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V I E W P O I N T S W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 3 M A R C H 5 , 2 0 1 8 For a daily digest of Maine's top business news, sign up for the Mainebiz Daily Report at mainebiz.biz/enews Get Maine's business news daily at mainebiz.biz and on Twitter (@Mainebiz). Below is some of the best from our online-only offerings: Featured @ Mainebiz.biz From the Editor M aine is getting older and the economy will refl ect that in the growth of health care related jobs. In January, in our "Five on the Future" story, our panel warned that Maine's aging population would also put a greater strain on its health care resources. "Maine is the oldest state in the country with a median age of 44 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with little prospect of moving toward a more youthful demographic in the near term. is challenge may be off set by the opportu- nity for increased growth in the health care industry — albeit with an increased burden of paying for an aging population," Stefan K. Iris, a chartered fi nan- cial analyst and chief investment offi cer at Camden National Wealth Management, said in the Five on the Future story, in the Jan. 8 issue. Legacy industries may have fewer job openings, but health care related jobs will be in demand. If you're a doctor, a registered nurse, can do an MRI or have expertise in IT, you'll likely be in demand in the coming decade. In this issue's focus on health care, Senior Writer Laurie Schreiber gets the latest on Maine Medical Center's planned $512 million expansion. By the time patients get to the hospital, many are suff ering from more than one ailment; the hospital is getting prepared by investing in single-occupancy rooms and updated procedure rooms, among other upgrades. See Page 12. e lifeline between ailing patients and the hospitals has always been EMTs. As Senior Writer Renee Cordes reports, with wages hover- ing at around $16 an hour, there are fewer people willing to get behind the wheel of an ambulance. Maine's 275 emergency res- cue services are competing for a dwindling pool of workers. See Page 20. Maine's aging population also means a greater demand for assisted living homes, though, as Staff Writer Maureen Milliken points out in her story, the newer places are off ering a greater range of amenities in an eff ort to attract residents. See Page 16. A leadership program at USM e University of Southern Maine will hold its fi rst annual Timothy B. Hussey Leadership Institute on March 26 at the Portland campus. e institute will bring together more than 100 current and future mil- lennial leaders to explore "how to do well in business while doing good for communities," USM said in a press release. Harvard Business School Professor Rebecca Henderson will kick off the event with a presentation on how big and small companies can embrace the challenge of innovation. Breakout ses- sions will focus on creative problem solving, leading with integrity, embodied leadership. Tim Hussey, former president and CEO of North Berwick-based Hussey Seating Co., died in 2016. Maine's second-largest city is … In my column of Feb. 5, I referred to Bangor as Maine's second-largest city. My bad. As a couple of readers pointed out, Lewiston is actually Maine's second largest city. Peter Van Allen pvanallen@mainebiz.biz Health care as growth fi eld New BBQ restaurant for Portland's Deering Center Adam Powers and Jeremy Rush opened Elsmere BBQ and Wood Grill in South Portland in 2013 as a family-friend- ly restaurant catering to the local community. Now they plan to open a second barbecue restau- rant in Portland's Deering Center neighborhood this spring, a location they picked for its strong neighborly feel. mainebiz.biz/elsmerebbq Good news for Maine employers Maine employers' efforts to improve workplace safety are paying off, notes Maine Insurance Superintendent Eric Cioppa, who has approved the National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc.'s 2018 proposed average "loss costs" for Maine showing an average decrease of 12%. That should result in lower workers' comp premi- ums for most industries starting April 1. mainebiz.biz/workerscompcosts Maine drug overdose deaths keep rising Drug overdose deaths increased by 11% in 2017, driven by a sharp increase of 27% in deaths due to illegal fentanyl and fentan- yl-related substances that can be even more potent. Maine Attorney General Janet Mills reported that there were 418 drug-induced deaths in 2017, according to data collected and analyzed by Marcella H. Sorg of the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center under a contract with the AG's office. mainebiz.biz/drugoverdoses Be smart. BE SHUR. bernsteinshur.com When you need someone committed to raising the bar, not just passing it. If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered If you're a doctor, registered nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or nurse, can do an MRI or have expertise in IT, you'll likely be in demand in the coming decade.

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