MMS NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
95% of You Plan to Renew Your MMS Membership: It’s Time
Ninety-five percent of MMS
members plan to renew their membership, according to our 2016 survey.
It’s hard to find a more on-point performance score than that. If you
haven’t signed up yet, here’s why our members say it matters: MMS gives
you a voice. We’re embedded in state and federal advocacy around issues
key to your livelihood and career satisfaction, like the future of the
Affordable Care Act and what’s going on with medical decision making.
And we’re adept at helping you find your career vision and ways to make
it happen. That’s why Massachusetts physicians say they’re committed to
MMS: because MMS is committed to them. Membership invoices go out April
14.
You can join or renew today.
MMS Testifies Before Legislature on Marijuana Policy
MMS President Dr. James Gessner
testified
Monday before the Joint Committee on Marijuana Policy, providing
support for many bills put forward to increase the public health
protections in the new law legalizing marijuana. Dr. Gessner supported
several bills that would:
- Promote public health
education, with a particular emphasis on education and marketing
policies aimed to prevent marijuana use among youth;
- Fund, conduct, and publish research on the clinical and public health effects of recreational marijuana;
- Amend the oversight
structure to provide a strong medical and public health voice in the
Cannabis Control Commission, which will be tasked with implementing and
regulating the industry.
The Committee is expected to finalize a bill to amend the ballot initiative by this summer.
Massachusetts Announces its Immunization Champions
The Massachusetts Adult
Immunization Coalition (MAIC) this week announced the awardees for its
annual Massachusetts Adult Immunization Champion Award. Worcester
physician and MMS member Lloyd Fisher, MD, and the nursing staff of
Boston Health Care for the Homeless, will be recognized at the April 25,
2017 MAIC Conference in Marlborough, MA. Dr. Fisher is honored for
automating vaccination reminders to patients, resulting in some of the
highest vaccination rates in the nation. The nurses are honored for
protecting Boston’s homeless population from a meningitis outbreak via
round-the-clock clinics. Read about the
awardees and the
conference.
Physician Facilitator Volunteer Opportunity with Medical Students
The Boston University School of
Medicine Integrated Problems (IP) course depends on volunteer
physicians to facilitate the small group problem-based learning sessions
for second-year medical students. Share your valuable medical
experience and expertise in developing the students’ clinical reasoning
skills. The course is between September and November 2017. Join us for
an Orientation Luncheon June 15, 2017;
information and registration.
Massachusetts Healthcare Decisions Month
April marks Massachusetts
Healthcare Decisions Month, an expansion of National Healthcare
Decisions Day, which falls on April 16. This month-long initiative aims
to engage physicians and patients in end-of-life conversations. The MMS
has joined the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care, which
is promoting Healthcare Decisions Month. The Coalition’s campaign,
Write Your Script, emphasizes healthcare at all life stages that honors the wishes of each individual.
Benefit Buzz: Legal Advice with Board of Registration in Medicine Issues
Safeguard your medical license.
Physicians receiving notification from the Board of Registration in
Medicine (BRM) of a complaint or investigation can find the experience
time-consuming and costly. The Legal Advisory Plan (LAP), a MMS
member-only, low-cost legal service, is designed to effectively respond
to Board issues.
Enrollment for 2017 -
18 is available. Questions? Email
lap@mms.org, or call (781) 434-7311.
MMS Annual Meeting 2017:
New Initiatives
The Annual Meeting will
include some new initiatives this year to enhance your meeting
experience:
- Meeting attendees will now scan a custom QR code on their badge to record attendance at HOD and CME meetings. This new tracking system eliminates the need for paper confirmations and tickets.
- MMS is providing dedicated “family-friendly” space for delegates to
bring their children to the meeting to view the proceedings of the
House of Delegates. The meeting space will be available on Thursday,
April 27, 2017, 7:30 AM–10:30 AM in the World Trade Center–Dartmouth
Room, and Saturday, April 29, 2017, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM in the Seaport
Hotel–Liberty Room. Pre-registration is required.
