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MMS News & Announcements
Conference Committee "Optimistic" Reform Deal is in Sight
The six-member group of lawmakers charged with writing the state's landmark health care cost control legislation met twice this week in closed sessions. After a two-hour meeting on Thursday, Sen. Richard Moore told the State House News that talks were progressing.
"Nothing's final until we get all of the pieces agreed to, so it's hard to say that we have resolved anything in a final form, but conceptually we're on the same page in many areas," Moore said.
The conference committee is not subject to amendment in the House and Senate, and the group has until midnight on July 31 to produce consensus legislation and get it passed by each chamber.
Read more: Lawmakers 'optimistic' health deal in sight (Boston Herald)
Join the MMS LinkedIn Group
The LinkedIn online community exclusively for MMS members now has more than 450 participants. Join the free group today to discuss controversies, pose questions to fellow physicians, and stay up-to-date on the latest news. Recent physician chats have centered on medical malpractice, mobile health technology, and public health mandates. Visit www.massmed.org/LinkedIn to join today.
Education Programs & Events
Live CME Activities
Antitrust Considerations for Physicians in Massachusetts
July 18, 2012, noon to 1 p.m. via WEBINAR
Management of Carotid Artery Stenosis and Acute Stroke: How to Provide the Best Treatments for Your Patients
September 29, 2012, 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
CME Accreditation Orientation
October 16, 2012 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. For more information, call (800) 843-6356.
Managing Workplace Conflicts
November 1, 2012, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and November 2, 2012, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
SAVE THE DATE
Women's Leadership Forum: Multiple Roads to Leadership
September 24, 2012, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Controversies in the Screening and Management of Breast Disease
October 24, 2012
Online CME Activities
The Importance of Data Analytics in Physician Practice (3 modules)
The Unintended Consequences of DNR
The Importance of Discussing End-of-Life Care with Patients
Legal Advisor: Identifying Potential Drug Dependence and Preventing Abuse
Avoiding Failure-to-Diagnose Suits
Medical Mistakes: Learning to Steer Clear of the Common OnesFor additional risk management online CME activities, visit www.massmed.org/cme.
TheAnswerPage.comEarn AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ every week by reading targeted content relative to pain medicine, opioid prescribing, palliative care, risk management, hospital medicine, perioperative medicine, anesthesiology, and clinical statistics and completing either an Interactive Crossword Puzzle or Standardized Quiz.
For more information, contact us at MMSContinuingEducation@mms.org
This Week in Health Care
After ACA Ruling, All Eyes On Massachusetts
Now that the nation's highest court has upheld the Affordable Care Act, scrutiny on Massachusetts, which passed similar reforms in 2006, has increased.
More Coverage:
New Painkiller Rules Mean More Paperwork, Confusion for Some
Prescribing morphine means time-consuming paperwork for some under new insurance regulations that came into effect this week.
GlaxoSmithKline to Pay $35 Million Settlement to Mass. Medicaid
The massive case centers around the illegal promotion of prescription drugs for uses not approved by federal regulators.
Catholic Hospital Reaches Out to Orthodox Jews in Brighton
The outreach is part of a broader campaign by St. Elizabeth's and its corporate parent, Boston-based Steward Health Care System, to strengthen its "cultural competence."
NBH Names New President, CEO to Take the Reins in September
Northern Berkshire Healthcare has tapped the chief operating officer and administrator of Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick to be its next CEO and president.
HealthFirst Family Care Center Opens New Fall River Facility
The new site is twice as big as the old facility and will allow HealthFirst to offer primary care, pediatrics, dental care, nutrition services, a pharmacy and more, all under one roof.
Braintree Walk-in Clinic Opens
A Maryland-based company that hopes to become the McDonald's of treating bumps, bruises, coughs and colds opened a Braintree clinic this month. Doctors Express expects to have nine Massachusetts locations by year's end.
Domestic Violence Shelters Sorely Lacking in Mass., Group Says
Massachusetts needs to provide at least three times as many shelter beds as are now available to meet the needs of domestic violence victims seeking to escape their abusers, according to Jane Doe Inc., a Boston coalition against domestic violence.
July 2 DPH Clinic Advisory Alert: Massachusetts Pertussis Cases Increasing
The state DPH issued an alert July 2 stating that pertussis cases have increased in Massachusetts in 2012, compared to 2011. Providers are urged to have a high index of suspicion and should include pertussis in their differential diagnosis for all patients in all age groups who present with prolonged cough illness, regardless of vaccination status.
