UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk - November 2, 2021/CLINICAL
Welcome to the FMCH Tuesday Talk. Please continue to send us your announcements, celebrations, and accomplishments to [email protected].
Table of Contents
Message from the Chair
Upcoming Events
Focus of the Week - Clinical
Announcements
Frankly Speaking Podcast
Faculty Presentations/Publications
Department Member Recognition
Clinical Services Spotlight
Message from the Chair

Be sure to join us for the Town Hall today at noon. It is important to look ahead and I will provide an update on our strategic planning plans and some other news. Also, please reserve December 14th for the department’s Annual Awards Ceremony (in lieu of Grand Rounds).  Looking forward to “seeing” you then.
Upcoming Events

Faculty Development Workshop
Thursday, November 4th, 12:30 - 1:30 pm, Build Speed Buttons - Epic Workshop.
Please RSVP to [email protected].

UMass Cancer Center
Wednesday, November 17th, 3:00 - 4:00 pm, "Community Engagement: Informing Awareness, Uptake, and Research to Improve Cancer Screening". Presented by Karriem S. Watson, DHS, MS, MPH.
Password: 919204

Faculty Development Workshop
Thursday, November 18th, 7:30 - 8:30 am, Optimizing Epic during a live patient encounter - Epic Workshop.
Please RSVP to [email protected].

American Board of Family Medicine Maintenance of Certification
KSA (SAM) Workshop: “Care of Children”
Thursday, November 18, 2021, 8:00 – 10:00 AM
WEBINAR (no need to leave your desk) Link will be sent prior to 11/18/2021
We will complete the latest (just released) 60 question Care of Children KSA via a virtual CME event. You will record your answers while we work through the KSA, then after completion, log into your ABFM account and enter the results and claim your CME credits through the ABFM. Successful Completion of the Knowledge Self-Assessment (KSA) Module is eligible for up to 10 ABFM Credit Hours.
See the attached invitation for a WEBINAR to complete the ABFM KSA: Caring for Children. To register, please complete and follow the directions on the attached registration form.

Faculty Development Workshop
Thursday, December 2nd, 12:30 - 1:30 pm, Smartphrases - Epic Workshop.
Please RSVP to [email protected].
Focus of the Week - Clinical

Continue to build your Epic Skills - we are offering a series of workshops focused on Epic. Save these dates and see the registration details above under Upcoming Events.

  • Thursday, November 4th, 12:30 - 1:30 pm, Build Speed Buttons
  • Thursday, November 18th, 7:30 - 8:30 am, Optimizing Epic during a live patient encounter
  • Thursday, December 2nd, 12:30 - 1:30 pm, Smartphrases
Announcements

FMCH Vision 2030 Strategic Planning Fall Listening Sessions 
With 2021 drawing to a close, the department would like to continue work on a strategic planning process.  Vision 2030 is a project to look at the department’s long-term goals. What do you want our department to achieve by 2030? What will we be known for? We want your voice to be heard, please consider attending one (or more) listening sessions which will occur over the next two months. Site specific sessions will occur during standard meeting times to allow for easy access and minimize scheduling issues.
Dates and times will be forthcoming about other groups that will be open across sites.
                    Diversity and Inclusion Efforts
                    Community Health
                    Undergraduate Medical Education

TendHealth Faculty COVID Recovery Series
You matter! The Department wants to support you through your COVID recovery efforts. We have hired TendHealth to provide recovery courses for our faculty.  A series of four sessions over two months will guide you through recovery and build resilience. 
Objectives:
Learn new concepts, build resiliency, and find community through live courses.
The team of expert and diverse instructors bring together a community of like-minded health professionals to learn new skills and expand our insights.
Faculty will need to choose one cohort and stick with it for all the sessions. 
TEND is able to move the start date of the faculty cohorts back to hopefully avoid cancelling patient sessions. Here are the new dates:
Cohort 1: Mondays 8-9:15am, 11/15, 11/29, 12/13
Cohort 2: Fridays 4-5:15pm, 11/5, 11/19, 12/3, 12/17
RSVP as soon as possible to Jennifer Masoud to reserve your spot in your chosen cohort, Jennifer.masoud@umassmemorial.org.

