MMS opposes Title X changes; CDC MMR vaccine

News and announcements

Massachusetts Medical Society opposes Title X changes

The American Medical Association and Planned Parenthood this week sued the Trump administration over changes to the Title X family planning program that would block federal funds from going to any organization that makes abortion referrals or performs the procedure.

"Physicians will be prohibited from having open, frank conversations with their patients about all their healthcare options," AMA President Barbara McAneny said. "This blatant violation of patients' rights under the Code of Medical Ethics is untenable."    

The rule, which has the potential to redirect tens of millions of dollars from Planned Parenthood, will take effect in May unless there is intervention from a court. Massachusetts Medical Society president Dr. Alain Chaoui offered public comments on the matter:

“Any situation in which a physician is prohibited from delivering all critical health-related information to a patient is unfair and dangerous for all involved,” he said. “This rule and the pathway it intends to build toward further restricting access to health care services are unconscionable.  

To read the complete MMS statement, click the button below.

CDC asks physicians to ensure patients are up-to-date on MMR vaccine

There were two confirmed cases of measles in Massachusetts residents during 2018, and an additional case in an international visitor. Additionally, six outbreaks (defined as 3 or more linked cases) have been reported in Rockland County, New York; Monroe County, New York; New York City; Washington; Texas; and Illinois.

The CDC urges physicians to explain to patients that the MMR vaccine is the best protection against measles. Below are some example measures clinicians can adopt to protect patients from infection:

• Ensure all patients are up to date on measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine. 
• Children need 2 doses of MMR: one dose at 12-15 months and another dose at 4-6 years.  
• Before any international travel, infants 6-11 months need 1 dose of MMR vaccine, children 12 months and older need 2 doses separated by at least 28 days, and teenagers and adults who do not have evidence of immunity against measles need 2 doses separated by at least 28 days. 

For more CDC literature about measles for healthcare professionals, please click the learn more button.  

The Wired Clinic: Experimental Television and the Media History of Medicine

What can the history of older technologies teach us about the future of digital medicine? 

Please join your peers at the Boston Medical Library (BML) for the 15th Annual J. Worth Estes MD History of Medicine Lecture. This year's guest lecturer is Dr. Jeremy Greene, the Elizabeth Treide and A. McGehee Harvey Chair in the History of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University. The event is free and will be held on March 18 at Harvard Medical School, 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM; register using the button below or contact Tara Pealer at (617) 432-4807 or BostonMedLibr@gmail.com. The BML is the official library of the MMS.

2019 Annual Meeting: Important deadlines and registration assistance

This year's Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place, May 2-4, 2019 at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center in Boston.

HOD Resolution Deadline
The resolution deadline to submit an item for consideration by the HOD is Monday, March 18. Please visit www.massmed.org/resolutions to learn more about submitting a resolution and access the required template.

Website and Online Registration
The Annual Meeting website is currently live and online registration is available at www.massmed.org/annual2019/register.

We are pleased to be offering a new registration system for the 2019 Annual Meeting. Please view this flyer for important details/changes prior to registering. Should you experience any issues when registering with account, please contact us ( nejmcust@mms.org and annual@mms.org) and we’d be happy to help.

Deadline today! Renew your membership

 
Final Membership Renewal Reminder

Hurry! There is still time to renew to avoid interruption of your premium member benefits.

Deadline: March 8.

Connect with colleagues

The Massachusetts Medical Society invites you to join colleagues and friends for an evening of professional networking and cheer at one of our upcoming events! Connect with physicians from across organizations and specialties, catch up with colleagues, make new professional contacts, and meet members of the MMS leadership. Professional networking, complimentary hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and good fun!

• Thursday, March 21, 2019, 6:30–8:30 PM. Samuel's, Springfield, MA
• Thursday, March 28, 2019, 6:30–8:30 PM. The Cove Restaurant, Fall River, MA

RSVP no later than two weeks prior to each event at sfrazier@mms.org or mjussaume@mms.org. Questions — (800) 944-5562.

Educational programs and events

Live CME activities

Managing Workplace Conflict – Improving Leadership and Personal Effectiveness
Thursday, June 6, 2019, 7:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. 
Friday, June 7, 2019, 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Featured NEW Online CME Courses 

The Beneficial Effects of the 100-Year-Old BCG Vaccine in Type 1 Diabetes

End-of-Life Series (3 Modules) 

For additional online CME activities, visit www.massmed.org/cme

Upcoming lectures and training

March 16: Improving Access to Mental Health Care Services through the Collaborative Care Model and Telemedicine (Yale School of Medicine)

The Collaborative Care Model integrates effective psychiatric care into primary care practices. The training, led by John Kern, MD from the University of Washington’s AIMS Center, will provide participants with the practical skills to work in collaborative care. The course describes the delivery of mental health care in primary care settings with a focus on the evidence-base, guiding principles, and an introduction to implementation strategies.

