Recent reports that the state Legislature is considering defunding the Fund for a Healthy Maine has sounded alarms in the public health community. In short, that action would gut our modest local public health infrastructure and would be in direct conflict with the state’s own local public health policy.

Unlike many other states, our local public health system is not made up of county or municipal departments. Maine has opted to leverage the fund to support locally administered health programs through the “Healthy Maine Partnerships” that cover all portions of this very geographically dispersed state.

Our HMP is Healthy Androscoggin, which has used fund dollars with impressive results county-wide, including: the Work Healthy Award program that connects and provides support to more than 200 businesses, affecting some 10,000 employees; Quit and Win Program, helping nearly 300 residents to be tobacco-free; and Let’s Go Androscoggin, with 36 sites across the county to create environments that support healthy eating and more physical activity.

Healthy Androscoggin is also an invaluable L-A Public Health Committee partner. Its expertise has assisted our volunteer committee’s efforts to assemble two major public information forums around local public health concerns regarding bed bugs and bath salts.

Without Healthy Androscoggin staff support, our committee’s ability to deliver specific L-A public health initiatives would be significantly reduced.

Phil Nadeau, Lewiston