UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk - May 26, 2026/RESEARCH

Table of Contents

Upcoming Events

Focus of the Week - Research

Faculty Review

Announcements

Presentations and Publications

Frankly Speaking Podcast

Resources

Upcoming Events

FMCH Grand Rounds

Tuesday, May 26th, 12:00 - 1:00pm, Korey Pow Haggerty, MPH, and Brooke Cruz, present "Disability-inclusive Preventive Screenings: Practical Strategies to Implement Now". Meeting ID: 191 986 273 Passcode: FMCH

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

Department of Medicine Grand Rounds

Thursday, May 28th, 12:00 - 1:00pm, Margret Chang, MD and Stephen Cina, DAIH, MAc CHM, present "Acupuncture Across the Lifespan: Part Two Internal Medicine."

https://umassmed.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qsBdErX1SjSiyUobQFnGQA 

Focus of the Week - Research

Jennifer Carroll, MD, MPH, Vice Chair, Research

Suzanne Mitchell, MD, MS, Director, Research

Research Forum Recap: "The Chiron Project—Immersive Reality for Healthcare Worker Burnout" 

Thank you to Suzanne Mitchell, MD, MS, for presenting this month’s forum and sharing her work on the Chiron Project—a digital health initiative using immersive technology to support healthcare professionals experiencing burnout. 

Highlights: 

• Studies found strong preliminary acceptance among home health nurses, primary care clinicians, and care managers. Usability improved with each session. 
• Key feedback: The immersive platform helped users transition from stressful workdays and enabled meaningful peer connection—especially valuable for isolated healthcare workers. 
• Qualitative interviews revealed that burnout is often underreported by surveys, and platform led to valuable discussions and peer support. 
• The project’s interviews (over 100) also highlighted that early-career nurses in large hospitals are at greatest risk for burnout and leaving the profession, pointing to urgent need for retention programs. 
• The platform’s potential: immersive, interactive solutions may offer practical support for clinician wellbeing and retention. 

To watch the forum recording, click here. 

Faculty Spotlight:

Henry Del Rosario became a faculty mentor in the inaugural statewide MassAFP 2026 Summer Externship Program. The program exposes first- and second-year medical students to clinical family medicine, project work, and educational sessions—providing early insight into the scope and impact of primary care. Students spend 1–2 days/week in clinic, conduct projects and receive a stipend. The goal is to provide early, meaningful exposure to the scope and impact of family medicine and help more students envision themselves as future family doctors! 

Faculty Farewell:

Ekaterina (Kate) Pivovarova will be leaving the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Her last day is June 26, 2026. Kate is joining Vertex Pharmaceuticals to pursue research on new non-opioid pain medications. Since joining UMass in 2015, Kate has advanced research on addiction treatment access, legal involvement and substance use, and mental health. She received a prestigious NIDA Career Development Award to foster collaboration between drug courts and community addiction treatment providers. Kate’s dedication has benefited countless individuals and contributed to departmental scholarships. She will be greatly missed! 

Upcoming Posters and Presentations: 

Congratulations to our colleagues presenting this month! 

• “Improving the Oral Health of Persons Seeking Substance Use Treatment” (Rinker D, Torres D, Ojeda M, Hebert, Silk H)

National Oral Health Conference, Oklahoma City, OK; April 2026 (Poster) 

• “Teaching Geriatric Care Communication” Special Care Dentistry Association Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX; April 2026 (Poster) (Thompson L, Jiang T, Alpert E, Silk H, Maramaldi P, Hallerman L, Kaplish S, Riedy C)
• “Helping People in Recovery with their Oral Health Issues – A How to Guide” Together for Hope, Boston, MA; April 2026 (Workshop) (Rinker D, Torres D, Ojeda M, Hebert, Silk H) 

Recent Publication:

• Translating the ABCSs into HIV Care A multi-site stepped wedge cluster randomized trial implemented the "ABCSs"—aspirin use, blood pressure control, cholesterol management, and smoking cessation—in HIV primary care. 

Key findings: 

• Intervention led to statistically significant reduction in patients’ 10-year cardiovascular (ASCVD) risk (–0.47 percentage points). 
• Improvements in cholesterol and smoking contributed to this risk reduction; no worsening of HIV viral suppression was observed. 
• Population impact: The approach translates to thousands fewer heart attacks and strokes among people living with HIV. 
• Implementation strategies included patient coaching, bidirectional text reminders, academic detailing, and audit/feedback for clinicians. 
• The study demonstrates how evidence-based cardiovascular prevention can be successfully integrated into HIV care without harm. 

To read the full publication, click here 

• Colorado’s Regional Health Connector Workforce A statewide evaluation explored how Regional Health Connectors (RHCs) help address social needs and improve health equity in Colorado. 

Summary: 

• RHCs connect community organizations and providers, most often addressing access to care, food security, and housing. 
• Community partners report RHCs bridge resource gaps, connect individuals to tailored support, and foster broader collaboration. 
• RHCs are especially valued for broad knowledge, connecting people to the right services, and supporting organizational change. 
• The model could guide other states in improving community health by addressing social determinants and building effective partnerships. 

To read more, click here. 

Training Takeaways:

Introduction to Data Management Key points from this month’s "Introduction to Data Management" training: 

• Good data management begins in the planning phase and requires a consistent system. 
• Apply the “5 C’s” to file naming: Clear, Contextual, Concise, Consistent, Correct. Track versioning reliably. 
• Use approved storage and sharing platforms. Choose suitable locations for sensitive, clinical, or research data—OneDrive, Dropbox, UMass Chan’s Plum environment, or AWS, depending on data type and security requirements. 
• Regularly inventory your data, document, back up, and retain per regulations. 
• Leverage support from UMass Chan Research Computing, Library resources, and IT to ensure compliance and best practices. 

For more resources and support, contact the Lamar Soutter Library or UMass Chan Research Computing team. To watch the full training, click here.  

Announcements

Woohoo! Join MassAFP for a WooSox Game!

Summer is nearly upon us and it is baseball season! Come join MassAFP and watch the WooSox take on the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp!

Register today!

(A request from Dr. Anya Bernstein)

We invite you to participate in our UMass research study by filling out a brief online survey for providers. The purpose of the study is 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 can also participate 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. We will NOT collect your name, email address, IP address, employer name, or other identifiable information. 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.

Med Moth is looking for speakers for Thursday, June 4th, 2026 at 5:30 pm, in person in the Library Conference Room and via Zoom. Med Moth is an event based on the Moth Story Hour where 6-8 members of the UMass Community (SOM, GSN, GSBS, Baystate, and Lahey) share stories for 5-10 minutes each. Those interested in sharing a story contact Aly Wayne (alysandria.wayne@umassmed.edu).

https://umassmed.zoom.us/j/91357085904?pwd=ueoFO4qRf7rDyBCuIhR0P1Sut4jEt6.1

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.

Presentations and Publications

Carolyn Langer, MD, JD, MPH, presented "Leveraging Digital Health Solutions to Promote Total Worker Health: A Multistakeholder Perspective" on a panel discussion at the American Occupational Health Conference last month in Chicago.

Frankly Speaking Podcast

Please join us for a weekly Podcast series. Optimizing diabetes management starts with choosing the right medication for the patient. Listen in as we discuss current prescribing recommendations, empowering you to confidently compare medication classes and select therapies that best fit individual patient needs-while prioritizing kidney protection to reduce the risk of long-term complications. Guest: Jillian Joseph, MPAS, PA-C, presents, "Medication Selection and Kidney Protection in Diabetes Management". Frankly Speaking Episode #486. 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).