UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk - February 24, 2026/RESEARCH | | |
Table of Contents
Message From the Chair and Vice Chair
Upcoming Events
Focus of the Week - Research
Announcements
Presentations & Publications
Frankly Speaking Podcast
Resources
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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.
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Upcoming Events
FMCH Grand Rounds
Tuesday, February 24th, 12:00 - 1:00pm, Stephanie Conway-Allen, PharmD, RPh, Julie Sloan, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP, and Alexandre Wenk-Bodenmiller, MD, present "Hypertension Update".
Meeting ID: 191 986 273
Passcode: FMCH
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/191986273?pwd=NEtlZmNkdWlSUGwyeTJQU3dCeUs1QT09
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Focus of the Week - Research
Jennifer Carroll, MD, MPH, Vice Chair, Research
Suzanne Mitchell, MD, MS, Director, Research
Grant Opportunities
This month we are highlighting several grant opportunities for researchers and community-based organizations in areas ranging from health equity data to rural substance use disorder services. Deadlines range from March through May, so there is still time to explore and apply!
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Local Data for Health Equity
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Local Data for Equitable Communities program provides $50,000 for a nine-month period to help organizations collect, analyze, and use data to address inequities in the physical, economic, and social conditions of a place. The deadline to apply is March 3rd, 2026. More information can be found here.
Rural Substance Use Disorder Services
The DHHS Rural Communities Opioid Response Program Planning grant provides $100,000 to support organizations in rural communities to build the partnerships and foundational capacity needed to develop, implement, and sustain a comprehensive system of substance use disorder (SUD) and related services. This is a forecasted grant; the deadline to apply is April 27th, 2026. More information can be found here.
Clinical Trials Career Development
The Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Career Development Award is a two-year program designed to train early-career investigator-physicians to design and implement clinical trials that engage more communities. The deadline to apply is May 4th, 2026. More information can be found here.
Community Health Capacity Building
The Blue Cross Catalyst Fund provides $7,500 for a twelve-month period to help community-based organizations strengthen their capacity to expand access to health and health care in Massachusetts. Past grant recipients include Worcester RISE for Health. The deadline to apply is May 5th, 2026. More information can be found here.
Latest Research Updates
Ekaterina Pivovarova, PhD and colleagues published a paper in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence titled, "Impact of Interagency Implementation Strategies on Improving Collaboration between Drug Courts and MOUD Providers."
The link to the full paper is available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871626000463?dgcid=author.
Thank you to our FMCH January Research Forum presenters!
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Paula Gardiner, MD, MPH and Benjamin Nephew, PhD presented: "Preliminary Findings from the Integrative Mindfulness-Based Predictive Approach for Chronic low back pain Treatment (IMPACT) Study". IMPACT Recruitment Flyer found here.
We’re delighted to announce the launch of two industry-sponsored pilot studies, led by Jennifer Carroll.
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Evaluating OpenEvidence vs UpToDate for Primary Care Clinical Decision Support aims to evaluate the perceived efficiency, usefulness, acceptability, and impact of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based tool for supporting real-world clinical decision-making.
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DynaAI Use in Family Medicine: A Pilot Feasibility of Trustworthiness, Time to Answer Clinical Questions, and Satisfaction aims to train 30 family medicine clinicians on the use of one specific AI tool (DynaAI) and assess their experiences in the course of clinical duties.
Upcoming meetings
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FMCH Research In-Progress Quarterly In-Person meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 13th.
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The FMCH Research Forum March date is cancelled due to conflicting with Match Day. The FMCH Research Forum will resume in April.
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Announcements
QCC’s brunch celebrating Black History Month is on Saturday, February 28th and is open to the community. See the flyer to RSVP.
Philip Bolduc, Family Health Center of Worcester is pleased to share that Park Spirit of Worcester launched a groomed cross-country ski course on the Green Hill Park golf course. Please visit Nordic Ski Park - Park Spirit Worcester to see further information, grooming updates, and how to support the Ski Park. Cross-country (nordic) skiing is a great, safe way to get exercise and enjoy the beautiful outdoors in winter. Hope to see you on the trails!
(Message from Frank Domino)
The Department is offering a “Precepting Performance Improvement Program - Part IV” as part of the ABFM recertification process. If you precept LEARNERS (preferably medical students) 180 hours per year, you are eligible. The process involves completing one of the BRIEF online Faculty Development Modules, committing to making at least ONE change in your precepting skills, and then precept students. After 180 hours, you will receive a post-test in December to revisit your commitment to change, and we will process with the ABFM. This Enrollment Form also serves as the Pre-Test. If you have any questions, please reach out karen.rayla@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.
Please plan to attend the Annual Faculty Development Day (formerly known as the departmental retreat) the afternoon of Thursday, May 14, at the Albert Sherman Center on the UMass-Chan campus. Topics will include addressing bias in the clinical and learning environments, ambulatory procedures, intrapartum care, and integrating learners into scholarship. Now is a great time to ensure that your clinic schedule is clear!
For new faculty members (in the past 3 years), there will be a new faculty academic onboarding that morning (May 14) from 9-12pm in the Benedict Building, which will cover scholarship opportunities, library resources, and setting yourself up for a successful academic.
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Presentations and Publications
Olga Valdman will be the Keynote Speaker for a national conference, Paving the Way to Health Care Access, hosted by the medical interpreter training program at ForHealth Consulting, a division of the medical school.
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Frankly Speaking Podcast
Please join us for a weekly Podcast series. Join us as we review long-term outcomes from a recently published trial on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing and prostate cancer mortality. Learn how updated evidence informs shared decision-making and balances early detection with potential harms. Equip yourself to guide patients through nuanced discussions on PSA testing's limitations, mortality data, and meaningful clinical impact. Guest: Robert A. Baldor, MD, FAAFP, presents, "Does PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer Save Lives?". Frankly Speaking Episode #473. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/frankly-speaking-about-family-medicine/id1194659367
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