Maine Medical in Portland is the only level 1 trauma center in the state. This is the highest level of care a hospital can provide. If the child is requiring an admission to a pediatric intensive care unit(PICU), your local hospital is very likely to try and transfer you there. PICU beds have been tight all over the country, but frequently Maine Med is the last open PICU bed in New England. The hospital might not have room to accept the transfer. This could lead to potentially not getting the care the child needs from specialists rural hospitals do not have. If I had a medically complex child I would want to make sure I lived within driving distance from a large higher level of care center such as Maine Med in Portland.