Mary Mayhew also says the $500,000 in unspent state funding signals the demand for treatment is being met.
Joe Lawlor
Staff Writer
Joe Lawlor writes about health and human services for the Press Herald. A 24-year newspaper veteran, Lawlor has worked in Ohio, Michigan and Virginia before relocating to Maine in 2013 to join the Press Herald. He is still considered “from away” but since then, he has learned what a “dooryard” is, eaten “whoopie pies” drank Moxie and boiled some “lobstahs.” The stories he enjoys most are when he learns something and meeting inspiring people.
He lives in South Portland - aka “SoPo” - with his wife, Melanie, and two school-age children.
Brain works in mysterious ways, and science tries to keep up
When someone suffers a serious brain injury, often the best that doctors can do is give it a chance to work wonders upon itself.
Few influenza cases in Maine so far, but experts warn season has long way to go
Only 37 people have tested positive this season, compared with 682 in the state last year, partly because of the vaccine’s effectiveness.
Proposal to fund police diversion programs for heroin users just a start, lawmaker says
State Rep. Mark Dion says Medicaid expansion would pay for more than his plan’s handful of programs, but the governor has opposed the Medicaid option.
Memorial vigil for homeless marks 43 deaths in Portland this year, a record
At the start of the year’s longest night, a candle is lit for each of the homeless people in the city who died in 2015.
Maine Med, 7 other Maine hospitals fined for having too many avoidable infections
The penalties are part of an effort to improve patient safety by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
MaineHealth forms new partnership with cancer specialist Dana-Farber
The deal gives Maine patients access to research trials and connects them to the nationally recognized treatment center.
Maine’s health ranking improves to 15th in nation in 2015
The jump from 20th in the 2014 America’s Health Rankings report is partly due to its much-improved immunization rates for toddlers, health experts say.
Eliot man’s overdose death drives his family to push for more access to treatment
Relatives of Michael Fielders, 31, start an online petition to urge state and federal officials to take action to prevent more deaths.
Teen birth rate plummets in Maine, U.S. Census says
The Maine rate is nearly half of what it was a decade ago, but more unmarried women are having kids.