Vital Signs: Maine health providers prepare for Ebola

Nurse Kaci Hickox may have reached a settlement with the state over how she’ll be monitored for signs of Ebola, but that doesn’t mean the deadly virus has dropped off Maine’s radar. Medical professionals and public officials from across the state gathered Wednesday in Bangor to further prepare for a possible case of the illness. They discussed basic information about Ebola, the regional response plan, the behavioral health impact of the disease, how to care for patients, and how to handle and transport laboratory specimens and Ebola waste.

Many of the health professionals in attendance hoped to overcome misinformation about the virus. A prime example: the phony online Ebola story that fueled concerns in Fort Kent earlier this week.

Maine health care, emergency services prepare for Ebola

Other top health stories this week:

Republican gubernatorial wins make Medicaid expansion unlikely in Maine and four other states

Even if Democrats had been victorious in governor races, they still faced a long shot getting Medicaid expansion through Republican-controlled legislatures. The one exception was Maine, where Gov. Paul LePage, who was re-elected, has five times vetoed efforts by his state’s Democratic-controlled legislature to expand the program.

Maine voters pass six bonds, approve borrowing $50 million

The bonds will fund testing of disease-carrying ticks and mosquitoes, construction of a new cancer research center at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, and a new lab and workforce training facility at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory.

From our bloggers

Wendy Watkins, Gym Class Dropout

When the power went out, my ambition went with it

It was so quiet it sucked the life out of all the productive energy I’d been feeling, leaving behind a need for distraction.

Jackie Conn, Sooner or Lighter

6 Things You Should Know About Your Weight Loss

It’s really your decision if you get to goal and stay there or if your weight loss efforts result in disappointment and failure.

From the source

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services released this statement regarding its decision to withhold the name of a Cumberland County restaurant where a worker may have exposed diners to hepatitis A. I wrote about the situation in a blog post earlier this week.

 

Compiled by BDN Health Editor Jackie Farwell

Jackie Farwell

About Jackie Farwell

I'm the health editor for the Bangor Daily News, a Bangor native, a UMaine grad, and a weekend crossword warrior. I never get sick of writing about Maine people, geeking out over health care data, and finding new ways to help you stay well. I live in Gorham with my husband Nick and our hound dog Riley.