Latest news with #Michaud
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Maine has fifth-highest rate of emergency department visits nationwide
Editor's Note: The following story first appeared in The Maine Monitor's free health care newsletter, Health Monitor, that is delivered to inboxes every other Thursday. Sign up for the free newsletter to stay informed of Maine health care news. Maine has the fifth-highest rate of emergency department visits in the country, which hospital officials say could get worse with cuts to Medicaid and further contraction of services. Hospitals in the state saw 555 emergency department visits per 1,000 people in 2023, according to recent data from the American Hospital Association analyzed by KFF. The only states with higher rates were West Virginia with a rate of 596 per 1,000 people, North Dakota with a rate of 591, Louisiana with a rate of 589 and Mississippi with a rate of 567. Nevada had the lowest rate of 226, followed by Alaska at 258 and Arizona at 281 visits per 1,000 residents. Steven Michaud, president of the Maine Hospital Association, said Maine has had a high rate of emergency department visits for decades, which he said is largely because it is one of the most rural states and has limited access to primary care doctors, which can drive Mainers to the emergency department if they can't get timely access to primary care. 'A lot of it is not an emergency,' he said. 'They're using it as their primary care, which you just don't want to do because it's inefficient, it's expensive and all that.' While the trend is not new, this all comes at a time when Maine hospitals are merging, reducing services and even closing. Northern Light Inland Hospital in Waterville stopped its services on May 27. A California-based nonprofit announced plans to take over three hospitals through its purchase of Central Maine Healthcare. Northern Light Health reported a $156 million loss last year. Mount Desert Island Hospital announced it would close its birthing unit in July. MaineGeneral planned to end its pediatric psychological services last month. And on May 29, two Aroostook County hospitals said they would merge their management for a year to 'remain viable.' Michaud said these are 'unprecedented times,' and that these closures are happening across the state, even in smaller communities where they don't grab as much attention. For example, he said Penobscot Valley Hospital also had to end behavioral health services due to financial losses and paused payments after lawmakers failed to initially pass the supplemental budget. All these closures may not be the primary driver of the trend of emergency visits, but they're definitely a factor, he said. 'What happens when people get into a behavioral health crisis? Where do they go? The emergency departments,' Michaud said. Hospitals have tried to address the issue by creating walk-in clinics, he said, but that requires additional staff. Dr. Jay Mullen, CEO of BlueWater Health and a practicing emergency physician with experience in hospitals around the state, agreed with Michaud that the highest use of emergency departments is in the 'most rural areas where access to primary care, dental care and urgent care services are the most limited.' He added that Maine has a higher proportion of older adults and people with chronic conditions, which can contribute to emergency department visits. High use of emergency departments can strain resources, leading to longer wait times and potentially delayed care, Mullen said. 'For patients, this can mean fragmented care and less continuity, especially when (emergency department) visits are used in place of primary care,' he said. 'However, it's important to note that (emergency departments) in Maine are doing their best to meet these needs — often serving as the only accessible point of care for vulnerable populations.' And in some communities, Mullen said there can be benefits. High rates of emergency department visits can actually be a 'financial stabilizer' for rural hospitals by providing critical revenue to support broader hospital operations. 'Rural (emergency departments) operate with high fixed costs — staffing, infrastructure, and compliance requirements remain constant regardless of patient volume,' he said. 'When visit volumes are low, these fixed costs are spread across fewer encounters, making each visit disproportionately expensive. But when volume increases, even modestly, it helps offset those fixed costs and improves the financial viability of the department.' Both Mullen and Michaud said another factor contributing to high rates of ED visits is that many Mainers have coverage from MaineCare, the state's version of Medicaid. Nearly a third of all Mainers were enrolled in MaineCare last year, including two-thirds of nursing home residents and half of all children. This isn't limited to rural areas, Mullen said. Urban areas with a lot of people on MaineCare also see higher rates of emergency department visits, suggesting 'that both geographic and socioeconomic factors are at play.' People on MaineCare often struggle to find primary care providers who will accept them due to low reimbursement rates, Michaud said. As a result, they might end up in the emergency department. Michaud said expected federal cuts to Medicaid will only make this worse: 'Any time you reduce coverage, you exacerbate this.' U.S. House Republicans narrowly forwarded a bill last week that would reduce Medicaid spending by at least $600 billion dollars over 10 years and is expected to reduce enrollment by about 10 million Americans. Another factor impacting emergency department visits is that Maine sees high numbers of visitors, many of whom don't have doctors, so hospitals in destination towns along the coast often see surges in the summer, Michaud said. While Maine's rural nature may explain its high ranking for emergency department visits per capita, there were some rural states that had low rates. In particular, Michaud said he was surprised to see Alaska among the lowest rates. And Massachusetts, which has near-universal healthcare, still had the 14th highest rate of emergency department visits. Michaud said there are many factors that contribute to these trends and it's difficult to tell what might explain each state's ranking. It might be that some states have robust public health networks, unlike Maine, which has only two city public health departments in Portland and Bangor. 'Hospitals in Maine serve as the public health infrastructure,' he said.
