UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk Newsletter-April 1, 2025/CLINICAL

UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk - April 1, 2025/CLINICAL

Welcome to the FMCH Tuesday Talk. Please continue to send us your announcements, celebrations, and accomplishments to FMCHtuesdaytalk@umassmed.edu.

Table of Contents

Upcoming Events

Focus of the Week - Clinical

Announcements

Presentations and Publications

Department Member Recognition

Frankly Speaking Podcast

Resources

50th Anniversary Video!

Check out this video about our Department’s 50 years:

https://vimeo.com/1067353936/5af9ebbea9?share=copy

Upcoming Events

FMCH Grand Rounds

Tuesday, April 1st, 12:00 - 1:00pm, "From Stigma to Solutions: A PCP's Guide to Managing Obesity Effectively", presented by Jonathan Gabison, MD, Dipl. ABOM.

Meeting ID: 191 986 273 Passcode: FMCH

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

FMCH Annual Warren Ferguson Visiting Professorship in Community Health Grand Rounds, Tuesday, April 8th, 12:00 - 1:00pm, "USPSTF and CPSTF-Federal Guidelines Panels and Policies-Where Are We Now?", presented by Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH. Meeting ID: 191 986 273 Passcode: FMCH

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

This is a hybrid event. If you plan to attend in person, please register using the link below.

https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/5h7emk2/lp/4feabe99-1d9f-4f67-9755-c45bae782a28?source_id=8fdde6ed-0929-4b15-a591-6e4b6bc42b77&source_type=em&c=tVscrCWRkLsSZO0SWd7RaX0wMgPpHTooz-kqR4i6rJrHLoaq9XFqgw==

Save the Date: May 15^th for the department’s annual retreat. More info to come!

Apologies: last week we listed the Fitchburg Family Medicine Residents under the title Worcester Family Medicine Residency. Our apologies for this oversight.

Focus of the Week - Clinical

Measles Outbreak-What You Need to Know

Measles is contagious.
There are 483 cases reported in the US for 2025. There are no reported cases in MA.
Spread occurs though coughs, sneezing, and close space with breathing.
More common in children but can affect adults as well.
Symptoms begin 7-14 days after exposure.
In the prodromal stage, fever occurs, patient may have cough, conjunctivitis, or runny nose.
Koplik spots may be found in the mouth.
Rash occurs 3-5 days after initial symptoms
It is a maculopapular rash on the face and fades in order that it presented.

As measles worsens, it can progress to the following

Pneumonia
Encephalitis
Diarrhea and dehydration
Blindness secondary to vitamin A deficiency

If patients are not vaccinated, refer them to their local clinic.

Management includes

Fluids
Fever management
Isolation
Vitamin A

Updates in Family Medicine and Obesity

Obesity is considered one of the highest public health issues. A global commission is reevaluating how obesity is defined. The updated approach includes measures of body fat including waist circumference and body fat percentage. Two new definitions:

Clinical Obesity and Pre-Clinical Obesity.

Clinical obesity includes excess body fat leading to reduced organ function.
Non-clinical obesity is defined as excess body fat that does not impair organ function.

Telehealth Update

Telehealth visits should be scheduled as telehealth video and done via video to increase billing revenue for the medical group (exception is BH/Psychiatry).
If technically unable to do video – provider must document that there was a technology issue (includes pt unable to use it) in their note.

Announcements

Congratulations to our new Preventive Medicine Residents

Gregory Cohan, MD - Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Natalie Rivera Rodriguez, MD - Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine

The UMass Chan Human Rights and Asylum Program (UHRAP), a medical student run organization is seeking volunteer physicians to help conduct evaluations for Asylum seekers. You can email: UMassmedAsylumClinic@umassmed.edu or Lucy Candib

lmcandib@gmail.com or Rachel Wheeler doctorrachelwheeler@gmail.com for more information. Answers to some frequently asked questions can be found here.

Starting in April 2025, the Road to Care Mobile Clinic will be hosting the final cohort of Transforming Care ECHO: Harm Reduction, Overdose Prevention, and Management of Opioid Use Disorder. This is a unique remote learning opportunity that will cover the basics of caring for patients with OUD as well as offer feedback and expert guidance on patient cases. Sessions will run remotely on Thursdays from 12-1pm every other week from April 17-June 26. This ECHO is made possible through the generous support of the RIZE foundation. Registration link below:

https://forms.office.com/r/X8z25aNFsH

New Clinical Practice Guideline for Medication Abortion Services at UMass Memorial Health Clinics

UMass Memorial Health is working to ensure equitable access to reproductive health care with the introduction of a new Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) for Medication Abortion. This evidence-based guideline provides a standardized protocol to help clinicians competently offer medication abortion services, making care more accessible to patients across our system. The initiative is part of UMass Memorial’s broader commitment to reproductive health and addressing racial disparities in accessing abortion services at earlier gestational ages, where care is safer and outcomes are improved. Kristina Gracey provided co-leadership to the development of the CPG. For more information see flyer. You can access the full guideline on the Hub.

