Eastern Maine Medical Center

Standard & Poor's Global Ratings revised its outlook from "negative" to "stable" on Maine's second-largest multi-hospital system.

The contract includes pay increases for every union nurses, from 12% to 17% over the next three years and a weapons ban at the hospital building.  

The hardest-hit facilities are expected to include Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, MaineGeneral Health in Augusta and Maine Medical Center in Portland.

The number of Maine hospitals receiving high marks from U.S. News & World Report has fallen for the second year in a row. The number of high marks themselves is down too.

The grading by the Leapfrog Group showed some Maine hospitals are succeeding in their efforts to prevent medical errors. But there's more improvement needed than in previous evaluations.

The national ranking, now in its 34th year, evaluated over 5,000 hospitals throughout the U.S. and gave high ratings to six of 39 health care facilities in Maine. 

Rand O’Leary’s last day at Northern Light Health Eastern Maine Medical Center will be March 31. Northern Light Health President and CEO Timothy Dentry will assume O'Leary's duties until a replacement is found.

The national report card on hospital performance, now in its 33rd year, contained generally high marks for Maine acute care facilities. The number of "high performing" hospitals in the ratings jumped from nine to 15.

The recently completed construction project at Portland’s Northern Light Mercy Hospital helped convince credit rating agencies to improve their outlook on the parent health care system.

Starting Thursday, 38 National Guard members out of 75 that have been called up will be deployed to 10 health care facilities across the state.