Global News
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Global News
Fired New Brunswick professor files lawsuit against Crandall University in Moncton
A religious studies professor who in 2023 was fired from a faith-based university for alleged sexual harassment has filed a lawsuit against the New Brunswick institution, claiming wrongful dismissal, defamation and privacy breaches. In a statement of claim, John G. Stackhouse alleges Crandall University in Moncton conducted a fundamentally flawed investigation that resulted in the public disclosure of allegations that damaged his reputation and that of his wife, Sarah-Jane Britton — a former student at the school. The investigation, conducted by the law firm Pink Larken, started in April 2023 after the university learned of anonymous social media posts accusing an unnamed school employee of inappropriate behaviour in 2020 and 2021. In a summary of his findings, investigator Joel Michaud alleged that Stackhouse's behaviour in the classroom included making sexist remarks and comments about people's looks. In Michaud's opinion, that behaviour constituted sexual harassment and bordered on abuse of authority. Story continues below advertisement As well, a review of dozens of emails found that Stackhouse engaged in 'inappropriate banter' with an unnamed female student for seven months. The report quotes a response from Stackhouse acknowledging the emails were 'inappropriate, unhealthy and unbecoming of a professor …. It cannot be defended.' The claim goes on to say Michaud's report wrongly alleges that like the other unnamed student, Britton was 'sexually groomed' by the tenured professor while she was a student. Michaud concluded the emails represented 'a classic case of grooming.' 'He was in a position of responsibility as a professor and also as an employer of (the student) and, in the view of the investigator, engaged in behaviour that constitutes sexual harassment,' Michaud's summary says. Stackhouse was placed on paid leave in July 2023. After the investigator presented his findings to the university's board of governors in November 2023, Stackhouse was dismissed. The liberal arts university, founded in 1949 by the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada, has more than 1,400 students whose education is 'firmly rooted in the Christian faith.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Stackhouse's statement of claim, which includes Britton as a plaintiff, was filed in February 2024. It says the professor 'did not engage in any behaviour that constitutes just cause' for dismissal. As well, the document says he was never subjected to disciplinary action. Story continues below advertisement The claim says Michaud's report wrongly alleges that when Britton was a student at the university, she was 'sexually groomed' by the tenured professor. In an affidavit filed last month with the Court of King's Bench, Stackhouse confirmed that in the fall of 2022, he disclosed to the university that he was in a new relationship with a 'former, mature part-time student,' later identified as Britton. At the time, the professor was in the process of getting a divorce from his first wife. The document says Stackhouse and Britton had not started dating when she was enrolled as a student. And it says rumours about their relationship started circulating at the university in January 2023. 'Some students even complained to the administration, suggesting I was unfit to teach due to my relationship with a younger woman, although Ms. Britton was a divorced businesswoman and mother of four,' the affidavit says. Stackhouse and Britton were married in the summer of 2023. The professor's affidavit says no formal complaints were filed against him under the school's harassment policies. He alleges a faculty colleague was behind the anonymous social media posts that prompted the school's administration to launch a 'media-driven campaign' and investigation 'seemingly designed to appease complainants and protect Crandall University's image.' The affidavit states that shortly after Stackhouse was fired on Nov. 22, 2023, the university posted a statement on its website confirming his termination and sharing a summary of Michaud's findings, which included personal details and confidential information about an employment matter. Story continues below advertisement 'The publication (of the findings) … exposed Dr. Stackhouse and Britton to contempt, ridicule and hatred and was deliberately calculated to lower (their) reputation in the estimation of right-thinking persons.' 'The malicious, high-handed and arrogant conduct of Crandall University warrants an award of punitive or exemplary damages to ensure that Crandall University is appropriately punished for its conduct.' Stackhouse has since been unable to find new work as a professor, author, speaker or consultant, his statement of claim says. 