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 2008 estimated population of 1,316,456 people – with 546,863 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 U.S. Census Bureau, 96.5% of the state’s population is white, 1.0% is Black/African-American, and 1.2% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2007).
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 Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (April, 2009). There are 38 Rural Health Clinics in Maine (CMS, 2009), and 17 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at over 100 sites in the state (Maine Office of Rural Health, August 2008). 9.1% of Maine residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2006-2007).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Maine residents in 2007 was $33,991, although rural per-capita income lagged at $30,067. Estimates from 2007 indicate a poverty rate of 14.3% exists in rural Maine, compared to 10.6% 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 6.4%, while in urban Maine it is 4.8% (USDA-ERS, 2008).
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 Department of Health and Human Services: Office of Multicultural Affairs
State government
A resource to all state agencies and to all communities served to improve services to minority and multicultural populations in the state of Maine.
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 Research Center (MRHC)
Academic/Research
One of six 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
Lists 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 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 KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
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.
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 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: 10 / 2008
Expanding College and Job-Skills Opportunities in Western Maine
Author(s): Betsy Rubiner
Sponsoring organization: Annie E. Casey Foundation
Reports that in Franklin County, Maine, a group of local leaders has brought community college classes and jobs skills training to their area, giving residents new opportunities to qualify for good jobs and higher expectations for their futures
Date: 2008
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
Home to Stay: Helping Families Avoid or Recover from Homelessness in Maine’s Rural Areas
Author(s): Anne Gass,
Sponsoring organization: Maine Child Support
The results of a study in seven of Maine's rural counties covering a range of topics including homelessness prevention to housing stability, assessment, and recommendations for improvement.
Date: 02 / 2009
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
Plan for Improving Rural Health in Maine
Sponsoring organization: Maine Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
Focuses on building sustainable rural health systems that can improve rural health care in Maine.
Date: 10 / 2008
Policy Issues Affecting Maine’s Hospitals
Author(s): John A. Gale, Jennifer D. Lenardson
Sponsoring organization: Muskie School of Public Service Institute for Health Policy
Describes the distribution of hospitals in Maine and the challenges for those hospitals stemming from federal and state regulations, trends in physician practice, and emerging payment models.
Date: 01 / 2009
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: 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
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.
Outreach Rural Health for Rural Maine
This project was designed to expand home care services for
patients with anxiety and depression in the easternmost counties of
the United States—Aroostook County and Washington County.
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.
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