Press Herald, 1/15/09. Diana Gauvin said she remembers her first round of sex education classes: There was plenty of trepidation, curiosity and embarrassing questions.
  • Seminar helps caregiversSun Journal, 1/15/09. The Alzheimer's Association Maine Chapter held a seminar Wednesday on caring for people with dementia, including recognizing their need to have purpose.
  • State needs parks planBangor Daily News, 1/15/09. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is calling out Maine and 36 other states for failing to file plans for reducing air pollution near national parks and other federally owned sites popular with tourists.
  • Stuck in the deep freezePortland Press Herald, 1/15/09. Jim Pellegrini has a pretty straightforward approach to deciding whether it's too cold to work outdoors building homes.
  • Treat backs health care billPortland Press Herald, 1/15/09. Consumers for Affordable Health Care and other groups announced today a new transparency initiative that's designed to give Mainers more information so they can save money on health care costs.
  • Turning health care over to private sector has failedGordon L. Weil, Kennebec Journal, 1/15/09. One of the most vexing problems the United States faces is health care.
  • WMCA Health Services offers low-cost vaccineSun Journal, 1/15/09. WMCA Health Services announces that free and low-cost Gardasil, the vaccine to prevent human papilloma virus and cervical cancer, is now available at its family planning sites in Farmington, Norway, Lewiston and Rumford.
  • 'Chew' tax would raise $1.5M annuallySun Journal, 1/14/09. By changing how smokeless tobacco taxes are assessed, state officials aim to increase revenue by about $3 million over the two-year budget cycle.
  • Budgets of 40 state programs out of balanceTarren Bragdon, Kennebec Journal, 1/14/09. As legislators start work on a state two-year budget deficit of $840 million, they would do well to learn from the famous bank robber Willie Sutton, who, when asked why he robbed banks, stated "because that's where the money is."
  • Calais firefighter finds bone marrow donorBangor Daily News, 1/14/09. Billy and Alicia Townsend were so excited when the hospital told them last week that he was in line for a bone marrow transplant that they forgot to ask questions.
  • Health advocates want increased tobacco taxesBangor Daily News, 1/14/09. Taxes on tobacco products should be increased to discourage their use, the American Lung Association of Maine urged as it released its annual “report card” on tobacco use in the state.
  • Lawmaker: Ban smoking at state park beachesBangor Daily News, 1/14/09. Maine smokers already are banned from lighting up in restaurants, bars, public buildings, most workplaces, school campuses and in their cars if children are present.
  • Maine's Sen. Snowe meets with Daschle on health careMaine Today, 1/14/09. U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine told President-elect Barack Obama's nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services that Americans don't get their money's worth in health care.
  • Sister still 'can't get past' '08 death of Eastport manBangor Daily News, 1/14/09. Peggy Segien can’t shake the thought that a prompt phone call could have saved her brother’s life.
  • St. Mary's wins national community service prizeSun Journal, 1/14/09. St. Mary's Health System received the top national award and a $100,000 prize Tuesday for its efforts to improve the lives of the most vulnerable members of its community.
  • WCGH director blasts Baldacci's proposed hospital cutsVillage Soup, 1/14/09. Three years ago, the Baldacci administration went to bat for the state's small hospitals by pushing for increased federal reimbursement to help cover a new tax on their revenues.
  • 30-unit retirement home planned for East SideVillage Soup, 1/13/09. After a number of years in the modular home business, King Bishop is planning a modular-construction apartment building for retired people.
  • After surgery, you realize ordinary tasks aren't simpleDavid B. Offer, Kennebec Journal, 1/13/09. But I couldn't. There I was, properly belted in place, unable to get free because the buckle on the seat belt is on the left side, and my left arm is temporarily useless -- stuck in a bulky padded sling. That means I can't buckle the seat belt without help -- and I'm stuck in place until someone sets me free.
  • Ask doctors about health cost cutsDr. Erik Steele, Bangor Daily News, 1/13/09. Last week I was pleading with Maine state legislators not to cut Maine Medicaid dollars to rural hospitals and some smart aleck legislator asked what I would cut instead. I hated it, but that’s a darn good question for all physicians. The answer: If physicians don’t want one set of cuts in health care spending they should help Maine and other states find different cuts that matter less. No single profession is better equipped to help legislators and others cut money from health care.
  • Bills would ban phone use while drivingBangor Daily News, 1/13/09. Members of the 124th Legislature have barely received their committee assignments, but already four bills have been submitted that deal with at least a partial restriction on cell phone use while driving.
  • Cold rush: Heat aid goes fastPortland Press Herald, 1/13/09. Applications for home heating assistance have increased 22 percent this winter, as Mainers shiver through a recession marked by layoffs and sharp jumps in the costs of food, health care and other necessities.
