Vital Signs This Week
February 20, 2015

MMS Joins Statewide Opioid Abuse Prevention Efforts 
A special MMS task force is developing a plan for improving communication and pain management coordination among physicians, and advocating for improvements in the state’s prescription monitoring program.
 
Those efforts will accompany a major statewide initiative, announced by Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday to combat abuse of heroin and prescription drugs. Baker called opioid abuse in Massachusetts a “public health emergency” and advocated for a statewide strategy for dealing with addiction as well as the release of county-by-county data on opiate prescriptions.
 
MMS President Richard Pieters said that improved peer-to-peer communication about a patient’s pain management is vital.  "As the ones who write the prescriptions and the ones who take the medicines, we can have an important impact in reducing the abuse,” he said.
 
"We applaud the state’s data analysis work, as we have long advocated for improvements to the state’s prescription monitoring program – including the inclusion of real-time data – to inhibit ‘doctor shopping.’”
 
"Further, we need to recognize that more than three out of four people who abuse prescription drugs use drugs prescribed to someone else,” said Dr. Pieters.  “Proper storage and disposal of prescription medications by those who are prescribed the drugs is a critical step to curbing this abuse."  Read the full MMS press release here.
 
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Renew Your 2015 MMS Membership Today 
Renew your 2015 MMS Membership before March 13 th at www.massmed.org/renew. Don’t lose access to your exclusive member benefits such as the New England Journal of Medicine and up to 50% savings on clinical, practical, and licensure required CME.
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Announcing NEJM Knowledge+ Family Medicine Board Review
Following the success of NEJM Knowledge+ Internal Medicine Board Review, NEJM Group announces the addition of NEJM Knowledge+ Family Medicine Board Review.  NEJM Knowledge+ Family Medicine Board Review includes the same adaptive learning technologies to increase learning efficiency and knowledge retention clinicians have come to expect from NEJM Knowledge+.  This new product, however, is designed expressly for family medicine physicians and residents, as well as physician assistants.
 
Reflecting the ABFM exam blueprint, NEJM Knowledge+ Family Medicine Board Review is packed with clinically relevant, rigorously edited, case-based content, helping primary care clinicians refresh and retain the broad body of medical knowledge needed to deliver the best patient care.   Learn more here.
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Apply for 2015 MMS Committee Appointments by March 6
If you would like to become more involved in the MMS, consider participating on a committee or the Member Interest Network Executive Council.  Committee appointments are for specific terms, usually three-year renewable commitments. The application deadline is March 6. For committee descriptions and an application form, contact Sandra Manchester at the MMS Executive Office at (800) 322-2303, ext. 7012, or email smanchester@mms.org
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Benefit Buzz: Free Webinar from athenahealth
Impacts of the Affordable Care Act on Practices and Providers on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at noon.  Register here.
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Benefit Buzz: Free Webinar from IC System, Inc.
Putting the FUN Back in Tax Refunds on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at noon. IC System archives past webinars so you have the option to view their current or previous webinars at your convenience.  Registration for this and past webinars here.
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Live CME Activities 
 
Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at MMS headquarters, 860 Winter St., Waltham.
 
Clinical Documentation Requirements for ICD-10 Webinar
March 18, 2015 - Location: Virtual (via live webinar)
 
 
 
May 13, 2015 – Location: Virtual (via live webinar)
 
 
 
13th Annual Symposium on Men's Health
Thursday, June 18, 2015
 
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
 
Featured Online CME Activities – Risk Management Credit
The above activities have been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit
 
For additional risk management online CME activities, visit www.massmed.org/cme.

Partners Ends Bid to Acquire South Shore Hospital
 

The state's most powerful health care system abandoned its three-year effort to acquire South Shore Hospital, part of a controversial expansion drive. Related news:  Partners gives up on South Shore Hospital acquisition, leaves Hallmark acquisition on the table
 

Massachusetts Health Connector Extends Application Deadline to Feb. 23
 
 

Baker: Changes at MassHealth Must Happen
 
Gov. Charlie Baker continued this week to tout the importance of overhauling the biggest and costliest program in state government, MassHealth. Related:  Baker faces certain resistance in reforming MassHealth
 

Renewed Interest in Mass. Assisted Suicide Law  

A debate around end-of-life decisions could be revived on Beacon Hill after a lawmaker again filed legislation to allow terminally-ill patients to request medication to end their lives.
 

Fight for Taunton State Hospital Continues into New Administration

With a new administration in the governor's office, advocates for keeping the facility open are cautiously optimistic.
 

Pediatricians Struggle to Win Over Vaccine Refusers

As the measles outbreak that began at Disneyland in California spreads across the nation, pediatricians walk a tightrope between their strong convictions about the benefits of vaccines and their dedication to a trusting relationship with their patients.
 

In Storms, Some Medical Staff Staying at Work

Area hospitals have been encouraging essential staff to stay over during inclement weather rather than risk driving in it, providing them meals and other amenities to make it through difficult, snowy days.
 

Docs Track Patients Live Via Mobile Apps
 
In This Issue
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