UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk - June 2, 2026/CLINICAL

Table of Contents

Message From the Chair

Upcoming Events

Focus of the Week - Clinical

Announcements

Department Member Recognition

Frankly Speaking Podcast

Resources

Message From the Chair

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

We are starting to see the results of the use of the Daniel H. Lasser Innovation Fund. I am pleased to share that Manju Mahajan was able to attend the STFM Annual Spring Conference with funding from the Lasser fund, presenting her scholarly work and representing our department at a national level. She led a Scholarly Roundtable Discussion titled "What’s on the Horizon in HIV Care: Navigating Funding Cuts and Supporting Vulnerable Populations". This session brought together educators and clinicians from across the country to discuss the challenges patients face in accessing HIV care and medications, particularly in the setting of changing funding structures. She also collaborated with family physicians from Illinois and Arizona to present an interactive workshop on "Updated approaches to PrEP and PEP." As co-chair of the HIV and Viral Hepatitis Collaborative, she moderated the Collaborative’s Annual Meeting, where participants discussed the development of educational resources for programs and practices where HIV care is not routinely taught.

Thanks to everyone for helping to support the Lasser Fund, and thanks to Manju for her national leadership. 

Upcoming Events

FMCH Grand Rounds and Graduate Medical Education QI Symposium

Tuesday, June 2nd, 12:00 - 1:00pm, In person only.

Poster Presenters:

Fitchburg Family Medicine Residency Program:

• Annae Charles, MD (red team)
• Peggie Mendoza-Robles, MD (blue team)

Worcester Family Medicine Residency Program:

Focus of the Week - Clinical

Josephine Fowler, MD, MBA, Vice Chair of Clinical Services

Are you informed?

Changes in Work Requirement for MassHealth.

• Work Requirements: Beginning January 1, 2027, adults ages 19–64 who do not have dependent children and do not qualify for an exemption based on disability will be required to meet work, education, job training, or community engagement requirements as a condition of maintaining MassHealth coverage.
• More Frequent Eligibility Reviews: Eligible adults ages 19–64 will be required to undergo eligibility redeterminations every six months, doubling the current administrative burden associated with annual renewals and increasing the risk of coverage disruptions.
• Restrictions on Immigrant Coverage: Federal policy changes have reduced or eliminated access to comprehensive Medicaid coverage for certain lawfully present immigrants, including some asylees and parolees. Many affected individuals will be transitioned to more limited benefit programs with reduced access to healthcare services.
• Reduction in Retroactive Coverage: Eligibility for retroactive MassHealth coverage will be shortened to one month prior to application for certain adults ages 19–64 and to two months prior to application for other covered populations, potentially increasing financial liability for individuals who receive care before their coverage is approved.
• New Cost-Sharing Requirements: Beginning October 1, 2028, certain MassHealth members ages 19–64 will be required to pay a portion of the cost of covered healthcare services, creating additional financial barriers to accessing care.

Source: (1.) https://www.mass.gov/info-details/masshealth-federal-updates-and-impact?utm_source (2.) https://www.mass.gov/info-details/federal-changes-affecting-masshealth-members (3.) www.Federal changes affecting MassHealth members | Mass.gov

Other:

• Mandatory work and education requirements will begin in 2027.

Timeline for MassHealth Coverage

2026: Restructuring & Communication

• January 1, 2026 (Past): The Tufts Health Together MCO plan was discontinued. Senior Care Options (SCO) members were required to have Medicare Parts A and B.
• August 2026: MassHealth begins sending the first wave of official warning notices, texts, and emails regarding federal changes.
• October 1, 2026: Restricted federal eligibility rules take effect for specific legally present immigrant groups.

2027: New Strict Mandates

• January 1, 2027: Retroactive medical coverage shrinks from 90 days down to 1 month for the expansion population (2 months for non-expansion).
• Prior to / Early 2027:
• Mandatory 80-hour monthly work or volunteering requirements begin for able-bodied adults ages 19–64.
• Eligibility check-ins double, switching from once a year to every 6 months for high-risk adult populations.

2028: Cost Sharing

• October 2028: Potential introduction of mandatory copays or monthly premiums for specific adult Medicaid enrollment groups.

This information is available on Mass.gov. You can verify these dates and legislative impacts on the MassHealth Federal Updates and Impact page.

Announcements

Woohoo! Join MassAFP for a WooSox Game on July 26th!

Summer is nearly upon us and it is baseball season! Come join MassAFP and watch the WooSox take on the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp! Tickets include private party space and a 2 hour buffet of ballpark favorites from 12:30-2:30pm. Residents and students invited too! Register today!

(A request from Dr. Anya Bernstein)

We invite providers to participate in our UMass research study to better describe current diagnostic practices and challenges of evaluating for ADHD. Your input will help improve diagnosis and patient care! 