  • Cuts in Baldacci's budget will affect almost everyoneKennebec Journal Staff, Kennebec Journal, 1/13/09. Gov. John Baldacci deserves credit for fashioning a state budget in difficult times that spreads the pain around and doesn't rely on tax increases to fix the growing gap between what Maine spends and what Maine has in the bank.
  • Grades going down for Maine's tobacco preventionPortland Press Herald, 1/13/09. The American Lung Association says Maine is not doing as well as in years past in its tobacco prevention and control efforts.
  • How Jenny Labbe turned herself into 'Skinny Mini'Times Record, 1/13/09. Jenny Labbe works out at Full Spectrum Fitness on Cumberland Street every Wednesday and Friday afternoon, usually beginning with a cardio warm-up, some stretching and then a three-stop circuit of free weights, boxing and jumping rope. Sometimes she and Chad Murillo, the facility's owner, toss a medicine ball or race each other up the stairs. They frequently end their session with a bit of good-natured wrestling.
  • Maine lawmakers urge health care actionPortland Press Herald, 1/13/09. Four prominent Maine lawmakers -- two Democrats and two Republicans -- today joined with AARP and others to urge Congress to take action on health care.
  • MaineHealth to expand into office centerPortland Press Herald, 1/13/09. MaineHealth, owner of Maine Medical Center in Portland and other health-care providers, plans to expand into a vacant business park on Route 1 in Scarborough.
  • Quick & healthy breakfast: oatmealSun Journal, 1/13/09
  • Suicide prevention programs for teens get boostMorning Sentinel, 1/13/09. Three area high schools are among 11 in the state to receive federal grant money for youth suicide prevention.
  • $500,000 added to low-income weatherizationPortland Press Herald, 1/12/09. A new state energy efficiency fund has awarded MaineHousing $500,000 to help low-income Mainers winterize their homes.
  • Clarifying issues on midwifery and home birthingShelby L. Wilbourn, Bangor Daily News, 1/12/09. As a practicing board certified obstetrician/gynecologist of 22 years, I feel that it is necessary to clarify a few issues brought forth in the recent support of midwifery home deliveries, “Support home birthing” (BDN letters, Jan. 1).
  • Dead River, Hannaford boost heating assistancePortland Press Herald, 1/12/09. Dead River Co. and Hannaford Supermarkets today announced a new program that will match supermarket customer donations to help Maine and New Hampshire residents pay their fuel bills this winter.
  • Lead rule weighs on kids' clothiersBangor Daily News, 1/12/09. Adrienne Chandler was worried. The owner of The Growing Place, a Hammond Street store which sells used clothing, toys and other children’s items, Chandler was facing possible closure of her business because of a law limiting the sale of children’s items with high lead levels that goes into effect Feb. 10.
  • Maine Med parent to detail Scarborough expansionPortland Press Herald, 1/12/09. MaineHealth, owner of Maine Medical Center in Portland, plans to convert a vacant Route 1 office park in Scarborough into the newest campus of its expanding health-care network.
  • Proposed health-care cuts unconscionableMark Biscone, Village Soup, 1/12/09. State and federal governments currently owe Waldo County General Hospital (WCGH) more than $12 million for the period spanning from 2004 to 2008. No interest is being paid on this money.
  • Sex ed too costly? Let puppets (or parents) teach itJustin Ellis, Portland Press Herald, 1/12/09. Again with the sex ed problems, Portland? Really?
  • Should state employees pay more for health insurance?Bangor Daily News, 1/12/09. At the present, single state employees bear no portion of the cost of health insurance.
  • Snowmobile clubs preparing trail sites for LifeFlightBangor Daily News, 1/12/09. Along with caring for trails, the state’s snowmobile clubs will be taking on the challenge of preparing landing zones for medical helicopters.
  • State promotes helping victims avoid stalkersKennebec Journal, 1/12/09. January is National Stalking Awareness Month, and victim advocates across the country are using the month to educate the public about the crime, which affects nearly 1.4 million Americans a year.
  • Chiropractor happy in downtown officeKennebec Journal, 1/11/09. Jared Lawson consulted his wife about locating his new chiropractic business on Water Street in Augusta.
  • Hospitals brace for further reductions in reimbursementsKennebec Journal, 1/11/09. The proposed 16 percent reimbursement reduction under Gov. John Baldacci's supplemental budget is especially hurtful to hospitals because the state government in 2004 imposed an additional tax on hospitals to qualify for a 2-to-1 match in federal Medicaid funds, said Steven Michaud, of the Maine Hospital Association.
