News

Franklin Health Pediatrics to Add Walk-in Services starting March 3

Walk-in services will take place daily from 7:45−8:45 a.m.

Farmington¾

Franklin Health Pediatrics is pleased to announce that its medical staff will be providing walk-in urgent care services for patients starting March 3 from 7:45−8:45 a.m., Monday−Friday.

This new service is for patients of Franklin Health Pediatrics who have acute, short-term illnesses or injuries that need prompt attention, but aren’t life threatening. These may include earaches, sore throats, coughs, and sprains, among others. Patients with chronic or long-standing conditions should still call to schedule an appointment as the walk-in clinic is for acute issues only.

Anyone uncertain about the severity of a problem, is always welcome to call the practice at 778-0482. Even when the office is closed, there is always a provider on call for consultation.

Nicole Donahue, CPNP, Franklin Health Pediatrics’ newest provider, will be the primary clinician staffing the walk-in clinic. Donahue is a nurse practitioner who received her master’s degree in pediatric nurse practitioner studies from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Before that she served as a pediatric charge nurse at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center.

For more information, call Franklin Health Pediatrics at 778-0482 or visit the practice located on the first floor of the Franklin Health Medical Arts Center on the Franklin Memorial Hospital campus.

Governor Announces Three Nominees to Efficiency Maine Trust Board 

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage announced today three nominations to the Efficiency Maine Trust Board. Efficiency Maine offers Business and Residential Programs to help Mainers make energy improvements and save money.

Nominated by the Governor are: Scott C. Dunning; Lenora Burke; and The Honorable Kenneth C. Fletcher.

“I am confident my nominations will serve the people of Maine well, as the board continues to focus on reducing energy costs in our State,” said the Governor. “High electricity and energy prices are hurting hardworking Mainers and turning businesses away from our state. If we want economic prosperity in Maine, we must work to reduce the cost of electricity and energy for everyone.”

Scott Dunning, a resident of Hampden, is a professor of Electrical Engineering Technology and director of the University of Maine School of Engineering Technology. Throughout his 21-year career at the University of Maine, he has taught a wide range of courses in the areas of electrical engineering and power systems. His primary research interests are in the areas of energy efficiency.

Dr. Dunning became involved with the Association of Energy Engineers in the late 1990s, when he became an instructor for the Certified Energy Manager program. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Maine. He is a senior member and past chair of the Maine Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

The Honorable Kenneth Fletcher, a resident of Winslow, worked as the director of the Governor’s Energy Office from 2011 to 2013 to help create policy and identify opportunities to drive down prices so Maine’s private sector is better able to compete and attract investment.

Previously, Fletcher worked in the pulp and paper industry for more than 30 years. Additionally, he worked as a consultant providing managerial and technical expertise to a variety of companies throughout the United States, including Huhtamaki Foodservices, Inc., Madison Paper Corporation and Wausau-Mosinee Paper Corporation.

Fletcher has an extensive political background, having served eight years as a State Representative for House District 54. He served as the ranking minority member on the Utilities and Energy Committee, which he was on for eight years.

Lenora Burke, a resident of Brunswick, is the vice president of regional operation at Downeast Energy, where she has worked for nearly 35 years. As a member of the senior leadership group, she is responsible for total operation of six full-service energy locations, the creation of budgets and operational plans and implementation.

Burke worked for C.N. Brown Company as a liaison between suppliers of gasoline and C.N. Brown during the oil embargo in the 1970s, assuring continuity of supply to customers. She developed procedures to assure a team approach to solving the issues during extraordinary time of allocations and long waiting lines at gasoline stations.

Burke has been involved with the Maine Oil Dealers, Brunswick Rotary and Bath/Brunswick Chamber of Commerce for many years.

All nominations are contingent upon Maine Senate confirmation after review by the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology.

NOTE OF INTEREST: During the regular session of the 126th Legislature, Governor LePage introduced legislation and has since signed into law a bill focused on reducing the cost of energy for Mainers today. The law provides, for the first time for a state-funded program, rebates for Mainers to invest in affordable heating options. The bill has led to the availability of more than $6 million for advanced heating systems, including heat pumps, wood pellet systems, natural gas systems, energy efficiency projects and advanced oil and propane systems.

For more information about the current program visit: http://www.efficiencymaine.com/ .

Free Ski Night sponsored by

Healthy Community Coalition and University Credit Union

The Healthy Community Coalition of Greater Franklin County (HCC) Communities Transforming initiative and University Credit Union are partnering to offer a free ski night for area youth and families at Titcomb Mountain in Farmington on Friday, February 28, from 4−8 p.m. The organizations aim to get youth and families active and get involved.