Who can participate:

• Licensed healthcare providers who see patients with a concern for ADHD (e.g., physicians, nurse practitioners, psychologists, physician assistants) in any specialty
• Residents and fellows if they have provided care to 5 or more patients with concerns for ADHD symptoms.

What to expect:

• A one-time online survey taking approximately 5-10 minutes.
• Participation is completely voluntary and anonymous. Your responses cannot be linked back to you.
• No monetary compensation, but your participation will help clinical practice.

To participate, please follow the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/58XMQTD

If you have any questions email anya.bernstein@umassmemorial.org.

Intro to Pocus Hands On Course (Introduction of Point of Care Ultrasound)

Friday, June 12th, 8:00am-5:00pm, iCELS Simulation Lab,

Albert Sherman Center. Please see flyer for additional information. https://www.umassmed.edu/icels

FMEC (Family Medicine Education Consortium) Scholarships

The 2026 Student Scholarship form is now open. 2026 Scholarship Application 

For more information see View Scholarship eligibility chart and 2026 Student Flyer.

Summer Scholarship Writing Circles

WHEN: Mondays in June & July 2026, 12:00-1:00pm

Summer Scholarship Writing Circles provide the space and time for you to make progress on that paper, presentation or curriculum you've been working on. The virtual sessions will consist mostly of quiet writing time, with an opportunity to get support from your faculty peers. REGISTER HERE.

Faculty Review information from Jeanne Cawse-Lucas, MD, Vice Chair for Education: All faculty can start updating your annual review on Etrieve and supervisors should schedule review meetings with faculty.

• Annual reviews for dual-employed faculty should be submitted by supervisors for chair comments by July 17th.
• For UMass-Chan-only employed faculty (and their supervisors): please complete reviews ASAP; chair comments are due to the school by May 31. 

There are many resources for faculty available on the OFA website:  https://www.umassmed.edu/ofa/academic/faculty-reviews/apr/apr-resources-for-faculty/.  For more information available here.

UMass Chan Remillard Family Community Service Fund Request for Proposals

Funds are to support community service programs for the benefit of the community. Describe the (a) project goals, (b) potential impact, (c) outline of work and (d) proposed budget. One to two pages in length. Only UMass Chan full-time faculty, staff, residents and students are eligible to apply. Budget not to exceed $20,000, 1 year duration.Email the proposal to Cynthia.Nicholson@umassmed.edu no later than June 26th, 2026.

Kristina Gracey is the new lead for the accelerated MD (aMD) Pre-clinical Summer Intensive and is recruiting faculty to teach 3 accelerated MD students prior to the start of their FM clerkship. The Intensive runs July 6-9 and 14-17, 2026. If you would like to teach (or co-teach) a 30-60 minute session on a topic of your choice in order to help grow your CV, advance your work for promotion and contribute to aMD learning, please email Kristina at kristina.gracey@umassmemorial.org

Wellness Resource for Caregivers

What is Core4? Core4 is a FREE 12-week nutrition and wellness program exclusively for UMass Memorial caregivers. It's designed to expand nutrition knowledge and support long-term well-being through lifestyle and positive behavior changes.

Here's how it works:

✅ Starts with a 1:1 session with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

✅ Followed by 11 weekly group sessions (1 hour each)

✅ Focuses on boosting overall health, improving eating habits, and building sustainable lifestyle changes

Program Schedule: Virtual individual meetings begin the week of July 12th. The group sessions begin Wednesdays- July 22nd-September 30, 8:00am – 9:00am, virtual. Spots are limited and this program fills up fast! To register, scan the QR code, or hover over the word "register" on the attached flyer or email myhealthmatters@umassmemorial.org 

with any questions.

Department Member Recognition

Congratulations to Regina Taylor, UMass Chan '29, who will be the first Huppert Community Health Scholar for Family Medicine. Regina was selected from a competitive pool of applicants. She is a student on the Lahey Campus, our FMIG leader, an AHEC scholar, and brings a rich background of community engagement to this new role.



Olga Valdman was highlighted by The Worcester Guardian for participating in a statewide summit coordinated by the Health Equity Compact on health care access at UMass Boston on June 2nd.

Frankly Speaking Podcast

Please join us for a weekly Podcast series. With online access driving a dramatic surge in gambling addiction, primary care clinicians are increasingly positioned on the front lines of identification and intervention. This episode brings you practical screening tools, evidence-based treatment strategies, and prevention approaches to confidently address gambling disorder in your patients. Guest: Jill M. Terrien, PhD, ANP-BC, presents, "High Stakes: Primary Care Approaches for Gambling Disorder". Frankly Speaking Episode #487. 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).