  • Hospitals face funding crunchKennebec Journal, 1/11/09. Staff layoffs, higher patient charges, stalled efforts at expanding access and extreme difficulty recruiting and retaining physicians.
  • Okie verdict raises issue of treatment Lawmaker wants changes, better access for those in need of mental health servicesKennebec Journal, 1/11/09. The double-murder verdict in the trial of John A. Okie, a young man diagnosed with a mental illness, sent ripples that will reach the Legislature.
  • Budget proposal would cut 219 jobs, raise feesBangor Daily News, 1/10/09. Gov. John Baldacci on Friday unveiled an austere two-year state budget that includes plenty of pain for everyone and guarantees lively debate in the State House in the months ahead.
  • Dental Care at Jail HitKennebec Journal, 1/10/09. An inmate accused of murder in the stabbing death of a young mother 26 years ago in Fayette claims he has been denied adequate dental care during the two years he has spent in the Kennebec County jail awaiting trial.
  • Donor helps Winthrop agencyKennebec Journal, 1/10/09. A week after a Waterville nonprofit agency serving victims of sexual violence closed, a separate center based in Winthrop has announced plans to expand operations in northern Kennebec and Somerset counties.
  • Drug makers not reckless about productsEd Robinson, Portland Press Herald, 1/10/09. Writing on Dec. 30 ("Drug manufacturers shouldn't be immune if products cause harm"), Nan Aron and Sharon Treat imply unethical behavior by drug manufacturers, but ignore the reality of the drug industry.
  • Inland Hospital helps newborn's college fundMorning Sentinel, 1/10/09. Shannan Santerre did not have a chance to go to college, but vows her own daughter will get that opportunity.
  • New budget 'reflects the times we're in'Portland Press Herald, 1/10/09. Gov. John Baldacci on Friday proposed a $6.1 billion budget for the next two fiscal years that would cut hundreds of state jobs, increase fees and trim funding for higher education and prisons.
  • Relay for Life dinner, ceremony to kick off fundraiserBangor Daily News, 1/10/09. The annual Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society is scheduled to take place at the Old Town High School track in May. Organizers are busy planning the event and will hold an informational dinner later this month.
  • Mid Coast's 'contingency plan' irks CMHC bossTimes Record, 1/9/09. Mid Coast Hospital has moved forward with plans for a proposed $4.5 million urgent care and diagnostic center in Brunswick, a project officials say is a "contingency plan in case Parkview closes its doors."
  • New law on lead causes worrySun Journal, 1/9/09. A new law requiring that children's clothing, toys and books are free of lead and other toxins will not affect thrift stores, but it will apply to new products, including handcrafted items, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday.
  • Nonagenarian willingly relinquishes driving dutiesRichard Dudman, Bangor Daily News, 1/9/09. The front-page articles in the Jan. 3 Bangor Daily News on old folks’ driving put me in mind of my own experience. I quit when I turned 90, and I’m glad of it.
  • Snowmobile deaths illustrate danger to kidsMorning Sentinel Staff, Morning Sentinel, 1/9/09. Snowmobiling consistently ranks as one of the most dangerous winter sports, judged by accident and death rates. Five snowmobilers died in Maine last March within 72 hours of each other.
  • Blue Hill Hospital CEO: Layoffs Begin To Avoid BankruptcyEllsworth American, 1/8/09. Dr. Erik Steele announced in a letter sent to the media Wednesday afternoon that painful changes at Blue Hill Memorial Hospital are needed to avoid bankruptcy.
  • Blue Hill hospital to lay off workersPortland Press Herald, 1/8/09. Layoffs are in the works at Blue Hill Memorial Hospital in its effort to stave off bankruptcy.
  • Budget cuts hurt patients, hospitals saySun Journal, 1/8/09. Maine hospitals worry that some of the budget cuts proposed by Gov. John Baldacci could result in program cuts and layoffs.
  • Copter test flights on tap: Hospital staging demonstrations next week in BrunswickTimes Record, 1/8/09. Parkview Adventist Medical Center will stage a field demonstration of emergency medical helicopter flights Wednesday evening in an effort to show abutters exactly what a takeoff and landing would look and sound like if a proposed helipad is constructed.
  • Dr. Sweeney discusses cardiovascular diseases Jan. 21Daily Bulldog, 1/8/09. The next topic for “Prescriptions for Health” is cardiovascular disease featuring cardiologist Dr. Paul Sweeney. Prescriptions for Health is a health education series that features local physicians who present on a variety of health and wellness topics. The series is open to the public and free of charge.
  • Driving While ElderlyBangor Daily News, 1/8/09. There are few parent-child role reversals more fraught with potential for hurt feelings, anger, guilt and depression than when an adult son or daughter pleads with a mother or father to give up driving.
