MMS NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Artificial Intelligence: All hype — or coming for your job?
Join your colleagues to learn how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the medical landscape and where it will be in five years. AI technologies have a growing and potentially transformative role in health, in and out of the clinical setting. The revolution has begun
with the use of smart devices to monitor individual health. Investment in AI technologies is accelerating, and many see potential for disruptive advances in diagnostics, predictive analytics, and decision support. The event will be held on May 12 at MMS Headquarters, Waltham;
more information and registration.
New Medicare cards will start arriving in June
CMS is removing social security numbers from Medicare cards to help prevent fraud, fight identity theft, and safeguard taxpayer dollars. A new, unique Medicare Number will replace the SSN-based Health Insurance Claim Number (HICN) on each new card. CMS will begin mailing the new Medicare cards to Massachusetts beneficiaries starting in June. Starting in April, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to check the status of card mailings on Medicare.gov.
MIPS 2017 data submission deadline extended
If you’re an eligible clinician participating in the Quality Payment Program, you now have until Tuesday, April 3, at 8:00 p.m. to submit your 2017 MIPS performance data. You can submit your 2017 performance data using the new feature on the
QPP website.
For groups that missed the March 16 CMS web interface data submission deadline, it’s not too late to submit your data through another mechanism. To get started, go to
qpp.cms.gov and click on “sign in”. See the
data submission fact sheet and this
video to learn more. Questions? Email
qpp@cms.hhs.gov or call (866) 288-8292.
Annual Education Program: Join Bill Gates and distinguished panelists (pre-registration is required)
Today, every epidemic has the potential to become a pandemic. Join Bill Gates, the MMS, and the New England Journal of Medicine for Epidemics Going Vital: Innovation Vs. Nature, a scientific and creative exploration of the complex challenges associated with modern epidemics.
Our 2018 Annual Education Program (AEP) — part of the MMS Annual Meeting — will take place on Friday, April 27, 2018, 8:00 a.m.–12:45 p.m. at the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center, Boston.
Registration is open for in-person and/or web attendance. Don’t forget to register for the Networking Luncheon, which will take place immediately afterward. Pre-registration is required for the Annual and the Networking Luncheon.
See
full program and CME credit information.
Epidemics Going Vital: Innovation Vs. Nature includes:
- Shattuck Lecture and Conversation: Innovation for Pandemics, featuring Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Michelle Williams, SM, ScD, dean of the faculty at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- Panel: How to Identify an Epidemic — Past, Present, and Future Lessons
- Panel: Acquiring Knowledge While Saving Lives
Reminders: Stuff you should click on
New video from MMS: How to reverse an opioid overdose with naloxone
Do your patrients and their families know that anyone can carry naloxone, the medicine that can help save a life during an opioid-related overdose? Please share this
new 1-minute video PSA from the Massachusetts Medical Society with your colleagues and patients. It features MMS members Sheena Desai and Hilary Rogers, students at Tufts University School of Medicine.
MMS Alliance celebrates National Doctors’ Day
MMS Alliance invites all members and their families to celebrate National Doctors’ Day on Saturday, April 7, honoring physicians for their dedication and service. The free event will take place at the Lyman Estate, 185 Lyman Street, Waltham, 12:00–3:30 p.m. An open lunch buffet
will be provided. RSVP to
alliance@mms.org.
Residents, fellows, and students: Free media and public communication training
This interactive session, designed for physicians, demonstrates powerful communication and presentation skills that will convey your message and get you noticed. The session will be led by Odysseus Argy, MD, host of Doctors on Call and director of Odyssey Health Communications. The event will be held April
10, 6:30–8:30 p.m., at the Countway Library, 10 Shattuck Street, Boston;
information and registration.
Massachusetts Adult Immunization Conference: 11 days away
The Massachusetts Adult Immunization Conference has been sponsored by MMS for nine years. The workshops will discuss key strategies for discussing immunizations with patients, and many more important topics. This will be a great opportunity to network with your colleagues and
maintain partnerships that foster effective care coordination. Join us at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel in Marlborough on April 10;
information and registration.
