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MMS News & Announcements
MMS Testifies Against Proposed Prescription Monitoring Program Regulations
Saying that proposed regulations for the state's Prescription Monitoring Program would have an extensive and varied impact on providers and patients alike, MMS officials testified before the Department of Public Health today in opposition to the proposed regulations and suggesting changes and improvements that would "establish a program that is effective and efficient."
"The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program can be a useful tool in deterring prescription drug abuse," said MMS President Richard Aghababian, M.D., "and the Massachusetts Medical Society strongly supports an online monitoring system with accurate and up-to-date information for use by prescribers and dispensers. But the regulations as proposed need to be re-drafted to make the program an effective clinical tool." Read the complete MMS testimony.
More than 20 individual physicians and groups have already posted testimony on the DPH website in opposition to the regulations, which mandated use of the PMP by physicians for all patients who have not been seen within one year, regardless of age or medical status. Read testimony from other physicians and groups here.
To submit your testimony electronically, please send it to Reg.Testimony@state.ma.us. It can be sent as an attached Word document, or as an email with "Prescription Monitoring Program 2013" in the subject line. All submissions must include the sender's full name and address.
More links:
March 14 MMS letter to Gov. Patrick opposing the proposed PMP regulations
Notice of Limited Access to MMS Website: April 6-8
From Saturday morning, April 6, to approximately noon on Monday, April 8, most online transactions on the MMS website will be disabled in order to complete a major upgrade to the website.
During that time period, the following functions will unavailable:
- Members-only content
- Online dues renewal
- Online CME exams
- CME certificate downloads
- CME credit tracking
- Online registration for MMS events
- Online events calendar
- View leadership voucher balance
- Change contact information online
During this time period, members will still be able to register for live CME events by downloading a PDF, and either faxing or mailing it to the telephone number or postal address indicated on the form.
We expect that all other content on the MMS site will be available on April 6 and 7. Annual Meeting registration is not affected.
On April 8, the entire site will be unavailable for several hours in order to complete the transition to the new site.Please plan your website activity accordingly.
This will not affect access to the New England Journal of Medicine or Journal Watch websites. Questions? Contact us at webmaster@mms.org.
MMS, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology Awarded $50,000 "Choosing Wisely" Grant
The MMS and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology have been awarded a $50,000 grant from the ABIM Foundation to participate in the Foundation's Choosing Wisely campaign, a national effort to encourage physicians and patients to discuss medical tests and procedures that may be unnecessary or inappropriate. The grant will help to develop a web-based application to collect data on physician ordering patterns for cardiac imaging tests. The data will be used to define the rate of appropriate and inappropriate referrals, as well as interventions for meaningful improvement. Read more.
Joint Event With Massachusetts Bar Association Young Lawyers Division on March 26
A substantive discussion on apology laws that apply in professional liability scenarios sponsored by the MMS Committee on Young Physicians in collaboration with the Young Lawyers Division of the Massachusetts Bar Association on Tuesday, March 26 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Massachusetts Bar Association Headquarters, 20 West Street, Boston.
The panel will also address institutional medical apology programs and the trends and future of apology in medicine from the perspective of the physician, defense counsel and plaintiff counsel. A cocktail reception will follow the program giving participants the opportunity to network with colleagues. Alan Woodward, M.D., MMS past president, and Jeffrey Catalano, MBA past president, will serve as panelists. Admission is free for MMS and MBA members. To register, click here or email chennessey@mms.org.
MMS Annual Meeting: Important Upcoming Deadlines
This year's Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place, May 9-11, 2013, at the Seaport Hotel and World Trade Center in Boston. Please note these important upcoming deadlines.
- Monday, March 25 - House of Delegates Resolution Deadline: Members can submit a resolution electronically via the resolution submittal form at www.massmed.org/resolutions or via e-mail to resolutions@mms.org. For the resolution Word template please click here (word document) and e-mail your resolution to resolutions@mms.org. For questions regarding submitting a resolution, please contact Annemarie Tucker at atucker@mms.org.
- Monday, April 1 - Hotel Deadline: The deadline for making reservations at the Seaport Hotel for the 2013 Annual Meeting is Monday, April 1. Please visit www.massmed.org/am13reservations to make your reservations today.
- Tuesday, May 7 - Pre-Registration Deadline: Please take the time to pre-register for any and all events. It allows for easy onsite check-in and proper planning for events. Online registration is currently open at www.massmed.org/annual2013; to register by mail or fax visit the website for more information.