  • Few options available for state to deal with current budget crisisRalph Sarty, Portland Press Herald, 1/8/09. All Mainers are feeling the effects of the economic recession. Families are cutting back and restructuring their budgets in an attempt to stay above water and avoid possible foreclosures, tax liens or damaging debt.
  • Firms, towns split over broadband aidBangor Daily News, 1/8/09. A state program to help stimulate the expansion of broadband Internet access into rural Maine is generating some controversy as communications firms that compete against some of the grant recipients are challenging the fairness of the program.
  • Official: Blue Hill hospital layoffs certainBangor Daily News, 1/8/09. The top administrator at Blue Hill Memorial Hospital has announced an undetermined number of staff layoffs in an effort to stave off bankruptcy.
  • SAVES urges attention to stalkingSun Journal, 1/8/09. January is recognized as Stalking Awareness Month but the staff at Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services Inc. works all year to help people learn more about this dangerous crime.
  • Scammers target local grandparentsKennebec Journal, 1/8/09. Police are investigating an apparent telephone scam in which a man and wife in their 80s were swindled out of $2,000 this week.
  • Share Blue Hill Hospital Fights Against BankruptcyMPBN, 1/8/09. Financially troubled Blue Hill Memorial Hospital has announced future layoffs as part of a plan to avoid bankruptcy. According to hospital administrators, one top executive position has already been eliminated, and investment stocks have been sold as a way to raise enough cash to meet payroll. But Blue Hill is not the only health care facility in Maine that's struggling to pay its bills.
  • Spate of bills opens sessionPortland Press Herald, 1/8/09. With snow falling outside, the gavel fell inside Wednesday, marking the official start of this year's legislative session in Maine.
  • A challenge of historic scale awaits in AugustaPortland Press Herald Staff, Portland Press Herald, 1/7/09. The new state Legislature gets to work today during what will be the most challenging session for Maine lawmakers since 1991.
  • Board OKs ambulance purchaseSun Journal, 1/7/09. After looking over a used, diesel-powered ambulance on Friday, four selectmen voted to allow Farmington Fire and Rescue to purchase it.
  • Changes in vaccine coverage for childrenDaily Bulldog, 1/7/09. Beginning this year, the Maine Immunization Program will be supplying childhood vaccines free of charge only for qualified children who are 18 years or younger.
  • Come the resolutionPortland Press Herald, 1/7/09. Resolutions that involve better eating could start right here. These recipes fall within nutritional guidelines as healthful, and they all taste great.
  • County Relay For Life kicks offSun Journal, 1/7/09. The annual Franklin County Relay For Life kicks off will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13, in the Roberts Learning Center, University of Maine at Farmington, 246 Main St.
  • Genetics facility plans student internshipsBangor Daily News, 1/7/09. Discussions have begun to put area high school student scientists into cutting-edge laboratories to work on chronic conditions and diseases that affect Mainers, Superintendent Daniel Lee said recently.
  • Health data project fights for fundingBangor Daily News, 1/7/09. Developers of Maine’s new statewide electronic health information exchange system, HealthInfoNet, are troubleshooting a few technical problems and preparing to start processing and transferring medical data in the spring of 2009. The system has been in the planning and development stage since 2006, but the far-reaching economic downturn may limit its growth in the near future.
  • Hermon knitters give children warmthBangor Daily News, 1/7/09. Gladys Knowles and the other women of the American Legion Auxiliary in Hermon are busy plying their knitting needles for a good cause.
  • Hospital president moves onDaily Bulldog, 1/7/09. FARMINGTON - After 35 years of running hospitals, Richard Batt has decided it’s time to retire - sort of.
  • Iraqi girl needs more surgeryPortland Press Herald, 1/7/09. Noora Afif Abdulhameed will not be returning home to Iraq as soon as she thought.
  • SAVES is seeking volunteer advocatesSun Journal, 1/7/09. The Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services Inc. 24-hour sexual assault crisis and support line for Franklin County is staffed by a team of volunteer advocates.
  • The coolest hot lunchBangor Daily News, 1/7/09. Shortly before 7 a.m., the winter sun is barely a glimmer on the watery eastern horizon, but already the kitchen at Mount Desert Elementary School is humming with activity.
  • Update on senior transportation optionsBangor Daily News, 1/7/09. I applaud the Bangor Daily News for drawing attention to a difficult and growing problem in rural Maine: senior transportation. I must, however, take exception to some of the impressions left by the articles in the Jan. 3 edition about “Driving and Old Age.”
  • WCHI's MaineHealth membership finalizedVillage Soup, 1/7/09. Waldo County Healthcare Inc. announced it started 2009 as a member of the MaineHealth family. Incorporators of WCHI approved joining the state’s largest health network in September and approval of the state Certificate of Need was received Dec. 31.
  • Bangor suspends oral health programBangor Daily News, 1/6/09. With an admittedly heavy heart, Bangor’s public health director recommended to city councilors that they should temporarily and indefinitely suspend the preventive oral health program because it’s no longer economically solvent.
  • Budget timeBangor Daily News Staff, Bangor Daily News, 1/6/09. Faced with a growing budget shortfall, lawmakers have the difficult task of balancing the need to come up quickly with a plan to cut spending with the need to hear alternative ideas. Tipping too far away from an open, accessible process risks rejection of the outcome — as was seen with the recent repeal of a beverage tax to fund Dirigo Health. Moving too slowly, however, could mean greater reductions in services and programs.
  • Critics assail proposed budget cutsKennebec Journal, 1/6/09. Parents of those with mental illness told legislators Monday that the Maine chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness should not have its funding cut again.
  • Legislature told: Cuts will annihilate safety netsVillage Soup, 1/6/09. Health-care advocates from across the state and corrections officers from Charleston warned the Legislature on Monday, Jan. 5, that proposed funding reductions would decimate the social safety nets they provide.
  • Driving & old ageBangor Daily News, 1/5/09. With more than 110,000 elderly drivers, Maine contends with a delicate safety concern: When should they give up the keys?
  • Portland's sex-ed cut plan a reasonable responsePortland Press Herald Staff, Portland Press Herald, 1/5/09. Almost every year of its existence, Portland's Family Living program has come under attack. If it looks like this year is no different, look again.
  • WMCA Health Services Offers Low Cost HPV VaccineDaily Bulldog, 1/5/09. FARMINGTON - WMCA Health Services is pleased to announce that free and low-cost Gardasil, the vaccine to prevent human papilloma virus (HPV) and cervical cancer, is now available at WMCA Health Services family planning sites in Farmington, Norway, Lewiston, and Rumford. The Gardasil vaccine targets four types of the HPV virus; HPV Types 16 and 18 which cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, and HPV Types 6 and 11 which cause 90 percent of genital warts cases.
  • Keeping the wheel: For elderly, independence, pride at stakeBangor Daily News, 1/3/09. Glendon Rand, 80, doesn’t plan to give up driving anytime soon.
  • Smokers work to find a placeRenee Ordway, Bangor Daily News, 1/3/09. When I was in high school we had a fairly sizable group of students who were referred to as the “coat kids.” It wasn’t because they had especially nice coats or especially ugly coats; it’s just that during the winter they wore their coats all of the time.
  • FMH offers training for cancer program volunteersSun Journal, 1/2/09. A three-part volunteer training for those interested in becoming volunteer patient navigators is planned for January at Franklin Memorial Hospital.
  • New Year's babies qualify for first Alfond grantsBangor Daily News, 1/2/09. Ora Kinsley Bates was able to start saving for college the moment she arrived in the world.
  • New Year's babies qualify for first Alfond grantsBangor Daily News, 1/2/09. Ora Kinsley Bates was able to start saving for college the moment she arrived in the world.
  • Proposed cut renews sex education debatePortland Press Herald, 1/2/09. The question seems to pop up whenever the city’s school district faces budget trouble: Should Portland Public Schools scale back its ambitious sex education program?
  • Death of boy, 2, leads to consumer safety probeMorning Sentinel, 1/1/09. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a federal agency that investigates deaths and serious injuries in an effort to identify product dangers, has launched an investigation into the portable crib and bedding used by a 2-year-old boy who died last weekend on Vinalhaven.
  • Experts have advice on diet resolutionsMorning Sentinel, 1/1/09. If you're seriously considering what's probably the most well-known resolution for the New Year, to lose weight or just get in better physical shape, then local experts have some advice.
  • It’s 2009 why not get fit?Bangor Daily News, 1/1/09. Fitness is the most common life change proposed for the new year, overriding other popular goals such as smoking cessation, debt reduction and stress management.
  • Meals for ME looks to bring people togetherBangor Daily News, 1/1/09. About a week before Thanksgiving I went to the Meals for ME dining room in Holden to serve the holiday feast. After all these years, I’m still amazed and delighted at how much fun it is to join those gathered for a special time. Meals for ME is the nutrition program of Eastern Area Agency on Aging.
  • Pound for a pint: Dunkin' to give away coffee to blood donorsMorning Sentinel, 1/1/09. Dunkin' Donuts and the American Red Cross Blood Services in Maine have again partnered to present the "Give a Pint, Get a Pound" campaign.
