Feds’ Blind Eye Would Give Safe Inject Sites a Try
April 7, 2025 – “Activists have long advocated for lawmakers to pass a bill authorizing overdose prevention centers, sometimes referred to as supervised consumption sites. Gaeta said the Mass. Medical Society first voted in 2017 to back the approach as a “legitimate medical intervention.” The Healey administration announced its support for the idea in 2023.
To read the full Lowell Sun article, click here.
Boston Globe: Physician Assistants Rally For Bill To Help Them Ease Primary Care Crunch
April 2, 2025 – “While physician assistants play a critical role in the health care system, physician-led, team-based care — including physician assistants — is the optimal model for achieving the best patient outcomes," MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor
said.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
WWLP: New Fed Prosecutor May be Obstacle for Supervised Drug Use Sites
April 2, 2025 – Doctors affiliated with the MMS detailed the group’s legislative priorities Wednesday, including action to create a legal framework for the launch of overdose prevention centers — an idea the Bay State’s new federal prosecutor has vowed
to oppose.
To read the full WWLP article, click here.
State House News Service: State Medical Societies United Against Medicaid Cuts
April 2, 2025 – The head of the MMS warned Wednesday there's "no way" for a congressional committee to achieve its assignment of spending cuts without "dramatically cutting" Medicaid, and said his counterparts across the country are worried about the
impact on patients.
To read the full article, click here.
Boston 25 News: Physician assistants pushing to expand roles to alleviate primary care backlog in Massachusetts
March 3, 2025 – MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor wrote: Extensive education and training equip physicians with the expertise to supervise health care teams delivering care to a patient population that is increasingly sicker and more medically complex.
To read the full Boston 25 News story, click here.
State House News Service: Regulators Examine Health Care Administrative Costs
January 9, 2025 – MMS Past President Dr. Barbara Spivak, an internist associated with Beth Israel Lahey Health, said hospitals can get backed up due to administrative issues with health plans. Spivak said she recently had a patient who took three weeks
to get prior authorization on a drug that she recommended, because it was denied the first time and her patient had to file an appeal.
To read the full article, click here.
Boston Globe: Massachusetts ballot questions 2024: Question 4 on the legalization of psychedelics
October 18, 2024 – The MMS has not taken a position on the ballot question, but said in March testimony that it opposes creating a system that “characterizes psychedelic therapy as evidence-based when the safety and efficacy of these agents have not been
fully” approved by the FDA.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
Boston Globe: New weight loss drugs raise questions of access, costs
October 18, 2024 – MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor said for many people, preventative measures like diet and exercise are insufficient. “GLP drugs are remarkably effective, in many cases as effective as surgery,” Taylor said. The MMS — and the national
American Medical Association — have urged greater insurance coverage for weight loss treatments, including GLP-1 medications.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
WWLP: DPH memo assures providers on harm reduction aid
October 1, 2024 – The Massachusetts Medical Society praised DPH’s “timely” guidance and pressed the Legislature to pass the stalled opioid bill.
To read the full WWLP article, click here.
MassLive: Private equity repeat: Mass. pols raise concerns about sale of Steward’s doctor network
September 30, 2024 – MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor called on Steward and Rural Healthcare Group to promote “equitable, affordable and timely access to care for our patients.”
To read the full MassLive article, click here.
MassLive: Mass. just expanded its red flag law. Why new data suggest that works
August 27, 2024 – The MMS has described gun violence as a “public health emergency,” and has urged “evidence-based interventions” to reduce the number of injuries and deaths.
To read the full MassLive article, click here.
Boston Herald: Reaction to Steward Health Care’s Dorchester, Ayer closings: ‘Unfortunate yet predictable’
July 27, 2024 – "This is an unfortunate yet predictable outcome and underscores the reality that occurs when profit is valued over patients, as happened here," said MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor.
To read the full Boston Herald article, click here.
Daily Hampshire Gazette: Primary care in crisis: Doctor shortage continues to plague region, some two decades after first reported.
July 26, 2024 – “The dearth of primary care physicians in Massachusetts is no longer a looming public health threat,” said Dr. Barbara S. Spivak, past president of the Massachusetts Medical Society.
To read the full Daily Hampshire Gazette article, click here.
