Health Care
In 2008, Maine ranked as the seventh healthiest state in the nation by the United Health Foundation. And it’s no wonder that Portland—with its location two hours north of Boston and with the largest population of any city in the state—is the center of Maine’s health care sector. The city has the largest hospital in the state, Maine Medical Center, as well as an array of traditional and holistic medical practitioners who treat everything from advanced-stage cancer to the common cold. The breadth of health options available in Greater Portland attracts patients from all over Maine who are seeking high-quality health care.
This chapter highlights some of the major players on the local health care stage, including the area’s two major hospitals (Maine Medical Center and Mercy Hospital), therapeutic recovery programs, holistic health care providers, birthing centers, community counseling centers, support services for a range of disabilities, and the state’s major insurance providers. Many of the health care practitioners listed in this chapter accept major health insurance, but you should always confirm the method of payment prior to your visit.
This chapter is an introduction to health care providers and services in Maine, but, due to space limitations, it is necessarily brief. Please note that we do not endorse any of the insurers or health care practitioners listed in this chapter and the care they may or may not provide.
1. Goulding Chiropractic
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Telephone: (207) 775-6782
Address: 96 India Street
Description: For more than 15 years, Goulding Chiropractic, located in the Old Port, has helped relieve patients’ back pain. The two resident chiropractors, Dr. Michael Goulding and Dr. Garry Bracken, specialize in low-impact chiropractic. Most health insurance is accepted.
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Address: 144 State Street
5. Bayside Neurorehabilitation Services
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Telephone: (207) 761-8402, (800) 341-4516
Address: 26 Portland Street
Description: Bayside Neurorehabilitation Services, run by Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, bills itself as the most comprehensive acquired-brain-injury rehabilitation facility in Portland. Located in new facilities on Portland Street in the Bayside neighborhood, Bayside offers specialized day treatment programs that include speech therapy, physical therapy, peer support, and psychiatry. Bayside focuses on improving independence for patients with brain injury and therefore conducts many programs in the community. Bayside also runs a separate residential facility for brain-injured clients. The center accepts all major private and state health insurance.
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Address: 66 Pearl Street
7. Day One
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Telephone: (207) 767-0991
Address: 525 Main Street
Description: Day One was founded more than three decades ago to address the underserved community of juvenile drug and alcohol addicts. Today, Day One is a respected resource statewide for children and families struggling with juvenile substance abuse. Day One offers a variety of rehabilitation, prevention, and aftercare programs for adolescents and teens in both outpatient and residential care formats. Home-based family counseling is also provided. Day One’s adolescent substance abuse treatment program includes outreach to children in the juvenile justice system. Day One also works to increase awareness about juvenile substance abuse through community outreach and education efforts.
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Address: 335 Brighton Avenue
9. Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy Clinic
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Telephone: (207) 774-5710
Address: 1601 Congress Street
Description: The Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy Clinic has occupied its location on Congress Street for more than a decade, and owner Brett Eberle, a doctor of physical therapy, has practiced for more than 20 years. Eberle and two other physical therapists at the clinic treat patients for a range of orthopedic problems, including lower back pain, fractures, sprains, and injuries related to car accidents or sports. The clinic accepts most major health insurance. The clinic is owned entirely by the practicing physical therapists, and they say that this eliminates any potentially restrictive oversight from a physician unfamiliar with physical therapy.
10. Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Telephone: (207) 774-7818
Address: 88 Preble Street
Description: The nationwide network of Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Centers (ARCs) emphasizes the empowerment of people struggling with challenges to their mental, physical, and spiritual health. The Portland ARC is a residential facility catering exclusively to men. Group therapy and individual counseling for drug and alcohol addiction and problems related to homelessness form the core of the rehab center’s offerings. The Portland ARC also hosts Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings that are open to both women and men.
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Address: 189 Park Avenue
12. Maine Center On Deafness
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Telephone: (800) 639-3884 (TTY & V)
Address: 68 Bishop Street, Suite 3
Description: The Maine Center on Deafness (MCD) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing resources to and advocating for the state’s deaf and hard-of-hearing population. MCD provides a number of services, including a Maine TTY directory, health education and referrals, workshops and classes, and social events. One of the most popular services provided by MCD is the Telecommunications Equipment Program, which supplies free or reduced-cost telephone equipment to Mainers with hearing, speech, or physical disabilities that interfere with their ability to use a regular phone. MCD also sponsors peer support groups in Portland, Augusta, and Bangor as well as Camp Sign-A-Watha, a five-day summer retreat for hearing-impaired children.
13. Multiple Sclerosis Society Of Maine
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Address: 170 Route One, Suite 200
Description: The Maine chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society helps families and individuals struggling with MS find appropriate resources in the community. The local chapter also hosts a series of peer support groups and community events that help raise local awareness of the disease.
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Address: 970 Forest Avenue
City: Portland, ME
Category: Health Care
Address: 103 India Street