BELFAST – Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility will host a breakfast forum titled Dirigo at Work: What Every Small Business Needs to Know on Thursday, Feb. 12. It will be held from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the Luther-Bonney Auditorium at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.

In July 2004, Maine Small Businesses will be able to choose Dirigo Health coverage as their health insurance plan. Attendees will discuss Dirigo Health with a panel of experts who will update them on the most recent developments.

The forum is sponsored by Cadillac Mountain Sports and will be moderated by Deborah Cook, executive director of the Maine Small Business Alliance MSBA. Panelists will include: Trish Riley, director of the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance; Bob Farnham, vice president Employee Benefits Services, Marsh Advantage America; and Mary Allen Lindemann, owner of Coffee by Design, chairwoman of the board of MEBSR, and a member of MSBA’s Advisory Council.

Founded in 1993, MEBSR is an association of businesses committed to creating a new business climate that recognizes that long-term, sustainable profitability is directly linked to acting in a socially-responsible manner.

Members learn how to improve their business success by taking steps to lessen the environmental impact of their business, treat their employees with increasing respect and fairness, and give back to the community.

To register or obtain more information about the forum or MEBSR, phone Executive Director Sanna McKim at 388-8908 or visit www.mebsr.org