UPDATES—    

Property tax refunds avalible

Free Fare Fridays -for ridding the bus available in Maine

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

Governor J.  Baldacci— The Governor talks candidly about Maine's energy independent future with reserach that puts the state on the cutting edge, natural resources that can be used sustainabley, and businesses working with the state to make it happen. 

Pat McGowan speaks about Maine’s Wood to Energy Initiative.  

Commissioner Laura Fortman -  explains the states’ new Job-Search –Job Match program

MAINE INITIATIVES—

Emergency Energy Task Force Report: —Ways to save energy and what the state is doing to help.

Wood to Energy Initative— How to convert to wood pellets.

MAINE COMMUNITY NEWS—

MITF Community Grants – Maine awards communities across the state with funds to improve downtowns

Portland Freedom Trail adds new historic markers.

Holocaust Museaum opens—   The Michael Klahr Museum was officially opened in Augusta

A.G. Rowe — Gets alcoholic producers of energy drinks to stop

 HEALTHCARE NEWS—

State’s Progress in HealthCare initiatives

MAINE AS 'ONE COMMUNITY' NEWS—

Land for Maine's Future grants announced.  More than 36,000 acres will be preserved .

Working Waterfront preservation grants announced  

MAINE'S INNOVATIVE ECONOMY—

Salmon Aquaculture —New Facility is the only research center in North America

New Wind Power Projects—The State gives TIFF tax breaks to wind power project in Western Mts. Off shore wind mills could meet all our energy needs, including heating needs.

Composite Technology Advances Business

Broadband News—Fairpoint Communications is adding jobs and Connect ME is deciding on the next round of grant recipients

MAINE ECONOMIC NEWS—

Taxes—Maine’s tax rating lowered because the old standard was misleading

Hodgon's Yacht expands—The new facility brings high wage jobs to Richmond.

Atkin's Printing— Maine’s oldest union printer is expanding while giving workers a share in profits

Locally Known Organic Farms— the largest in the Northeast plans to supply the entire region with organic greens

MAINE VOICES—

Energy Crisis— Green color jobs are the silver lining

Dem Corps— The organization is saving participants hundreds of dollars in it’s oil program

NEWS FROM CONGRESS—

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen— Bill to reduce heating expenses and winterization loans

U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud— Economic help for small ME businesses

GLOBAL NEWS— 

 Al Gore— His global challenge to curb Global Warming

ELETION NEWS— 

Barack Obama— His speech in Berlin

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Statistical information in this publication is obtained from state agencies and government offices.

All photographs, articles, and layout are by Ramona du Houx unless otherwise indicated.

Not authorized by any candidate, candidate’s committee, or the Maine Democratic Party

The 2008-2009 State Health Plan

The State Health Plan is issued every two years by the governor and the 19-member Advisory Council on Health Systems Development (ACHSD) after considerable public input. The plan initiates actions to slow the growth in healthcare spending by making the citizens of Maine healthier and by actions to make healthcare delivery more efficient and effective.

“Dirigo Health Reform laid out a multi-pronged strategy to health care improvement in Maine,” said Governor Baldacci. “MaineCare and DirigoChoice are our strategies to cover lower-income families, while the State Health Plan lays out a roadmap to make coverage affordable for everyone.”

Significant progress since the 2006-2007 State Health Plan:

• Achieving a streamlined public health system by coordinating efforts within eight newly created districts and through the Maine Center for Disease Control consolidating 150 grants into 28.

• Dirigo Health has covered 28,300 people and Dirigo Health Reforms generated $111 million in saving over its first three years.

• HealthInfoNet in cooperation with four hospitals progressed toward one of the first statewide health information exchanges in the country.

• Dirigo’s insurance rate regulation resulted in insurers refunding $6.6 million to small businesses.

• Maine Quality Forum and hospitals worked together to implement the “In A Heartbeat” program, an evidence-based treatment plan for providers to use in treating heart attacks.

The 2008-2009 State Health Plan new goals and objectives:

• Strengthening the system of local health officers and developing regional health plans, including an assessment of adult and childhood immunization needs.

• Implement a pilot program to redesign how medical care is delivered by creating patient-centered medical homes, which focus on enhanced prevention, chronic care management, and care coordination to improve quality and patient health, while reducing variation and unnecessary utilization.

• Review DirigoChoice to develop options to reduce costs and increase efficiencies in order to cover more people.

• Investigate the costs and causes of Maine’s high Emergency Department use, and recommend solutions, if appropriate.

• Examine and report on strategies to stem the rising cost of insurance in the small-business market and monitor and report on the efficiency and effectiveness of Maine’s insurance carriers in all markets.

• Begin using Maine’s recently completed, first-in-the-nation, all-payer claims database to develop a detailed, regional analysis of healthcare cost drivers.

• Analyze and advocate for national solutions to achieve universal access to health care.

• Address issues in oral health.

• Increase Mainers’ access to healthcare services through telemedicine, when appropriate.

• Examine ways for veterans’ health services to be offered locally through federally qualified health centers.

• Reduce cost shifting and increase the flow of federal funds to Maine by: seeking federal action to improve Medicare reimbursement to Maine’s hospitals, and increasing use of Medicare’s hospice benefit.

• Reduce rates of hospital-acquired infections through a hospital collaborative, and strengthen Maine’s sentinel event (i.e. medical errors) reporting law to improve patient safety.

“This is an action plan that makes the health system more affordable for all Mainers,” said Trish Riley, director of the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance. “To that end, our Advisory Council will assure accountability, meeting regularly with the parties responsible for all the tasks. This is a collaborative public-private undertaking, and we will regularly report to the governor, Legislature, and the public about progress made.”