Piscataquis Public Health Council strives to improve community wellness

By Bill Pearson
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Piscataquis Public Health Council was created in 2001 from the proceeds that Maine and 45 other states derived from the Tobacco Master Settlement agreement. The states won a $206 billion judgment in November 1998 against the four largest U.S. tobacco companies.

    Maine used its settlement proceeds to initiate anti-smoking programs and other health-related organizations charged with educating residents about good health practices. The state formed the Healthy Maine Partnership which has 16 branches around the state.
    Tom Lizotte helped found the local Healthy Maine Partnership branch. Lizotte along with other local volunteers created what became the Piscataquis Public Health Council. The agency has four employees dedicated to educating the community on implementing better lifestyle choices.
    The PPHC has been located on the Mayo Regional Hospital campus since its inception.. Lizotte, Mayo’s director of marketing and development, said the council began as a community coalition starting from scratch. He was a member of the original board of directors which later hired a full-time staff to run the county’s health-related educational programs.
    “The tobacco settlement money gave Maine a framework to build a statewide public health system,” Lizotte said. “We are here to educate people on how lifestyle choices impact their health. The council educates the public about the adverse effects of smoking as well as how the lack of a healthy diet and exercise are detrimental to their health.”
    The PPHC staff includes Robin Mayo, who is the council’s community partnership director; Elaine Bisbee, health educator; and Lisa Kingsbury and Andy VanEss, who are both community health promotion specialists. Overall the Piscataquis Public Health Council and their 15 sister organizations around the state have done a good job in keeping people healthy.
    Maine was rated the ninth healthiest state last month in a Robert Wood Johnson and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Study. Maine along with other northern New England states — New Hampshire and Vermont — placed in the top 10. The survey asked people nationwide about their current health condition.
    The survey based their results on mortality, socioeconomic factors, diet, environment along with several other indicators. Maine, with its rural landscape and low crime rate, scored high on the survey. Colorado was rated as the healthiest states, but those located in the Southeast rated among the worst.
    According to the survey, the South has large pockets of poverty in many rural counties stretching from the Carolinas to Lousiana. The survey showed a region’s socioeconomic conditions played an important role in its population’s overall health.
    The region’s culture is also partially to blame for the South’s health problems. The survey revealed that Southerners consume more fried foods than other regions. The survey also showed the South, which has long history of growing tobacco, with a larger adult smoking population than other regions.
    Like the South, areas in Maine which are poor and rural also tend to have higher rates of obesity and diabetes. The survey also showed a high propensity for counties which have high unemployment and elderly populations to rate less healthy than others.
    Four rural Maine counties often described as the “rim counties” had the worst health ratings in the state. Piscataquis had the worst rating followed by Somerset, Washington and Aroostook counties.
    “There is a direct linkage between poor economic conditions and poor health. It’s no secret that the four lowest rated counties are also the poorest in the state,” Lizotte said. “These counties all have higher unemployment and large senior populations. So I’m not surprised that Piscataquis and these other counties finished near the bottom.”
    According to past surveys, the four rim counties have rated as the state’s least healthy for some time. The healthiest counties were Hancock, Sagadahoc and Cumberland which are among the state’s most affluent areas.
    Despite Piscataquis finishing 16th among the 16 Maine counties, Lizotte believes being rated last may have some positive aspects.
    “It might serve as a wake-up call. Nobody wants to be last,” he said. “People have known for at least 50 years about the hazards of smoking and the importance of good nutrition. This may provide them with more incentive to start implementing healthier practices into their everyday life.”
    For more information about the PPHC can be found on their Facebook page or online at piscataquispublichealthcouncil.org.