Healthy Maine Talks

This episode was recorded in late January at the Maine Outdoor Economy Summit. Tune in to hear more about how access to outdoor recreation is one of the top reasons that people move to Maine, and how spending time outdoors is critical to improving overall health and well-being. 

Last month MPHA and AARP co-hosted another “Community Conversation on Health, Aging, and Resilience in Rural Maine” at the Aroostook Area Agency On Aging in Presque Isle. Folks shared what is top of mind for them when it comes to their health, their families and their communities. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

Can you have a community center, cutting edge research institute, and working waterfront in the same area? The Quahog Bay Conservancy says yes, you can. The Harpswell Marine Institute will be a place where community, education, science and industry intersect. Check it out in 2027!

This episode was edited by MPHA intern Caris Welsh. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

For this episode Matt interviews Adina Bercowicz, MPH, Founder and Executive Director of LymeTV. Matt and Adina discuss the surge in Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses in Maine, what folks can do to enjoy the outdoors safely this season, and policy solutions that would increase funding for research into tests and treatments for tick-borne illness. 

For this episode we dig into the concept of leadership with Leo Waterston, an Executive and Career Coach at Waterston Coaching & Coaching, LLC. Leo is also Board President of the Maine Public Health Association and has a wealth of experience leading and engaging in public health efforts in Maine. After the interview with Leo stay tuned for a quick conversation with one of the editors of the new Small Acts newsletter, an example of community leadership in action. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

Happy Earth Day! 

For this episode of HMT Matt speaks with Keith Carson, former meteorologist turned Director of Environment and Science Communications at Maine Conservation Voters. Matt and Keith talk about how to effectively communicate about issues like climate change. As Keith says in the interview, it's important to meet folks where they're at, and sometimes that means the first goal is just to make sure they see the same reality as you. 

On 4/30 MPHA and AARP co-hosted a “Community Conversation on Health, Aging, and Resilience in Rural Maine” at the Cobscook Institute in the Township of Trescott. About 15 folks showed up from the surrounding towns to share what’s top of mind for them when it comes to their own health and the well-being of their communities. Hear what some of them had to say in this episode of Healthy Maine Talks. 

Check out the housing resource we discussed that older adults can use to find vetted tenants, Nesterly. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New...

Happy National Public Health Week! 

For this episode Matt speaks with University of New England Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs Gwendolyn Mahon, M.Sc., Ph.D. about UNE's new Institute of Public and Planetary Health. We dig into the Institute's mission and how it's aiming to support students and have a positive impact in Maine and across the world. 

We're also excited to announce an innovative,  transdisciplinary workforce training partnership between UNE and MPHA, see more details here. 

Update 4/28: UNE recently announced a $5 million gift from entrepreneur, activist, and impact inve...

For this episode of Healthy Maine Talks Matt interviews Carey S. Cadieux, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, RYT, FAAN. Dr. Cadieux is a subject matter expert in medical cannabis, an Associate Professor of Nursing at Binghamton University, and Past President of the American Cannabis Nurses Association. 

Matt and Dr. Cadieux discuss pending legislation in Maine, LD 1847, that would implement contaminant testing and tracking in Maine's medical cannabis market to ensure safety and transparency for patients. 

For this episode Matt takes you around the Maine State House during the Conservation + Wabanaki Alliance + Youth Lobby Day--a collective effort to show lawmakers that Mainers across generations and communities care deeply about climate action, land and water protection, and Wabanaki sovereignty.

Here's more info about each of the groups Matt interviews in the episode:

- Maine Farmland Trust 

- Wabanaki Alliance 

- Maine Environmental Education Association

Recorded on Jan 7, this in person event featured four panelists who are working across the state to strengthen Maine's downtowns. Co-hosted and moderated by the Maine Development Foundation's Maine Downtown Center & MPHA, this discussion digs deep into the importance of social connection, and how to foster it through smart design, programming, and plain old scrappiness.

Speakers:

Lisa Miller: Maine Alliance for Health & Prosperity 

C.J. Opperthauser: Friends of Congress Square Park, Portland 

Kristina Cannon: Main Street Skowhegan

Teresa Valliere: Friends of Woodfords Corner, Portland 

*This Healthy Maine Tal...

For this episode, Matt speaks with Melanie Ferris, President-elect of the Board at the Minnesota Public Health Association about the public health repercussions of ICE operations in Minnesota, and our very own backyard here in Maine. 

Originally recorded in August 2025, this episode of Healthy Maine Talks features Henry Frank and Ethan Baker of LifeFlight of Maine, a nonprofit committed to ensuring that every person, in every community in Maine, has access to critical care and medical transport. Big thank you to MPHA's summer intern, Tara Sangal, for hosting and producing this episode!

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

For this episode Matt interviews Bruce King, Executive Director of Maine Boys to Men, an organization that works to empower boys and men to embrace and reimagine their own masculinity and build safer, stronger communities. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

For this episode Matt speaks with Lisa Sockabasin, MS, RN, Co-CEO, Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness. Lisa is a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk, and has worked to build Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness into an incredible resource and support system for indigenous communities, and people all across Maine. 

