UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk - January 20, 2026/COMMUNITY

Table of Contents

Upcoming Events

Focus of the Week - Community

Announcements

Presentations and Publications

Frankly Speaking Podcast

Resources

Upcoming Events

FMCH Grand Rounds

Tuesday, January 20th, 12:00 - 1:00pm, Crystal Roberts-Gilbert, JD, presents "I Don't Know How to Talk About That: Preparing for Conversations About Race".

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

Save the Date - Warren Ferguson Community Health Professor Grand Rounds - April 14th

Former Worcester District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj will talk about how we can engage in our communities as medical providers, researchers, and educators. Etel has a background in advocacy and justice - she will share her story of fleeing violence in Albania, serving the public in the Attorney General's office, and working nationally on homeless issues at National Healthcare for the Homeless. The event will be hybrid.

Last reminder! Summer Community Health Assistantship

If you would like a rising 1st year medical student to work on a community health or research project, project summaries are due February 2nd here. Students will apply by March 31st and be matched by April 15th. The students will receive a small stipend to work during June and July for four weeks. If your project/grant can provide the stipend, then more students can be involved. Contact Linda.Cragin@umassmed.edu if you have any questions.

Funding:

The Health Foundation of Central MA announces their 2026 Activation Fund to address community-identified health needs. The Fund supports discrete, one-year projects, $50,000 - $125,000, aimed at helping an organization move to its next level of capacity and effectiveness. Funding guidelines and answers to FAQs: https://thfcm.org/. A brief concept paper is due March 1st at 5:00pm. Applicants are encouraged to attend a virtual information session: Register for January 26th information session or Register for February 5th, 2026 information session.

Kudos:

• UMass Chan has achieved the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. The story can be found here: https://www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2026/01/umass-chans-community-engagement-efforts-celebrated-with-distinguished-classification/
• Road to Care secured their 3rd grant from the RIZE Foundation (focused on oral health of homeless/SUD population).

Upcoming:

• Worcester Indivisible - helping preserve democracy. Next open meeting Saturday, January 31. More info: https://www.facebook.com/groups/worcesterindivisible/.
• PEGASUS Hybrid Conference 2026 theme: Interconnected Futures: Pathways to Justice in Global Health, Peace, and Environmental Sustainability, May 1-3, 2026. Looking for stories of impact at local level sharing. Info here.
• February 6th is the International Day of Zero Tolerance Against Female Genital Mutilation. Join the HOPE MA Launch Coalition Event, February 6th, 10-2 (with lunch) at Girls Inc. of Worcester. This is the next step from the 2020 legislative victory that made MA the 39th state to criminalize the practice. Sahiyo, in partnership with the Collaborative in Health Equity at UMass Chan Medical School, and The US End FGM/C Network, are continuing the community education and outreach work. Registration Link: https://bit.ly/HopeLaunchEvent.

Local resources from Grand Rounds:

• Massachusetts Breast and Cervical Cancer Program FREE resources for patients with no/lack of insurance toll-free at (877) 414-4447. Local providers: Family Health Center of Worcester and Making Opportunity Count, Inc, Fitchburg
• Worcester Community Action Council - Resiliency Center. Financial coaching, rental assistance, SNAP help. More info here.

Announcements

Save the Date - School of Medicine Annual Education Retreat

Vista Reflections: Looking Back, Moving Forward

Monday, February 9th, 12:00-5:00pm, University Campus.

The Education Policy Committee's annual Education Retreat is intended for anyone who interfaces with medical students including preceptors, faculty and residents. This event is a great way to hear about current hot topics in medical education and connect with fellow educators. The event is free and on the university campus. Register here. See flyer for more information.

Getting Started: Qualitative Research Methods

Tuesday, February 24th, 12:00-1:00pm. Presenter: Catherine Dube, EdD; Professor of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences. Register here.

The DARTNet Institute and AAFP Foundation are seeking volunteers to join a panel of reviewers from across the fields of family medicine to review applications submitted to the FMD RapSDI program. FMD RapSDI, a collaboration between the AAFP Foundation and the DARTNet Institute and AAFP National Research Network (AAFP NRN), supports practicing family physicians with little or no research experience to generate new evidence and innovative models for "what works" in real-world primary care settings. FMD RapSDI is designed for anyone who is curious about answering a patient care-inspired question, clinical problem, or clinical conundrum, but hasn't had the support to investigate. Two $40,000 grants will be awarded for the 2026-2027 program year. (For more information about the program visit the FMD RapSDI website.)

Advanced Leadership Fellowship Opportunity ~ Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) Program at the E.K. Shriver Center/UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester, MA prepares professionals, persons with disabilities, and family members to influence policy and practice on behalf of children with developmental disabilities and their families. The Fellowship is September 2026-June 2027 with a $12,000 stipend. More information available here.

Presentations and Publications

Alum Mohammad Alhabbal, medical director at AdCare, wrote an opinion piece for the Worcester T&G, 1/18, Seniors face a New Crisis - Addiction.

Frankly Speaking Podcast

Please join us for a weekly Podcast series. We first discussed aspirin use for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in 2022 when the USPSTF recommended against it. In this follow-up episode, we review new trial data reinforcing that guidance and help you translate the evidence into safer prevention strategies, Build confidence in supporting patients with evidence-based approaches to reduce cardiovascular risk. Guest: Robert A. Baldor, MD, FAAFP, presents, "Are You Still Recommending Aspirin for Primary Prevention?". Frankly Speaking Episode #468. 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. 

There will be NO CLASS, Wednesday, January 28th and February 4th.

Classes resume February 11th.

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).