Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 4 : Spring 2010 | Page 29

A Healthier County
Aroostook’s Healthy Maine Partnerships
by The Staff Members of Aroostook’s Healthy Maine Partnerships

On a crisp March morning staff members from and the Smoke Free Housing Coalition to bring statewide
Healthy Aroostook and Power of Prevention gather, both in resources to the local level and promote the Maine Tobacco
person and by audio/video connections, to discuss the work Helpline at [phone].”
that the Healthy Maine Partnerships have done recently
Along with tobacco comes conditions aggravated or
and to establish a game plan for the coming months. linked to tobacco use as Rachel Charette Project Director
Aroostook County’s Healthy Maine Partnership offices of Power of Prevention continued, “We have been given a
have been around for several years. Power of Prevention mini grant for Aroostook County to address high asthma
and Healthy Aroostook are currently two of 28 Healthy rates and high ER use for asthma. We have worked with
Maine Partnerships funded by the Fund for a Healthy all four hospitals and the federally qualified health centers
Maine through Maine’s Bureau of Health, Department of to update their chronic disease registry for pediatric
Human Services. The Maine Legislature
asthma if needed. We also created a resource
created the Fund for a Healthy Maine
binder with asthma educational resources
in 1999 to receive and disburse Maine’s
for them to educate patients. Taking
annual tobacco settlement payments.
their medication as directed by their
The FHM was to be used exclusively
Health Care Provider, having regular
for new or expanded programs that
physician visits and avoiding triggers
would prevent disease and promote
are important aspects of disease
good health among Maine’s children
management. Besides spring and fall
and adults. The Fund for a Healthy
seasonal allergens, second hand smoke
Maine is not taxpayer dollars and
is a major trigger. There is no reason
Power of Prevention’s service area includes
not part of Maine’s General Fund
why our children should be exposed
Northern Aroostook.
Account. The partnership offices reside
to second hand smoke, especially
at local facilities. Cary Medical Center
the children with asthma. A child’s
and Northern Maine Medical Center house Power
symptoms should not be worsened or the
of Prevention while ACAP and Houlton
amount of medication they take should
Regional Hospital house Healthy
not have to be increased just because
Aroostook.
a parent refuses to smoke outside.”

While officially separate, the two

While tobacco and it’s
Aroostook County partnerships work
related consequences are a major
together on issues that directly impact
focus of the Healthy Maine
the County every day, such as tobacco
Partnerships, their scope of work is
use, “Tobacco use is a big problem.
far broader; team members throughout
Healthy Aroostook and Power of Prevention
the county combat and raise awareness
staff members work throughout Aroostook
about the many risk factors and
County to address the tobacco challenge
practices that greatly affect a county
through prevention, education,
citizen’s overall wellbeing. “One of
policy and environmental change,” Healthy Aroostook’s service area includes Central and those factors is Alcohol”, says
explained Martha Bell, Healthy
Michelle Plourde Chasse, Project
Southern Aroostook.
Aroostook’s
District Tobacco
Manager for Community Voices.
Coordinator. “We partner with local schools, community “Alcohol is the number one drug problem of youth and
organizations, worksites, child care facilities, health care adults, and is a significant factor in County substantiated
providers, social service providers, and municipalities to child abuse/neglect cases, domestic abuse cases, substance
assess tobacco related-needs and provide necessary resources. related arrests, and total traffic crashes.
We also work with the Partnership for a Tobacco Free Maine
SPRING 2010 A Healthier County 27