MMS Annual Meeting 2017: Additional Free CME Opportunity
We are pleased to announce an
additional CME option for Friday, April 28 of the MMS Annual Meeting,
rounding out a full day of
CME opportunities.
During many emergencies,
bystanders are the first on the scene, before the arrival of EMS
responders. In this 45-minute session, attendees will learn hemorrhage
control techniques to increase victims’ chances of survival. The
Bleeding Control for the Injured/Stop the Bleed Training puts knowledge gained by first responders and the military into the hands of the public to help save lives.
Check out the
full description and learning objectives. Space is limited; we recommend that you register early.
Physicians are Learning to Build Supportive, Low-Conflict Work Environments
This interactive, experiential
two-day program is for residents and physicians in clinical practice,
administration, and leadership.
Managing Workplace Conflict: Improving Leadership and Personal Effectiveness is
designed to help you establish relationships, teams, and work
environments in which you and your colleagues can deliver your best
care. You will learn to communicate more effectively, apply negotiation
and conflict resolution skills with peers and leaders, implement
appropriate changes in personal and organizational practices, exhibit
appropriate boundaries, and more. The program provides 17 hours of
category 1 risk management CME and is co-sponsored by Physician Health
Services and the Massachusetts Medical Society. It will be held June
8–9, 2017 at MMS Headquarters, Waltham:
information and registration.
Medical Education Goes to Cuba
At this unique
medical conference in Havana, physicians will experience Cuban culture
while learning the most current, evidence-based clinical practice for
key core competency-based medical topics from professionals in their
fields. The conference, organized by the Connecticut State Medical
Society, is open to Massachusetts physicians, and takes place May 20–24,
2017. The deadline for signing up is May 1, 2017: information and registration.
Risk Management Course on Addiction Medicine
A risk management course, Addiction Medicine for All Providers: Pearls for Practice in a Time for Advocacy, is scheduled for May 19–20, 2017 at MMS Headquarters, Waltham; information and registration.
Leading Experts to Speak at Women’s Health Forum April 21
Are you up to date on how
hormonal changes can worsen or improve women's well-being? At
the Women’s Health Forum on April 21, 2017, leading experts will explore
how hormones can affect the women you treat from puberty to pregnancy
and through postmenopause. The forum also addresses transgender health,
the effect of hormones on metabolism and weight regulation, and the
evolution of breast surgery.
JoAnn Manson, M.D. will
deliver the morning keynote address. Dr. Manson is a physician at
Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of
Women's Health at Harvard Medical School. Barbara L. Smith, M.D. will
deliver the afternoon keynote speech. Dr. Smith is director of the
breast program at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).
The Women's Health Forum is
provided by the Massachusetts Medical Society and its Committee on Women
in Medicine, in collaboration with the Brigham and Women's Hospital
Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women's Health and Gender Biology. It
will be held at MMS Headquarters in Waltham;
information and registration; or contact Erin Tally at etally@mms.org.
Educational Programs and Events
Unless otherwise noted, all events
are held at MMS headquarters, 860 Winter St., Waltham, MA. View our full calendar of upcoming live CME activities.
Women’s Health Forum – Hormones: Do They Define Us?
Friday, April 21, 2017, 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Ethics Forum
Friday, April 28, 2017, 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
MMS Annual Meeting, Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center, Boston, MA
Annual Education Program – The Winding Road of Addiction: Hope on the Horizon
Friday, April 28, 2017, 8:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
MMS Annual Meeting, Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center, Boston, MA or Via Live Webinar
Shattuck Lecture and Luncheon – Personalize Medicine or Precision Medicine
Friday, April 28, 2017, 12:30 p.m.–2:00 p.m.
MMS Annual Meeting, Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center, Boston, MA
Bleeding Control for the Injured/Stop the Bleed Training
Friday, April 28, 2017, Session 1: 2:30 p.m.–3:15p.m. OR Session 2: 3:30 p.m.–4:15 p.m.
