Last weekend at its 2026 Annual Meeting, the Massachusetts Medical Society’s (MMS) House of Delegates, representing more than 22,000 physicians and medical students in the Commonwealth, adopted new organizational policies focused on public health and health care delivery. The House of Delegates, the organization’s policymaking body, adopted the following new policies:
Reducing immigration barriers for international medical graduate (IMG) trainees in Massachusetts:
The MMS will promote awareness of visa-related challenges among residency programs and health systems to mitigate risks of training interruptions and physician burnout, while maintaining the continued recruitment of IMG physicians.
Strengthening public health infrastructure in Massachusetts:
The MMS supports sustained and adequate funding for local and state public health departments to ensure access to a credentialed workforce and foundational public health services across the Commonwealth.
Supporting the autonomy of local boards of health to protect their communities:
The MMS strongly affirms and supports the rights of municipal governments and boards of health to discuss, evaluate, and, if necessary, regulate nicotine products available in their communities which may have health implications. The MMS will advocate against state legislation that preempts the rights of municipal governments and boards of health to adopt local public health regulations more protective than state minimum standards, including prohibitions on sale of addictive nicotine products to anyone born after a chosen date.
Prioritizing child safety and well-being in immigration enforcement detention centers:
The MMS opposes the use of crowd control tactics associated with severe acute and/or long-term adverse health effects, particularly when children or other vulnerable populations are present.
Protecting youth mental health: Addressing smartphones in schools:
The MMS acknowledges the harm to child and adolescent mental health perpetuated by Excessive smartphone and social media use and supports efforts to limit usage of smartphones in K-12 schools during school hours, provided the efforts consider individual, school, and community needs. The MMS supports school-based media literacy programs that teach critical thinking, learning, and safety skills related to Internet and social media use.
Addressing vaccine hesitancy:
The MMS supports a motivational interviewing curriculum for addressing vaccine hesitancy and public health misinformation for trainees in appropriate specialties. The MMS will educate members about motivational interviewing techniques.
Recognizing the importance of screening and treatment for infectious diseases during
pregnancy and perinatal care:
The MMS supports policies that strengthen evidence-based screening and treatment for infectious diseases during the prenatal and perinatal period to reduce adverse outcomes for pregnant individuals and infants. The MMS supports strong public health reporting, surveillance, and coordination systems to reduce congenital and perinatal infections.
To view the results of all of the House of Delegate votes, click here.
