COVID-related hospitalizations remain steady as new subvariant dominates

The omicron subvariant, XBB, now accounts for about 70% of all COVID-19 cases in the Northeast. While it is more contagious than previous subvariants, local hospital officials say they are not seeing a spike in hospitalizations.

$6.5 million for tri-county health care providers included in federal spending bill

Maine's congressional delegation secured millions of dollars in federal funding for more than 200 Maine-based projects and organizations, including $4 million for health care services in Androscoggin County and nearly $2.5 million for services in Oxford County.

Steve Littleson takes over as president of Bridgton, Rumford hospitals

Littleson is taking over for Peter Wright, who stepped down last week.

CMMC, St. Mary’s get top grades from hospital safety watchdog group

Face Time: CMMC nurse Kailey Norcross — being the ‘best nurse that I can be’ for patients

Kailey Norcross, an Auburn native and a registered nurse at Central Maine Medical Center, recently earned international recognition for her work with patients.

Central Maine Healthcare launching tuition reimbursement program for nursing students

The program launches this month for nursing students at the Maine College of Health Professions who commit to working at CMH after graduation.

Universal masking remains in place at local hospitals

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated their guidance for health care settings to make universal masking optional when community transmission is not at a high level.

Maine Urgent Care in Topsham to close, consolidate with Lewiston location

The move will allow the organization to increase staffing and urgent care access in Lewiston, according to a press release from Central Maine Healthcare.

Local coalition working to bring awareness to dangers of vaping

The use of e-cigarette and vaping products, such as Juul, "exploded" among middle and high schoolers during the pandemic, said the director of Healthy Androscoggin.

Hospital workers are expected to ‘tolerate a level of abuse’ unacceptable anywhere else

There is a cultural expectation that health care workers, especially in hospitals, tolerate abusive behavior, making them less likely to want to pursue a criminal case and law enforcement and district attorneys less likely to prosecute, hospital workers told the Sun Journal.