Half a dozen of the state’s most prominent health organizations — including the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and American Lung Association — have withdrawn their support for the upcoming State Health Improvement Plan. In a letter sent to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention this week, the organizations said they could […]
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Officials to be subpoenaed in CDC document-shredding probe
AUGUSTA — The Maine Center for Disease Control officials at the heart of a document-shredding probe will be required to appear before the Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee to answer questions. CDC Director Sheila Pinette, Deputy Director Christine Zukas, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity Director Lisa Sockabasin, Division Director Deborah Wigand and Senior Program […]
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HMPs: What they do, what they spend
The “Don’t smoke” posters in the local high school hallway? The convenience store clerks trained to check IDs so kids don’t buy beer? The new walking path in town? It’s likely that an HMP — a Healthy Maine Partnership — had something to do with each of those things, and more. Despite all the good […]
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Lawmakers vote to subpoena Maine CDC officials involved in document-shredding probe
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on the Government Oversight Committee voted Friday to subpoena officials at the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention to appear before the committee. The committee had invited five CDC officials to provide information Friday about the destruction of public records, including Director Sheila Pinette, Deputy Director Christine Zukas, Office of Minority […]
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Our View: CDC employees are entitled to legal counsel
On Thursday, the Sun Journal published a front-page report on the fees to be paid to private lawyers hired to defend Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention employees in a federal whistleblower lawsuit. Attorney General Janet Mills authorized the expenditure of up to $50,000 for the firm of Kelly, Remmel & Zimmerman to represent […]
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Maine pays lawyers $300 to $333 per hour to defend CDC officials in whistle-blower case
AUGUSTA — The private attorneys hired by the state to defend the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention from a federal whistleblower lawsuit filed by a former employee are being paid $300 per hour. Maine Attorney General Janet Mills has authorized the state’s Department of Health and Human Services to spend up to $50,000 […]
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Committee postpones meeting on CDC review because of weather
AUGUSTA — The Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee postponed its Friday meeting because of the snowstorm that started Thursday morning. The committee will meet at 9 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21, to continue its review of the Report on Healthy Maine Partnerships’ FY13 contracts and funding. It is scheduled to meet again on Friday, Feb. 28. Both […]
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Lawyers ask state committee to suspend CDC shredding investigation
AUGUSTA — Lawmakers on the Government Oversight Committee on Tuesday were asked to suspend their investigation into the destruction of public documents by officials at the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention in June 2013. The request came via a letter from private lawyers hired by the state to defend the Department of Health […]
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Maine CDC officials decline invitations to testify
AUGUSTA — A legislative committee wants to hear about a document-shredding scandal from Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention officials, but none of the officials invited to testify has agreed to do so. It was unclear Monday whether the Government Oversight Committee would exercise its power to subpoena the officials at the heart of […]
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Maine Democrats ask LePage for messages around CDC document-shredding case
AUGUSTA — The Maine Democratic Party on Monday announced it has filed a public records request with Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s office asking for information about a change in funding for Healthy Maine Partnerships in 2012. The funding change orchestrated by the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention has come under fire after a […]