  • Resolutions for better health and wellness require positive stepsJeff Holmstrom, Portland Press Herald, 1/1/09. It's that time of the year for reflection on the year passing and resolutions for the year ahead. This annual rite of passage holds both promise and peril.
  • $300,000 grant awarded to Evergreen Behavioral ServicesDaily Bulldog, 12/31/08. FARMINGTON - Evergreen Behavioral Services has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the Maine Health Access Foundation to address primary care needs of children with pervasive developmental disorders and their families in greater Franklin County through integrated training and services.
  • New Legislation Broadens The Definition Of A DisabilityMPBN, 12/31/08. What qualifies as a disability in this country? Taking effect January 1st is an amended version of the Americans with Disabilities Act passed in 1990. It's expected to broaden what is categorized as a disability, and as a result increase the number of people who are considered disabled and receive workplace accomodations and legal protections.
  • Vitamin D Deficiency EpidemicEllsworth American, 12/31/08. Many millennia ago, when we lived near the equator and walked around naked, no one worried about getting enough vitamin D from the sun.
  • Maine pilots eco-friendly way to dispose of drugsPortland Press Herald, 12/29/08. Mainers have a new way to get rid of unused and unwanted medications, and also keep them out of the environment and away from people who might abuse them.
  • Dr. Krull joins oncology servicesDaily Bulldog, 12/24/08. FARMINGTON - Franklin Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce the addition of Richard Krull, MD, a medical oncologist and hematologist, who began providing cancer care at Franklin Memorial Hospital on Dec. 17.
  • 46,000 get aid for heat so farKennebec Journal, 12/23/08. The state's housing agency has processed more than 48,500 applications for heating assistance, officials announced Monday.
  • March honors lives lost to homelessnessBangor Daily News, 12/23/08. Fifty-one brightly burning candles stood tall on a table in Hammond Street Congregational Church symbolizing the light of each local homeless person who, in the last decade, has died on the streets in the Bangor region from cold or illness.
  • Newport, Corinna eye clinic zonesBangor Daily News, 12/23/08. Although there have been no applications in either community to locate methadone clinics there, both Newport and Corinna are working to set up regulations detailing their location and appearance.
  • Heat aid pleas already near last winter's totalKennebec Journal, 12/21/08. Almost as many people have applied for heating assistance this season as applied all of last winter, and the warm relief of spring is still a long way away.
  • Maine Children's Home overwhelmed this yearKennebec Journal, 12/21/08. The Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers has been overwhelmed with requests for help this month and has answered those calls, but it can do no more.
  • Tobacco's a proven poison, so now what?John Porter, Portland Press Herald, 12/21/08. I had occasion to stay in Alexandria, Va., earlier this year, a town I found at once familiar yet alien.
  • Official: Prescription drug card proves worthBangor Daily News, 12/20/08. A Knox County official said Friday that three out of every four residents using the county’s prescription drug card in November saved 27 percent from the retail price of their medicine.
  • Penobscot Community Health Care gets national accreditation for qualityBangor Daily News, 12/20/08. Penobscot Community Health Care, which operates several clinics in Greater Bangor, is the first of the 18 Federally Qualified Health Centers in Maine to earn accreditation by the Joint Commission, a nationally recognized health care quality assurance organization. PCHC announced its accreditation this week.
  • State's jobless rate hits 14-year highPortland Press Herald, 12/20/08. The unemployment rate in Maine hit 6.3 percent in November, the highest rate in 14 years, as local employers shed jobs amid a deepening national recession, state labor officials announced Friday.
  • Alcoholic energy drink to drop caffeinePortland Press Herald, 12/19/08. MillerCoors will remove caffeine and other stimulants from its line of Sparks alcoholic energy drinks under an agreement reached with the attorneys general of 13 states, including Maine.
  • FARMINGTON: Health group faces shortfallMorning Sentinel, 12/19/08. Franklin Community Health Network estimates it could face a $3.5 million shortfall in the next fiscal year and hopes to prevent the drastic step of layoffs by freezing salaries and market adjustments.
  • Flu now in MainePortland Press Herald, 12/19/08. Influenza has officially arrived in Maine, Dr. Dora Anne Mills, director of the Maine Center for Disease Control, said today in a press release.
  • Hospital freezes raises as income fallsSun Journal, 12/19/08. Another large Franklin County employer is taking steps to save jobs and programs.
  • Lincoln hospital seeks to build helipadBangor Daily News, 12/19/08. A helicopter landing pad at Penobscot Valley Hospital will help save lives. That’s why hospital officials want to build one, they said Thursday.
  • Maine service going privateSun Journal, 12/19/08. The state of Maine will soon be out of the business of providing direct institutional care to people with severe mental retardation.
