Joe Lawlor

Portland

Reporter, Health and Human Services at The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram

I am a reporter for the @PressHerald in Portland, Maine, covering the health and human services beat.

Articles

Portland man, 74, turns first Boston Marathon into a race to save Alzheimer's research

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Joe Lawlor

Apr. 12—Sporting a bright yellow "End Alz" jersey, a white baseball cap and blue-green neck warmer, Ralph Carmona bounced up and down on his wiry legs, warming up for a run on a sunny but brisk morning in Portland. As he ran uphill onto the Eastern Promenade, Casco Bay stretched out to his left, shimmering in the sun.
Maine’s hospitals are in dire financial shape, report says

2 weeks ago | pressherald.com | Joe Lawlor |Daniel Kool

Maine’s hospitals are in a precarious financial position compared to most of the nation, according to a report released by the Maine Hospital Association on Wednesday. The analysis, conducted by PYA, a national health care consulting firm, shows that Maine’s PPS, “prospective payment system” hospitals, which include all of the major hospitals in Maine — such as those affiliated with MaineHealth, Northern Light Health and Central Maine Healthcare — are collectively in dire financial shape.
Social Security head called Gov. Mills a ‘petulant child’ in email ordering staff to cancel Maine contracts

3 weeks ago | centralmaine.com | Joe Lawlor

Use limited data to select contentPersonalised advertising, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services developmentStore and/or access information on a deviceYou can choose how your personal data is used.
Social Security head called Gov. Mills a ‘petulant child’ in email ordering staff to cancel Maine contracts

3 weeks ago | pressherald.com | Joe Lawlor

A senior House Democrat is calling on acting Social Security Administrator Lee Dudek to resign following revelations that the official called Maine Gov. Janet Mills a “petulant child” in an email to staff demanding retribution for her White House dust-up with President Donald Trump.
Dozens laid off at Maine CDC as a result of federal cutbacks

3 weeks ago | pressherald.com | Joe Lawlor

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention will lay off 40 subcontracted workers as a result of federal cutbacks announced last week. Lindsay Hammes, Maine CDC spokesperson, said Monday that the 40 workers are “subcontracted personnel impacted by these federal funding terminations. All of those people were subcontracted through vendors working with the Maine CDC.”The Maine CDC has more than 500 employees.
Details of federal cuts to Maine DHHS unknown, but layoffs are possible

3 weeks ago | centralmaine.com | Joe Lawlor

Use limited data to select contentPersonalised advertising, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services developmentStore and/or access information on a deviceYou can choose how your personal data is used.
Details of federal cuts to Maine DHHS unknown, but layoffs are possible

3 weeks ago | pressherald.com | Joe Lawlor

Workers at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services were bracing for possible layoffs Friday while the impact of federal funding cuts was still unknown. State officials announced on Thursday that the federal government immediately ended dozens of COVID-era contracts for Maine totaling $91 million. It was part of $11 billion in national cuts to state and local health agencies this week.
Maine officials assess impact of nationwide cut to federal health funding

4 weeks ago | sunjournal.com | Joe Lawlor

Use limited data to select contentPersonalised advertising, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services developmentStore and/or access information on a deviceYou can choose how your personal data is used.
Maine officials assess impact of nationwide cut to federal health funding

4 weeks ago | pressherald.com | Joe Lawlor

Maine officials are assessing the impact on state programs after the federal government slashed more than $11 billion nationwide in public health initiatives funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. An additional $1 billion is being cut from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Social Security official ended program for Maine newborns because he was 'ticked' at Mills

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Joe Lawlor

Mar. 25—The acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration admitted this week that he specifically targeted Maine after watching Gov. Janet Mills clash with President Donald Trump during an event at the White House. "I was ticked at the governor of Maine for not being real cordial to the president," Lee Dudek told the New York Times. Dudek directed the agency to cancel a decades-old program that allows parents to register their newborns for a Social Security number while at hospitals.