The 2025 Faculty for Tomorrow Workshop for Residents will be held on May 3rd, 2025 as part of the STFM Annual Spring Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah. See link for additional information.

https://www.stfm.org/awardsscholarships/scholarships/facultyfortomorrowresidentscholarship/overview/

Treating the Whole Person with Chronic Pain: a Whole Health Approach

Friday, May 30th, 3-6pm (EST) Lead by Paula Gardiner, MD, MPH, and Sarah Pearson, PsyD, this six-hour training addresses the care of patients with chronic pain. Our approach focuses on the medical, lifestyle, and behavioral aspects of caring for patients with chronic pain. Improving the care of individuals with pain is critical in a primary care setting. Skill building includes motivational interviewing and deep breathing for patients.

3 hour self-paced online module must be completed before Live Learning Session
3 hour Live Learning Session, online May 30th, 2025, 3-6pm EST

To get more information go to: Treating the Whole Person with Chronic Pain

Contact Paula.Gardiner@umassmed.edu for more information

Presentations and Publications

Emma Dudley (class of 2024) and now intern at the Maine Medical Center published a paper in Health & Justice journal examining the role of social relationships in recovery court programs. Dr. Dudley completed this work during her time as a medical student. https://healthandjusticejournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40352-025-00325-9

Hugh Silk had an article published in STFM's Primer entitled Evaluating Oral Health Among Medical Students. This article was the last article to be published with Judy Savageau. This was done with a UMass Chan medical student as part of a Capstone project. https://journals.stfm.org/primer/2025/silk-2024-0053/

Parul Chhatpar, a PGY-2 preventive medicine resident, delivered a presentation to Congress on combating the opioid epidemic that emphasized evidence-based public health and policy solutions, highlighting the crisis's severity. She stressed policy recommendations and discussed the expanded utilization of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) as a non-opioid pain management alternative. She requested Congress expand access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT).

Department Member Recognition

Congratulations to Heather-Lyn Haley, PhD, for being recognized with the Lamar Soutter Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Medical Education for her dedication to improving the quality of medical education and for role in community health education and engagement. The Educational Recognition Awards will be presented on May 7th, 4-6pm in the Albert Sherman Center Auditorium.

Congratulations to Zoe Onion, MD, who won a poetry award from STFM Poetry and Prose 2025.

Daniel H. Lasser Family Medicine Education Innovation Fund

You can contribute by credit card to this link or QR code:

https://alumni.umassmed.edu/lasserinnovationfund.

Or send a check payable to UMass Chan Medical School with “Lasser Fund” in the memo to:

UMass Chan Medical School Office of Advancement,

333 South Street, Shrewsbury, MA 01545.

If you want to make a multi-year pledge, gift of securities or a wire transfer, contact giving@umassmed.edu for

information. Donations from your IRA:

https://plannedgiving.umassmed.edu/give-from-your-ira.

Frankly Speaking Podcast

Please join us for a weekly Podcast series for an overview: Drinking coffee offers potential health benefits-but does timing affect outcomes? This episode dives into new research on how morning vs. all-day coffee consumption impacts cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality risk. Gain practical insights to optimize patient recommendations based on the latest evidence. Guest: Jillian Joseph, MPAS, PA-C, presents, "Morning Cups of Joe Are the Way to Go" - Frankly Speaking Ep 426. Listen on Apple Podcasts:

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

Resources

Resources to promote Family Medicine Proud and celebrate our 50th Anniversary:

a PowerPoint template, Zoom backgrounds, logo etc:

https://www.umassmed.edu/fmch/faculty-resources/department-logos/

Past editions of the Tuesday Talk are available at

https://www.umassmed.edu/fmch/ under Resources.

The UMass Memorial Caring for Caregivers Program is available at 508-334-HELP,

EAP at 866-263-3525, and the UMass Chan EAP at 800-322-5327.

www.LiveandWorkWell.com

Yoga Classes with Dr. Liz Erban.

Classes will resume on April 2nd.

New members always welcome.

Please join us on Wednesday(s), 6:30-7:30am, for a gentle awakening yoga session led by the talented Liz Erban.

https://umassmed.zoom.us/j/91343267992?pwd=ZHF3NHVrVlR1MVdMV09HSE5lTzdsQT09