Ashley Durand has been self-conscious about her body all her life. The 28-year-old Portland woman lives with cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening inherited disease characterized by a buildup of thick, sticky mucus that damages the lungs and digestive system. She struggles to gain weight, and a feeding tube juts from her abdomen. But Durand recently agreed […]
Measles often dominates conversations about vaccination, singled out as a disease that could resurge 15 years after the U.S. declared it eliminated from this country. Among the reasons — experts say it’s one of the most contagious infectious diseases, the vaccine is very effective, and an outbreak that began at California’s Disnelyland late last year has spread. Yesterday, Maine officials announced that an infected […]
William Gates was a ski racing champion from Skowhegan, trained and educated at Carrabassett Valley Academy. After graduating, he headed to the University of Vermont with a presidential scholarship to study molecular genetics. Then, his life was cut short. At age 21, he died from a heroin overdose. Will had shown no signs of drug addiction before […]
For nearly a decade, Maine has placed hundreds of adults with intellectual disabilities on wait lists for services they’re entitled to under the MaineCare program. The delays, fueled by funding shortages, were the subject of a lawsuit and became a sticking point in the fierce debate about whether to expand MaineCare under the Affordable Care Act. In […]
Add this to the list of electronics consuming teenagers’ attention: cigarettes. Use of electronic cigarettes tripled among American middle and high school students over the course of just one year, from 2013 to 2014, according to new data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The statistics come as many states, including Maine, seek limits on the devices […]
Apparently it’s “controversial health legislation” week in Augusta. While bills related to Mainers’ health spark plenty of debate throughout the legislative session — see “Medicaid expansion” — lawmakers tackled a spate of proposals this week that could affect your physical well-being. First out of the gate was a bill to ban the use of electronic cigarettes, or “vaping,” in public […]
Do you have a primary care doctor? The Affordable Care Act relies on the trusted family doctor to help transform the country’s health care system. Along with boosting Medicare and Medicaid payments to primary care providers and investing in their work force, health reform puts primary care doctors and nurses at the heart of efforts to improve care while lowering costs. […]
On Wednesday evening, about 40 people attended a WGME town hall forum about vaccination. I represented the BDN as a media partner in the event. The intense public discussion over vaccines, particularly whether the government should require them, has culminated in Maine with new legislation. One bill seeks to end an exemption that allows parents to skip vaccines for their […]
Two Maine groups representing organic farmers have joined a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, arguing the agency undercut the organic certification program by changing the rules without public comment. The lawsuit concerns the process by which the USDA takes synthetic or natural materials off its list of ingredients prohibited in certified organic products. The board that oversees […]
We’re teaming up with our media partners at WGME Channel 13 for a town hall debate tomorrow night about vaccination. I’ll be on hand to ask a question or two of of the panel. My money’s on a lively debate. The panelists are: Dr. Dora Anne Mills, VP for clinical affairs at the University of New […]
