Maine ranks fifth in the nation for kindergartners whose parents have opted against immunizing them against childhood diseases.
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.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, Nation & World
Maine’s infectious disease experts’ positions vacant
The lack of an epidemiologist to tackle viruses such as flu or Ebola worries public health officials.
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Posted inLocal & State, News
Pepper-spray incident, other Riverview psych center problems to go before judge for possible penalties
State legislators learn of the review as a court master and the acting superintendent report on the hospital’s problems and next steps.
Posted inLocal & State, News
State CDC: Patient in Portland tests negative for Ebola, released
Maine Med performed multiple tests for the virus and isolated and observed the patient for two days as a precaution despite ‘low risk’ circumstances.
Posted inHealth, Local & State
Anthem touts face-to-face telemedicine program
The Internet-based LiveHealth program saves an average of $71 to the entire health care system for every consultation, the insurer said.
Posted inHealth, Local & State
Advocacy group delayed reporting of Riverview pepper spray incident
The Disability Rights Center is defending its decision to wait two months to tell state abuse investigators what had happened at the state hospital in Augusta.
Posted inHealth, Local & State, News
Riverview psychiatric patients, looking for refuge, find isolation instead
The Augusta-based facility has relied on the use of seclusion and restraints at comparatively high rates, even as national experts have discredited the methods as harmful to mental health.
Posted inLocal & State, News
First case of enterovirus confirmed in Maine
State officials say the child is out of the hospital, and send advice to schools on taking precautions. Forty-two states have now reported cases of the respiratory illness.
Posted inCops & Courts, Local & State, News
Police release names of deceased, state police troopers in Chester shooting
The Maine Attorney General’s Office will investigate the police shooting of the knife-wielding man.
Posted inHealth, Local & State
Panel weighs action against Riverview nurses
The nurse who blew the whistle on their alleged failure to follow the law after a pepper-spray incident says she was pressured by Riverview superintendent Jay Harper to not turn in her colleagues.