'The conduct of Crandall University was intended to cause harm to Dr. Stackhouse,' the claim says, adding that, as a professor, he was earning $126,860 annually. In a statement of defence, the university alleges Stackhouse acknowledged that he needed to change the way he communicated with students in the classroom. The statement says the professor's demeanour in class created an unwelcoming environment for certain female students. The statement says that in March 2023, the university received complaints about inappropriate comments in the classroom that included comments that were offensive to female students. 'Dr. Stackhouse ought to have known that his antics and sense of humour were unwelcome and unappreciated,' the statement says. The statement of defence, filed on March 1, 2024, provides more details about the unnamed student who Stackhouse is accused of sexually grooming. It alleges the professor sent the student 78 emails, many of which included sexual connotations and described sexual fantasies. Story continues below advertisement As well, the statement says that Michaud's investigation concluded that Crandall, as a Christian university, should be concerned by the fact that one of its professors had started a romantic relationship with someone who had recently been a student and while still legally married to someone else. 'Crandall maintains that it had just and sufficient cause to terminate Dr. Stackhouse's employment, especially given its mission and values as a Christian-based university,' the statement of defence says. As for assertions that Stackhouse and Britton were defamed, the university says it did not post anything on its website that was not true. 'Crandall submits that the post (on the website) made by Crandall was necessary and in the public interest,' the statement says. 'It was important to share certain aspects of the (Michaud) report to ensure students and former students felt that their concerns were heard … and that Crandall was taking action.' None of the allegations in the documents has been tested in court. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
05-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Fired New Brunswick professor files lawsuit against Crandall University in Moncton
MONCTON – A religious studies professor who in 2023 was fired from a faith-based university for alleged sexual harassment has filed a lawsuit against the New Brunswick institution, claiming wrongful dismissal, defamation and privacy breaches. In a statement of claim, John G. Stackhouse alleges Crandall University in Moncton conducted a fundamentally flawed investigation that resulted in the public disclosure of allegations that damaged his reputation and that of his wife, Sarah-Jane Britton — a former student at the school. The investigation, conducted by the law firm Pink Larken, started in April 2023 after the university learned of anonymous social media posts accusing an unnamed school employee of inappropriate behaviour in 2020 and 2021. In a summary of his findings, investigator Joel Michaud alleged that Stackhouse's behaviour in the classroom included making sexist remarks and comments about people's looks. In Michaud's opinion, that behaviour constituted sexual harassment and bordered on abuse of authority. As well, a review of dozens of emails found that Stackhouse engaged in 'inappropriate banter' with an unnamed female student for seven months. The report quotes a response from Stackhouse acknowledging the emails were 'inappropriate, unhealthy and unbecoming of a professor …. It cannot be defended.' The claim goes on to say Michaud's report wrongly alleges that like the other unnamed student, Britton was 'sexually groomed' by the tenured professor while she was a student. Michaud concluded the emails represented 'a classic case of grooming.' 'He was in a position of responsibility as a professor and also as an employer of (the student) and, in the view of the investigator, engaged in behaviour that constitutes sexual harassment,' Michaud's summary says. Stackhouse was placed on paid leave in July 2023. After the investigator presented his findings to the university's board of governors in November 2023, Stackhouse was dismissed. The liberal arts university, founded in 1949 by the Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada, has more than 1,400 students whose education is 'firmly rooted in the Christian faith.' Stackhouse's statement of claim, which includes Britton as a plaintiff, was filed in February 2024. It says the professor 'did not engage in any behaviour that constitutes just cause' for dismissal. As well, the document says he was never subjected to disciplinary action. The claim says Michaud's report wrongly alleges that when Britton was a student at the university, she was 'sexually groomed' by the tenured professor. In an affidavit filed last month with the Court of King's Bench, Stackhouse confirmed that in the fall of 2022, he disclosed to the university that he was in a new relationship with a 'former, mature part-time student,' later identified as Britton. At the time, the professor was in the process of getting a divorce from his first wife. The document says Stackhouse and Britton had not started dating when she was enrolled as a student. And it says rumours about their relationship started circulating at the university in January 2023. 