Boston Globe: New mothers should not be penalized for taking prescription medications.
July 10, 2024 – "Doctors are delighted to have patients get into care to treat this disorder and are unhappy they then are being asked to report them in ways that can be problematic and worrisome for the moms," said MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
Boston Globe: Primary care is in crisis. Here’s how to fix it.
June 14, 2024 – "Massachusetts is in the midst of a crisis in access to care that is only getting worse," writes MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
CommonWealth Beacon: Reform of ‘prior authorization’ rules crucial to patient care
June 14, 2024 – "Right now, hospitals and physician practices across the Commonwealth are facing unprecedented capacity and workforce issues while patients continue to face barriers to care," writes MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor.
To read the full CommonWealth Beacon story, click here.
WBUR: Overdose deaths in Mass. dropped 10%, but fatalities rose for Black men
June 12, 2024 – "Frankly, the number of deaths from addiction and death is still unacceptable, so we can not pull back on our efforts to do everything possible to address this epidemic," said MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor.
To read the full WBUR story, click here.
Boston Globe: We should be asking primary care doctors, ‘How was your day?’
May 29, 2024 – "Massachusetts can and must take action to help rebuild primary care, beginning with the passage of Senator Cindy Friedman’s PCP-centered legislation," said MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
Boston Globe: Woman’s death after illegal medical procedure in Somerville raises concerns about underground clinics
May 18, 2024 – MMS President Dr. Hugh Taylor said the operation of illicit medical facilities appears to be rare in the state, but the risks can be enormous.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
Boston Business Journal: Mass. Medical Society names Hamilton primary care physician as new president
May 13, 2023 – The Massachusetts Medical Society has elected Dr. Hugh Taylor, a family physician, its new president.
To read the full Boston Business Journal story, click here.
Boston Herald: Reaction as Steward goes belly-up
May 6, 2024 – “Steward is ethically obligated to be transparent and timely in communication with patients, physicians, and all members of the health care team as this process evolves,” said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak.
To read the full Boston Herald story, click here.
Boston Globe: About a third of Mass. voters are unhappy with healthcare access, new poll shows
April 26, 2024 – "When people are coming out of four years of college and four years of medical school with hundreds of thousands of dollars of loans, it’s very hard to choose a specialty where you’re going to make a lot less, a significant amount less,"
said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
MassLive: Amid primary care crisis, Mass. insurance plan upping its payments to small providers
April 16, 2024 – Dr. Barbara Spivak, President of the Massachusetts Medical Society, said the dearth of primary care physicians in the state was no longer a looming threat, but rather a major public health crisis.
To read the full MassLive article, click here.
Boston Globe: Life-saving addiction treatment shouldn’t be out of reach
March 20, 2024 – "Opioid use disorder is a chronic disease, and for many patients, evidence-based, medication treatment is a critical component of a pathway to recovery," said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
Boston Globe: Primary care access is declining in Mass.: ‘We have never, ever seen numbers fall like this’
March 12, 2024 – Primary care doctors work longer hours, have higher stress levels, and are paid much less than doctors who specialize, said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
Boston Herald: Massachusetts’ first supervised injection site could open: ‘Will save lives’
March 5, 2024 – The Massachusetts Medical Society on Tuesday praised the Worcester Board of Health for its vote to authorize an overdose prevention center pilot program.
To read the full Boston Herald story, click here.
Boston 25 News: ER wait time crisis not improving
February 28, 2024 – Barbara Spivak, a primary care doctor in Watertown and the current president of the Mass. Medical Society, said everyone should have an identifiable primary care physician. She said finding a primary care doctor can be difficult because
of the nationwide shortage.
To read the full Boston 25 News story, click here.
MassLive: As state turns up the heat, Mass. docs raise concerns about Steward Health Care’s finances
February 24, 2024 – MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak said the potential shutdown of any of Steward’s nine hospitals across the state could disproportionately impact Black and brown Bay State residents who depend on them for services.
To read the full MassLive article, click here.
Sentinel & Enterprise: No justification for preventable measles’ return
February 24, 2024 – The MMS said that many people might not even realize that measles… is highly contagious and can lead to serious and life-threatening complications.
To read the full Sentinel & Enterprise article, click here.
