UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk - May 24, 2022/RESEARCH
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 - Research
Announcements
Department Member Recognition
Frankly Speaking Podcast
Clinical Services Spotlight
Message From The Chair

Thanks to all who helped organize and prepare for our Annual Faculty Retreat last Friday, and to everyone who attended and provided your perspectives. Thanks also to those who stayed behind to continue clinical services for our patients. We had a productive day of imagining what our Department will be in 2030 and outlining some strategies to get there. We’ll provide updates as this work continues. 
Upcoming Events

FMCH Grand Rounds
Tuesday, May 24th, 12:00 - 1:00 pm. Elizabeth Bobersky, MD, presents: "Urinary Incontinence".
Meeting ID: 191 986 273 Passcode: FMCH

Surgical Grand Rounds
Wednesday, May 25th, 7:00 - 8:00 am. Utibe Essien, MD, MPH, presents: "The Urgency of Now: Sustaining Antiracism in Academic Medicine".
Meeting ID: 95677566224 Passcode: 908061

FMCH Grand Rounds
Tuesday, May 31st, 12:00 - 1:00 pm. Constance van Eeghen, DrPH, MHSA, MBA, presents: "Effecting Change in Primary Care that Benefits Patients and Providers: What Makes It Easy, What Makes It Hard, and What to Expect Next for Opioid Prescribing and Integrating Care".
Meeting ID: 191 986 273 Passcode: FMCH
Focus of the Week - Research

Researchers analyzed data from the NHANES database and determined that racial/ethnic minority adults screened positive for diabetes at a lower BMI and younger age than white American counterparts. Read more about this important work.

Research Support
A reminder that the Department offers support for FMCH faculty research leading to scholarly publications and/or presentations. You can find more information, including a form for requesting support, on the FMCH website: https://www.umassmed.edu/fmch/research/research-initiatives/. 
 
Trying to Keep Up with the Literature?
The department pulls together the tables of contents (TOCs) for about 15 medical journals and distributes this bundle monthly to a select listserve that people can easily sign up for. The TOCs include 4-5 FM journals, JAMA, NEJM, AJPH, Health Affairs, Medical Care, JGIM, Am J Prev Med; etc. – lots of great articles that can easily be accessed through links within the bundle. We are also open to adding more journals if there’s an interest expressed! Take a look at what's been posted in the past several months by going to the department's web pages under the section on Research. You will see a tab in the left-hand margin for these TOC bundles that we post monthly: https://www.umassmed.edu/fmch/research/journal-table-of-contents/. Id you would like to be on the distribution list, please send an email to Judy Savageau ([email protected]).
Announcements

The Worcester Family Medicine Residency has undergone a restructuring of leadership roles and I am happy to share with you the final decisions on faculty for these roles.
(click on links for role descriptions). 
Many of you may know Dr. Gleckel from her residency years with us at UMass WFMR at the FHCW site. For the past 18 months+, she has served as the Associate Program Director at the Brown University FMR. She has continued to live in Worcester and is excited to return home. Her clinical practice will be at EMK Community Health Center in Worcester and on labor and delivery at Memorial. We are excited to welcome her back to Worcester! 
Dr. Dykhouse is well-known to us for her work in our residency since 2017 as Behavioral Science faculty and WFMR Behavioral Science Director since 2019. She has served in the Interim Associate Program Director since November 2021. Dr. Dykhouse will continue to see patients at BFHC and her teaching role at FHCW as she takes on the full APD B role. We are very excited to continue to work closely with Liz in the central residency!
Dr. Mahajan joined us as faculty at HFHC in 2021, transitioning from a community practice to the academic health center. She has been exploring her passion for advocacy and serves as an active member on the MassAFP Legislative Committee. She is excited to pair her love of teaching and her passion for advocacy in developing a more robust advocacy curriculum for WFMR. We look forward to her joining the leadership team! 
Dr. Emma Howard-Young is currently completing her Chief year at the Baystate Pediatric residency. She will join FHCW as faculty providing primary care to underserved children in our community in close collaboration with us family medicine providers. Emma is passionate about teaching and will bring fresh ideas and approaches to the WFMR children’s health curriculum. Welcome, Emma!
 