Nordic and alpine rentals will be available for $5 on a first come, first served basis.

University Credit Union and HCC staff will be at the lodge to hand out lift tickets. Come meet Monty Moose! In addition, there will be lots of goodies and giveaways!

The HCC’s Communities Transforming initiative is made possible with funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in partnership with MaineHealth and a variety of local organizations in Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Waldo Counties, many of which are MaineHealth member or affiliate hospitals.

University Credit Union serves the students, employees, and alumni of the University of Maine System Schools, as well as their families. From checking accounts and home loans to credit cards and mobile finance manager, University Credit Union

Maine Agencies Cannibalized by Welfare Spending

Medicaid will cost Maine $2.2 billion over next two yearsundefinedeven without expansion

AUGUSTA – As liberals continue to push for a massive expansion of welfare, Governor Paul R. LePage is reminding Mainers how Medicaid spending is already crowding out revenue for all other state agencies. (For details, click link above: "Medicaid Consumes General Fund.")

Medicaid expansion threatens programs, positions and services in all state departments. During the past three years, state government has eliminated and reduced funding in every state agency to pay for welfare costs. As Medicaid spending continues to consume the General Fund, there is less and less revenue for education, law enforcement, economic development and programs to protect our natural resources.

“Because Maine already expanded welfare a decade ago, Medicaid is now cannibalizing funding from all other state agencies,” said Governor LePage. “That means the state cannot fully pay its 55 percent share of local education costs. It cannot hire more Maine State Troopers or repair National Guard facilities. The state cannot adequately promote fishing and hunting programs or conduct research on our fisheries. It cannot expand job-training opportunities or properly fund programs for environmental emergencies. Everything the State of Maine does is adversely impacted by Medicaid spending. Now liberals want to expand welfare again.”

In the 13 years since Maine expanded welfare, Medicaid enrollment has more than doubled, and its cost has grown by $1.3 billion. Medicaid now takes 25 percent of all General Fund revenue. Even without welfare expansion, more than $2 billion will be spent on Maine’s Medicaid program over the next two years, totaling more than 35 percent of the General Fund.

If liberals succeed in expanding welfare again, Medicaid is expected to devour 45 percent of General Fund revenue.

Reduced federal money has forced Maine to spend a larger share of the General Fund on welfare. In fact, the drop in the Federal Matching Fund Rate (FMAP) declined from 74.73 percent in 2010 to 61.55 percent in 2014, which created $210 million in additional state expenses.  

The State of Maine Medicaid Expansion Feasibility Study estimates expansion will cost the State $807 million over 10 years.

“We simply cannot keep throwing money at an inadequate welfare program. The state is not meeting the health care needs of vulnerable Mainers, and adding more people to the welfare rolls will only exacerbate the problem,” Governor LePage said. “Expanding welfare a decade did not increase access or improve the quality of care, nor did it help uninsured Mainers. Now it is threatening all of the other programs and services Mainers expect from their state government.”

The Governor vetoed last session two Democratic-led Medicaid Expansion bills, citing the financial burden expanding would place on Maine taxpayers.

“Our state is facing a fiscal crisis, and we need to examine our spending practices, evaluate the delivery of services and gain control of our welfare system,” said Governor LePage. “Maine’s economic security and future is at stake, and we must make hard choices. My challenge as Governor and our challenge as a state is to find ways to help Maine families prosper, improve the business climate, foster better educational opportunities while still protecting those most in need with limited resources. We cannot do that while Medicaid is consuming an inordinate amount of our finite financial resources.”

MRI Service at Franklin Memorial Hospital Accredited

The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level

FARMINGTON¾

Franklin Memorial Hospital has been awarded a three-year term of accreditation in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the result of a recent review by the American College of Radiology (ACR). MRI is a noninvasive medical test that utilizes magnetic fields to produce anatomical images of internal body parts to help physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.

The ACR gold seal of accreditation represents the highest level of image quality and patient safety. It is awarded only to facilities meeting ACR Practice Guidelines and Technical Standards after a peer-review evaluation by board-certified physicians and medical physicists who are experts in the field. Image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures, and quality assurance programs are assessed. The findings are reported to the ACR Committee on Accreditation, which subsequently provides the organization with a comprehensive report it can use for continuous practice improvement.

