91AV’s Dora Mills interviewed about rare disease

Dora Mills

Dora Anne Mills, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, 91AV vice president for Clinical Affairs and director of the Center for Health Innovation, was interviewed by WMTW and WCSH about a rare but deadly disease impacting a local hospital.

When a potential case of prion disease was identified at Maine Medical Center, the news stations asked Mills what the disease is and what causes it. She explained that it’s a rare, progressive neurodegenerative disorder, and incidents in hospitals can lead to extreme precautions. "It’s usually because they’ve had very strong exposure to the brain tissue of that person, so for instance, there have been some cases in the United States and other places where surgical tools have transmitted the prions to another patient," Mills said.

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About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.