Dr. Olivia C. Liao
Dear Colleagues,
As we enter this season of gratitude, I want to take a moment to thank you — our members — for your dedication, leadership, and compassion. Every day, you serve patients and communities with remarkable skill and empathy, while contributing your time and
expertise to strengthening our profession. Your work continues to embody the mission of the Massachusetts Medical Society, and for that, I am deeply grateful.
This issue of Vital Signs highlights several ways that MMS members are driving meaningful progress across our health care system.
In “MMS Members Help Lead Statewide Effort to Strengthen Primary Care,” we learn how MMS past president Dr. Barbara Spivak and
other physician leaders are helping guide the newly launched Primary Care Access, Delivery, and Payment Task Force. Their work represents a critical step toward stabilizing and strengthening primary care in Massachusetts — addressing workforce shortages,
administrative burdens, and payment reform to ensure a sustainable foundation for care in every community.
“Ambient AI: The Next Clinical Efficiency Opportunity — or Risk?” explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping both clinical
and administrative workflows, while “A Physician’s Perspective on Implementing AI in Clinical Practice” offers
practical AI tips and tools from MMS member Ashwini Nadkarni, MD.
We also hear from the Massachusetts Consultation Program for the Treatment of Addiction and Pain (MCSTAP) and its Clinician Mentoring Program,
which provides confidential, case-based guidance to clinicians managing complex pain and substance use cases. Through real-world examples, such as one clinician’s learning journey, we see how mentorship fosters confidence, safety, and compassion in
caring for patients with chronic pain and opioid use disorder.
And finally, we share information about a timely and important new free CME opportunity: “Protecting Patients and Preventing Harm: ERPOs as a Clinical Tool.”
This online training, developed by MMS in collaboration with Boston Medical Center, equips clinicians with practical knowledge to use Extreme Risk Protection Orders effectively to help prevent firearm injuries and suicides.
Each of these stories underscores the same truth: our profession is strongest when we learn from one another, advocate together, and embrace thoughtful innovation.
Wishing you and your loved ones a safe, peaceful, and restorative holiday season.
With gratitude,
Olivia C. Liao, MD, FACS
president@mms.org
