UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk - February 17, 2026/COMMUNITY

Table of Contents

Message From the Chair and Vice Chair

Upcoming Events

Focus of the Week - Community

Announcements

Presentations & Publications

Frankly Speaking Podcast

Resources

Message From the Chair and Vice Chair for Education

M. Diane McKee, MD, MS, Professor & Chair, UMass Memorial Ledwith Chair in Family & Community Medicine

Jeanne Cawse-Lucas, MD, Vice Chair of Education

We are pleased to announce this Call for Proposals for Daniel H. Lasser Education Innovation funds: 

We are accepting proposals for up to $2000 for projects that support resident, fellow, and/or junior faculty career development. Funding must be spent by June 30, 2026. Requested travel or conference expenditures must be to cover remaining expenses after the use of available practice allowance and cannot exceed $2000. Examples include:

• Fees for conference travel to support faculty or learner presentation of scholarly work
• A CME course that supports departmental goal areas
• Funds to support small projects

Departmental priorities include POCUS, ambulatory procedures, evidence-based maternity care, and equity, inclusion, and belonging; other topics may also be considered. All proposals should include a description of how the funds will be used to promote department mission areas and how the information will be shared across the department.

Proposals should be limited to 250 words and follow this outline:

Name of Applicant:

Proposal Summary (200 words):

Proposal Timeline (25 words):

Proposed Budget (25 words):

Proposals should be sent to Natalia.Tobon@umassmed.edu by March 1st, 2026.

Upcoming Events

FMCH Grand Rounds

Tuesday, February 17th, 12:00 - 1:00pm, Abraham Morgentaler, MD, FACS, presents "Testosterone Therapy in Men: A Key Issue for Primary Care".

Meeting ID: 191 986 273

Passcode: FMCH

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

Focus of the Week - Community

Hugh Silk, MD, MPH, Vice Chair of Community Health

REMINDERS:

Ferguson Community Health Visiting Professorship-Grand Rounds, Tuesday, April 14th – former City Councilor and Community Advocate – Etel Haxhiaj – Save the Date!

The Worcester Free Care Clinics (run by medical students) need you! They are always looking for medical volunteers. You can sign up for even 1 shift a year! More information here. Sign up here.

Local Resources from Community Connections shared during Grands Rounds:

Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) 2021-2026 has Municipal Racial Equity Strategies. To learn more https://www.healthygreaterworcester.org/current-chip

To join the Racism and Discrimination Subcommittee – email Casey Burns casey@healthygreaterworcester.org.

Lactation Support

UMass Memorial Free Childbirth Education Classes

YMCA Community Room #766, Main Street, Worcester. 1st to 4th Monday of the month,

6:00 - 8:00pm. More information here, or contact Doula coordinator, phone, 508-334-6164 or email doula@umassmemorial.org.

UMass Memorial Doula Program

For pregnancy, labor, and postpartum support. More information available here or call 508-334-6164

UMass Memorial Lactation Services

Individual counseling, groups, pumps. More information here or call 506-334-6455, 9-5pm 7 days/week.

WIC Peer-Led Breastfeeding Support Groups

Available to WIC participants only, Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm. Call 774-303-0272 (ext 5724)

Oral Health Resources. Finding a MassHealth dentist. Email Hugh Silk for list or use: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/finding-dental-care.

Nutrition Resources

Center on Food Equity – resources for families & college students https://foodhelpworcester.org/.

Read any good books lately? Rose Fernandez, director of MassAHEC’s urban health programming is compiling a list of books for AHEC Scholars recommended by our health care community. If you have a book you recommend, please email 

Rosa.Fernandez1@umassmed.edu with the title and author, and why you recommend the book. If a book club develops and you want to be involved, let her know that too!

Announcements

Peers for Promotion

Peers for Promotion is designed specifically for faculty member who are seeking academic advancement from the Assistant to Associate Professor level. The program is most appropriate for faculty who have the potential to meet criteria for promotion pending several additional years (1-3) of achievement. All application materials must be submitted by February 20th. Applicants will receive notice regarding acceptance into the program by early March. More information available here or contact Emily Green at Emily.Green@umassmed.edu.

Joint Commission Readiness

We have officially kicked off the Joint Commission Readiness Countdown—our very own prep rally for the big upcoming triennial survey. Each week leading up to survey, we’ll post a fun and informative activity on the Hub.

• Go to the Hub and scan the weekly QR code with your phone or click the link.
• Complete the activity for the week.
• Get entered into our weekly prize drawing

Spread the word to your teams, encourage everyone to join in, and let’s make this a fun, team-powered push toward readiness. We’re excited to launch our very first weekly Joint Commission Newsletter starting March 1st. Each edition will spotlight key JC focus areas and “easy wins” in a clear, concise, and totally actionable way—think of it as your weekly cheat sheet for survey success. Each week we’ll share tips, reminders, and little nuggets of wisdom to help you and your teams stay ahead of the game. 

Worcester's Black Community Calendar has some great events planned for Black History Month! Check them out: 

www.tinyurl.com/worcbcc2026

Save the Date for the MassAFP 2026 Annual Meeting & Spring Refresher

Friday-Saturday, March 13-14, 2026. Watch the www.massafp.org website for more information.

Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship

The Medical Justice in Advocacy Fellowship is a collaborative educational initiative to empower physician-led advocacy that advances optimal health for all people and communities. Faculty and residents may want to explore this opportunity: 

https://www.ama-assn.org/about/ama-center-optimal-health-outcomes/medical-justice-advocacy-fellowship. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 16th.

Presentations and Publications

Amber Cahill, PsyD delivered an invited presentation to the Psychology Specialists of Maine titled “Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): Improving Recognition and Treatment in Mental Health Care Settings.”

Frankly Speaking Podcast

Please join us for a weekly Podcast series. The transition from hospital to home is a valuable period for patients and clinicians. In this episode, we discuss which patients require follow-up, what should be reviewed during these appointments, and when follow-up should take place to help improve patient outcomes. Guest: Mariyan L. Montaque, DNP, FNP-BC, presents, "Hospital to Home: Optimizing Follow-Up After Discharge". Frankly Speaking Episode #472. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frankly-speaking-about-family-medicine/id1194659367

Resources

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. New members always welcome. 

Wednesday(s), 6:30-7:30am, for a gentle awakening yoga session led by Liz Erban.

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

FMCH Department Calendar a centralized resource designed to highlight departmental dates, deadlines, and events. If you experience any issues, please reach out to (natalia.tobon@umassmed.edu) or (sandra.girouardtodd@umassmed.edu).