UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk - August 10, 2021/EDUCATION
Welcome to the FMCH Tuesday Talk. Please continue to send us your announcements, celebrations, and accomplishments to FMCHtuesdaytalk@umassmed.edu.
Table of Contents
Focus of the Week - Education
Announcements
Frankly Speaking Podcast
Faculty Presentations/Publications
Department Member Recognition
Clinical Services Spotlight
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
 
I hope everyone has or will be able to take time this summer to decompress, relax and recharge. I also understand that for many of our clinical operations, things are anything but relaxed. As we detail below, capacity issues on the inpatient side have reached a crisis point, and we have entered a new Covid-19 surge. Watch today for an announcement that not only the clinical system, but also the school, will mandate Covid-19 vaccination. There has also been a substantial increase in employees contracting Covid-19 over the past 2 weeks (2/3 of whom are vaccinated). Please stay safe and be vigilant with masking and distancing both at work and in the community.
 
Planning to meet the needs of our patients and employees through another surge is actively underway. It is difficult not to feel despondent, but I am reminded of the tremendous contribution of FMCH clinicians and staff in the earlier waves and I am confident that we will get through another wave, doing what we do best, together. 
Focus of the Week - Education

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 to Webinar 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
 
Agenda:
 
8:00-8:15am  Introduction, and review of the webinar
8:15-10:00am Didactic on Care of Children Update Self-Assessment Process

Fee: $0.00 if you are precepting a 3rd Year UMass Medical Student in this academic year (AY21-22).
$75.00 For NON-Preceptors (All funds are used to support Family Medicine Student Interest Group functions)
 
Faculty:        Robert Baldor, MD, Frank J. Domino, MD

See the attached invitation for a WEBINAR to complete the ABFM KSA: Caring for Children. You will be able to log into our presentation from your desk and follow along as Bob Baldor and Frank Domino lead us through this topic. To register, please complete and follow the directions on the attached registration form.
Announcements

Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Septemberfest!
Hopkinton State Park, Saturday, September 25th,11:00 – 3:00pm.
Barbecue, activities for the kids, canoe, sailboat and kayak rentals
Please RSVP to Jennifer Masoud. 
Include the number and names of everyone in your party
Carpooling is recommended as the parking lot fills up fast on weekends.

Annual Compliance Training, 21 days and counting!
The Annual Required Education completion for UMass Memorial Health System has been extended until August 31, 2021.

Please consider becoming a LPP (longitudinal preceptors program) for the incoming class of medical students. PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents are welcome to serve as a LPP. There are 11 sessions during the first year and 6 in the second year. The Urban and Rural Health Scholars Pathways supported by MassAHEC/FMCH works with LPPs in these specific settings. For more information about LPPs you can ask Mike Ennis or go to: https://www.umassmed.edu/oume/curriculum/longitudinal-preceptor-program/. On the left column click on “Current preceptors” then at the bottom there are links to objectives and preceptor packets. To apply go to: https://umassmed.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5ps4tnY5U4YZzj8 
If you want to specifically work with Urban or Rural Health Scholars, email Linda.Cragin@umassmed.edu.  Thanks in advance!

Acting Patients Applicants Needed
Acting Patients will work independently to accurately portray specific emotions, behaviors and symptoms while interacting with participants of our Motivational Interviewing Program.
The actor may serve as a standardized patient with various health issues including smoking, anxiety, hypertension, and prescription opioid use. If interested, or know someone, please see attached Acting Patients Job Description for more details and contact Amy.Green@umassmed.edu.

Medical School Applicant Interviews
The School of Medicine is seeking raters for the Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) to choose the next class of medical students. It is a great opportunity to meet enthusiastic MD applicants. Please forward any questions to Stacy Potts at stacy.potts@umassmemorial.org or Brenda Fusaro at brenda.fusaro@umassmed.edu. Here is the doodle link for the training sessions:

Call for Participation in Research Study
Greetings from the Family Medicine & Community Health Department!
We are searching for Healthcare Providers (e.g., nurses, doctors, clerkship or resident students, behavioral health providers, etc.) who have experience working with chronic pain patients to take part in a 90-minute Teleconference Interview/Focus Group. It will help us evaluate GEMINI (H00017069), an online tool that’s goal is to provide patients with integrative medicine tools that can be used in their daily lives, and to host online telemedicine groups made up of patients and providers. 
  • Research Study Expectations
  1. Answer a brief (15 minute) survey about your professional background and experience with medical group visits and telemedicine programs.
  2. Participate in a 90-minute (at most) structured interview/focus group during which you will be introduced to GEMINI and asked for feedback.
  3. You can earn $50 for your time and participation.
We need your help to understand 1) the features that you expect to see in GEMINI; 2) the benefits that you expect from GEMINI for your work specifically and for other professionals with similar roles in general; and 3) the barriers to adoption of GEMINI that you foresee in your practice and in other similar organizations.
If you are interested in participating in our research study or would like to learn more, contact Diana Rinker (Research Coordinator) by phone at 774-314-9509 or email at diana.rinker@umassmed.edu.

This year's Family Medicine Discovers Rapid Cycle Scientific Innovation Program (RapSDI) application cycle is open! 
Please encourage any family physicians you know who might be interested, to apply. We've designed this application to be relatively quick and easy to complete in order to reach busy family physicians with great ideas for research projects. Selected scholars receive up to $40,000 for a year for their projects.
The application due date is August 23 (two weeks from today).

