Welcome to the FMCH Tuesday Talk. Please continue to send us your announcements, celebrations, and accomplishments to FMCHtuesdaytalk@umassmed.edu.
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Table of Contents
Message from the Chair
Upcoming Events
Focus of the Week - Research
Announcements
Frankly Speaking Podcast
Faculty Presentations/Publications
Department Member Recognition
Clinical Services Spotlight
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Message from the Chair
We enjoyed a beautiful, sunny fall day on Saturday for our Septemberfest event at Hopkinton State Park. Thanks to everyone who joined, and special thanks to Jennifer Masoud, who helped with the planning and execution- we could not have done it without her!
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Upcoming Events
FMCH Grand Rounds
Tuesday, September 28th, 12-1pm; Lee Mancini, MD, FAAFP, CSCS*D, CSN, presents "Top 10 Articles in Sports Medicine".
Meeting ID: 191 986 273 Password: FMCH
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.
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.
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Focus of the Week - Research
Research Update:
We look forward to Dr. Suzanne Mitchell’s updated start date on October 1st. She is updating her calendar for existing meetings. She can be reached at: Suzanne.Mitchell2@umassmed.edu.
eIRB:
To continue to promote the changes with the school’s research management system:
eIRB is being upgraded to a cloud-based environment that will provide greater product stability. The anticipated go-live date is October 12, 2021. The Legacy eIRB production system will close on Friday 10/1/21 at 5pm to all researchers, and a hold on new submissions will be in place from 10/1/21 through 10/11/21.
These two steps above are critical to ensuring that approved studies successfully transfer to the new system. The most recent test run identified many studies that are at risk of failure because these two steps have not been completed. Please do not delay; complete these steps today.
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 (www.umassmed.edu/fmch/research)
Research Forums:
In September, we started the first of this academic year’s research forums and invite all of you to attend (held through zoom). These run from September through June on the 3rd Friday of each month from noon-1pm. We would be happy to add you to our list of upcoming presentations (it’s very informal) if you’re working on a new project idea or an on-going project and would love some feedback from attendees. Please contact Judy Savageau (judith.savageau@umassmed.edu) if you would like to be on our schedule of an upcoming presentation.
Research Web Pages:
Our department’s web pages have a specific section for ‘research’ (www.umassmed.edu/fmch/research) where we list publications, presentations, student/resident projects, information on getting support from the department for your particular project, etc. Please be sure to let us know (or make sure you send a notice to the Tuesday Talk about, for example, a new publication) so that we can highlight your great work!
We appreciate everyone’s support of the Trusted Messengers research study which aims to increase COVID-19 vaccination among vulnerable populations by leveraging the influence of all of you – the primary care providers. So far, the investigators have learned a lot through focus groups with unvaccinated patients. The patients have had universally positive reactions to the draft website with a lot of interest in hearing responses from providers to common questions about the COVID-19 vaccine. The investigators are preparing for the next steps of the study - conducting focus groups with PCPs and creating videos for the study website. Stay tuned for emails inviting you to participate in these study activities.
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Announcements
REQUIRED TRAINING: School faculty and staff
In compliance with the requirements of Title IX, 34 C.F.R. §106.45(B)(1)(III), UMass Chan requires training for all faculty and staff entitled 'Title IX for Higher Education' by October 29, 2021. The course takes an estimated 17 minutes to complete. Please access it in the Learning Management System (LMS): LMS Access and Information Page or direct access: https://umassmedical.litmos.com/. You will need to log in using your employee ID#.
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
Jordan.Howard-Young@umassmemorial.org.
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.
City Input Sessions
If you live in Worcester, please fill in this survey before October 1st. There's money coming to the city, and the city has asked for input on how to spend it.
If you have patients who live in Worcester, please get them to fill this in too!
TendHealth Faculty COVID Recovery Series
You matter! The Department wants to support you through your COVID recovery efforts. We have hired Tend Health 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, 11/1, 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.
STEP UP
Program Dates: September 1st, 2021 to October 31st, 2021.
Using your smart phone and/or smart watch track the number of steps each week and enter it into the data base link that will be sent out at the end of each week by your designated team leader. You can choose your own team, designate a name for your team and a leader who can keep track of data by each team member using a smart link. Your team leader will complete the first sign up survey after which we will create a “team link” for you where each member of your team can enter their own numbers/data. It will take less than a minute for the whole week’s activity tracking. Incentive: Improve team bonding, improved physical activity, friendships among co-workers, recognition in the Tuesday Talk and system wide recognition at the end of the program.
Massachusetts Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI) ECHO. Come join us!
What? Massachusetts Latent TB Infection ECHO, a virtual case-based telementoring educational model.
Who? Primary care interdisciplinary team members (providers, nurses, social workers, community health workers, patient navigators, etc.).
Why? The USPSTF guidelines urge primary care teams to test high risk populations for TB & treat latent TB infection within primary care.
When? Thursday 12:15 - 1:15pm for 11 monthly sessions; 10/14/21, 11/18/21, 12/16/21, 1/13/22, 2/17/22, 3/17/22, 4/21, 5/26/22, 6/16/22, 7/21/22, 9/15/22.