'Some students even complained to the administration, suggesting I was unfit to teach due to my relationship with a younger woman, although Ms. Britton was a divorced businesswoman and mother of four,' the affidavit says. Stackhouse and Britton were married in the summer of 2023. The professor's affidavit says no formal complaints were filed against him under the school's harassment policies. He alleges a faculty colleague was behind the anonymous social media posts that prompted the school's administration to launch a 'media-driven campaign' and investigation 'seemingly designed to appease complainants and protect Crandall University's image.' The affidavit states that shortly after Stackhouse was fired on Nov. 22, 2023, the university posted a statement on its website confirming his termination and sharing a summary of Michaud's findings, which included personal details and confidential information about an employment matter. 'The publication (of the findings) … exposed Dr. Stackhouse and Britton to contempt, ridicule and hatred and was deliberately calculated to lower (their) reputation in the estimation of right-thinking persons.' 'The malicious, high-handed and arrogant conduct of Crandall University warrants an award of punitive or exemplary damages to ensure that Crandall University is appropriately punished for its conduct.' Stackhouse has since been unable to find new work as a professor, author, speaker or consultant, his statement of claim says. 'The conduct of Crandall University was intended to cause harm to Dr. Stackhouse,' the claim says, adding that, as a professor, he was earning $126,860 annually. In a statement of defence, the university alleges Stackhouse acknowledged that he needed to change the way he communicated with students in the classroom. The statement says the professor's demeanour in class created an unwelcoming environment for certain female students. The statement says that in March 2023, the university received complaints about inappropriate comments in the classroom that included comments that were offensive to female students. 'Dr. Stackhouse ought to have known that his antics and sense of humour were unwelcome and unappreciated,' the statement says. The statement of defence, filed on March 1, 2024, provides more details about the unnamed student who Stackhouse is accused of sexually grooming. It alleges the professor sent the student 78 emails, many of which included sexual connotations and described sexual fantasies. As well, the statement says that Michaud's investigation concluded that Crandall, as a Christian university, should be concerned by the fact that one of its professors had started a romantic relationship with someone who had recently been a student and while still legally married to someone else. 'Crandall maintains that it had just and sufficient cause to terminate Dr. Stackhouse's employment, especially given its mission and values as a Christian-based university,' the statement of defence says. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. As for assertions that Stackhouse and Britton were defamed, the university says it did not post anything on its website that was not true. 'Crandall submits that the post (on the website) made by Crandall was necessary and in the public interest,' the statement says. 'It was important to share certain aspects of the (Michaud) report to ensure students and former students felt that their concerns were heard … and that Crandall was taking action.' None of the allegations in the documents has been tested in court. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025. — By Michael MacDonald in Halifax
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Largest solar farm east of the Mississippi provides more than just power