FMEC Annual Conference - Opportunity for Students
Student Scholarships are available for the FMEC annual conference in Arlington Virginia September 16-18th. Please encourage students with interest in Family Medicine to attend. There is a call for student poster presentations open until July 30th if they have an interesting project to present this is a great opportunity.  
Department Member Recognition

The 2021 Annual Report of the Greater Worcester Community Foundation shared several pictures of Peter McConarty working on the City of Worcester’s mobile van. You can see them here: https://www.greaterworcester.org/About-Us/Annual-Report-Newsletter
on pages 4-5.  

Congratulations to Melanie Gnazzo for receiving the Outstanding Community Service Award from the Women’s Faculty Committee.  She will be honored on May 24th. 
Frankly Speaking Podcast

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

Please join us to discuss a summary of the newly published guidelines for pneumococcal vaccines and to review the most recently approved vaccines. We'll begin by describing the challenges from the previous guidelines and how these new guidelines address these challenges. Given the burden of pneumococcal disease and that vaccination is our best weapon to combat the disease, you won't want to miss this episode. Guest: Mariyan L. Montaque, DNP, FNP-BC, presents: "Pneumococcal Vaccines Simplified!". - Frankly Speaking Ep 277.
Clinical Services Spotlight:
COVID-19 UPDATES

COVID US
Cases and hospitalizations are increasing again in the US. 
  • Total confirmed cases, 85,004,438.
  • More than 19,979 new cases Sunday 5/22/22.
  • Total confirmed deaths, 1,028,924.
  • Total recovered, 81,632,147.

COVID MA
  • Total confirmed cases in MA, 1,690,961. According to the Boston Herald, cases are up 25% over the weekend.
  • The 7-day average of percent positivity is 9.59%.
  • There are 875 patients in the hospital with 75 in the ICU and 25 intubated.
  • Total confirmed deaths, 19,332.

UMMMC COVID-19
  • COVID 7-day average positivity rate is 19.3%.
  • Current hospitalizations are 64 (14 in ICU). Of the 64 cases in-house, 55% are fully vaccinated.
  • Masking is required in clinical and administrative areas. Food should not be provided at conferences unless it is possible for attendees to sit 6 feet apart. 

CLINICAL UPDATES
 
Updates Formula Shortage
Important information for formula shortage.
Below you can follow the link to find information about formula resources for your patients during the shortage. 
 
Monkeypox identified in MA
  • The first case in the US was diagnosed in MA.
  • There is one case in NY. There is one potential case in FL that is being investigated. 
When should you consider Monkeypox? Monkeypox is rare and usually seen in the rainforests of West and Central Africa. It is usually acquired from scratches of rodents, and small animals, and by person-to-person contact. It is transmitted by respiratory droplets, contact with lesions, body fluids, and contaminated materials. One-tenth of those with the disease will die. It is more likely to occur in younger age groups. 
Presentation
  • Initial stages include flu-like symptoms. It begins with fever, headache, muscle aches, backaches, swollen lymph nodes, and feeling tired.
  • A new unexplained rash after 1-3 days after a fever. 
  • Lesions progress through the stages of macules, papules, vesicles, and scabs. 
  • Travel in the last 30 days.
  • The infection can persist for 4 weeks. 
Please follow the CDC guidelines in the link below if you suspect a case of Monkeypox. Clinicians should first contact the State Department of Health. 
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.

Wellness
You are invited to become a member of the Department Wellness Committee. Key goals for this year include improving the efficiency of use with the Electronic Health Record. Watch your email for future training sessions.
Working on Wellness
Yoga Classes with Dr. Liz Erban

Classes have resumed!!

Great time to join!
This is a great time to join, new members always welcome. Start your mid week with some relaxing yoga! 

Please join for early morning gentle yoga, Wednesday mornings 6:30am via Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting ID: 923 9393 3653 Passcode: 764113
Zumba with Dr. Anna Zheng

All classes both in-person and over ZOOM are on hold until week of Thursday, June 23rd

Please note details and any changes via webpage: http://annazheng.zumba.com/. ZOOM still an option for all classes.
 
Much appreciation to Dr. Anna Zheng for hosting these outstanding classes. New to the class? Please email Dr. Zheng at [email protected] to register, complete brief health screen if it's your first class and the ZOOM link.