Welcome to the FMCH Tuesday Talk. Please continue to send us your announcements, celebrations, and accomplishments to [email protected]. |
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Table of Contents
Message From The Chair
Upcoming Events
Focus of the Week - Research
Announcements
Department Member Recognition
Frankly Speaking Podcast
Clinical Services Spotlight
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Message From The Chair
Passing the Baton
It is with tremendous gratitude for his service that I mark the transition of the FMCH Executive Vice Chair role from Warren Ferguson to Stacy Potts. Warren has served as Vice Chair of Community Health since 2004, and as Executive Vice Chair since 2019. Warren is stepping down as Vice Chair, though continuing as faculty for another year. I am immensely grateful for his partnership and sage advice during the 3 years that I have chaired the department, and I know I speak for our entire community when I say that he is the embodiment of a mission driven, capable, committed and kind leader and scholar.
The image of passing the baton seems appropriate. The handoff is to Stacy Potts, former Worcester Family Medicine Program Director, and current Vice Chair for Education, who assumes the role as of July. We know the work of leading the department is a team sport, and more of a marathon than a sprint. I am grateful to Stacy for taking on the additional responsibility and helping to keep our focus on accomplishing the goal of being a world class, thriving family medicine department and community.
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Upcoming Events
FMCH Grand Rounds
Tuesday, June 28th, 12:00 - 1:00 pm. Julia Bindon, MD, Sarah Bou-Nader, MD, and Maegan Pollard, MD present: "Quality Improvement Project Presentations, Part 2"
Meeting ID: 191 986 273 Passcode: FMCH
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Focus of the Week - Research
Suzanne Mitchell was recently published in the Annals of Family Medicine. The manuscript titled “Reducing Readmission of Hospitalized Patients with Depressive Symptoms: A Randomized Trial” reports on the positive impact of telephonic post-discharge counseling and care transition support, compared to a standard discharge protocol, on hospital readmissions among patients with high depressive symptom burden.
Funding announcement: The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation will provide a limited number of non-renewable one-year grants of up to $50,000. The deadline is September 15, 2022. Grants will support nonprofits seeking to positively impact health or health care access for Massachusetts residents who have been economically, socially, culturally, or racially marginalized. Full details available at https://www.bluecrossmafoundation.org/grant/special-initiatives (see attached)
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Announcements
Welcome to Jane Erickson, our new Grant Accountant who is available to assist PI’s with grant budgets and new proposals. She can be reached at [email protected]
The Center for Integrated Primary Care, under the leadership of Dan Mullin is looking for an Associate Director. Please see the attached job description.
To report CMEs on the AAFP website, search activity number 95264 for a listing of all 2022 FMCH Faculty Development sessions, 91384 for a listing of all 2021 FMCH Faculty Development sessions, and 88033 for a listing of 2020 FMCH Grand Rounds.
The work of NEAETC was highlighted in a blog by Harold Philips, Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy for The White House. NEAETC has launched a four-part webinar series on providing mental health care to people with HIV in primary care settings, covering depression, pharmacotherapy for depression, anxiety disorders, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders. Three of the sessions are led by Jordan Howard-Young. The blog is here: The Key Role of Mental Health Services in Ending the HIV Epidemic | HIV.gov.
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.
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Department Member Recognition
Hugh Silk was an invited participant at the Advance Health Equity summit in Alexandra, VA on June 22-23 with a diverse group of community, medical, and dental stakeholders to create a road map for improving alignment and action on equitable access to overall health that includes oral health.
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Frankly Speaking Podcast
A weekly Podcast series covering newsworthy topics in primary care medicine.
Please join us for an overview: Monkeypox is endemic in certain parts of Africa, but outbreaks in Europe and North America have recently occurred. While still uncommon, clinicians need to be alert to the possibility of this diagnosis. This podcast gives you the tools you need to identify risk factors and distinguish the disease from other infections. Guest: Alan Ehrlich, MD, FAAFP, presents: "A Primer on Monkeypox". - Frankly Speaking Ep 282.
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Clinical Services Spotlight: |
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CLINICAL UPDATES
Monkeypox
- Monkeypox cases are increasing.
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There are 201 cases in the US including 12 in MA.
- Monkeypox is spread through body fluids, infectious rash, and scabs. It can also be spread by respiratory secretions through prolonged face-to-face contact or intimate physical contact.
- The pregnant woman can pass this through the placenta to the unborn fetus.
- More than 2,000 cases worldwide with one death.
COVID-19 World
- Total confirmed cases: 549,087,255.
- Deaths: 6,351,108.
COVID-19 US
- Total confirmed cases: 88,794,286.
- Total deaths: 1,040,805.
- New cases daily are > 100,000.
- Long COVID usually presents about 3 months post disease. Symptoms include fatigue, acute respiratory infections.
COVID-19 MA
- MA is now in the low-risk COVID range.
- Total confirmed cases: 1,757,405; 19,677 confirmed deaths.
- There are 481 patients hospitalized with COVID and 38 in the ICU (9 intubated).
COVID-19 UMMMC
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The 7-day average percent positivity is 10.4% (up 14% in the last 7 days).
- Of the 34 in-house cases, 56% are fully vaccinated.
- Of the 7 patients in the ICU, 2 are fully vaccinated.
Health Equity
- Health Equity is when every patient is able to achieve their full health potential.
- Health potential is not determined by social status or social determinants of health.
- What projects are we working on in the department to improve health equity?
- Our goal is that every patient receives the opportunity for the best health care and outcomes.
- As a department, we are paving the road to health equity in alignment with the CDC and our system.
- Our Health Equity projects for this year include:
- Continuing to improve on closing the gap in Well Child Visits.
- Closing the gap in Osteoporosis Screening.
- Working with our Department's Director of Social Justice and Inclusion to decrease inequities, microaggression, and racism.
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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.
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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
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Zumba with Dr. Anna Zheng
ZOOM Zumba resumes Thursdays at 6:00am beginning July 14th.
Meeting ID: 557 899 5952
Passcode: 123456
Please join department members Thursday, early mornings at 6:00am. Please note details and any changes via webpage: http://annazheng.zumba.com/.
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.
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