The largest solar farm east of the Mississippi River now provides 100% of the electricity powering Loyola University in Chicago, and starting next fall the solar array will also be part of the university's lesson plans. The power purchase agreements that made the Double Black Diamond solar farm possible include 'unique' components that promise Loyola access to the sprawling site and real-time data on its power generation, plus guest lectures from leaders at Swift Current Energy, the firm that operates the project, said Matt Birchby, Swift Current's president. The Boston-based renewables developer owns several other Illinois solar and wind farms in addition to Double Black Diamond. 'It offers a lot of opportunities for faculty and students on campus,' said Loyola assistant professor of environmental policy Gilbert Michaud, who attended a ribbon-cutting for the solar farm on April 30, though the project has been producing energy since last year. 'It's good for me; it's good for the students. We'll write some papers.' The 593-megawatt array also provides about 70% of the electricity used by the city of Chicago for municipal operations, including the city's two airports. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson joined Loyola faculty and local elected officials at the ribbon-cutting, which took place amid farmland a three-hour drive south of Chicago. The solar farm is crucial to Chicago meeting its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2025, Chicago Department of Environment spokesperson Kathleen O'Shea said. 'This project demonstrates how climate action and economic investment can go hand in hand and benefit both our planet and people,' O'Shea said. Swift Current is exploring ways to invest in Chicago-based workforce training programs to prepare residents for careers in the clean energy sector, Birchby said, as part of a community benefits agreement with the city, since Chicago is too far away to reap tax and employment benefits from the solar farm. The $779 million project was built by union workers, mostly with modules produced domestically by Arizona-based First Solar — a boon during the post-Covid global supply chain crunch, Birchby said. Electricity supplier Constellation Energy Corp., which also owns Illinois' fleet of nuclear power plants, purchases the energy from the solar farm and passes the renewable energy credits on to Chicago, Loyola, CVS, and other customers. Chicago has a 300-MW allotment from the project, and Loyola claims 38 MW. That helps Loyola meet its 2025 goal of being carbon neutral, which is part of the Jesuit university's larger faith-based commitment to sustainability, as officials told Canary Media in 2023 when the solar farm deal was announced. Michaud, an economist and data analyst by training, looks forward to using data from Double Black Diamond in his courses and bringing students to the solar farm and surrounding area for fieldwork. Michaud and his graduate students have studied the impact of large solar farms on property values and public attitudes toward utility-scale solar around the Midwest and in Europe. He has found that while people often fear solar farms will decrease their property values, that rarely happens. Instead, solar farms may actually increase property values, perhaps because of amenities facilitated by an influx of funding. Sangamon and Morgan counties, which host the 4,100-acre array, are expected to receive about $100 million in tax revenue thanks to the project, according to Swift Current, which will also donate hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to local civic causes. 'We looked at how we could become a long-term resident of that community,' said Birchby. 'At first, that's done with proper siting. So with property values and other dynamics at play, you're making sure you're not adversely affecting landowners. We're saying, 'Hey we're a corporate sponsor, and we are people who work and live in your community now. How do we give back and become true members of the community?'' Michaud said he's eager to study the economic and social ripple effects of Double Black Diamond. 'Can we talk to adjacent landowners? Can we look at the performance of the system? Will there be agrivoltaics?' Michaud said. 'There's obviously energy research we can do, and it might open up other doors — for soil science, water runoff, how does this impact the local bird or rodent population?' Birchby said Double Black Diamond could be a place to experiment with agrivoltaics, wherein farming coexists with solar production. He said the land under and around the panels is currently planted with native, pollinator-friendly vegetation, and he's interested in grazing sheep 'as an alternative to seasonal mowing … further supporting the broader farming community.' Birchby said the economies of scale for the large solar farm allow Swift Current to offer lower rates in 12-year contracts with buyers like Loyola and Chicago that are 'almost like a marriage.' 'We struck up relationships and partnerships where we've been able to navigate hand in hand,' said Birchby. 'I'm thrilled with the outcome the collective teams were able to bring together.'