White Belt Training Opportunity - Upcoming LEAN Training
UMassMemorial Health is committed to disseminate LEAN management tools to all physicians and clinicians and offer leadership development to our providers. Practicing LEAN principles enables team building and promotes respect to our fellow caregivers. It’s a platform that fosters innovation and improves the care we provide to our patients — as well as to advance our own work environment. LEAN is practiced by many caregivers in our health care system. Physicians and clinicians should be educated and have the tools needed to implement successful huddles, idea board systems and process improvement efforts. Our department will offer LEAN white belt training through two upcoming grand rounds. The first session will be a great refresher for those trained many years ago and the second session will include important updates including how to use Innovation Station. For individuals who have not done LEAN training in the past, this is an opportunity to meet the institution's requirement for white belt certification.  
  • November 16th,12-1pm: LEAN White Belt: Part 1 
  • January 25th, 12-1pm: LEAN White Belt: Part 2 - Innovation Station
If you are unable to make these trainings and are in need of certification, additional Lean White Belt training registration is available through E-learning 4U.  

UMass Chan Medical School is leading a statewide collaborative to improve training for all medical students in serious illness communication, which was featured at the annual summit of the Massachusetts Coalition for Serious Illness Care (http://maseriouscare.org/news/summit-2021). The summit focused on an equity-first approach to improve communication and care of people and families facing serious illness. Jennifer Reidy, MD, chief, Division of Palliative Care, is chair of the collaborative which includes faculty, administrators and students from Boston University, Harvard and Tufts Medical Schools. The group has created shared competencies, mapped current curricula and conducted student focus groups at each school. This data is timely with UMass Chan's curriculum revolution. For more information, check out the collaborative's website here: http://maseriouscare.org/medical-schools-collaborative

UMass Chan Medical School is implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to information systems. MFA is a digital authentication method that requires two or more forms of verification factors before access is granted. Prior to MFA, only a valid username and password have been required. Adding a second form of authentication is a best practice. MFA registration is required for all who use UMass Chan information systems, including email. Students, faculty, and staff must register by Friday, December 17th. You will need to choose at least one secondary authentication method: a text to a mobile device; a phone call to a mobile device or landline; or an alert on the Microsoft Authenticator mobile app. Similar to our current use of the Duo app to access HR Direct, Microsoft Authenticator provides a secure method for multi-factor authentication. To learn more about multi-factor authentication and how to register, visit the MFA information page. The Help Desk will also host training sessions on Thursdays from noon to 12:30 to assist users in learning how to register. Register here for a session. By December 31st, all users will need to use MFA. If you have any questions, please contact the IT Help Desk via chat, email or phone (508-856-8653).

The WFMR Structural Oppression and Anti-Racism (SOAR) Committee is planning a number of upcoming didactic sessions as part of the SOAR framework for residents. We are looking for faculty and residents interested in co-facilitating the following sessions:
  • Intersectional Feminism and Reproductive Justice on 11/16/21 (specifically looking for faculty co-facilitator)
  • Anti-AAPI Racism (AY21)
  • Oppression Against Indigenous Peoples (AY21)
  • Anti-Latinx Discrimination (AY21)
  • Disability, Ableism, and Holding Medicine Accountable (AY22)
  • Immigration and Colonialism (AY22)
  • Medicine and the LGBTQ+ Community (AY22)
If you are interested or have questions, please contact Jordan Howard-Young, MD at

Please consider for in-person learning Pri-Med East 
Thursday−Saturday, December 9−11, 2021 at the Boston Exhibition and Convention Center. Many of our colleagues will be presenting for 19 AAFP CME hours. This year’s keynote speaker is Pulitzer Prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD on: “Themes From the Future of Medicine”. I hope to see you there.