  • Nursing homes worry about new ratingsBangor Daily News, 12/19/08. About 22 percent of the nation’s nearly 16,000 nursing homes received the federal government’s lowest rating in a new five-star system unveiled Thursday, while 12 percent received the highest ranking possible.
  • Pittsfield teacher given surprise award amid cancer battleKennebec Journal, 12/19/08. Teresa "Terri" Kane didn't suspect a thing. Like the hundreds of other families, students and faculty gathered at the Warsaw Middle School gymnasium Wednesday night, the 21-year veteran Warsaw teacher was simply expecting to enjoy the school's annual winter concert.
  • Refusal-to-treat rule criticizedPortland Press Herald, 12/19/08. A new federal rule issued Thursday that expands the rights of health care workers to refuse to provide services that they morally oppose could have a big impact on a rural state like Maine, family planning experts say.
  • Ricky's Wish will illuminate fieldMaine Today, 12/19/08. Ricky Gibson, the 15-year-old boy from Wayne who has made it his parting wish to see his high school football field light up at night, is preparing to see that wish come true Saturday.
  • Site ranks nursing home careSun Journal, 12/19/08. Federal officials on Thursday launched a Web site that includes a ranking system for nursing homes providing care for Medicare and Medicaid recipients.
  • Budget BlueprintBangor Daily News Staff, Bangor Daily News, 12/18/08. As important as the details of the governor’s supplemental budget is the bipartisan, cooperative spirit that met the proposal to cut jobs and reduce spending to address a $140 million shortfall in the current budget. Finding common ground will be key to quickly passing a revised spending plan for the remainder of this fiscal year and, more important, for writing the budget for the next two years.
  • Collins seeks youth mental health careBangor Daily News, 12/18/08. As the new U.S. Congress convenes next month, child advocates are putting their hopes in a bill Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said she will reintroduce to address a national issue: the barriers families face in accessing mental health care for emotionally or mentally disturbed children.
  • Dirigo Health Reverts To Prior Funding FormulaMPBN, 12/18/08. More than a month after Maine voters turned down a plan to fund the state's Dirigo Health insurance program through a tax on beverages, the dust has begun to settle. Dirigo Health will revert back to a controversial funding formula that involves an annual fee on insurers.
  • Dirigo support picked up lateKennebec Journal, 12/18/08. The coalition that opposed the effort to repeal a new beverage tax picked up the pace of its fundraising in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 4 election.
  • Hearing airs parental consent issueKennebec Journal, 12/18/08. Carrie Kahl says her relationship with her parents is unique.
  • Hospice program graduates volunteersBangor Daily News, 12/18/08. Hospice of Eastern Maine, a program of Bangor Area Visiting Nurses, announced that its Bangor area volunteer family recently increased by a dozen.
  • No refunds for cost of smokingPortland Press Herald, 12/18/08. Listen up, Joe Nicfit. All that hard-earned dough you've spent on "light" cigarettes over the years may soon find its way back to your pocket.
  • Private nonprofit to operate Levinson CenterBangor Daily News, 12/18/08. It’s official: The state of Maine has gotten out of the business of providing direct institutional care to people with severe mental retardation.
  • A College Savings StartBangor Daily News Staff, Bangor Daily News, 12/17/08. Thousands of Maine kids will get a start on college savings next year — just by being born. The Harold Alfond College Challenge goes statewide on Jan. 1 after a successful start this year at MaineGeneral Health facilities in Waterville and Augusta.
  • Baldacci offers plan to finish year in blackPortland Press Herald, 12/17/08. Gov. John Baldacci urged quick, bipartisan legislative action on a budget plan he presented Tuesday that reflects a recession-driven shortfall of more than $154 million.
  • Domestic Violence Advisory Issued To Healthcare ProvidersThe Lincoln County News, 12/17/08. Lincoln County Healthcare and healthcare providers around the state received a domestic violence advisory, issued by the Public Health Director at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) on Dec. 9. The advisory sent by the Director, Dr. Dora Anne Mills, recommends that physicians and healthcare providers conduct routine screening of patients for domestic violence and that the medical personnel receive training on the matter.
  • EMMC information technology use laudedBangor Daily News, 12/17/08. Eastern Maine Medical Center’s long-term commitment to information technology has earned national recognition. On Tuesday, Gov. John Baldacci joined hospital officials, IT vendors and others to celebrate EMMC’s designation as the recipient of the 2008 Nicholas E. Davies Organizational Award of Excellence.
  • Mother stresses value of Bangor's McDonald HouseBangor Daily News, 12/17/08. As the mother of two premature babies, Ashley Parker knows firsthand how important the Ronald McDonald House of Bangor is to families of seriously ill children.