Check out Aunties on Air...And Some Uncles Too, a podcast co-hosted by Lisa that amplifies indigenous voices while building powerful connections through conversations, culture and community. 

*This episode was recorded in June 2025*

For this episode, Matt explores Maine's outdoor recreation economy, a $3+ billion industry that helps get people outside, safeguard Maine's natural environment, and improve health. Check out Maine's 10 Year Outdoor Recreation Economy Roadmap here.

Big thanks to the folks who contributed to this episode: 

Jeff McCabe: Director, Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation, Department of Economic & Community Development

Austin French, MBA: Project Director, Outdoor Recreation Hub of Excellence, University of Maine at Farmington

Jenna Vanni: Owner, Woods + Waters Gear Exchange

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode i...

Welcome to our first "Healthy Maine Snapshot". Moving forward, we'll feature a monthly snapshot that's shorter than our typical episodes, highlights a health issue and gives practical tips for how to keep you, and your loved ones healthy and safe. 

For this snapshot we discuss the importance of lung cancer screening with Nicole Heanssler, Associate Director of Cancer Center Partnerships at the American Cancer Society, and Snow Tardif, Program Manager for the Lung Cancer Screening Program at Maine Health for the Maine Medical Center's Portland Campus. Snow and Nicole are representing the Maine Lung Cancer Screening Workgroup. 

Welcome to the second installment of our special series in October around Mental Health Awareness Month. For this episode, Matt went up to Bremen, Maine to check out the Hearty Roots Campus for Mindful Adventure on the shores of Biscay Pond. Haley Bezon, Founder and Executive Director of Hearty Roots, shares the history of the group, it's mission to guide youth off the grid and into their hearts, and how its new 100+ acre campus helps them fulfill that mission. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

Welcome to the first installment in our series honoring Mental Health Awareness Month in October. For this episode, Matt comes to you from Bangor ME at the Maine Council on Aging's Change AGEnt Summit, where he speaks to Anna Guest, MCOA's Power in Aging Director, and Dr. Delvina Miremadi-Baldino, keynote speaker at the summit and Executive Director of Maine Youth Thriving. Delvina is also a former guest on Healthy Maine Talks (check out her full episode here). 

And a reminder that Maine Public Health Association's annual conference is Oct 27th, and our theme this year, "Connections Build H...

Welcome to another installment of our special series that takes a peak behind the curtain of public health in Maine, and highlights the positive impact that federal funding can have on our communities. For this episode, Matt chats with Melissa Fochesato, MPH--Director of Mid Coast Hospital Community Health at MaineHealth. 

In this episode of Healthy Maine Talks, Matt sits down with Monique Coombs, Director of Community Programs at Maine Coast Fishermen's Association. Monique is working to keep fishermen healthy and working waterfronts thriving well into the future. She digs into those efforts and more in the episode. Plus, she teaches Matt a new word: Solastalgia. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

Buckle up, this episode's a blast. A few months ago MPHA went to a Sea Dogs game (the minor league baseball team in Maine), for a member outing. It was a chance to connect with each other and just generally have a grand old time. We also took the opportunity to chat with people coming to the game (not just MPHA members). We asked them a simple question: What do you love about public health? Tune into this episode to hear what they said. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health T...

Heather Drake, MPH joins Healthy Maine Talks to highlight findings from the 2025 Maine Shared Community Health Needs Assessment. Heather serves as the Program Manager for the Maine Shared CHNA, which she describes as a menu of what's happening across the state that partners can use to improve health and well-being in their communities. 

Check out the Maine Shared Community Health Needs Assessment reports here. 

*Thank you to Tara Sangal, MPHA intern, for her editing support on this episode*

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

The latest installment of our special series on federal policy features Dr. Brian C. Castrucci, President and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation.

Brian and Matt dig into three areas:

- A recent survey from the de Beaumont Foundation, "100 Days In: Americans' Perceptions and Expectations About Health" that gauges peoples' views on health across the political spectrum.

- Marketing/communicating public health's return on investment 

- Striking the right balance between being idealistic vs. being effective 

Enjoy the episode!

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by th...

In this "in the field" episode of Healthy Maine Talks Matt heads up to the City of Bangor to explore the connection between public health and economic development. Spoiler alert: They're inextricably connected. 

Here's a rundown of the folks Matt spoke to for this episode:

Anne Krieg, Director of Community and Economic Development for the City of Bangor 

Matt Dexter, Executive Director of the Christine B Foundation, which provides medically tailored meals to cancer patients in and around Bangor. www.chrisbfund.org

Jamie Comstock, Health Promotion Program Manager at Bangor Public He...

In the latest installment of our series looking at federal policy decisions that will impact Maine, Matt speaks with Jolene Luce, BSHA, Program Director for Western Area Health Education Center (AHEC). Jolene shares details about the critical shortage of health care workers in rural Maine, and how AHEC, a federally funded program through HRSA, is working to recruit and retain more medical professionals to live and work in rural Maine. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

This episode is the first in a special series here at Healthy Maine Talks where we'll dig into upcoming policy decisions in D.C. that will impact communities in Maine. 

