PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems is withdrawing from partnerships it has with two Maine cities over a lawsuit filed against opioid manufacturers.
In a statement Thursday, EMHS says it’s leaving two groups that support addiction treatment in Portland and Bangor. The hospital system says it decided to leave due to concerns that current and former physicians it employed could be named in the lawsuit.
Portland filed a $1 billion lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies in April over their alleged role in the opioid epidemic.
One of the physicians named in the lawsuit used to work for an EMHS organization. EMHS is not directly named in the suit.
A spokeswoman for Portland declined to comment. Bangor City Manager Cathy Conlow says the city is “very disappointed” the partnership ended.