Boston Herald: Measles alert: Massachusetts doctors push for measles vaccination after cases reported in several states
February 10, 2024 – "The (measles) vaccine is safe and highly effective and generally induces lifelong immunity," said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak.
To read the full Boston Herald story, click here.
New England Public Media: Massachusetts doctors urge vaccinations amidst measles outbreaks
February 8, 2024 – The MMS said that many people might not even realize that measles, which is transmitted via exposure to contact with airborne droplets, is highly contagious and can lead to serious and life-threatening complications.
To read the full New England Public Media story, click here.
NPR: Doctors face huge stigma about mental illness. Now there's an effort to change that.
February 7, 2024 – "If you're currently able to practice medicine, and you're taking care of yourself, that's what we should be interested in," said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak.
To read the full NPR story, click here.
NBC Boston: Steward crisis adds dimension to Mass. health care talks
February 5, 2024 – MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak said the stopgap funding "temporarily averts catastrophic consequences for our already stretched health care infrastructure" and called on leaders to "seek a sustainable plan for Steward hospitals."
To read the full NBC Boston story, click here.
Boston Globe: What ails us: private equity in health care
January 30, 2024 – “The expectation must be clear that facilities that are privately held be committed to putting patients first — not profits, which are often increased through cutting staff and resources, thus imperiling patient safety,” said MMS President
Dr. Barbara Spivak.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
WBUR: Blue Cross halts controversial colonoscopy changes after backlash from doctors
January 25, 2024 – "Patients should have agency, with input from their trusted physician and care team, over the method of sedation used, a key step in helping to alleviate apprehension and fear that for many patients could be a barrier to getting a procedure
done," said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak.
To read the full WBUR story, click here.
Boston 25 News: ‘This is scary’: Patients worry about hospital closures amid Steward Health Care crisis
January 23, 2024 – "In this environment, any hospital that closed would create a crisis for that community," said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak. "No hospital in the state has enough of a resource in beds, staff, emergency room capacity, et cetera to
cope with a hospital closing -- particularly the bigger hospitals."
To read the full Boston 25 News story, click here.
CBS Boston: Massachusetts General Hospital in "full-blown crisis" for patients looking for emergency care
January 23, 2024 – "The emergency rooms are backed up and part of that is it's hard to get patients who need to be admitted into the hospital, into beds," MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak said.
To watch the full CBS Boston segment, click here.
Greenfield Recorder: Flu cases down at Baystate, up at Cooley Dickinson
January 23, 2024 – "It is not too late in the season to get vaccinated against the flu and to get the most updated COVID-19 vaccines," said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak. " We urge people to contact their health care provider to schedule an appointment
to do so as soon as possible."
To read the full Greenfield Recorder story, click here.
NBC Boston: Amid capacity crisis, Massachusetts General Hospital asks state for more beds to ease waits
January 19, 2024 – “At multiple levels, we have workforce challenges that will not be easy to fix,” MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak said.
To read the full NBC Boston story, click here.
Boston Globe: Does it seem like everyone you know is getting sick recently? Here’s why, and what to do about it.
January 10, 2024 – MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak said the best ways to prevent the spread of illness go back to the basics — in addition to masking up, she advised proper handwashing and staying home when sick.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
Boston Globe: Do we really need to ask doctors about past drug use for hospital credentials?
January 7, 2024 – “The stress of being a health care worker has increased dramatically over the years, and you want people to get the help they need,” said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak.
To read the full Boston Globe article, click here.
Boston.com: COVID is way up in Boston-area wastewater, vaccinations urged
January 7, 2024 – “Transmissible diseases may be a nuisance over the course of a few days and not trigger serious symptoms in most healthy people, but it is critically important to take every available measure to protect those among us who are most vulnerable,”
said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak.
To read the full Boston.com story, click here.
Boston Herald: Boston-area COVID wastewater data spikes: A ‘concerning’ jump in Massachusetts cases as doctors urge people to get vaccinated
January 5, 2024 – " The physicians of the Massachusetts Medical Society are seeing a concerning and marked rise in cases of influenza and COVID-19 among our patients," said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak.
To read the full Boston Herald story, click here.
Past MMS In The News:
