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:
