Maine public health personnel will benefit from $13.8M grant

Photo / Maureen Milliken Maine DHHS was awarded a federal grant that will, in part, expand the infrastructure and communications that serve public health.

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By Alexis Wells

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services was awarded $13.8 million by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to invest in Maine’s critical public health infrastructure and workforce over the next five years.

The grant will support current and additional positions in areas including infectious disease, maternal and child health, chronic disease and injury prevention, environmental health and local public health. Access to health care services will be expanded as well. The grant will also allow the Maine CDC to dedicate resources toward developing infrastructure and communications systems.

“This award allows the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention to sustain and add positions that will continue to be critical in the years to come and invest in the long-term health and safety of Maine people,” said DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew and Maine CDC Director Nirav D. Shah in a prepared release.

The award is part of $3.14 billion the U.S. CDC is distributing to help strengthen public health departments across the country.

“The last several years have shown the need for a robust and resilient public health infrastructure system to support Maine people and our communities,” said Sen. Angus King and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, who announced the grant. “This grant will help the Maine Department of Health and Human Services recruit and retain additional public health staff and strengthen organizational systems.

"Thanks to this investment from the American Rescue Plan, the state can take steps to minimize the gaps in health care access between rural and urban communities as well as prepare for and respond to any future public health emergencies.”