The ACR is a national professional organization serving its members with programs focusing on the practice of medical imaging and radiation oncology and the delivery of comprehensive health care services.

MRI hours of operation at Franklin Memorial Hospital are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Maine Agencies Cannibalized by Welfare Spending

Medicaid will cost Maine $2.2 billion over next two yearsundefinedeven without expansion

AUGUSTA – As liberals continue to push for a massive expansion of welfare, Governor Paul R. LePage is reminding Mainers how Medicaid spending is already crowding out revenue for all other state agencies.

Medicaid expansion threatens the reduction or elimination of programs, positions and services in all state departments. During the past three years, state government has eliminated and reduced funding in every state agency to pay for welfare costs. As Medicaid spending continues to consume the General Fund, there is less and less revenue for education, law enforcement, economic development and programs to protect our natural resources.

“Because Maine already expanded welfare a decade ago, Medicaid is now cannibalizing funding from all other state agencies,” said Governor LePage. “That means the state cannot fully pay its 55 percent share of local education costs. It cannot hire more Maine State Troopers or repair National Guard facilities. The state cannot adequately promote fishing and hunting programs or conduct research on our fisheries. It cannot expand job-training opportunities or properly fund programs for environmental emergencies. Everything the State of Maine does is adversely impacted by Medicaid spending. Now liberals want to expand welfare again.”

In the 13 years since Maine expanded welfare, Medicaid enrollment has more than doubled and its cost has grown by $1.3 billion. Medicaid now takes 25 percent of all General Fund revenue. Even without welfare expansion, more than $2 billion will be spent on Maine’s Medicaid program over the next two years, totaling more than 35 percent of the General Fund.

If liberals succeed in expanding welfare again, Medicaid is expected to devour 45 percent of General Fund revenue.

Reduced federal money has forced Maine to spend a larger share of the General Fund on welfare. In fact, the drop in the Federal Matching Fund Rate (FMAP) declined from 74.73 percent in 2010 to 61.55 percent in 2014, which created $210 million in additional state expenses.  

The State of Maine Medicaid Expansion Feasibility Study estimates expansion will cost the State $807 million over 10 years.

“We simply cannot keep throwing money at an inadequate welfare program. The state is not meeting the health care needs of vulnerable Mainers, and adding more people to the welfare rolls will only exacerbate the problem,” Governor LePage said. “Expanding welfare a decade did not increase access or improve the quality of care, nor did it help uninsured Mainers. Now it is threatening all of the other programs and services Mainers expect from their state government.”

The Governor vetoed last session two Democratic-led Medicaid Expansion bills, citing the financial burden expanding would place on Maine taxpayers.

“Our state is facing a fiscal crisis, and we need to examine our spending practices, evaluate the delivery of services and gain control of our welfare system,” said Governor LePage. “Maine’s economic security and future is at stake, and we must make hard choices. My challenge as Governor and our challenge as a state is to find ways to help Maine families prosper, improve the business climate, foster better educational opportunities while still protecting those most in need with limited resources. We cannot do that while Medicaid is consuming an inordinate amount of our finite financial resources.”

Some State Offices to Close Thursday Afternoon Due to Snow Storm  

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage has announced that State offices in the following counties will be closing at NOON today due to inclement weather:

York
Cumberland
Kennebec 
Androscoggin 

Offices in all other counties will remain open normal business hours.

“I urge all of you to drive safely as you commute to your destination. Stopping on snow or ice without skidding requires extra time and distance. Drive slowly so you can adjust to changing road conditions. Please remember to keep a safe distance behind other vehicles and give plow trucks plenty of room to operate,” said Governor LePage.  

Governor Announces State Employees, Retirees Raise Nearly $275,000 for Charity

Through a combined charitable appeal, current and former Maine State employees have raised over $8 million for hundreds of causes for more than three decades

AUGUSTA – State employees and retirees reflect the generous spirit of the state they serve, having raised $274,143.50 for charity through the 34^th annual Maine State Employees’ Combined Charitable Appeal (MSECCA).

Governor Paul R. LePage and Maine Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Patricia Aho, who served as campaign chair for a second year, recently celebrated the success of the campaign with agency volunteers and representatives of the charities and federations who benefit from MSECCA. The Governor and the Commissioner, who each donated through MSECCA, personally thanked each agency volunteer for their service to the campaign, and the State.

“The success of MSECCA is a testament of the kindness and generosity current and former State of Maine employees have for each other and their friends and neighbors,” said Governor LePage. “I am deeply grateful – as are the federation of charities – to those who made donations through MSECCA to give a hand up to those who truly need it. For some Mainers these donations brought warmth during this long and cold winter or a hand up at the right time.”