MMS Annual Meeting, Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center, Boston, MA
Engaging Physicians and Care Teams to Prevent Diabetes via Live Webinar
Tuesday, May 2, 2017, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Discussions on Concussions: Clinical Headlines Via Live Webinar
Wednesday, May 10, 2017, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Directors of Medical Education Conference – Advancing Collaboration and Compliance
Thursday, May 18, 2017, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
15th Annual Symposium on Men’s Health – The Many Facets of Men’s Health: Clinical Conversations Impacting Your Patients
Thursday, June 15, 2017, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
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™
Check out our additional
online CME activities.
This Week in Health Care
House pulls back on Baker’s health care cost proposals
House leaders unveiled a $40.3 billion state budget that significantly
tempered two controversial plans
by
Governor Charlie Baker to tackle the cost of health care. Lawmakers
slashed his proposed fee on businesses to fund state medical costs, and
rejected a plan to cap the prices charged by hospitals.
Recreational marijuana industry poised for takeoff
In Massachusetts,
recreational marijuana is expected to become a $1.17 billion industry
by 2020. The decision by voters to legalize recreational marijuana has
created an industry
that will bring additional tax revenue, job creation, marijuana and accessory sales, and even a new form of tourism.
AG urged to enforce medical pricing transparency
Attorney General Maura Healey should “assert leadership” on behalf of consumers and motivate health care providers to comply with the state’s price-transparency law,
the Pioneer Institute recommended. Their investigation found wildly
varying costs for procedures and a reluctance to spell out those prices.
Massachusetts weighs safe injection site for drug users
The Massachusetts Medical Society will vote late April on whether or not to advocate for a
supervised injection facility pilot program
, potentially becoming the first statewide physicians group to endorse the concept. Meanwhile, a new syringe exchange program has opened in North Adams, funded by the Massachusetts Department of Health.
Hep C drugs inflating state’s health care costs
New medicines used to treat Hepatitis C
are saving lives but also driving up insurance premiums and state
health care expenses. “Hepatitis C therapies have become a poster-child
for the high cost of pharmaceutical drugs,” said Brian Rosman of the
advocacy group HealthCare for All.
Psychiatric hospital planned for Worcester
A for-profit
psychiatric hospital
is slated
for Central Massachusetts and will offer outpatient and inpatient
services for adults of all ages, in a collaboration between UMass
Memorial Health Care Inc. and a New York City-based company.
New compact helps physicians
obtain multiple state licenses
The Interstate Medical Licensure
compact
makes it
easier for physicians to get licensed in multiple states and could
improve access for patients in rural and under-served communities. The
compact involves 18 participating states and their MD and DO licensing
boards.
Doctors say planned ACO will help MassHealth patients
Lowell’s health care providers are preparing for a
"once in a lifetime" experiment
to
transform the way they care for MassHealth recipients. A proposed
accountable care organization may help providers address the social
determinants of health, potentially bringing down costs.
Surviving opioids is more difficult in the fentanyl era
The synthetic opioid
fentanyl is responsible
for the rising
drug overdose death count in Massachusetts. Fentanyl is 50 times more
potent than heroin, usually mixed with other drugs, and can immediately
trigger an overdose reaction including a form of paralysis known as
“wooden chest.”
Surge in cases of sexually transmitted diseases worries health officials
Health officials are alarmed by a steady rise in known cases of
sexually transmitted infections.
Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis–three of the most common STDs–are
becoming more prevalent in the state and nationally, especially among
young people and minority groups, health officials say.
Children and teens are vital allies in suicide prevention
Young people
should be included in conversations about suicide and take a proactive
role in suicide prevention, the state's annual
Suicide Prevention Conference
heard last week.
The award goes to… Sarge the therapy dog
A golden retriever, one of 12 therapy dogs at Boston Medical Center, has been
recognized as a dog “who changed the world”
because of his preternatural ability to calm and comfort patients.
