From the pristine wilderness of the conifer and hardwood forests that cover 90% of the state, to the magnificent rocky coastline of the north, to the long sandy beaches of the south, Maine is truly a scenic wonder. Maine covers 30,862 square miles, with a 2006 estimated population of 1,321,574 people – with 553,175 people living in rural Maine (USDA-ERS). Augusta is the state capital. The state’s largest cities are Portland, Lewiston, and Bangor. According to the 2005 Census, 96.9% of the state’s population is white, 0.8% is Black/African-American, and 1.0% is of Hispanic/Latino origin.
There are 36 hospitals in Maine, 22 of which are
located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and
Policy Analysis Center, 2007). The state has 15 hospitals
currently identified by the Maine Office of Rural Health and Primary
Care (2006) as Critical Access Hospitals. There are 49 Rural Health
Clinics in Maine, and 17 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide
services at 54 sites in the state (Maine Office of Rural Health,
2006). Ten percent of Maine residents lack any health insurance
(Kaiser, 2004-2005).
According to the Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Maine residents in 2005 was $30,808, although rural per-capita income lagged at $27,724. Estimates from 2004 indicate a poverty rate of 13.0% exists in rural Maine, compared to 11.5% in urban areas of the state. 2000 data reports 16.6% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 13.2% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Maine is 5.4%, while in urban Maine it is 4.6% (USDA-ERS, 2006).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau:
State & County QuickFacts
USDA
Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets
North
Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Maine Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Kaiser
Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex
Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Maine
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
Maine Child Support
State government
Is responsible for the development and implementation of the rules, regulations, policies and procedures necessary to assure that all non-custodial parents are contributing to the economic support of their children.
Maine Community Action Association
State/regional organization
Provides local organization to efforts which empower low income people to lift themselves and their families out of poverty.
Maine Department of Health and Human Services
State government
Mission is to provide health and human services to the people of Maine so that all persons may achieve and maintain their optimal level of health
Maine Hospital Association (MHA)
State/regional organization
Is the primary advocate for hospitals in the Maine State Legislature, the U.S. Congress and state and federal regulatory agencies. It also provides educational services and serves as a clearinghouse for comprehensive information for its hospital members, lawmakers and the public.
Maine Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
State government
Manages health personnel recruitment and retention programs and provides technical assistance for communities to receive grants that benefit health care and rural areas; facilitates communication on rural health issues among providers, consumers and government programs.
Maine Primary Care Association (MPCA)
State/regional organization
They are the membership organization for the primary care safety net in Maine. These include the state's Federally Qualified Health Centers, Indian Health Centers, and allied providers of care for the underserved.
Maine Rural Health Association (MRHA)
State/regional organization
Listens to the health and health care concerns of rural citizens, and suggests ways to break down barriers to access, communications and collaboration by encouraging partnerships for the provision of consumer-focused integrated rural health care.
Maine Rural Health Research Center (MRHC)
Academic/Research
One of eight Rural Health Research Centers funded by the Office of Rural Health Policy. Works to inform health care policymaking and the delivery of rural health services, focusing on rural health care financing and system reform, rural long term care, and rural mental health.
Muskie School of Public Service Institute for Health Policy
Academic/Research
Conducts research and policy analysis to identify and promote solutions to complex health care challenges.
New England Rural Health RoundTable (NERHRT)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Composed of a diverse group of individuals and organizations committed to improving health and health care throughout rural New England communities. Serves as a regional rural health advocate for Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
Resources for Communities and People Solutions
State/regional organization
Helps support rural community infrastructure in the northeastern United States.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Maine
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
University of Maine Center on Aging
Academic/Research
The Center on Aging is a university-wide, interdisciplinary center specializing in aging education, research and community service.
USDA Rural Development Maine State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
ERS State Fact Sheet: Maine
Web site
Statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Maine QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Maine Community Level Information on Kids (CLIKS)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Maine Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Maine Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
Maine State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
Maine State Medicaid Profile
Web site
Provides data on Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for the state.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Maine
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
Northern New England AgrAbility Project
Web site
Is a partnership with Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine Cooperative Extension and Alpha One Services, a non profit disability organization. Cooperative Extension and Alpha One are committed to supporting farm families affected by a disability to be productive and successful in agriculture.
State Profiles- Maine: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
BJ’s Charitable Foundation
Funding for safety, security and well-being of children and families, education and health programs, community service opportunities, and hunger and disaster relief.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Changing Faces of New England: Increasing Spatial and Racial Diversity
Author(s): Keneth M. Johnson
Sponsoring organization: Carsey Institute
Discusses racial diversity in New England. Includes information about rural or Nonmetropolitan New England.
Date: 2008
Demographic and Economic Profile: Maine
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, income, and more. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 05 / 2006
Healthy Aging
Author(s): Mary Walsh, Peggy Haynes, Chris Sady, Matt L'Italien
Sponsoring organization: Muskie School of Public Service Institute for Health Policy
Discusses options and barriers that older adults face in making healthy lifestyle changes, placing the discussion within the context of the demographics of Maine's older adults.
