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Health and health care news

Lincoln Hospital Files For Bankruptcy

By • Jan 29, 2019

Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Proposed Bill Would End Maine’s Nearly 30-Year Mental Health Services Consent Decree

By • Jan 29, 2019

Mental health services in Maine have been governed by a consent decree overseen by the courts since 1990. The court master that oversees implementation of the decree is preparing legislation to end it. Mal Leary reports.

Senators Want Update On Progress Of Universal Flu Vaccine

By • Jan 27, 2019

Maine's independent U.S. senator says he's joining a group of Senate colleagues to call on the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease to provide an update on research into a universal flu vaccine.

Maine CDC Urges Flu Shots As Cases Rise Above 1,000 In State

By • Jan 25, 2019
Pat Wellenbach / Associated Press/file

AUGUSTA, Maine - The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is urging state residents to get vaccinated against influenza as cases of the disease are rising across the state.

The Maine High School With A Graduation Rate Double The National Average For Young Moms

By • Jan 19, 2019
Patty Wight / Maine Public

Teen birth rates in the United States have been on a steady decline, but there are still more than 200,000 babies born to teen mothers every year, including about 600 born in Maine.

Bill Would End Non-Medical Vaccine Exemptions In Maine

By • Jan 18, 2019

AUGUSTA, Maine - Lawmakers in Maine will consider a bill designed to end non-medical exemptions from childhood vaccinations this year.

Collins Reintroduces Bill That Would Track Mercury Pollution

By • Jan 17, 2019

Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is reintroducing a bill that would track mercury pollution to better protect human health and fisheries.

3 School Districts In Maine Report Whooping Cough Cases

By • Jan 11, 2019

FALMOUTH, Maine - Three school districts across Maine say they've received reports of students diagnosed with whooping cough.

Maine CDC Confirms 3 Deaths From Flu In State This Season

By • Jan 10, 2019

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports three people have died from the flu this season.

Report Finds That Maine Fails To Provide Adequate Children's Behavioral Health Services

By • Jan 9, 2019

The state of Maine fails to provide adequate access and quality in its Children's Behavioral Health Services, according to a new report commissioned by Public Consulting Group.

Program Pairs Companions With Lonely, Elderly Rural Mainers

By • Jan 7, 2019
Patty Wight / Maine Public

In a vast, rural state like Maine, social isolation is a part of life, especially so for seniors who are stuck in their homes because of physical and financial challenges. That isolation can lead to loneliness, which is considered by some experts a serious public health issue.

Hospital Visits For Some Maine Residents Could Become More Complicated, And Costly

By Charles Eichacker - Bangor Daily News • Jan 7, 2019
Bill Trotter / Bangor Daily News

Visits to the hospital are never fun, and they’re rarely straightforward. But for some residents of eastern and central Maine who have a medical emergency — a broken leg, an allergic reaction, chest pain — seeking help is about to get more complicated.

Maine Hospitals Will Now List Prices For Services Online

By • Jan 3, 2019
Central Maine Medical Center

A federal law now requires all hospitals to list their standard charges, and Maine hospitals have begun listing prices for services online. Supporters say the law is aimed at empowering patients and ultimately driving down costs.

Maine Sees Decrease In Cases Of Tick-Borne Disease

By • Dec 31, 2018
Maine Public

Cases of tick-borne disease in Maine declined in 2018. A little more than 1300 cases of Lyme disease were reported to the Maine Center for Disease Control, as compared to more than 1800 last year.

This Maine School Makes Nutritious Lunches So Tasty, Parents Ask For Recipes

By • Dec 28, 2018
Patty Wight / Maine Public

This December the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it is rolling back school nutrition standards enacted under the Obama administration. USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue says the change is needed because too many schools are struggling to serve meals that meet the higher nutrition standards and are also appetizing. Cape Elizabeth High School recently dropped out of the federal lunch program for that very reason.

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