  • Smoke-free housing campaign reaches a milestoneDaily Bulldog, 12/17/08. Just four years ago, Auburn Housing Authority became the first public housing authority in Maine to adopt a smoke-free policy. In November the agency abolished its grandfathering policy and went 100 percent smoke-free. “These positive trends will save money for both residents and Auburn Housing Authority long term,” reports Richard Whiting, the housing authority’s executive director, “as well as significantly improving our housing environments and the health of residents and staff.”
  • State must craft plan to care for seniorsNelson E. Durgin, Bangor Daily News, 12/17/08. In the article “Budget Cuts Imperil Assisted Living Homes” (BDN, Dec. 9), Meg Haskell wrote about the serious issues facing elderly persons needing residential care in Maine. She described very well the dilemma facing private nonmedical institutions, or PNMIs, and the resultant crisis awaiting elderly Maine residents who need housing and services.
  • Grant to help UMFK buy neonatal simulatorBangor Daily News, 12/16/08. A significant grant is going to help nursing students at the University of Maine at Fort Kent better prepare for the clinical setting next year.
  • Hot line links homeless to shelterBangor Daily News, 12/16/08. Jan Lightfoot Lane, an advocate for Maine’s homeless, is setting up a hot line to link homeless people with landlords or homeowners with available space. She is calling her program “Home for the Holidays.”
  • Maine, 3 states form education coalitionBangor Daily News, 12/16/08. Maine and three other New England states have formed a groundbreaking regional partnership aimed at transforming high school for the 21st century.
  • RANDOLPH: Rabid raccoon leads to warnings to pet ownersKennebec Journal, 12/16/08. Two dogs recently killed a rabid raccoon on the Old Narrow Gauge Rail Trail.
  • Second round of budget cuts hurts state employees, hospitalsVillage Soup, 12/16/08. A second round of budget cuts brought on by plummeting revenues will eliminate 94 state positions, close an inmate housing facility and reduce reimbursements to small hospitals and some doctors, according to a proposal released Tuesday by Gov. John Baldacci.
  • Smokers gain high court win in labeling caseBangor Daily News, 12/16/08. In a case that originated in Bangor, Maine, the Supreme Court on Monday handed a surprising defeat to tobacco companies counting on it to put an end to lawsuits alleging deceptive marketing of “light” cigarettes.
  • The gift of second chancesDr. Erik Steele, Bangor Daily News, 12/16/08. Sometimes the best thing a woman ever does for a man is to administer kicks in his pants until he smartens up. This man had been suffering from chest pain all evening but was too stubborn to go to the emergency department and get checked out until his wife nagged him into it. Five minutes after he got to us in the ED he tried to die right in front of our eyes; his mouth stopped talking, his lungs stopped breathing, and his heart stopped beating.
  • Waldo County hospice receives national honorBangor Daily News, 12/16/08. Waldo County Home Health & Hospice has been named to the 2008 HomeCare Elite, a list of the top 25 percent of Medicare-certified home health care providers in the country.
  • Court allows lawsuits over 'light' cigarettesBangor Daily News, 12/15/08. Ruling applies to Maine lawsuit against tobacco maker
  • Needy kids get stuffed animalsBangor Daily News, 12/15/08. A connection between children in an orphanage in Cambodia and children whose parents use food pantries in Washington County may seem unlikely, but this holiday season there is such a link.
  • New program to help those with memory lossBangor Daily News, 12/15/08. More encouraging news for this community has come from Barbara Fister, director of My Friend’s Place, an adult day center in Bangor.
  • Searsport plans holiday OUI watchBangor Daily News, 12/15/08. The Police Department has announced the extension of its enforcement crackdown on drunken drivers through the holiday season.
  • State disputes air quality reportBangor Daily News, 12/15/08. State environmental officials are reassuring the public about air quality around some schools after a national news report suggested that students in some Maine towns could be at risk from industrial pollutants.
  • Supporters push new Dirigo fundingPortland Press Herald, 12/15/08. The Legislature needs to find another way to fund Dirigo Health, and should consider alternatives such as an increase in the tobacco tax to stabilize the program, a representative of the Maine Medical Association said last week.
  • The search continues for ways to fund Dirigo Health programKennebec Journal, 12/15/08. The Legislature needs to find another way to fund Dirigo Health, and should consider alternatives such as an increase in the tobacco tax to stabilize the program, a representative of the Maine Medical Association said last week.
  • An epidemic too often ignoredBangor Daily News, 12/13/08. I don’t care how many times I do it. I don’t care how fancy the medical degree of the person in the white coat across from me. I will never feel real comfortable talking to anyone about my bowel movements.

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