MAINE, USA — The Maine Department of Health and Human Services to receive millions from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help Maine’s public health system, according to an email by Maine DHHS spokesperson Jackie Farwell.
Maine’s DHHS will receive an amount of $13.8 million in federal grants to protect public health infrastructure and workforce over the next five years.
“This award allows the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) 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," Maine CDC Director Nirav D. Shah and DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said.
“The last several years have shown the need for a robust and resilient public health infrastructure system to support Maine people and our communities,” U.S. Sen. Angus King and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree were quoted in the article. “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.”
The award is part of the $3.14 billion the U.S. CDC is distributing to bolster public health departments across the country.