Manet, Taunton Welcomes Sen. Ed Markey
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US Senator Edward J. Markey (2nd from right) received a warm greeting from (left to right) Manet CEO Cynthia Sierra, Manet Board President Robert Griffin, Rep. Shaunna O'Connell, Mayor Tom Hoye, Dr. Bill Brandon and Todd Foy, of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers.
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U.S. Senator Edward J. Markey stopped into Manet's Taunton practice site last Friday for a robust roundtable discussion with Manet board members, patients and staff, as well as state and local elected officials and healthcare and social service leaders. Senator Markey said that he wanted to return to Taunton as a follow up to his initial introduction to the city's heroin epidemic in January of 2014. Citing the prescription drug and heroin epidemic as one of his main priorities, he has supported legislation that increases access to treatment, including a law that extends the privilege of prescribing buprenorphine in office-based settings to qualifying nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). He was eager to hear an update from those assembled and to learn about how having a community health center is helping patients in the community, many of whom are struggling with substance use disorders.
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In addition to Manet CEO Cynthia Sierra and Board President Robert Griffin and elected officials Rep. Shaunna O'Connell, Mayor Tom Hoye and Sen. Marc Pacheco, roundtable participants included Kate Walsh, President & CEO of Boston Medical Center; Joe Casey, President & CEO and Brian Kelly, MD, of Sturdy Memorial Hospital; Kim Hollon, President & CEO of Signature Healthcare; Todd Foy, Manager of Government Affairs and Public Policy for the Mass. League of Community Health Centers; Andrew Dawley, COO, Community Counseling of Bristol County; Rey Spadoni, CEO of Community VNA; Taunton School superintendent John Cabral; Lori Gonsalves, co-chair of the Taunton Opiate Task Force; Manet board members Anne Bisson, Mark Souza and Ivan Wong; Manet providers Dr. Rob Shiner, Dr. Bill Brandon, Dr. Karin Hemmingsen, Christine Basile, NP and Dr. Lily Yung; and Kim Kroeger, manager of Manet's Prevention and Medication Assisted Treatment programs. Each participant had the opportunity to provide comments about how their organization is impacted or is responding to the opioid epidemic and what challenges remain. Some of the most compelling remarks came from Manet patients, who told how the medication assisted treatment they are receiving at Manet as part of their primary care is essential to their recovery and how the health center's compassionate staff and comprehensive services helped them transition from the social justice system to healthier more productive lives.
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Senator Markey and State Senator Marc Pacheco with patients Caitlyn and Scott, who shared their thoughts about their experiences at Manet.
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About Manet Community Health Center
Manet Community Health Center is a not-for-profit health and social services provider, founded in 1979 to provide access to health care for all, regardless of health insurance coverage status or ability to pay.
Manet’s exceptional primary care providers and health professionals deliver patient-centered, compassionate, high-quality, accessible care at three locations in Quincy, one in Hull and one in Taunton, and serve patients of all ages, including infants, children, adolescents, adults and seniors, from across the South Shore and Southeastern MA.
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