On November 8, we get to decide who we want representing us in our local, state and federal government. Most of us, I think and hope, base those decisions on who we believe best represents the values, policies and future we want.

Having spent the last 48 years either working or volunteering in the healthcare, I like to share my opinion on which candidates can best move us toward the following key health goals:

1) Support the expanded Mainecare program, which provides healthcare insurance for over 90,000 additional Mainers since Governor Mills came into office. Not only does this dramatically improve access to emergent care, surgery and preventive medicine, it helps sustain our rural hospitals and lowers charges for insured patients. 

2) Fight the opiate epidemic by treating it as a disease, providing insurance for all those addicted and improving access to proven treatments like Suboxone.

3) Protect reproductive rights for women so that they and their physicians make those choices, not the government. This seems more important than ever with the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which threw this issue back to the states to decide. 

3) Ensure that every child in Maine, regardless of their race, economic status, color, gender or national origin, has equal access to quality healthcare, sufficient food, safe housing and the opportunity to thrive.

Candidates who support these goals and earned my support: 

     Governor - Janet Mills

     Congress - Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden                                                                

     State Senate District 12 – Pinny Beebe-Center

     District 94 State Representative - Vicki Doudera

     District 93 State Representative- Vallie Geiger

Roy Hitchings lives in Camden and is retired CEO of Penobscot Bay Medical Center