PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Portland dental clinic that serves thousands of mentally ill and intellectually disabled people across southern Maine is scheduled to close in June unless state funding is restored.
Funding for Clinical Services was eliminated in the 2014-2015 biennial state budget proposed by Gov. Paul LePage.
Portland legislators are sponsoring a bill that would appropriate $1.6 million to keep the clinic's doors open for two more years.
Independent state Rep. Ben Chipman tells The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/Ztqkz0 ) the clinic that serves about 3,000 patients is critical for the entire state. He says the clinic provides specialized care not available at other dental practices.
It was founded in 1996.
The Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee will hold a public hearing on the measure Wednesday.
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Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com
