Public Health Challenges to the Common Health of Maine

East Orland, ME, 2004

After years of operating with a skeletal public health network, the State of Maine is in the process of integrating public health and emergency management initiatives into a regional public health service. Some steps toward consolidation of programs have occurred, but much remains to be done and difficult choices lie ahead. Early indications are that the proposed public health system may become a patchwork program designed by special interests and entrenched institutions.

WERU-FM Community Radio partnered with the Hancock County Planning Commission (HCPC) to give citizens a strong voice in the public health debate by helping local communities think about what public health means to them and conveyed their perspectives to state decision makers in a “feed-forward loop.”

WERU and HCPC produced 12 monthly call-in programs featuring public health and policy experts as studio guests and multiple calls from listeners engaging the policymakers and each other in conversation. The call-ins were augmented by a short report series summarizing information on public health challenges and policy development, as well as first-person statements from citizens, community leaders and policymakers. Background content for programs was gathered through community focus groups and outreach at local events. All broadcasts are streamed on the Common Health website and accompanied by additional content on the issues, links to additional resources and links to policymakers, legislators and community organizations.

Radio programming has been re-purposed for four quarterly reports on audio CDs for presentation to state and local officials engaged in the public health debate, feeding a regular diet of citizen and community voices into the decision-making process.

Awards:

WERU Round Four
“Rising Tide Award” for WERU’s coverage of various grassroots, social justice, health and environmental citizen initiatives — Maine People’s Alliance

WERU Round Three

Social Landscape Artist Award
— Maine Initiatives, a prominent state-wide fund for change that cultivates social, economic, and environmental justice

$50,000
— Maine Health Access Foundation, Inc. the state's largest nonprofit health care foundation