MMS NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
MMS 2018 Annual Meeting: Testify online in advance
Want to have advanced input on a resolution or report? Any MMS member may view the online
Delegates’ Handbook and
post testimony online before the Annual Meeting. For example:
- Would it be helpful to understand the patient care impact of hospital staff reductions resulting from high capital investments in electronic health records?
- Should MMS encourage the MA Department of Public Health and other state health agencies to honor end-of-life medical orders from other states?
Pre-registration closes Monday, April 23, at noon
This year's Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place on April 26–28, 2018, at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center in Boston. Connect with your professional community and help shape MMS policy, attend a world-class educational program, and enjoy networking opportunities
including meals, forums, district events, the presidential inauguration and awards, the silent art auction, and the Friday night banquet.
Online registration is open. Pre-registration is required for some of the planned Annual Meeting events; on-site registrations will not be taken for these events. Don’t delay; register today.
Art auction sneak peek Preview the annual member art exhibit and silent auction. (Shown: "Mia," oil on canvas by Lyudmila Rakita, MD.)
MassHealth: Additional time and support for members transitioning to new plans
Last
month, MassHealth launched its restructured delivery system through 17
Accountable Care Organizations, two Managed Care Organizations, and the
MassHealth Primary Care Clinician Plan. To help ensure a successful
transition for all members, MassHealth is taking additional steps:
- Continuity of care extended:
All plans will be taking additional steps through May 31, 2018, to
ensure uninterrupted care for members, including continued coverage for
members’ existing providers, scheduled appointments, and ongoing
treatment;
- Fixed Enrollment period extended: Members have until July 1, 2018, to change their health plan for any reason. Learn more about the Plan Selection Period and Fixed Enrollment Period;
- New Service Area exceptions:
MassHealth will allow members, in certain circumstances, to join an
Accountable Care Partnership Plan that does not cover the service area
in which they live.
For more information, see the full transition update, including resources for members, and the providers’ guide to MassHealth changes.
CHIA: Last chance to preview your CompareCare data
Physicians:
You have two more weeks to preview your data on CHIA’s CompareCare
website before the site is launched. CHIA will not be making further
changes to the site before its public launch, but remains open to
comments. The changes implemented in response to previous feedback
include a pop-up stating that costs are from
2015 and encouraging patients to contact their plan for current cost
information; additional ways to find a provider or facility; and more.
Log in and comment with this info:
Medical and dental implications of HPV: Free lecture and dinner
This
free, one-hour lecture explores the relationship between HPV and
head-and-neck cancers, risk factors for oral cancer, the role the HPV
vaccine in cancer prevention, and more. It will be followed by an
interactive session in which physicians and dentists can network and
share best practices, and a light buffet dinner. Medical Dental Integration — Working Together to Address HPV and Establish a Dental Home is presented by Alessandro Villa, DDS, PhD, MPH, assistant
professor of oral medicine, infection, and immunity at Harvard School
of Dental Medicine. It will be held Tuesday, May 1, 6:00 – 8:00 pm at
The Delaney House, 3 Country Club Rd (Route 5), Holyoke; registration and information, including CME accreditation. Please register by April 20. The event is provided by the MMS and its Committee on Oral Health and From the First Tooth–Massachusetts.
Free financial wellness workshops for physicians
Need
to plan for your financial security while starting out in your medical
career or because you're anticipating your retirement? Join your peers
at an in-person class geared to residents or established physicians.
- Physician Finance: Planning for Residents covers how
to protect yourself from career risks, including malpractice claims,
and build a solid financial foundation while paying down student debt.
It will be held in Brookline on May 2, 6:30–8:00 p.m.
- Physician Finance: Planning for Doctors helps
you prepare for retirement and protect your assets. You will also learn
about estate planning basics, charitable giving, and college planning.
The class will be held in Brookline on May 9, 6:30–8:00 p.m.
The
classes are provided by In Good Company, a collaboration
between MassMutual and Baystate Financial, and are being promoted by the
Physicians Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, an MMS subsidiary, and
Baystate MD; information and registration. Questions? Email Tom Bryant or Meghan Stanley at piam@mms.org.
