MMS News & Announcements
Massachusetts Medical Society Opposes Two Bills before Public Health Committee; Calls Measures “Redundant and Wasteful”
The MMS offered testimony this week before the legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Health, voicing strong opposition to two bills, House 1931, “An Act Relative to OxyContin and Other Schedule II Controlled Substances,” and with House 3359, “An Act Relative to 72-Hour Emergency Prescribing.”
Legislation passed last year already requires physicians to change and adapt certain procedures, and this additional legislation would be redundant and wasteful, MMS officials said. Read more about the MMS testimony.
Gun Violence, Physician Employment Lead List of Policies Adopted by MMS at 2013 Annual Meeting
Policies on gun violence and principles of physician employment led the list of resolutions adopted as policies at the annual meeting of its House of Delegates on May 11 in Boston.
The HOD also voted to adopt a comprehensive policy on Principles for Physician Employment, as well as initiatives to prevent abuses and neglect of children, improve availability of hospice benefits and the establishment of a committee on oral health.
The Society also reaffirmed long-standing policies on a number of subjects, including obesity, end-of-life care and advance directives, and improving care for patients with language and cultural barriers. Read a full report of the 2013 MMS Policies.
More links:
Some MMS Website Functions Briefly Offline at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 23
Event registration, online CME courses and members-only content on the MMS website will be unavailable for several hours starting at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, so that we may apply important updates to the site. Regular website content and member email services will not be affected by this brief outage.
RFS Annual Meeting on May 29 to Feature Donald Berwick, MD
Donald Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP, the former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the founder and past CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, will be the keynote speaker at the MMS Resident Fellow Section’s Annual Meeting on May 29. Dr. Berwick will address the clinical leadership of health care reform. The dinner meeting will take place at Maggiano’s, 4 Columbus Ave., Boston. Registration is $10 for members and $25 for non members. More information and registration details available here.
Boston Marathon Tragedy: Seeking Physician Responders
MMS is interviewing physicians who responded in any capacity to care for victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Please email ffortin@mms.org if you would like your story to be included in this project.
Related News: A Month Later: Recovery for Boston Marathon Victims Not a Sprint (CBS News)
Consider a Volunteer Opportunity This Fall: Info Session on June 4
The Committee on Senior Volunteers invites you to learn more about a unique and rewarding volunteer opportunity. Boston University School of Medicine is looking for physicians to volunteer as faculty facilitators for the Integrated Problems Course. Join us for an informational session on June 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at MMS Headquarters. A complimentary lunch will be provided. To register to attend the session, please contact Carolyn Maher at (800) 322-2303, ext. 7311, or via email at cmaher@mms.org.
Benefit Buzz: Free Webinar on Secure Data Backup
Nearly 40% of businesses are moving to cloud backup models, yet many more are worried about data security in the cloud. What many don’t realize is that data is safer in the cloud, and easier to access. Moving to the cloud comes with a lot of stigmas, join VaultLogix on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at noon EST for a free webinar to learn which ones are right, and which ones are not.
Education Programs and Events
Live CME Activities
Home-Based Palliative Care for Patients with Serious Illness: A Team Approach
Monday, May 20, 2013, 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., via live WEBINAR
A Roadmap to Bring an End to HIV and STDs in Massachusetts: What All Health Care Providers Need to Know
Friday, June 7, 2013, 8:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Assessing Medication, Mental Health, and Cultural Needs During Sheltering
Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., live conference or via streaming webinar
HIPAA 2.0: Its Impact on Physician Practice WEBINAR
Tuesday, June 22, 2013, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., via live webinar
Getting Men Healthier – A Physician’s Playbook: 11th Annual Symposium on Men’s Health
Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
2nd Annual Addiction Medicine for All Providers Conference
Friday, June 21, and Saturday, June 22, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Managing Workplace Conflict
Thursday, October 17, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday, October 18, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Online CME Activities
* Also available in print. Call (800) 322-2303, ext. 7306.
For additional risk management online CME activities, visit www.massmed.org/cme.
This Week in Health Care
MMS: Ban Sale of Tobacco in Health Care Settings
The MMS is backing a proposed ban on the sale of tobacco products in health care settings. Read more on the MMS policy.
Citing Backlog, DPH Pleads for Funds
The Mass. DPH, reeling from years of budget cuts, has fallen significantly behind in investigating consumer and safety complaints, officials there said.
Experts: Price Data From CMS on Hospitals “Useless”
Academics say a new report on prices charged at various local hospitals for common medical procedures is confusing. "This information is useless and misleading," said Stuart Altman, a professor of national health policy at Brandeis University.
Steward to Offer Morton Space to Acute Pediatric Providers
Morton Hospital will offer its pediatric space to acute pediatric providers in Boston and Providence for a total rent of $1 a year. Morton said it will make the space available to other providers if it can partner with a "quality" program that will staff and manage the unit.
Partners HealthCare To Build In Marlborough
Boston-based Partners HealthCare is expanding west, with the purchase of 22.5 acres of land in Marlborough, where it intends to build a data center.
Senate Budget Proposal Would Keep 45 Inpatient Beds at Taunton Hospital
Like the House budget bill introduced last month, the Senate Ways and Means budget proposal includes a provision to keep Taunton State Hospital open at a 45-bed capacity.
State’s Largest Health Insurers Post Mixed Financial Results
The state's biggest health insurers reported mixed first-quarter financial results this week, with two notching income gains, one registering lower earnings, and one posting a loss.
Shortage of PCPs Not Confined to Berkshires, Officials Say
A shortage of primary care physicians isn't unique to Berkshire County, according to Northern Berkshire Healthcare officials who spoke about the issue during a recent forum.
Schools Fight "Pot is OK" Mentality
Holliston High School Principal Michael Cournoyer said that following the state's decriminalization of small amounts of the drug and the recent vote to legalize pot for medical purposes, students seem to use the drug more frequently.
Firm Hopes Big Data Can Personalize Health Care
A Cambridge company wants to use so-called Big Data analytics to help doctors learn more about diseases, patients, and treatments for rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, cancers, and other illnesses.
Illness Doesn't Slow Down Hingham Doctor
At age 62, Dr. David Rudolph, a prominent ear, nose and throat surgeon from Hingham, developed a viral inner ear infection that took away his balance and hearing in one ear.
