An Act To Improve the Health of Maine Communities and Reduce Emergency Care Burdens
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 2148
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: CUMMINGS, STRIMLING, BRAUTIGAM, CAREY, CRAVEN, HARLOW, MAKAS, PINGREE, RAND, WAGNER, BRANNIGAN, MARTIN, ROTUNDO, TURNER

Legislative Document 
No. 2148 
H.P. 1528 
House of Representatives, January 15,2008 
An Act To Improve the Health of Maine Communities and Reduce 
Emergency Care Burdens 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Speaker CUMMINGS of Portland. 
Cosponsored by Senator STRIMLING of Cumberland and 
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1/1. 7!lu£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BRAUTIGAM of Falmouth, CAREY of Lewiston, CRAVEN of Lewiston, 
HARLOW of Portland, MAKAS of Lewiston, PINGREE of North Haven, RAND of Portland, 
WAGNER of Lewiston, Senators: BRANNIGAN of Cumberland, MARTIN of Aroostook, 
ROTUNDO of Androscoggin, TURNER of Cumberland. 
Printeu on rcc} ckd p.tpl'l 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. Neighborhood health resource centers. The Department of Health and 
Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention shall undertake a 
program to create neighborhood health resource centers in the Parks ide or Bayside 
neighborhood of the City of Portland and in the City of Lewiston and shall provide 
additional funding for existing federally qualified health centers established under 42 
United States Code, Section 1395x. subsection (aa) (4). 
1. Collaboration. To the extent applicable to the Parks ide or Bayside neighborhood 
in the City of Portland and to the City of Lewiston, the neighborhood health resource 
centers established pursuant to this Act shall include as collaborating partners 
neighborhood residents and leaders, a local hospital, a nursing program, a municipal 
health department or community-based organization that focuses on improving public 
health and a local housing authority or department. 
2. Operation. A neighborhood health resource center established pursuant to this 
Act shall procure matching private or local funding to match the share of state funding 
available to the center. The center shall provide services through health professionals that 
include nurses, nurse practitioners, nursing students and a supervising registered nurse. 
The center shall provide health care services, including checking vitals, conducting home 
visits and providing chronic disease management and prevention. 
The center shall 
provide home visits as appropriate to the center and to the patients of the center. The 
center shall include administrative components that track the outcomes of patient care and 
evaluate the program, including the decreased use of emergency room services for 
nonemergency health care needs. 
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Center for Disease Control and Prevention 
Initiative: 
Appropriates $300,000 for neighborhood health resource centers in the 
Parkside or Bayside neighborhood of the City of Portland and in the City of Lewiston and 
for additional funding for federally qualified health centers to maximize the resources and 
collaborative opportunities available to them, with the goal of improving the health of the 
residents of their communities. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2007-08 
$0 
$0 
2008-09 
$300,000 
$300,000 
SUMMARY 
This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for 
Disease Control and Prevention to undertake a program to create neighborhood health 
resource centers for the Parkside or Bayside neighborhood of the City of Portland and for 
the City of Lewiston. This bill appropriates $300,000 in fiscal year 2008-09 for the 
purposes of the neighborhood health resource centers and for federally qualified health 
centers.