This course is designed for beginners and more advanced practitioners. Those who are new to LTBI management will receive introductory material from our previous LTBI ECHO courses. We welcome previous course participants to join for new curriculum content and more advanced considerations in LTBI management.
Curriculum content includes:
- Latent TB infection testing and treatment recap
- Short course regimen considerations
- Ruling out TB disease - advanced considerations
- LTBI advanced testing and treatment considerations in special populations (i.e., pediatrics, pregnant people, liver disease)
- CME available
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
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Frankly Speaking Podcast
A weekly Podcast series covering newsworthy topics in primary care medicine.
Join us for an overview: Evidence strongly supports a correlation between hearing impairment in older adults and decline in physical functioning. A recent population cohort study of older adults revealed that hearing impairment was associated with poorer physical function, reduced walking endurance and accelerated decline. Join us while we discuss this evidence and how to apply it to your practice. You'll walk away with strategies to promote hearing assessment and to help optimize physical functioning in your older adult patients. Guest: Susan Feeney, DNP, FNP-BC, NP-C, presents: "Can You Hear Me Now?-Aging, Hearing Impairment, and Physical Function" - Frankly Speaking Ep 243.
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Faculty Presentations/Publications
Philip G. Day, PhD, had an article published in Preventive Medicine Reports titled "Provider perspectives on communication and dismissal policies with HPV vaccine hesitant parents". (Vol. 24, Dec 2021, 101562 Francis J, Rodriguez S, Dorsey O, Blackwell J, Balasubramanian B, Kale N, Day P, Preston S, Thompson E, Pruitt S, Tiro J. Preventive Medicine Reports 2021;24. DOI:10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101562
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Department Member Recognition
Tracy Kedian, MD, has been appointed Vice Chair of the "Why" Committee in the AAMC Clinical Skills and Assessment Project, "CLASS Project". In the wake of the recent indefinite suspension of the USMLE Step 2CS, the AAMC is exploring the role of national standards for clinical skills assessment of medical students. This committee will evaluate the current state and deliver a consensus opinion in publications and presentations at the AAMC's annual conferences.
Thank you to Kathleen Barry, MD for representing Family Medicine and starting off this year’s Primary Care Principles Optional Enrichment Elective. Thanks also to Lee Mancini, MD, Jessica Boatman Dray, MD, and Jennifer Reidy, MD (with a reference to Philip Bolduc, MD) for sharing their areas of expertise at the second session on specialties within primary care.
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Clinical Services Spotlight: |
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COVID-19 UPDATES
COVID-19 MA
- Across the state there are 1,784 new cases with 13 deaths.
- The 7-day positivity rate is 2.09%.
- Hospitalized patients with COVID: 617 with 164 in ICU and 94 intubated.
- Confirmed deaths 18,154.
- Over the last 2 weeks, most cases occurred in those between the ages of 20-29 but the highest death rate was among those in their 70s.
COVID-19 UMass
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November 1 is the deadline for all caregivers to have received the first dose of the mRNA vaccine or the one and only dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine or submit an exemption form. If you have further questions about the mandatory vaccine program, please contact your HR Business Partner or your supervisor.
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Medical and religious exemption forms are located on the Hub. The forms are due by October 10, 2021.
- Of the 3,452 cumulative patients admitted to UMMMC who were COVID positive, 3,028 were discharged alive.
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As of September 27, there are 44 inpatients (14 in the ICU); 8 of the 44 are fully vaccinated.
- Worcester Stop-the-Spread test positivity is down slightly at 6.8%.
- In house test positivity for symptomatic patients is unchanged at 12.2% (asymptomatic is 1.9%).
- To date, 1,670 employees have tested positive for COVID (85 in August 2021, and 130 to date in September 2021).
COVID-19 US
- COVID cases continue to increase, due to the highly contagious Delta Variant.
- Is there a test for the Delta Variant?
- The CDC has a national COVID genomic surveillance program.
- The system processes 750 cases per week and then calculates what percentage are due to variants.
- Whether you have the variant or not, your management of the infection is the same.
- The test is done to detect which COVID variants exists. This is important for public health tracking and surveillance.
Typical Flu season
- Flu season occurs October to May. It peaks in December and February.
- Flu vaccines are available in the clinics.
- Nine vaccines are approved for Flu season 2021-2022.
Newborn Screening Awareness Month - September
New England offers early screening to diagnose and prevent treatable newborn disorders. A newborn screen is required in Massachusetts. The newborn screen checks for 30 disorders. The Department of Health may have some tests that are in a pilot program and parents may be offered the opportunity for their baby to be tested.
- If you have questions concerning results from a newborn screening, please contact the New England Newborn Screening Program at 774 455 4600.
- Promote newborn screens with your parents who are pregnant. Don't forget to discuss this with your patients during the prenatal period and at the hospital postpartum visit.
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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.
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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
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Zumba with Dr. Anna Zheng
Please join department members Monday mornings at 6:00am over ZOOM, Thursday evenings at 6:15pm**(30 Anna Street, NEW tall, spacious indoor location), some Saturday mornings at 9:15am and get moving with Zumba. Please note details and any changes via webpage: http://annazheng.zumba.com/. ZOOM still possible for all classes.
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