FMCH Teacherless Writing Group Opportunity
Are you wishing you could write more? Would you like to move it up on your priority list?
Would seeing friends and writing make it easier to put it up higher in your goals? Join family medicine faculty at our monthly Teacherless Writing Group where we read our work to each other, give and receive loving feedback and write for 12 minutes. We have been meeting on Tuesday nights, previously over dinner at Fatima’s, this past year on Zoom, and lately outside in warm weather. We are open to other options for time and place. If you would like to participate in a doodle poll for the date and time of our next meeting, send an email to one of the following members: Lucy Candib ([email protected]); Lisa Gussak ([email protected]); Katharine Barnard ([email protected]); or Stacy Potts ([email protected]). We hope you will join us!

Teaching of Tomorrow (TOT)
January 7-8 and March 25-26, 2022
Registration is Open! 
For over 25 years, UMass faculty from the departments of Family Medicine and Community Health, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics have trained over 1,500 clinical faculty and preceptors from across the Northeast and beyond. TOT focuses on building and refining foundational skills for effective clinical teaching in both the inpatient and ambulatory settings. Preceptors from any specialty and discipline will enhance their clinical teaching skills through discourse and practice. TOT also provides valuable opportunities to network with other clinician educators. Our award-winning faculty utilize the principles of adult learning, drawing on participants’ experience and building knowledge through dialogue. The conference provides frequent opportunities to practice and assess new skills in a safe and fun environment.
Audience:
  • Clinical educators – MDs, DOs, NPs, PAs, RNs, Behavioral Health, Pharmacists
  • Primary Care and Specialty providers
  • Teachers of students, residents, and advanced learners
  • Teachers in both In-patient and Ambulatory settings
Frankly Speaking Podcast

A weekly Podcast series covering newsworthy topics in primary care medicine.

Join us to hear a discussion on the important changes the AHA/ACC and USPSTF have made to their positions on the use of aspirin for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. The organizations note that while aspirin for primary prevention lowers the risk of a myocardial infarction, its harmful effects may outweigh its benefits. Learn the aspirin recommendations for your patients in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who are at higher risk for a cardiovascular event. Guest: Jill M. Terrien, PhD, ANP-BC, presents: "Aspirin-Not Really for Primary Prevention". - Frankly Speaking Ep 248.
Faculty Presentations/Publications

The New England Rural Health Association meeting this week in Maine includes:
  • Andrew Cauley, SOM’23, MassAHEC Rural Health Scholar and Paula Gardiner, MD, will present a poster on work done over the summer on wellness and burnout for clinicians in FQHCs. 
  • Huppert Awardees Aisling Ryan, GSN student and AHEC Scholar, Haley Schachter, SOM’23 will present on their work at Outer Cape Health Service on the CHC’s surge capacity response to COVID. 
  • Steve Martin, MD and Read Allen, SOM ’23 serve on the NERHA board and Rural Health Scholars students Read Allen, Erin Johnson, Thomas Drews, Sarah Uhranowsky, Zachary Strecker,, and Antony Tatar volunteered at the conference. 

Warren Ferguson, MD was senior author on a new policy brief in the Journal Health Affairs entitled Prison and Jail Reentry and Health, published on October 28th. Here is the link: https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20210928.343531/listitem/health-affairs-brief-prison-community-reentry-russ.pdf.

Judy Savageau, MPH, on behalf of her UMMS colleagues presented two projects at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in Denver last week, including:
Savageau JA, Silk H, Riedy C, Sullivan K, Ticku S. Development of the 100 Million Mouths Campaign: Training State Oral Health Champions to Improve Oral Health Education in Primary Care. American Public Health Association annual meeting, Denver, CO, October, 2021. 
Savageau JA, Miller F, Brindisi M, Ferreira E, Harvey M, Garfuri N, Stoler A, Murphy M. Variations in Behavioral Health Service Utilization among MassHealth Members by Race and Ethnicity: A Claims Analysis, 2018. American Public Health Association annual meeting, Denver, CO, October, 2021. 

Women family physicians’ working conditions and career satisfaction: a multinational study. Jinan Usta,  Lucy M. Candib, MD,  Sonia Oyola,  Farah Abdul Razzak, Jumana Antoun. Family Practice, cmab119. Note: this is the British Family Practice journal. Free access to this article for a few more weeks at:
Department Member Recognition

The Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester has received a very competitive 2020-2021 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize recognizing the work being done to improve public health throughout the city. Thank you to all members of our department who have contributed to the Coalition’s work and the city’s Community Health Improvement Plan. There will be an in-person Public Health Celebration event on Tuesday, November 9th from 12:15 - 3:45 pm at the Worcester Pop-Up (20 Franklin Street). You are invited to attend to celebrate and enjoy a local lunch. 

