MaineHealth

The interpreters had filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board earlier this year over unpaid merit wage increases.

Mike Senecal, Senior Director of MaineHealth's Emergency Medical Services, said the new system will also alleviate strain on local EMS services, which have historically provided transport services.

More than 70 members of the MaineHealth Care at Home team have sent a petition of no confidence in its leadership after six members of the pediatric team were suspended, and two were terminated.

The 29-0 vote comes two years after nurses at Maine Medical Center, which is under the MaineHealth umbrella, voted to form their own union.

MaineHealth says masks will be required under certain circumstances, such as interactions with patients who have COVID.

During public testimony on Tuesday, foreign-trained medical professionals and others urged lawmakers to form a committee to look into potential fixes.

Maine hospitals endured a tough year in 2022, according to a variety of recent data and financial disclosures. The picture has somewhat improved for them in recent months, but it will be hard for them to fully bounce back from the deep-rooted problems that have driven many into the red.

The agreement, announced Wednesday night, means that Maine Medical Center will no longer withdraw from Anthem's network next year. While health care advocates are pleased that patients won't see disruptions in care, they are raising some concerns about the deal.

Committee members are trying to decide what actions to take in their role of providing oversight of both the state employees' health plan and the Maine's Bureau of Insurance, which is conducting a review of Anthem.

Licensing barriers keep many immigrants from re-entering the medical field, even as their skills are in high demand.