Maine Medicine Weekly Update - 07/29/2019  (Plain Text Version)

Return to Graphical Version

In this issue:
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
•  McKusick Lecture Welcomes Tufts Maine Track Class of 2023
•  Change in Referral Policy to the Public Health Nursing Program
•  2019 Mary Cushman, MD Award - Nomination Deadline Extended
•  U.S. House Committee Reports Surprise Billing and Other Legislation
•  Maine Family Planning (MFP) Reacts to Title X Funding Loss
•  MICIS Individual Academic Detailing Sessions on Opioid Topics
•  This Week's Public Health Updates from the AMA
•  Scrutiny of CVS-Aetna Deal Shows AMA's Powerful impact
129th MAINE LEGISLATURE
•  MMA Legislative Calls Finished for the Session
UPCOMING EVENTS
•  Upcoming Specialty Society Meetings
•  Quality Counts: Rapid Induction Starting in the ED (RISE) Training, ECHO Program
•  MICIS Opioid Education Presentations Available
•  Complex Mental and Behavioral Health Needs of Maine Youth - August 16
•  Maine Concussion Management Initiative (MCMI) Training Program - October 9
HEALTHCARE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
•  Outpatient Internal Medicine Physician – Bangor, Maine
•  BC/BE Family Medicine or Internal Medicine Physician
•  Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital seeks a BC/BE General Surgeon
•  Family Medicine Opportunity in Beautiful Western Maine
•  Physician
•  Physician Director of Primary Care
•  Nurse Practitioner
•  Family Medicine Specialist or an Internist
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
•  Opportunities at the VA for Volunteer Physicians
•  Volunteer Opportunity with Partners for World Health

Maine Family Planning (MFP) Reacts to Title X Funding Loss

Maine Family Planning (MFP) seeks advocacy partners in response to changes in the federal government's Title X program.

Maine Family Planning (MFP) is seeking support from its statewide community of medical providers and advocates to speak up for the preservation and longevity of Maine’s family planning network.   Family planning services are a cornerstone of our large and rural state’s public health infrastructure.  In the nearly 50 years that Maine Family Planning has served as Maine’s Title X grantee, it has experienced the success of this bipartisan federal program in reducing rates of unplanned pregnancy among young people and reaching the highest levels of effective contraceptive use in the country among people of reproductive age.

Unfortunately, the current federal administration is attempting to dismantle Title X by implementing the domestic Gag Rule, which led the MFP Board of Directors to announce its intent to withdraw from the Title X program last week.  While MFP believes this is an ethical decision to preserve access and protect the rights of all patients to receive unbiased and full information from their health care providers, the organization now faces the challenge of having lost nearly $2 million in public funds overnight.  Maine’s family planning system warrants public support in the form of state funds, so it can continue to maintain a robust network of MFP-operated clinics and sub-grantee partners who will meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of our rural and low-income populations.  Without public investment, the future of our state’s successful family planning system is uncertain at best. 

Here is a link to a sign-on statement: https://forms.gle/1rgZXUk19w6xS9t4A.

MFP would appreciate support from any health care organizations in Maine who are so-inclined.  For more information, please go to:   https://mainefamilyplanning.org/.