In October Carole Upshur, EdD, completed a competitive research proposal review for The Icelandic Research Fund, Government of Iceland in the area of early childhood education. She also participated as PI along with Dr. Melodie Wenz-Gross (Co-PI) in a US Department of Education funded study to benchmark the main outcomes from grants made by the Institute for Education Sciences over the last 20 years. Their grant was funded from 2012-2017 and involved a large scale RCT in 13 Worcester County child care/preschool and Head Start programs, 67 classrooms, 187 teachers, and over 2000 children and families testing impact of the Second Step Early Learning curriculum. Main outcomes were significantly improved independently assessed child executive functioning and teacher-rated social skills, and independently observed improved classroom quality in preschool. Executive functioning also mediated improved academic skills and attention in kindergarten follow-up.
Clinical Services Spotlight:
COVID-19 UPDATES

Children and COVID
  • Children are more likely to develop antibodies after having COVID than adults. 
  • However, children can get sick with COVID and they can spread the disease to others.

COVID-19 Vaccine for Children
The FDA has approved the Pfizer-Biotech COVID vaccine for Emergency Use in children aged 5-11 years old.  
  • The effectiveness was 90.7% in preventing children ages 5-11 from getting COVID-19.
  • 3100 children ages 5-11 were given the vaccine with no serious side effects. 
  • The CDC will meet this week for further discussion.
  • Children 5-11 will receive a lower dose than children 12 to 19 years old, scheduled 3 weeks apart. To date, approximately 8300 children in the 5-11-year-old age group have been hospitalized with COVID-19.

COVID-19 Update
  • The World count for COVID virus cases is 247,463,395 with 5,014,976 deaths (2% Deaths). There have been 46,823,938 cases in the US with 766,292 deaths (1.64%). 
  • Massachusetts confirmed cases 794,302 and confirmed deaths, 18,601.
  • Hospitalized patients in MA - currently 530 with 140 in the ICU and 72 intubated.
  • The 7-day average of percent positivity is 1.7%.

UMass Memorial COVID-19 Update
  • In-house confirmed cases 52 as of November 1. At the med center, there are 25 (8 in ICU).
  • Hospitalization among people who are fully vaccinated -28%.
  • In-house test positivity is flat, at 9.6% for symptomatic patients and 1.9% for asymptomatic patients.

Mandatory Flu vaccine
The due date for getting the required flu vaccination is December 15th. If you have a medical contraindication to the flu vaccine, you must submit the required documentation by November 15. Additional information about Covid-19 and flu vaccine can be found on the hub. 
Wellness Resources

The Caring for the Caregiver Program provides resources such as the Caregiver Support Line (508-334-HELP) and The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which offers a variety of services and supports (including virtual peer support and wellness tips. EAP can be accessed at 866-263-3525, or www.LiveandWorkWell.com, [company code UmassMemorial]. More information is available on the Caring for the Caregiver page.
Working on Wellness
Yoga Classes with Dr. Liz Erban
Please join department members for early morning gentle yoga, Wednesday mornings 6:30am via Zoom.

Much appreciation to Dr. Erban for hosting these outstanding classes. Join Zoom Meeting
Zumba with Dr. Anna Zheng

Zumba Monday 6am is on hold.
On hold until the new year in 2022. 

Thursdays 6:15pm: Live/in-person or ZOOM
Please join department members Thursday evenings at 6:15pm**(30 Anna Street: tall ceilings, spacious indoor location) and get moving with Zumba. Please note details and any changes via webpage: http://annazheng.zumba.com/. ZOOM still possible for all classes.
 
Much appreciation to Dr. Anna Zheng for hosting these outstanding classes. New to the class? If it's your first class or you are interested in joining, please email Dr. Zheng at [email protected] to register, complete brief health screen and receive the ZOOM link.