MMS NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Support for Boston Marathon Physicians and Volunteers
Physician Health Services is offering physicians support, and when appropriate, referrals to mental health professionals and other resources. Support groups for physicians are also available. PHS can be reached at (781) 434-7404. The state Department of Public Health is also coordinating mental health services for the public through its website. PHS Director Steve Adelman, MD, write this week about one of two recent support sessions hosted by the DPH and the BAA.
According to the Wall Street Journal, first responders to the Boston Marathon bombing are openly seeking mental-health counseling, in a sign of how attitudes have changed toward the treatment of psychological trauma after Sept. 11, and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Boston medical community’s response the tragedy was hailed as a global model by The Lancet (WBUR.org; audio of 10:00).
More perspectives from physicians on the front lines:
Note: 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.
Middlesex District Establishes Endowment for Mass. Medical Students
The Middlesex District Medical Society has announced the contribution of $100,000 to each of the four Massachusetts medical schools for endowed funds to benefit Massachusetts medical students suffering unanticipated financial emergencies, such as family illness. Barry M. Manuel, MD, Secretary/Treasurer of the MDMS, said, “Our District felt we had the necessary funds to make a major commitment to our medical students It is our hope that others will see this as an important safety net for our medical students and contribute to these funds.”
May Physician Focus TV: Joint Replacements
The May edition of Physician Focus with the Massachusetts Medical Society will focus on joint replacements, examining such topics as why more people are getting joint replacements, how they are done, and what patients need to know before, during, and after surgery. The guest is R. Scott Oliver, M.D., a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with Plymouth Bay Orthopedic Associates in Duxbury, Massachusetts and Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at Jordan Hospital in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Hosting this edition is Bruce Karlin, MD, a primary care physician in Worcester, Mass. Watch the program online here, or check the listings of your local public access television stations for airtimes. Physician Focus episodes are also available for download on iTunes.
MMS Annual Meeting 2013
Testify Online Now
The start of the MMS Annual Meeting (May 9-11, 2013) is two weeks away, but you don’t have to wait until the meeting to weigh in on MMS policy matters -- log onto the online community for selected resolutions. The Speakers of the House of Delegates remind members to use the online forum with the same decorum that is expected at live hearings. Complete instructions and terms of use are posted, along with a resource library and links to other important Annual Meeting events.
Tuesday, May 7 – Pre-Registration Deadline
Please take the time to pre-register for any and all events. It allows for faster onsite check-in and proper planning for events. Register online at www.massmed.org/annual2013; to register by mail or fax visit www.massmed.org/annual2013 for more information.
The Nancy N. Caron Annual Member Art Exhibit and Silent Auction
The Nancy N. Caron Annual Member Art Exhibit and Silent Auction will take place on Thursday, May 9th. Online bids on artwork and other items will be accepted until noon on Wednesday, May 8, 2013. Bidding at the event on May 9th will open at 3:00 p.m. and close promptly at 7:30 p.m. To place a bid, please email foundation@mms.org and indicate the item #, title, and your bid amount. You may also call Jennifer Day at (781) 434-7044. Please observe the bidding increments and be sure to include your full name and telephone number.
EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND EVENTS
Live CME Activities
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, MA
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, MA
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, MA
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.
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
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.
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Save the Date
HIPAA 2.0 and its Impact on Physician Practice WEBINAR
Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Call (800) 322-2303, ext. 7306 for more information.
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
Massachusetts House Concludes Budget Action
The Massachusetts House of Representatives, in three long days of debate, reviewed 882 floor amendments and sent its version of the budget on to the Senate. Overall, the House budget seems to fund MassHealth and public health programs in a way that will allow continued access to care. The House added $105 million to MassHealth Senior Care and Managed Care line items. Increases were also provided for HIV services. The MMS succeeded in addressing a major improvement to last year’s law on apology in professional liability. Read the full story here.
Discussion on Proposed Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Rules Continues
Apartment owners told DPH officials in Boston this week they are concerned they could face discrimination charges if they reject tenants who cultivate marijuana in their apartments under the state's new medical marijuana law, or risk seeing the federal government attempt to seize their property. Related news: Public hearing on medical marijuana held in Northampton.
Saint Vincent Opens Behavioral Health Unit
Saint Vincent Hospital opened a 13-bed state-of-the-art behavioral health unit for acute psychiatric patients on its main campus in downtown Worcester.
Harvard Primate Center, Site of Violations, to Close
Harvard's primate ¬research center, which was investigated for animal welfare violations in the deaths of four monkeys, will be largely shut down by 2015. The university cited a tough economic climate for research funding and a shift in long-term strategies.
Again, Boston Tops in NIH Funding
Boston again drew the most National Institutes of Health funding of any city in the nation in 2012, receiving total grants of $1.78 billion. The city's hospitals, universities, and research institutions attracted 3,700 awards from the NIH last year, about 72 percent of NIH funding in Massachusetts and 8 percent of the agency's funding nationally.
Hampden, Hampshire, Worcester Counties Get Poor Marks for Air Quality
In a new American Lung Association report for Massachusetts, counties in the western part of the state were marked down particularly susceptible to pollutants that travel in air currents from out-of-state coal-burning plants.
Biopharmaceutical Industry Faces a Shift in Focus
At the annual Biotechnology Industry Organization convention in Boston this week, the talk was less about bringing safe and effective drugs to market than about improving health, keeping patients out of the hospital, and reining in costs.
