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Jennifer Gunderman, director of Bangor Public Health and Community Services, is pictured outside the city department on May 6, 2026. Photo by Erin Rhoda

Bangor public health director reflects on conditions that escalated HIV outbreak

Penobscot County is grappling with Maine’s largest HIV outbreak in its history. Looking back, the top public health official for the county seat of Bangor described how the conditions existed for such an outbreak and how it is now difficult to know the full scope.

In a recent interview, Jennifer Gunderman, Bangor’s director of public health and community services, said HIV had dropped off the radar in Maine because the state has a low incidence of the disease, but then the risk factors started piling up: increased homelessness, wide drug use, disappearing syringe service providers and health care options, and fewer case management providers.

The challenges that arose made it more likely that an outbreak would balloon.

I published a story on Monday about how 30 people in York came together to honor a long-time resident and Vietnam War veteran who had no friends or family to attend his funeral. 

“To have him come back to his own community felt very right to me. This is where he belonged,” said Janie Sweeney, who is the family services manager for the York Community Service Association.

If your town also has a way of burying the dead who have no one else to arrange a service, if you know of someone who died alone or if you are concerned about dying alone, I want to hear from you. You may reach me at rose@themainemonitor.org. 

While The Maine Monitor does not place its content behind paywalls, some newsrooms we link to in this newsletter may. 

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Sen. Susan Collins reveals medical condition: benign essential tremor | News Center Maine

MaineHealth announces it will open state's first clinical research unit | Maine Public

Bangor plans to add syringe delivery alongside HIV services | Bangor Daily News ($)

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Here's what we know about the Maine gubernatorial candidates' healthcare proposals | Maine Public

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Federal hemp ban looms; Machias farm says it’s already hitting this year’s crop | WABI

Get in touch: If you have any story suggestions, feedback or corrections, please never hesitate to reach out to me. I love hearing from readers: rose@themainemonitor.org.

The Maine Monitor is a publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, an independent and nonpartisan nonprofit news organization that produces investigative journalism. We believe news is a public good and keep our news free to access. We have no paywall and do not charge for our newsletters. If you value the reporting we do for Maine, please consider making a donation! We cannot do this reporting without your support.

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