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Healthcare in Maine

Maine has a relatively high physician-to-population ratio of 354 per 100,000, with approximately 4,800 active physicians serving 1.36 million residents. Maine Medical Center in Portland, affiliated with Tufts University School of Medicine, serves as the state's largest hospital and primary tertiary care referral center. The state has one medical school, the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, which emphasizes training physicians for rural and primary care practice. Maine's aging population, the oldest in the nation by median age, creates substantial demand for geriatric care, cardiology, and oncology services. Despite the overall favorable physician ratio, northern and eastern Maine face significant access challenges due to low population density and long travel distances. The Northern Light Health system serves much of rural and eastern Maine, while MaineHealth dominates the southern part of the state. Critical access hospitals are essential in rural areas, and Maine has been a leader in innovative rural healthcare delivery models. The state expanded Medicaid by ballot initiative in 2017, extending coverage to approximately 70,000 additional residents. Telehealth adoption has been particularly important for connecting rural communities with specialists in Portland, Bangor, and Lewiston. The state's opioid crisis has driven increased demand for addiction medicine and behavioral health services.