Date: 09 / 2006
Housing and Service Options for Older Adults in Maine
Author(s): Julie Fralich, Kate Maggioncalda
Sponsoring organization: Muskie School of Public Service Institute for Health Policy
Compares Maine with the national trends and provides suggestions for how individuals, communities and policymakers can make a difference in assuring affordable, accessible and available housing and services.
Date: 09 / 2006
Maine's Aging Economy and the Economy of Aging
Author(s): Charles S. Colgan
Sponsoring organization: Muskie School of Public Service Institute for Health Policy
Explores the demographics of aging in Maine and the some of the important relationships between these trends and the economy. The author addresses the issue of how the older population in Maine will change over the next 20 years, and examines how changes in the economy will affect the aging population and vice versa, in particular relating to the question of how the aging population will relate to the workforce.
Date: 09 / 2006
Maine's Rural Health Challenges
Author(s): Jennifer D. Lenardson, David Hartley
Sponsoring organization: Muskie School of Public Service Institute for Health Policy
Describes the issues affecting access to health care in rural Maine which includes: the use of enhanced Medicare and Medicaid payments to support the rural health infrastructure, the adequacy of the provider workforce, the contribution of health care to the rural economy, and the high prevalence and unmet need for care for persons with substance use and mental health issues.
Date: 01 / 2007
Maine: Local Efforts Shape Statewide RHIO
Author(s): Chuck Appleby
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
Describes a health care network in Central Maine that is implementing an electronic medical record (EMR).
Journal citation: H&HN's Most Wired Magazine
Date: 11 / 2006
Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Maine
Author(s): David Lambert, Michael Brennan
Sponsoring organization: Muskie School of Public Service Institute for Health Policy
Discusses Maine's mental health system. Describes how Maine provides mental health services, while providing other health care services under MaineCare.
Date: 01 / 2007
Rural Dental Practice: A Tale of Four States
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Denise M. Lishner, L. Gary Hart
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Reports the findings of a study investigating rural dentist issues, such as demography, training, practice characteristics, staff, and job satisfaction, in Alabama, California, Maine, and Missouri.
Date: 03 / 2006
ScoreHealth: Decades-old Program Brings Preventative Services to Rural Maine and Elsewhere
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Highlights Healthy Community Coalition, and ScoreHealth, community-based organizations developed for rural residents in Franklin County, Maine.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02 / 2008
Small Business Profile: Maine
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 2006
State Profiles - Maine: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
Telling Their Stories: Women Business Owners in Western Maine
Author(s): Coastal Enterprises, Inc.
Describes the entrepreneurship and businesses of 14 women business owners in rural communities in Western Maine.
Date: 2006
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
EMS Co-op Helps Rural Providers
Using the power of group purchasing within a cooperative structure, the North Central EMS Cooperative (NCEMSC) is an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) cooperative developed to serve Minnesota and surrounding states.
Enhancements to Healthy Families Nurturing Families
This grant project was designed to address the high incidence of juvenile crime, family violence, and substance abuse among families raising teenagers.
Mid-Coast Mental Health Integration Initiative
The goals of the Mid-Coast Mental Health Integration Initiative are to improve access to child and adolescent mental health services, reduce the stigma associated with mental health, reduce the number of crisis interventions, improve coordination and cooperation among local health providers, and disseminate an innovative model.
Peer & Community Support For People With Mental Illness In Rural Areas (PEERNET)
PeerNET is a network of rural support groups developed and operated by and for people with mental health problems.
Rural Health Outreach (Maine)
The care management services provided by this project facilitated a cooperative effort among health care providers, patients, and community support services to create an outpatient care management program for rural consumers, especially the elderly, people with disabilities, minorities, and children who have chronic health problems including chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), diabetes, asthma, and heart disease.
Rural Health Outreach Grant, Maine
The initial goal of this project was to provide community based services for substance abuse and mental illness in and around the rural town of Bethel, Maine.
Rural Maine Healthy Aging Program
The main goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive medical and social service resource for the area's aging population.
SCORE-5 for Heart Health
This program targeted all adults in Franklin Memorial Hospital's service area to provide health promotion services for adults in physician offices, work sites, and other locations throughout the community using a mobile van.
Senior Reach
Five nonprofit organizations in Aroostook County, Maine, have implemented a constellation of programs to improve services to older adults with mental illness and cognitive impairments. The project also offers support to their caregivers.
The Adult Day Service Program—Keeping Disabled Adults Independent
Community Concepts, Inc. responded to a previously unmet need in Oxford and Franklin Counties in Maine by providing daytime care for frail elderly and other adults with a diagnosis or Alzheimer's disease, other dementia, mental illness or mental retardation in a home-like setting.
The Healthy Living Initiative
The Healthy Living Initiative of the Healthy Community Coalition will focus on community and primary care strategies to address obesity, a major risk factor for a number of diseases, as well as behavioral factors that contribute to the obesity epidemic.
Western Maine Center for Heart Health
The Western Maine Center for Heart Health (WMCHH) reflects collaboration between the county’s hospital, doctors, business leaders, and community residents. The mission of the center is to reduce the health and economic burdens of cardiovascular disease through coordinated community approaches.
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