MMS NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Flu season 2018: How to make a strong recommendation about the flu vaccine
Flu
season is peaking early. MDPH is recommending select tools to help
providers discuss influenza with patients, including patients who are
hesitant to get the flu vaccine.
Reminders: Stuff you should click on
How and why to get involved in an MMS committee
Getting
more involved with the MMS is a way to expand your network and
friendships and help shape medical practice. Consider participating on a
committee (with more than 40, we're bound to have at least one that
aligns with your interests) or the Member Interest Network Executive
Council. Committee appointments are for specific terms. We have put in
place resources for distance participation, including conference calls
and online meetings. Applications are due March 2; more info and applications.
Benefit Buzz:
Legal Advisory Plan—Have you renewed or enrolled?
Ring
out uncertainty and bring in a solution to safeguard your medical
license if you are notified of a Board investigation. Take advantage of
the Legal Advisory Plan (LAP), a member-only, low-cost legal service,
designed to provide expert advice from the plan’s attorneys to avoid
legal pitfalls and common mistakes when responding to a Board issue.
Enroll for January 2018 — January 2019 coverage now. You must be
enrolled at the initiation of a BRM-related investigation to avail
yourself of plan services; learn more. Questions? Email lap@massmed.org or call (781) 434-7311.
Adult immunization champion award: Nominate a colleague
Do
you have a colleague or peer who has improved adult immunization rates
in Massachusetts? The Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition is
accepting nominations for its 2018 Champion Award. Nominations are due
February 16; download a nomination form.
Last year's Champion Award went to two winners, including MMS member
Lloyd Fisher, MD, for his optimization of EHR to increase patient
immunization rates at Reliant Medical Group (read a Q&A with Dr. Fisher in Vital Signs).
April 10: Massachusetts Adult Immunization Conference
Save the date! The 23rd annual conference, organized by MDPH and the Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition,
will be held on April 10, 2018, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. in Marlborough. It
will address updates on new vaccines and adult immunization schedules,
vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks and management, an overview of the
Massachusetts Immunization Information System (MIIS), long-term
infection control and vaccine guidance, and strategies for hard-to-reach
populations. Registration will begin in mid-February. Questions?
Contact alexandra_burke@jsi.com or (617) 482-9485.
January 27: New England Conference on Global and Community Health for Trainees
This
full-day conference includes lectures and workshops on global and
domestic health topics, and opportunities to network with others
involved in global and community health work. The keynote speech —
Towards a Global Public Health — will be delivered by Sandro Galea, MD,
DrPH, dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at Boston University School of
Public Health. The conference, sponsored by the MMS and its Committee on
Global Health, will be held on Saturday, January 27, 2018, 8:30 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m. at the MMS Headquarters, Waltham; information and registration. Entries to the "Service in Global Health" photo contest for medical students and residents are due by January 9.
Educational programs and events
View our full calendar of upcoming live CME activities. Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at MMS Headquarters, 860 Winter St., Waltham, MA.
Managing Workplace Conflict: Improving Leadership and Personal Effectiveness
Thursday & Friday, March 22–23, 2018, 8:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Featured online CME courses — Risk Management credit
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Find additional risk management online CME activities.
This week in health care
Sign up for daily roundups of health news affecting Massachusetts.
How a crude photo from a Boston surgeon roiled the medical world
Dr.
Jon Einarsson, chief of minimally invasive gynecology at Brigham and
Women's Hospital, apologized for posting the photo of himself and a
colleague touching a statue's breasts. In an email to the Globe, he said
he made an error in judgment.
Foreign-trained medical professionals face barriers in Massachusetts
According to the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Coalition, 20 percent of the state's foreign-trained medical professionals are unable to practice, and such clinicians are more likely to work in underserved areas.
Health Policy Commission offers $10M for lower-cost care projects
The program, known as The SHIFT-Care Challenge, emphasizes partnerships between community organizations, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and hospitals and health systems.
Rare strain of salmonella sickens customers of Boston restaurant
Testing by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health identified a rare strain of salmonella, leading to a recall this month of frozen coconut products distributed in 13 states over the course of a year.
State sues mental health care company over improper Medicaid payments
The
company, South Bay Community Services (formerly known as South Bay
Mental Health) provided services to some 30,000 people on the
Massachusetts Medicaid program for low-income residents.
Framingham radiology lab loses medical records of 9,300 people
Charles River Medical Associates says it lost a portable hard drive
believed to contain personal information and x-ray images of everyone
who received a bone density scan at its Framingham radiology lab within
the past eight years.
Meet Eva, the voice-activated 'assistant' for doctors
Just like an Alexa user can stream music and ask for the weather forecast, a physician using Eva can order a prescription or ask for a patient's medical history. Unlike Alexa, Eva is built into the computer and doesn't use a standalone device.
Fitness apps don't stave off obesity
"We
look at fitness trackers and it's important to recognize just because
we see an increase in activity, we don't see significant changes in weight," said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine doctor from the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center.
US attorney for Mass. won't rule out crackdown on legal pot
The
top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts on Monday refused to rule out a
crackdown on regulated marijuana companies, setting the state up as a
front line in the war between President Trump's administration and the
dozens of states where cannabis is legal for recreational or medical use.
Expectant moms transferred after frozen pipe bursts at BMC
Flooding
from the burst pipe impacted several floors, BMC said in a statement.
Impacted floors included the NICU, and the labor and delivery areas.
Hallmark Health to build new ambulatory surgery center at Medford's Lawrence Memorial Hospital
The proposed 17,500 square foot facility,
with an estimated total project cost of $16 million, will be developed
and managed in partnership with Shields Health Care Group of Quincy. The
design of the facility and number of operating rooms is currently being
finalized.