Which ad best promotes MassPAT? 4-minute survey
The
Massachusetts Prescription Monitoring Program is developing a marketing
communications campaign to increase usage of the Massachusetts
Prescription Awareness Tool [MassPAT] by all prescribers and
pharmacists. Your input is extremely valuable to the success of this
campaign. Please participate in a 4-minute survey, giving us your reaction to two creative concepts encouraging MassPAT use. Your time and feedback are greatly appreciated.
Reminders: Stuff you should click on
Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Clinical Practice: Does Machine Learning Empower or Challenge Physicians?
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; information and registration.
LGBTQ mentoring and networking reception
Join
LGBTQ physicians, medical students, and allies from across the state
for conversation and appetizers at the Seaport Hotel, on Thursday, April
26, 7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m. The event is free with a cash bar, and takes
place at the MMS Annual Meeting. To register, please contact Erin Tally
at etally@mms.org or (781) 434-7413.
RESCHEDULED: Discover satisfying work and volunteer opportunities when retired
What
are your medical work opportunities in retirement? What are
your recommended volunteer options, locally and internationally? What
are your medical licensing options? Learn and discuss with senior
physician members on May 23, 2018, at the MMS headquarters in Waltham.
Spouses and partners are welcome. This free event is hosted by the
Committee on Senior Physicians; 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.
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.
Directors of Medical Education Conference — Leading and Designing for Change
Thursday, May 17, 2018, 9:00 a.m.–3:30 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.
5 years on, marathon bombing survivors inspire medical advances
In the five years since the Boston Marathon bombing, medical science has made promising advances in amputations and artificial limbs, in part because of lessons learned from the victims and research dollars made available as a result of the attack.
Alleged medical student murderer was diagnosed with schizophrenia
Mental
health specialists have diagnosed Jeffrey Yao, the Winchester man who
allegedly killed a medical student in a public library in February, with
schizophrenia and noted his auditory hallucinations and penchant for speaking to imaginary people.
Beth Israel-Lahey merger gets bashed as bad for consumers and poor
Health
care advocates raised concerns about the proposed merger of Beth Israel
Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health to the City Council, warning
it would drive up health care costs and leave poor residents without access to services.
Baystate Franklin nurses: 'There are problems inside this hospital'
"It's
not OK that we are not inside taking care of our patients," said Donna
Stern, senior co-chairwoman of the union's bargaining committee. "There
are problems inside this hospital."
Mass. General files patent infringement suit
According
to Candela, its parent company Syneron Candela and Massachusetts
General Hospital, the technology — fractional RF micro-needles — was
invented by an MGH doctor, Dieter Manstein, who was awarded a series of
patents for the technology after filing for patent protection in 2004.
State behavioral health report: More funds, earlier, broader help needed
A commission signed into law by Gov. Charles Baker last year to investigate evidence-based approaches to promoting behavioral health early and preventing associated disorders has issued its final report.
Baker defends Vertex drug pricing, saying 'innovation is expensive'
Gov. Charlie Baker, asked whether drug companies
are "getting away with murder" as President Trump has alleged, said
"innovation is expensive," particularly when "figuring out the human
body."
Barnstable District Medical Society honors Theodore Calianos, MD, FACS
A member of the Massachusetts Medical Society
since 1999, Calianos serves as the current chair of the Committee on
Legislation and alternate trustee to the Massachusetts Medical Society
(MMS). He is also an MMS delegate to the American Medical Association.
UMass Lowell lacrosse player scores in first game after leg amputation
''The
guy that was driving behind us was the first one to come toward me, and
he took his shirt off and wrapped it around my leg, which basically
saved my life, because I hit a major artery. I remember them saying,
'Everything's fine, you're gonna be OK,' and I said, 'No, my leg is gone.' ''
Boston Marathon says trans women can compete as women
At
least five openly transgender women are signed up to run the storied
26.2-mile race through Boston and its suburbs April 16. And while they
aren't the first, their presence helped bring clarity to the race's
stance on transgender runners.
Public hearing planned in Boston for 13-hospital deal
The Boston City Council is planning to hold a public hearing on one of the largest hospital mergers
ever proposed in Massachusetts. The 13-hospital deal would result in
the merger of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center hospitals, The Lahey
Health system, along with New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, Mount
Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, and Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport.
