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What you could learn from a Wisconsin city where people aren’t afraid to talk about aging

In one city in Wisconsin, everyone talks about the difficult realities of aging. About 96 percent of people who die in La Crosse, a city roughly the size of Bangor situated on the Mississippi River, have completed an advance directive or similar paperwork spelling out their wishes for end-of-life care, NPR recently reported. That’s more than three times the […]

A Maine student’s homework, brought to you by Oreo

Ladies and gentlemen, a Maine student’s opinions about snow — brought to you by Oreo. You don’t often see a child’s schoolwork sponsored by a multinational cookie brand. But food marketers regularly advertise to students in Maine schools using less overt tactics, according to Tina Pettingill of the Maine Public Health Association. She used the Oreo worksheet, passed […]

Is prostate cancer screening worth the risk? The heated medical debate behind King’s announcement

One line in particular from Sen. Angus King’s announcement that he’ll undergo prostate cancer surgery caught my attention. In a statement, his office said the senator has experienced no symptoms of the disease, “but a routine medical exam in April revealed some abnormalities in his bloodwork indicating possible prostate cancer.” While the announcement doesn’t specify which blood test turned […]

Vital Signs newsletter: Watchdog finds Maine VA mishandled mental health care

Almost exactly a year has passed since scandal first rocked the nation’s VA health system. Sparked by reports that multiple patients in Phoenix died after long waits for care, the government initiated sweeping investigations that cast a skeptical eye on VA facilities across the country. Now, a government watchdog has tied some of the VA’s “systemic problems” to Maine, […]

New Englanders, here’s the body part we ask plastic surgeons to fix the most

If you could change any part of your body with plastic surgery, what would it be? New Englanders answer that question differently than people going under the knife throughout the rest of the country, according to data released by a medical society for plastic surgeons. (The data doesn’t reflect those who answer, “None thanks, get that scalpel away from me.”) Breast augmentations reigned supreme for […]

Vital Signs newsletter: Mercy to close addiction recovery clinic

Mercy Hospital announced Wednesday it will close its addiction recovery center in Westbrook and transfer services to its State Street location. The move will affect about 250 patients and 90 employees at the Westbrook clinic, which provides Suboxone treatment and counseling for patients recovering from heroin, prescription painkiller and alcohol addiction. While Mercy patients will […]