For this episode we cover SNAP and SNAP-Ed. There's a lot of unknowns right now about what's happening in D.C, but what we do know is SNAP and SNAP-Ed are potentially on the chopping block as Congress considers the reconciliation bill and the future budgets. Hannah Siladi has a history of working with SNAP-Ed in Maine, and she joins Matt in this episode to share details a...

We're kicking off this summer's "Healthy Maine Talks" tour across Maine with Matt's visit to Skowhegan, lovingly referred to by some locals as "Skowvegas." Over the last several years, Skowhegan has undergone a major transformation, with a booming local economy, and an increasingly tight connection to the beautiful natural resources that surround it, particularly the Kennebec River. Matt chatted with folks around town about how things have changed and what the future might look like, and he sat down for an inside look at how the revitalization happened with the president and CEO of Main Street Skowhegan (MSS), Kristina...

This special episode of Healthy Maine Talks covers the second event in our "Pollinator Series"--events that brings folks together across the state around issues related to health and wellness that matter in their communities. The theme for this event, "Rewilding Your Yard", covers practical tips for how you can bring biodiversity back to your home environment. Big thank you to Andrew Tufts, the Bringing Nature Home Manager at Maine Audubon, for speaking at the event and to Viles Arboretum for co-hosting us. And check out the photo here with the plants/labels that Andrew references during the talk! 

To mark Mental Health Awareness Month, Matt sat down with Dr. Delvina Miremadi-Baldino, the new Executive Director of Maine Youth Thriving. Dr. Miremadi-Baldino is a psychologist who specializes in fostering resilience in both adults and children. In this episode of Healthy Maine Talks she shares the work MYT is doing to encourage positive environments, experiences and relationships for young people in Maine. Spoiler alert, we all have a role to play!

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

For this episode of Healthy Maine Talks Matt sits down with Noël Bonam, AARP Maine's State Director, to discuss "Vital Voices", the group's new survey that highlights issues that impact adults age 45 and older in Maine. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

In honor of National Public Health Week 2025, please check out this special episode of Healthy Maine Talks featuring a real example of public health in action in Maine's communities. 

Jennifer Gunderman, MPH,  Director of Public Health & Community Services for the City of Bangor, joins us to share her team's response to the ongoing HIV outbreak in the Bangor area. We cover evidence-based approaches to containing an outbreak, combating stigma and more. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

In this "in the field" episode of Healthy Maine Talks, Barrett Takesian, Executive Director of Portland Community Squash, shows Matt around the PCS facilities and shares the inside scoop on how his team is building community in a meaningful, and sustainable way.  

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

Welcome to the first installment of our new Pollinator Series on Healthy Maine Talks! We're taking HMT on the road across Maine to meet people and talk about what public health means to them in their communities. 

This episode covers our first event, "Nature & Health", that we held at Penobscot River Trails in Grindstone, ME, co-sponsored by Teens to Trails. Tune in to hear from folks about why its important to them to get outside all year round for their physical and mental health. 

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Pu...

Dr. Dora Mills, Chief Health Improvement Officer at MaineHealth, joins Healthy Maine Talks for this month's episode. Dr. Mills, a longtime champion for health and former Maine CDC Director, shares some history about Maine's public health system, reflects on the current moment, and gives tips on how we can communicate to people that public health has their backs.

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

Tune in for this special episode featuring Nafeesha Mitchell, Program Leader with the Groundwater Institute and the Principal of B² Consulting. Matt and Nafeesha dig into the dynamics of power, and the current moment.

Dr. Amy Mayhew, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, joins Healthy Maine Talks to discuss the impact of high potency cannabis use among young people in Maine.

According to Dr. Mayhew, high potency cannabis use can alter a young person's brain development and increase their risk for anxiety, depression, and more severe mental illness.

If you're interested in helping MPHA advocate for responsible cannabis policies to reduce youth use and encourage a more transparent medical cannabis industry, fill out the form here for more info.

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New...

Check out this year-end episode of Healthy Maine Talks, featuring reflections on MPHA's 40th annual conference from some of the attendees, as well as an interview with Ed Miller--longtime board member and one of the signers of the MPHA's articles of incorporation in 1984. Ed shares how MPHA has helped shape public health in Maine over the last 40 years. 

Wishing you a happy, healthy New Year!

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

Neil Kiely, CEO of Androscoggin Bank, joins Healthy Maine Talks to share how the bank, a Certified B Corporation, leverages its networks and resources to drive community benefit across Maine. 

Tune in to hear Matt and Neil dig into the ways our financial institutions can strengthen economic prosperity and community health at the same time!

*This Healthy Maine Talks episode is supported by the New England Public Health Training Center*

Don Hoppert, Director of Government Relations for the American Public Health Association, joins Matt for this special post-election episode of Healthy Maine Talks. Don gives his perspective on the potential implications the election results will have for public health across the country and shares ways that people can engage with APHA to protect public health funding and more.