Table of Contents

Upcoming Events

Focus of the Week - Community

Announcements

Frankly Speaking Podcast

Clinical Services Spotlight

As of February 27^th, the school is no longer supporting the listserv manager for the department’s Family Medicine and Community Health list [email protected] and Family Medicine Moments list [email protected]

We will be transitioning to Constant Contact to communicate Tuesday Talk, Grand Rounds, and Family Medicine Moments. This means you cannot submit a message to the department on your own or “reply all.” We are looking at different strategies to see how we can facilitate this type of discussion. In the meantime, please communicate any news for Tuesday Talk to [email protected] for inclusion in the next issue (and for Grand Rounds to [email protected] and Family Medicine Moments, [email protected]) 

Upcoming Events

FMCH Grand Rounds

Tuesday, February 21st, 12:00 - 1:00pm, "Primary Care for You (PC4You): A Legislative Update", presented by Ronald Adler, MD, FAAFP and Wayne Altman, MD, FAAFP.

Meeting ID: 191 986 273 Passcode: FMCH

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/191986273?pwd=NEtlZmNkdWlSUGwyeTJQU3dCeUs1QT09

FMCH Grand Rounds

Tuesday, February 28th, 12:00 - 1:00pm, "Restorative Justice in Academic Medicine", presented by Lynn Hernandez, PhD.

Meeting ID: 191 986 273 Passcode: FMCH

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/191986273?pwd=NEtlZmNkdWlSUGwyeTJQU3dCeUs1QT09

Special Seminar

Wednesday, March 22nd, 12:00 - 1:00pm, "Improving Cancer Health Equity in Rural Settings through Participatory Implementation Science", presented by Melinda M. Davis, Ph.D., M.C.R. Dr. Davis is an Associate Professor at Oregon Health & Sciences University, Interim Director of the Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network and co-Director of the OCTRI Community and Collaboration Core. Dr. Davis conducts participatory implementation science research with patient, community, and health system partners to improve health and enhance health equity in rural settings. Please register in advance for this webinar.

https://umassmed.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hrdGUagDQuqwEHBBniA_cQ

Career Development Workshop: UMass Cancer Screening Research

Thursday, March 23rd, 12:00 - 1:00pm, Presented by Melinda M. Davis, Ph.D., M.C.R., for early-career researchers and faculty, however, all are welcome.

https://umassmed.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwufumvpzIjGdf54vKqf8zMuvLfMB6uK4GQ

Black Maternal Health 6th Annual Conference (BMHC)

Friday, April 7th; "Centering the Role of Nurses and Midwives in Addressing the Black Maternal Health Crisis", this conference is hybrid, with virtual spots remaining, and is free. you can register here: 

https://www.accelevents.com/e/bmhc2023?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center- Medication for Addiction Treatment Program  

Mission statement: “We provide equitable and judgement-free care to marginalized individuals and provide support to patients on their road to recovery.” MAT Services at Kennedy Community Health are available to anyone with a diagnosis of opioid use disorder who is interested in treatment with medications. Patients do not need to have a PCP with Kennedy Community Health to receive services, but if they choose to have primary care with us, we can assign them a PCP. We are a multidisciplinary team offering wrap around services including behavioral health counseling, nurse case management, recovery coaching, and medication management. Treatment options include injectable buprenorphine, oral buprenorphine, and vivitrol. Services will be expanding into Framingham and Milford in the spring. 

Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester Annual Meeting  

Annual Meeting March 21st, 3:30-5:00pm, For an update on local plans and actions to improve community health, register for the Hybrid Annual Meeting, to be held on Zoom and in person at 18 Chestnut St, Worcester, where many of our partners previously housed in the Denholm Building have relocated. The Coalition is also looking for nominees for our 2023 Health Equity Awards! Recognize organizations and individuals doing outstanding health to address health disparities and improve community health. Please submit your nominations by February 26th at the latest! 

Honoring Black History Month 

As we continue to celebrate black history month, we are developing ideals and programs to continue the celebration of our diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus community. To ensure we engage our community through an equity-centered lens, and to promote intersectionality, we are working to uplift beyond days, months of observance, and while we will continue to celebrate those days and months, we are hopeful that people will look beyond them to ensure we continue to highlight the needs, wants, and contributions to society of our full diverse community. 

Earthquake Recovery Efforts in Syria and Turkey  

Looking to assist with recovery efforts for the people of Syria and Turkey? With thanks to our colleague Garland Mann-Lamb, Director of Campus Life at MCPHS, we are sharing information on a donation drive they are hosting, as well as links to reputable organizations serving the needs of the region. 

1. https://www.nudaysyria.org/containers: There is a donation container in Shrewsbury. They have a pretty extensive donation list; hygiene products and diapers are in higher need. Note that if OTC medication is donated, it needs to be at least 6 months out from expiring. 
2. http://washington.emb.mfa.gov.tr/Mission/ShowAnnouncement/400327: We are collecting new blankets. If your campuses would like to collect things for this effort, MCPHS can assist with getting the supplies to Boston. 

 For monetary donations, they recommend 

• Akut Search & Rescue Association - Turkey 
• Turkey Philanthropy Fund - Turkey 
• White Helmets - Syria  
• Syrian American Medical Society - Syria  
• Islamic Relief - Both  
• UNHCR - UN Refugee Agency - Both  
• International Rescue Committee - Both 

Information for providers about ACCESS to birth control and emergency contraception 

ACCESS, a Massachusetts law, means eligible patients can be prescribed and receive 12 months of birth control at one time, with no deductible, copayment or coinsurance, after an initial three months on the same prescription birth control. 

• The law covers a 12-month supply of the pill, patches, rings, or injectable birth control. 
• Most types of birth control are covered under this law at no cost to the patient, except male condoms and vasectomies (male sterilization). 
• According to the ACCESS law, providers can prescribe eligible patients emergency contraception at no cost to the patient. 
• This includes levonorgestrel (e.g., Plan B One-Step®, Next Choice™, My Way®, etc.), but in some cases, providers may want to prescribe ulipristal acetate (ella®) instead of levonorgestrel. 

More information here. 

MCSTAP Guideline Update: A Series on Applying the 2022 CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain. The latest CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Pain include very important information for prescribers. To support you, MCSTAP is offering a three-part series on applying the Guidelines to managing care for patients with chronic pain. Register for all dates now!  MCSTAP

Dates/Topics:

• Wednesday, March 15th, 12:00 - 1:00pm, "Continuing Opioids: Applying the 2022 CDC Guidelines
• Wednesday, April 19th, 12:00 - 1:00pm, " Assessing Risk of Opioid Therapy: Applying the 2022 DCD Guidelines

Mick Huppert Awards!

The department is revising how Mick Huppert Awards are awarded. For those who remember Mick, a long-time faculty member and AHEC leader who died in 2017, his two passions were family medicine and community health. We are revising the award to foster student interest in family medicine during the first year of medical school, engage in a community project, and build a connection with a family medicine mentor who will also be recognized with this award. Please see the attached application for more details. This application is being shared with students as well. The due date for applications is March 10th to [email protected].

MassAFP 2023 Annual Meeting & Spring Refresher

Friday, March 24th, 2023, 8:00am - 6:30pm

Saturday, March 25th, 2023, 8:00am - 1:30pm

Registration for MassAFP 2023 Annual Meeting & Spring Refresher is now open. 

Manju Mahajan is co-chair of the MassAFP Education Committee. 

Click here for the full conference schedule 

See the attached flyer for more details or go to: massafp.org. 

Mindfulness and Compassion During Tumultuous Times - Essential Tools to Remain Steady and Whole, presented by Paula Gardiner, MD, MPH, CMMT and Gail Gazelle, MD, MCC, CMMT.

Friday, May 5th, 2023, 9:00 am - 3:30 pm (ET)

At this in-person program, you will acquire practical strategies to quiet your mind and gain mastery over worries and self-doubt. You’ll learn about the neuroscience behind mindfulness and meditation, and practice with a variety of readily accessible tools that will help you attain calm, clarity, and the balance you need to build resilience and avoid physician burnout. Event Info (massmed.org)

Frankly Speaking Podcast

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

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frankly-speaking-about-family-medicine/id1194659367.

Please join us for an overview: While the benefits of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely known, the same cannot be said of the risks. These common medications are generally considered "safe", but new data suggest the potential for long-term risks. Join us to discuss these long-term risks of PPI use and whether some of your patients should step down from PPIs to H2RAs. Guest: Jill M. Terrien, PhD, ANP-BC, presents: "Proton Pump Inhibitors-We Know Their Benefits, But What Are Their Risks?". - Frankly Speaking Ep 316.

Clinical Services Spotlight:

CLINICAL UPDATES

Thank you to Dr. Stacy Potts for leading the Leadership Retreat last Friday. The team will review results of the Retreat and get this information out to the Department in the near future.

Mark your Calendars For MASS AFP Spring Refresher

• The MASSAFP Spring Refresher will be Friday March 24th - Saturday March 25^th at Waltham Woods Conference Center, Massachusetts Medical Society Headquarters, 860 Winter Street, Waltham, MA
• See the link below for the agenda: https://www.massafp.org/event-4856329

AAFP and AMA Advocacy

Professional organizations continue to advocate for:

• The AMA and AAFP are leading the charge on Medicare payment reform. The AAFP renewed its advocacy for adoption next year of a Medicare code that values the complexity of primary care and other office and outpatient evaluation and management visits. In the agency’s definition, Code G2211 describes “visit complexity inherent to evaluation and management associated with medical care services that serve as the continuing focal point for all needed health care services and/or with medical care services that are part of ongoing care related to a patient’s single, serious condition or a complex condition.” On February 2nd, the AAFP renewed its advocacy for this issue. Source: AAFP Advocacy section
• Telehealth Policy Benefits and Concerns
• Continued work includes:
• Pushing for the Department of Veterans Affairs to reject implementation of inappropriate scope of practice expansions through its Federal Supremacy Project to develop national standards of practice for 50 healthcare occupations, including physicians, advance practice nurses, and others.
• Advocating for physician-led teams and opposing inappropriate scope expansions in individual states and DC.
• Fixing prior authorization

COVID-19 and Its Impact on the Heart

• Among long-lasting effects after COVID, researchers found changes in the way the heart regulates calcium. 
• The leaking of calcium stores depletes the calcium stores weakening the muscles. 
• The impact looks very similar to heart failure. 
• When compared to patients that have not had COVID, those who have had COVID have a higher risk of irregular heartbeats, heart attacks, and stroke.

COVID-19 US

• There are 104,986,098 cases of COVID in the US.
• Of the cases reported, 102,342,020 cases have recovered. 
• CA, TX, FL, NY, and IL have the most cases.
• The number of cases among those who self-test and are not reporting illness is largely unknown unless reported to their healthcare team.
• The daily new deaths are decreased when compared to the previous year.

COVID-19 MA

• In MA, there were 4,470 new COVID cases in the last 7 days.
• The 7-day average of percent positivity is 6.96%.
• There were 102 new confirmed deaths in the last 7 days.
• The total confirmed death in MA is 23,132.

COVID-19 UMMMC

• The 7-day average percent positivity is 9.2%.
• Inpatient UMMC 7-day average of COVID positive 45; of these 47% have primary COVID.
• Of the 45, 78% are fully vaccinated. 
• Of the 45, 7 are in the ICU and 5 are fully vaccinated.

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.