The WFMR is happy to announce a Fall Resident Retreat date
10/5/21 8am to 5pm at Camp Selah, Orange, MA
We appreciate faculty who will be doing additional service to allow the residents this important wellness and team building time. Also, residency faculty who are interested and able to be free are invited to join. Please mark your calendars and contact Hilda Alers for further details.

FHCW Wednesday Cultural Rounds
The residents at FHCW host the event each Wednesday from 5 – 5:30pm. We welcome a member of the community to talk about their culture and the ways it can impact their health and the care they receive. The sessions are informal and involve a robust Q&A. Through these weekly discussions, we hope to promote cultural humility and the continuous process of learning about perspectives outside of our own in order to improve the care we provide. We welcome anyone interested in joining us each week at the link below:

Upcoming Conferences and Calls for Abstracts
The research staff maintains a list of upcoming meetings and conferences that FMCH faculty members often attend. The list has information on deadlines for abstract submissions and links to conference websites. The list can be downloaded from the Department website:

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: Research Initiatives - UMass Medical School - Worcester.
Frankly Speaking Podcast

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

Join us to discuss the results of a systematic review examining the benefits of CGM for patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Guest: Robert A. Baldor, MD, FAAFP presents: Continuous Glucose Monitoring-What's All the Hype? - Frankly Speaking Ep 236.
Faculty Presentations/Publications

Dan Mullin, PsyD, MPH and colleagues published a paper on the Practice Integration Profile, a measure of primary care and behavioral health integration. More information can be found at https://www.umassmed.edu/cipc/scholarship-research/practice-integration-profile-pip/.
Department Member Recognition

Philip Bolduc, MD will be one of four incoming board members for the Infectious Disease Society of American and HIV Medicine Association for a 3-year term, see here. Phil will represent both UMass and Family Medicine. His term begins in October after IDWeek. This work is in alignment with his leadership role of the New England AIDS Education and Training Center https://www.neaetc.org/ and his clinical practice at FHCW, including a fellowship in HIV and Viral Hepatitis. 
Clinical Services Spotlight:
COVID-19 UPDATES

Capacity Issues at UMass Memorial
A number of factors are leading to an ongoing capacity and staffing crisis at UMass Memorial. These include:
  • An increase in COVID-19 patients.
  • An increase in behavioral health patients and statewide lack of inpatient psychiatry beds.
  • The ongoing work stoppage at St. Vincent’s (they have now taken >80 beds out of service).
  • Higher acuity of inpatients overall.
  • Ongoing staffing shortages and difficulty filling open positions.
  • Almost no availability of travelers (due to national Covid-19 surge).

UMass Memorial
  • Current hospitalizations at UMass Memorial are 26 (8 in ICU).
  • Worcester Stop-the-Spread test positivity up, now at 3.7%.
  • In-house test positivity for asymptomatic patients stable at 0.9%; for symptomatic patients now up to 7.8%.
  • Monoclonal antibody treatment is available and expanding. The monoclonal antibody clinic is located on the Hahnemann campus. Check the UMass Memorial Hub for additional information. 
  • Additional information about COVID testing sites and times can be found on the Hub.
  • UMass Memorial will mandate vaccination for all employees with all employees having received their first dose by November 1.
 
Massachusetts
  • COVID cases are rising. Massachusetts has had a 127% rise in the last 14 days compared to a 96% change in Maine and a 310% change in NH.
  • Of the 7,737 breakthrough cases among people fully vaccinated in Massachusetts, 400 people have been hospitalized and 100 have died (0.002%). 
  • 7-day average percent positivity is 2.65%. Hospitalizations 271 with 61 in the ICU and 22 intubated. Confirmed deaths 17,727.
  • MA community colleges are not mandating vaccines for returning students.
  • MA State schools are requiring COVID vaccines.
  • Although some schools require vaccination for students, they are not requiring vaccination for staff.

US
  • There are almost 108,000 new cases daily. The US has had more than a 100% change in 2 weeks. COVID-19 is more prevalent in the southern States.
  • Vaccines could get full approval soon.
  • The more contagious Delta variant accounts for more than 80% of US cases.
 
Distinguishing common cold from Delta Variant
  • COVID-19: fever and chills, muscle and body aches, shortness of breath, fatigue, new loss of taste and smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea.
  • Delta Variant: Runny nose and sore throat, flu-like respiratory and GI symptoms, dry cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Less likely loss of taste and smell. 
  • Vaccine side effects: Pain, redness, swelling, fever and chills, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue. Other adverse effects have been reported. See the CDC website.
  • Seasonal Allergies: Sneezing, runny nose, congestion, loss of smell, post-nasal drip, respiratory issues like mouth breathing or wheezing, cough, fatigue, throat irritation. 
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

May 2021 & summer months (until Sep 2021):
Please join department members Monday mornings at 6:00am, Thursday evenings at 6:15pm, some Saturday mornings at 9:15am**(only 1x/month; outdoor location) and get moving with Zumba. Please note schedule changes via webpage: http://annazheng.zumba.com/. ZOOM still possible for all classes.

Much appreciation to Dr. Anna Zheng for hosting these outstanding classes. Join Zoom meeting: https://kennedychc.zoom.us/j/5578995952?pwd=bzVnY0xXdFNTQkpQQ1hmZkw3Snh6Zz09.