Reality Medicine: Opportunities, Obstacles and Keys to Success for a Career in Medicine
Students, residents, fellows and young physicians: Join the Committee on Diversity in Medicine on Friday, April 5, at 6 p.m. for a dinner and networking event at Harvard Medical School. Discuss your concerns about your future in medicine: Will medical school loans influence your career choices? Health care reform-what does it mean for you? Do race and ethnicity factor into the residency selection process? How can you help your minority patients access care? All physicians and medical students are welcome to this free program, but space is limited. To register, click here, or email dph@mms.org.
Celebrate National Doctors Day with MMS on March 30
Join the MMS Alliance at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 30 to celebrate National Doctors Day with lunch and a tour of the historic Otis House in Boston. RSVP by March 15 to Jill Cricones at jcricones@mms.org
Education Programs & Events
Live CME Activities
Public Health Leadership Forum - Mental Health: Achieving Parity in Principle and in Practice
Wednesday, April 3, 2013, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Finance 101 for Physicians and Practice Administrators
Thursday, April 11, 2013, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., via live webinar
New Frontiers in the Diagnosis and Management of Stroke
Saturday, April 27, 2013, 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Call (800) 322-2303, ext. 7314 for more information.
MMS Ethics Forum - Conflicts of Interest in Medical Publishing
Thursday, May 9, 2013, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Seaport World Trade Center, Boston
MMS Annual Education Program - Navigating the Currents of Change: Integrating Innovative Technologies into Your Clinical Practice
Friday, May 10, 2013, 8:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., at the Seaport World Trade Center, Boston
MMS Shattuck Lecture - Chronic Infectious Disease and the Future of Health Care Delivery,
Friday, May 10, 2013, 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Seaport World Trade Center, Boston
2013 MMS and RIMS Directors of Medical Education Conference
Thursday, May 16, 2013, 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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. Call (800) 322-2303, ext. 7306 for more information.
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
11th Annual Symposium on Men's Health: Topical Issues in 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.
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
New UMass Memorial Chief Targets Reform
The new president and chief executive officer of UMass Memorial Health Care said local health care costs could be substantially lowered and services markedly improved if area providers, patients and political leaders work together.
ER Waits in Boston, Mass. Ranked
A comparison of wait-times at Boston hospital emergency departments shows of how long, on average, patients wait in the ER, based on new data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
Former BOM Head's E-mails Missing
Members of the BOM asked the attorney general to determine whether its former executive director may have violated public records law after e-mails he wrote and received over several years were discovered missing.
One in 6 Boston Specialist Physicians Can't Accommodate Disabled Patients
More than one in six Boston doctors offices refused to schedule appointments for callers posing as disabled patients in wheelchairs, researchers at Baystate Medical Center found during a study of specialty practices that highlights obstacles to routine medical care
CDC: Meningitis Outbreak Death Toll Could Keep Rising
Deaths and illnesses linked to the fungal meningitis and abscess outbreak blamed on a Framingham compounding pharmacy could continue to rise for the next six months - a full year after the last environmentally poisoned drugs were administered.
Morton Hospital closing inpatient pediatric unit, reducing staff
Morton Hospital is preparing to close its inpatient pediatric unit due to low patient volume, hospital officials announced this week.
Taunton Hospital Future Still Unclear
After averting closure of Taunton State Hospital last year with a veto override, lawmakers are once again facing questions about what to do with the long-term care mental health facility.
Children's Access to Mental Health Care in Mass. Improving
Roughly one in four pediatricians in private practices in Massachusetts works in a setting that now includes some type of mental health service.
Construction of Medical Buildings Booming on South Shore
Treatment continues to move from big-city hospitals to suburban clinics, and most large-scale commercial developments built in recent years have a health-care tie-in.
Nurses OK Strike at Quincy Hospital
Long-simmering tensions between Steward Health Care System and its nurses boiled over this week as their union authorized a one-day strike at Quincy Medical Center. The date of the strike has not been determined.
Experts: CVS Won't Be Last to Seek Health Info
Boston lawyer Valerie Samuels said CVS' new "comply or pay" health screening plan for employees, which ignited a national debate, won't be the last of its kind.
Learning to Speak Up to Your Doctor
Two Boston physicians have written a book designed to empowers health care consumers.