CBC
26-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Why this new riding in eastern Quebec could see political lines blur
There's a brisk wind off the water on the dock in Trois-Pistoles, Que., and it carries with it the scent of the seaweed that covers the shoreline rocks nearby. Claudine Michaud and her dog Stella are taking their daily stroll. When asked about the federal election campaign, Michaud heaves a big sigh and shakes her head. "It's complicated and it's hard to choose, because the promises are pretty much all the same thing." Michaud is a Bloc Québécois loyalist. But she's been feeling the pinch of rising prices in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec. "I worked my whole life. I worked hard. I have a pension but it's minimal. I have to scrape to get by." Michaud says there's no question about whether she'll vote. Her only doubt is who she'll vote for. Maxime Blanchette-Joncas introduces himself as the Bloc Québécois candidate in the riding of Rimouski-La Neigette-Les Basques. That's the name of the riding he was first elected to in 2019. But since then, a redrawing of the federal electoral map in eastern Quebec led to two more regional county municipalities (MRCs) being added to the riding, now known as Rimouski-La Matapédia. It encompasses an area of 11,000 square kilometres eastward along the St. Lawrence River and inland to the Matapédia. Blanchette-Joncas says Quebec's regions are losing political clout in Ottawa. "There used to be seven MPs from eastern Quebec. Now we're three covering the region from Montmagny to Gaspé." Defending Quebec's interests Asked whether the Bloc Québécois really has any influence in Ottawa, as eternal opposition, Blanchette-Joncas is quick to retort that Liberal MPs from Quebec aren't in a position to defend Quebecers. "They'll be 30, maybe 40 in Parliament," Blanchette-Joncas says. "Do you think the 80 from Ontario are going to make some space for the Quebecers at the table out of the goodness of their hearts?" Blanchette-Joncas says the Bloc understands Quebecers' concerns about Ottawa imposing conditions on funding for immigration, housing and health care and their worries for their forestry and dairy industries in the face of tariffs. "Why would Canada know better than Quebec about what's best for us?" Blanchette-Joncas asks. No longer a sacrificial Liberal lamb Alexander Reford, who is the Liberal candidate in the riding, jokes that he's the most assimilated anglophone east of Kamouraska. He was the longtime executive director of the English community group Heritage Lower St. Lawrence. He recently stepped down as the head of Reford Gardens, a horticultural and cultural hub in Métis Beach. "A friend of mine, Mark Carney, threw his hat into the political game," Reford says. "And another friend, David Lametti, who was a minister in the Trudeau government, said 'you know, the time is now or never to help out your country.'" Reford says if he'd run as a Liberal eight years ago, he would have been a sacrificial lamb. The last time a Liberal was elected in the riding was in the 80s. But he feels like the wind has changed and believes even his being an anglophone doesn't matter. He says people are telling him they're worried about their farms and their businesses and they're looking for a leader in the middle of the upset with the U.S. Reford doesn't believe Trump is equipped to outwit Carney, who he's known since they both studied at Oxford a few years apart. "I don't think he plays chess. But [Carney] certainly does. And I think he's done a masterful job of playing his pieces effectively." A strategic vote Éric Labbé and Lorie Normandin are sitting in a café in Rimouski. Normandin holds their three-week-old daughter in her arms. They've moved back to nearby Saint-Simon, after living in Quebec City and Montreal. Labbé knows what he wants in a leader. "Someone who is proud to be Canadian. Someone who thinks about the environment, education." Labbé says they normally vote NDP, but because the party isn't present in this campaign, this time, they'll be voting red. Normandin says the Liberal Party doesn't align 100 per cent with her values. She would normally consider the Bloc, but she says this vote is too important. "[Conservative Leader Pierre] Poilievre doesn't represent me or what I want for my daughters," Normandin says. "I don't want the vote to split. I want to make sure it's not them that get in." Room for surprises Jean-François Fortin is a political science professor at the CÉGEP de Rimouski and the former Bloc MP for the old riding — which was considered a safe seat for the party until the NDP took it in 2011. Fortin is puzzled by the NDP not making more of an effort in a riding where Guy Caron, former NDP MP and the current mayor of Rimouski, won two mandates. He says without them in the mix, and the international context, this race has become a little more unpredictable.