April 2: The 24th Annual Massachusetts Adult Immunization Conference (Sheraton Framingham)

At the 24th annual MA Adult Immunization conference, over 350 immunization providers will come together for a day-long conference to support statewide efforts to increase adult immunization rates in Massachusetts. Keynote speakers are David Kim, MD, MA; CAPT, US Public Health Service; Deputy Associate Director for Adult Immunization, Center for Disease Control, and Elisa Choi, MD, FACP, Governor of Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Physicians.

May 7: The 7th Annual Communication, Apology, and Resolution Forum (MMS Headquarters)

The Forum will take place at the Massachusetts Medical Society Conference Center on Tuesday May 7, 2019. The event includes live simulation of using the CARe process in adverse event situations, an update on the CARe pilot study data, as well as a keynote by Richard Boothman, J.D. formerly of the University of Michigan Health System. It is a free event. Registration will open mid-March.

June 6-7: Managing Workplace Conflict: Improving Leadership & Personal Effectiveness (MMS Headquarters)

This program explores complex relationships within the medical work environment. The course provides techniques for addressing and resolving difficult relationships and stressful situations, as well as strengthening relationships with other team members and patients. Read the full program flyer here.

Quote of the week

"The science on this has been settled. It's been solved. When I look at where we are today, with people who are willfully deciding to ignore the facts, it really frustrates me. I just don't understand the mindset of people who want to spread fear."

—  Joshua Nerius, adult son of anti-vaxxers who developed measles   (CNN)

Tweet of the week

@luminous_brain
Neuroscientist in cognitive neurology at Harvard Medical School. Host of The Luminous Brain Podcast. luminousbrain.com 

What’s new in health care

Check out the most clicked-on stories from this week's MMS Media Watch. Sign up for daily Massachusetts media roundups by email. Some publications are fully accessible only to their subscribers.

Tufts Medical Center takes on life-threatening superbug infections (Boston Herald)

Tufts Medical Center is launching a task force to battle dangerous antibiotic-resistant superbugs — which infect millions of Americans and kill thousands each year — announcing the formation of its new Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance on Thursday. A growing number of infections such as tuberculosis and pneumonia are becoming harder to treat as antibiotics become less effective, according to the World Health Organization. Two million Americans are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year and at least 23,000 die as a result, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tufts Center for Integrated Management of Antimicrobial Resistance will investigate drug therapies and develop new methods to control antibiotic resistance.  

Injection sites gain support (Salem News)

"Addiction is a chronic illness," said Dr. Alain Chaoui, president Massachusetts Medical Society, whose governing board voted last year to study whether such sites can reduce overdose deaths. "If a physician does not explore and consider all medically appropriate measures by which to treat a chronic illness, it flies counter to our obligation to our patients." Lawmakers are divided over the issue, and not just along party lines. 

Pressure grows on Mass. legislators to rein in high drug prices (Boston Globe) 

Consumer advocates on Tuesday pushed for legislation that would allow Massachusetts to set limits on the prices of certain expensive drugs, ramping up pressure on Beacon Hill to take action to tackle rising drug costs.The bill, supported by Health Care For All and the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, or MassPIRG, would require pharmaceutical companies to disclose more information about their costs, including marketing expenses, so that state officials can determine if their drug prices are fair and reasonable.  

Smartphone ovulation test a breakthrough at the Brigham (Boston Herald)

Now in development for over a year in Dr. Hadi Shafiee's lab at Brigham and Women's Hospital, the smartphone-based ovulation test uses artificial intelligence to detect patterns in saliva that can ease the headache and financial burden many women experience while trying to get pregnant. The plastic, boxy orange device created with a 3D printer for about $13 is attached to a phone and analyzes saliva samples to detect ferning patterns, a marker of ovulation. The device is just as accurate as a traditional urine-based test, Shafiee said, but quicker, cheaper and easier to understand. "Before we started this project, we weren't aware that such a need existed," said Shafiee. "Our study indicates that an accurate, automated and low-cost test is indeed possible."