Food is Medicine: Physician input needed on State Plan
Massachusetts is developing a first-in-the-nation Food is Medicine Plan to assess the need for and access to medically-tailored food and nutrition interventions for patients with complex health and social needs. Physicians will play a key role in providing input into this plan. Join
us for a collaborative listening session on Friday April 27, 2018, 2:30 – 3:30 p.m., at the MMS Annual Meeting;
information and registration. Questions? Email
sdowner@law.harvard.edu or
JTerranova@servings.org.
Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: New law on employment discrimination
In Massachusetts, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act takes effect April 1, 2018. The law prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions. The law outlines employers’ obligations to employees who are pregnant or lactating and the
protections these employees are entitled to receive, including job modifications;
more information.
What's up on Capitol Hill
MMS comments in opposition to HHS’s proposed rule on conscience rights in health care
In a
letter to the secretary of Health and Human Services, President Henry L. Dorkin, MD, FAAP, on behalf of the Society, opposed the proposed rule “Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health care, Delegations of Authority” on the grounds that it would undermine the basic tenets of a
physician’s oath to provide care to all patients. The MMS recognizes the importance of allowing clinicians not to participate in interventions that they consider immoral; however, the evidence shows that current protections are sufficient. If passed, this proposed rule would
exacerbate discrimination towards patients, Dr. Dorkin wrote.
Educational programs and events
View our
full calendar of upcoming live CME activities. Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at MMS Headquarters, 860 Winter St., Waltham, MA.
Live CME events
Ethics Forum — Transparency in Health Care
Thursday, April 26, 2018, 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
MMS Annual Meeting, Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center, Boston, MA
Epidemics Going Viral: Innovation vs. Nature
Friday, April 27, 2018, 8:00 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
MMS Annual Meeting, Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center, Boston, MA or Live Webinar
Artifical Intelligence and the Future of Clinical Practice
Saturday, May 12, 2018, 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Featured online CME courses
Find additional risk management
online CME activities.
This week in health care
Sign up for daily roundups of health news affecting Massachusetts.
Western Mass. residents seeking pain relief get medical marijuana tips
Dr. Denise Cantin, of Canna Care Docs in Northampton, was the keynote speaker, giving information and advice on cannabis treatment including how to register, her thoughts on the benefits of cannabis, and some words of caution.
Four years since hospital closure, North Adams wounds remain
Four
years later, new North Adams Mayor Tom Bernard sympathizes with those
still fuming from the closure, but draws attention to the Berkshire
Medical Center facility on the site of the former hospital. It offers health services, but is not a full-service hospital.
One of the first bump stock arrests in country made in MA this week
Massachusetts became the first state in the country to ban bump stocks following the Las Vegas massacre in October, when shooter Stephen Paddock killed 58 people at a country music festival.
Reliant Medical Group moving into former Price Chopper in Shrewsbury
Reliant has opened an office
at Bay State Commons in Westborough at a former Linens 'n Things,
and is renovating a former Macy's home department store at the Auburn
Mall into another office. With the Auburn Mall plans, Reliant will
vacate its existing Auburn medical offices at 35 Millbury St. and at 94
Elm St. in Millbury.
As hospitals cut maternity services, burden is on expectant mothers
The closures are creating challenges for patients
— especially in poor and isolated communities — who no longer can rely
on their local hospital for one of the most important periods of their
lives.
Massachusetts is one of the worst states for doctors, WalletHub says
The state ranked 46th
on the poll, largely because of a high cost of living relative to
wages, the high competition for jobs, and high malpractice award payout.
Red Sox star praises Boston docs, nurses for caring for infant daughter
"Blessed" may seem like an odd word in the wake of Lydia's struggle,
but Kimbrel and his wife believe the larger forces have a plan for
them. Only one of the 30 major league teams is a half-mile from the
finest children's hospital in the world.
Former Celtic Chris Herren opening center to combat addiction
Former NBA star Chris Herren is launching a wellness center aimed at helping people prevent and break free of substance abuse.
Herren says his new venture, Herren Wellness, will offer life skills
coaching, educational workshops, and fitness and nutrition advice.
DFCI: Immune-boosting gel could stem spread of cancer after surgery
Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found that in mice, implanting a small disc of gel during surgery that slowly releases an immune-boosting drug afterward appears to help keep the cancer from recurring.
Florida primary care company opens new Framingham office
Harveen
Singh, a doctor affiliated with Framingham's MetroWest Medical Center
and the Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick, will lead the new Framingham practice.