During its 34-year history, over $8 million has been raised through MSECCA, making it one of Maine’s most meaningful workplace giving campaigns.

“Year after year, donations made through MSECCA have made a remarkable difference in the lives of many in Maine,” said Commissioner Aho. “For the past two years witnessing the donations roll in, I’ve been humbled by the amount of care and compassion current and former Maine state employees have for their communities when they donate through MSECCA.”  

Through the campaign, State workers and retirees show their collaborative commitment to their communities by contributing through one-time gifts or scheduled payroll or retirement deductions. Hundreds of charities are affiliated with the campaign through participating federations, but donors can also direct monetary gifts to any organization of their choice.

Health Insurance Information Day at Food City

LIVERMORE FALLS – Do you have questions about the Affordable Care Act and the new Health Insurance Marketplace? Do you want more information on services that exist within the community to help pay for Healthcare costs? Western Maine Family Health Center invites the public to visit our table at Food City in Livermore Falls on Wednesday, February 19^th from 12:00 to 4:00pm.

Ann Schwab, HealthReach Connector, Emily Owen, AmeriCorps member, and Sara Tisherman, AmeriCorps VISTA member will be present to answer questions you may have about affording your healthcare. Stop by to talk, pick up handouts, and grab some great giveaways.

Food City is located at 93 Main St. Livermore Falls, ME. For more information, Western Maine Family Health Center can be contacted at 207-897-4345.

Western Maine Family Health Center is one of the 11 federally qualified health centers of HealthReach Community Health Centers. HealthReach has practices located throughout Central and Western Maine. We are dedicated to providing first-class healthcare to all individuals, therefore we accept Medicare, MaineCare and most major insurances. For individuals who are uninsured or underinsured, we offer a sliding fee program that will reduce costs for visits to our health centers. HealthReach is a private, non-profit organization that has been serving the communities of Maine for 39 years.

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage has proclaimed the month of February to be Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. He joined domestic violence awareness advocates in his office last week to sign the proclamation and praised them for their work.

“There is no room for any type of violence in Maine and I will do everything I can to stop the abuse,” said the Governor. “Violence awareness advocacy groups are an intricate part of helping raise awareness and supporting victims, and I commend these organizations, which are truly making a difference.”

On Thursday, Feb. 6, domestic violence awareness and prevention organizations recognized Domestic Violence Awareness Day at the State House in Augusta where they displayed and shared informational material with the public. Those who participated in this year’s event included, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, Hope & Justice Project, Spruce Run-Womancare Alliance, Next Step, Family Violence Project, New Hope for Women, Family Crisis Services, Safe Voices, Caring Unlimited, Wabanaki Women's Coalition, and the Maliseet Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program.

According to Regina Rooney, Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence’s Public Awareness Coordinator, "In 2013, nearly 40,000 youth in communities throughout Maine participated in education around dating violence and healthy relationships, provided by advocates from MCEDV resource centers. Outreach and awareness-building with young people is essential to laying the foundation for a violence-free future."

The Governor invites Mainers to join violence awareness advocates in helping to raise awareness on this important issue by encouraging statewide youth, families, schools, law enforcement communities, government agencies, elected officials, civic organizations and other interested groups to show support for the organizations and individuals who provide critical advocacy and services and assistance to victims.

The Proclamation is as follows:

WHEREAS, the youth of Maine are this State’s most precious resource and greatest hope for the future, and ensuring their safety, well-being, positive development and growth into healthy citizens is a priority and responsibility we all share; and

WHEREAS, the transitional adolescent years present new challenges and choices for teens as they experience dating relationships for the first time; and

WHEREAS, teen dating violence, including physical, verbal and emotional abuse, sexual assault, and harassment via texting, email or “instant messaging” is a reality for many teenagers in Maine and it is a reality of which many parents and caregivers are unaware; and

WHEREAS, studies also indicate that effects of violent relationships can be serious and put victims at higher risk for substance abuse, eating disorders, risky sexual behavior, suicide and adult re-victimization; and

WHEREAS, both Houses of the U.S. Congress have declared February as “National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month”.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, PAUL R. LEPAGE, Governor of the State of Maine, do hereby recognize February, 2014 as

TEEN DATING VIOLENCE AWARENESS & PREVENTION MONTH

throughout the State of Maine, and urge all citizens to recognize this observance.