MMS News and Announcements
MMS Joins Coalition for Coverage and Care
MMS and more than 20 groups joined together this week to form the Massachusetts Coalition for Coverage and Care. The Coalition’s mission is to protect the gains in access to care, health, and health equity that have resulted from near universal health coverage in the Bay State. Along with MMS, members include the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, Massachusetts Health Council, Greater Boston Legal Services, area hospitals and advocacy groups.
MMS Opposes Naturopathy Bill
A bill emerging from the last legislative session that would create a licensing board for naturopaths was publicly opposed by MMS this week. MMS has consistently opposed licensing of naturopaths over the years. MMS president James S. Gessner, M.D. said licensing won’t protect patients because naturopathy lacks standards for proper care.
MMS Committee on Nominations Seeking Candidates
The MMS Committee on Nominations is currently considering candidates for nomination for the following offices: President-Elect, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer, Speaker, and Vice Speaker. The deadline for submission of nomination applications is Monday, February 6 at 4 p.m. To learn more,
click here and submit your application online. Interviews with the Committee on Nominations will be held at MMS Headquarters in Waltham on Thursday, March 2, 2017 between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Applicants should plan to be available on this date. Contact Linda Healy at (800) 322-2303, ext. 7008 or
mailto:lhealy@mms.org
CME Offers Webinar on Preventing Burnout
Are you facing the New Year feeling stressed out or worn down? Members seeking additional strategies for combatting burnout should
click here to register for the upcoming live CME webinar, “Running on Empty,” on Jan. 25, 2017.
MMS and Alliance Charitable Foundation Grant Deadlines
MMS and Alliance Charitable Foundation announces a January 15, 2017 deadline to apply for Community Action and Care for the Medically Uninsured/Underserved grant programs. Eligible programs may provide direct care services or target public health issues which impact the health care system and the health of communities.
January Physician Focus: “Too Much Medicine”
Watch the January edition of Physician Focus as guest H. Gilbert Welch, M.D., professor of medicine at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, explores a commonly held belief that more health care may lead to better outcomes, versus recent findings that too many medical tests may be unnecessary, and in some cases, harmful for patients. MMS Past President Dale Magee, M.D. hosts this edition.
Mindful Practice in Medicine Workshop Planned
A Mindful Practice in Medicine workshop is planned for March 18 and 19 at MMS Headquarters, followed by four consecutive Wednesday webinars. The workshop focuses on developing a capacity for self-awareness in stressful and demanding situations and building resilience in community.
Click here for information;
click here to register.
MMS and MIN to Host Member Art Exhibit Auction
MMS and the Member Interest Network (MIN) will host the
Nancy N. Caron Annual Member Arts Exhibit and Silent Auction on April 27, 2017 during the Annual Meeting at Boston’s Seaport Hotel. Members, including family members, are invited to exhibit and/or donate their work for the silent auction. All proceeds benefit MMS and Alliance Charitable Foundation. Deadline for registration is January 13, 2017. For more information contact Cathy Salas at
csalas@mms.org.
Benefit Buzz: Low-Cost Legal Service Available
Retaining an attorney to respond to a Board of Registration in Medicine inquiry can be costly. The Legal Advisory Plan (LAP), a member-only, low-cost legal service, is designed to effectively respond to Board issues at a fraction of the cost of hiring an attorney. Subscription starts in January 14, 2017. You must be enrolled at the initiation of a BRM-related investigation to avail yourself of plan services.
Click here to learn more.
Education Programs & Events
Live CME Activities
Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at MMS headquarters, 860 Winter St., Waltham, MA. Visit
www.massmed.org/cme/events to view our full calendar of upcoming live CME activities.
Running on Empty? Physicians' Path to Enjoying Life and Medicine More
Wednesday, January 25, 2017, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. - LIVE WEBINAR
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Featured Online CME Activities – Risk Management Credit
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
For additional risk management online CME activities, visit www.massmed.org/cme.
This Week in Health Care
MMS Physicians Debate End-of-Life Options
MMS physicians debated whether to approve a survey of members' attitudes toward "medical aid in dying," prompting dozens of doctors to also engage in a broader emotional debate over end-of-life decisions for their patients.
Gov. Baker Focuses on Marijuana Law, Opioids and Economy
Gov. Charlie Baker identified three issues he expects will keep him busy in the coming months — the economy, the opioid crisis and marijuana legalization — topics already familiar to his administration.
Mentally Ill Patients Face Longer ER Waits
Mentally ill patients idle for hours and even days in emergency rooms waiting for treatment, while patients with medical problems rarely experience these holdups, according to a study of 10 Massachusetts hospitals released this week.
Reports of Child Abuse Rise in Massachusetts
There were 10,917 reports of child abuse or neglect during the 2016 fiscal year, a jump from the 10,624 in the 2015 fiscal year, according an annual report sent by the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association to Gov. Charlie Baker last week.
Report: More Children Exposed to Opioids
A
report in the Eagle-Tribune newspaper said that the opioid epidemic ravaging Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire has not left the most innocent victims -- infants and children -- untouched.
Partners acquires New Hampshire Hospital
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover, N.H., is the first out-of-state acquisition for Mass. General Hospital and Partners, the largest health care network in Massachusetts.
Lawmakers Pass School Defibrillator Bill
Automated external defibrillators will be part of every school in Massachusetts by July 2018, under a bill championed by South Coast Sen. Mark Montigny that passed the state Legislature this week.
MassHealth May Block Seniors’ Trust Funds
MassHealth, the state's Medicaid health insurance program, is considering changes in eligibility requirements that would make it harder for residents older than 65 to establish special-needs trust accounts and still qualify for nursing home care and other health services from state and federal government agencies.
Gov. Baker Eyes Budget Cuts for Elder Care
Gov. Charlie Baker is proposing to save $13.7 million by cutting back on MassHealth funding that pays for long-term at-home care, a charge advocates are decrying as potentially harmful to elderly residents.
Mass. Medical Examiner to Retire
Dr. Henry N. Nields, Massachusetts chief medical examiner, announced his retirement Thursday after a decade-long tenure in which he was widely admired as a dedicated, hard-working public servant but one who often struggled to cope with controversies under his watch.
