UMass FMCH Tuesday Talk - December 21, 2021/COMMUNITY & RESEARCH
Welcome to the FMCH Tuesday Talk. Please continue to send us your announcements, celebrations, and accomplishments to FMCHtuesdaytalk@umassmed.edu.
Table of Contents
Message from the Chair
Focus of the Week - Community & Research
Announcements
Frankly Speaking Podcast
Faculty Presentations/Publications
Department Member Recognition
Clinical Services Spotlight
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

We’ll take a break from Tuesday Talk next week as we observe the holidays. I want to thank everyone who contributes to this memo, and in particular Sandra Girouard-Todd, Maryanne Adams, Linda Cragin, and Josephine Fowler for their efforts every week to keep us informed.
 
A few important updates related to COVID-19:
  • Please join us for a Department Town Hall on Tuesday, January 11th, at noon.
  • FMCH began staffing a surge inpatient team on December 20th. Thanks to Hahnemann, Benedict, and Barre for contributing effort to meet the unprecedented demand for inpatient coverage. And thanks to our hospitalists for their guidance and flexibility.
  • UMass Memorial Health is taking a system wide focus for creating surge capacity including at the community hospitals, with the biggest challenge related to staffing.
  • Many have stepped up to cover all our services. Special thanks to the clinicians who cover Labor and Delivery and mother-baby rounding during this time of redeployment and understaffing.
  • UMass Chan Medical School will likely have some intensification of COVID precautions when students return from winter break. Stay tuned for details. It is likely that the school will require COVID vaccine boosters in the near future.
 
As we approach the end of 2021 and look ahead to 2022, I want to share my appreciation for all of you. This has been a challenging year in so many ways. I’ve stopped trying to predict the end of COVID, and I am deeply aware these challenges will continue into 2022. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to better times and to working toward our future together. Your input into our strategic planning process has been insightful and helpful. The celebration of our awards last week shows the commitment, fortitude, and resilience present in our Department. During this holiday season, I hope you find time together with family and friends to celebrate and look ahead. I wish you all the best for the coming year. 
Focus of the Week - Community & Research

COMMUNITY
Involve students in your research, curriculum development or community health work this summer: 
The School of Medicine provides a 4-week stipend for rising 2nd-year students to participate in one- month Research and Curriculum Exploration Summer (RCE) and Community Health programs. If you are interested in hosting a student, you can complete the survey here or reach out to Heather-Lyn Haley to learn more.  MassAHEC can support an additional 4 weeks for Urban and Rural Health Scholars. For more information, contact Heather-Lyn.Haley@umassmed.edu  
  
The Coalition for a Healthy Greater Worcester has two major announcements: the completion of the  2021-2026 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) and award of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Culture of Health Prize.  As the convening agency for the CHIP, the Coalition encourages you to utilize the priorities outlined as a resource to identify healthy disparity gaps and partner with others to address issues identified by the Greater Worcester community.  
 
The CHIP’s Action Agenda includes: 
1. Mobilizing community health services 
2. Community led outreach and education 
3. Trainings on principles of anti-racism, LGBTQIA+, cultural responsiveness, and empathetic communication 
4. Scaling and broadening resource navigation systems 
5. Recruitment, retainment, and advancement strategies to diversify workforce 
6. Developing publicly accessible systems to track public health indicators and illustrate trends, and increasing data driven decision making as their top goals.   
 
You can get more involved and join the quarterly Action Agenda Work Plan meetings on the Coalition website. 
_______________________________________________________________________

RESEARCH
Global health opportunity with PHCPI
Suzanne Mitchell collaborates with Ariadne Labs and wanted to share this position posting:  Primary Health Care Performance Initiative (PHCPI), a partnership of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Global Fund, UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank with technical partners Ariadne Labs and Results for Development, is seeking a Senior Country Engagement & Technical Officer who can help us to deepen our support to national and sub-national stakeholders as they aim to develop better measurement tools and improvement strategies in an evolving and challenging landscape for primary health care systems and measurement. Check out more here<https://pai.recruitee.com/o/senior-country-engagement-technical-officer-phcpi> and please share with your networks.

Please share with your networks that we have posted a position for a mid-career, tenure track, independent investigator (PhD) dedicated to the conduct of research aligned with our mission emphasizing the relationship between clinical practice and community health with a focus on serving vulnerable populations. We are interested in candidates with a record in community-engaged research devoted to studying and advancing solutions for high prevalence conditions and research that intersects with publicly funded health care to achieve health equity. Please see the application requirements at AcademicJobsOnline position 20374, https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/20374. Please refer questions to Suzanne Mitchell at Suzanne.Mitchell2@umassmed.edu .

Health Literacy Specialist Certificate Program
Whether you’re new to the healthcare field or have years of experience, this certificate program will enhance your health literacy knowledge and ability to complete tasks in your work environment. Enhance your knowledge and day-to-day skills with 50 lessons across 7 health literacy domains. Together, 7 micro-credential programs make up the complete HLS Certificate.

  • You’ll earn a micro-credential by completing any of the 7 individual domains.
  • Customize your learning to earn multiple micro-credentials at your own pace.
  • Earn your Health Literacy Specialist Certificate by stacking all 7 micro-credentials.
  • Receive a digital badge for each micro-credential completed.
  • Continuing Education Hours will be available for each micro-credential in CHES/MCHES, CPH, and California Nursing.

IHA grants the micro-credentials to participants who have completed all lessons and passed the summative exam. Once you’ve earned your Health Literacy Specialist Certificate, consider updating your job title and job description. Use this Health Literacy Specialist Model Job Description <https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/HEALTHLITERACYSOLUTIONS/6d64951a-731f-432f-ba1e-cd86cc1c5e20/UploadedImages/Health_Literacy_Specialist_Job_DescriptionFINAL.pdf> as a guide. And, information about how we created the Health Literacy Specialist Certificate is available here in our Job Analysis Executive Summary<https://www.healthliteracysolutions.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=2245ece0-860d-f910-cb9a-eddaffe37018&forceDialog=0>.

The Health Literacy Specialist Certificate Program (including all rights, privileges, micro-credentials, and examinations) is open to all candidates interested in the field of health literacy without regard to age, sex, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or marital status. Reasonable accommodations provide participants with disabilities a fair and equal opportunity to participate in the programs, e.g., larger print.

For additional questions, please refer to our Health Literacy Specialist Certificate Program FAQ<https://www.healthliteracysolutions.org/learning-lab/certificate-program-faq> and Policies and General Information<https://www.healthliteracysolutions.org/learning-lab/certificate-program-policies> pages.

The UMMS Prevention Research Center invites you to order #PostVaxLife fliers and posters featuring Worcester Youth Vaccine Ambassadors sharing their own motivations for vaccination and detailing the locations/days/times of community vaccination clinics. These are all at no cost to everyone. The PRC’s goal is to blanket the city with them! Here is the link to order them: https://arcsapps.umassmed.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=X8XPKJCMDD

Trying to Keep Up with the Literature?
The department pulls together the tables of contents (TOCs) for about 15 medical journals and distributes this bundle monthly to a select listserve that people can easily sign up for. The TOCs include 4-5 FM journals, JAMA, NEJM, AJPH, Health Affairs, Medical Care, JGIM, Am J Prev Med; etc. – lots of great articles that can easily be accessed through links within the bundle. We are also open to adding more journals if there’s an interest expressed! Take a look at what's been posted in the past several months by going to the department's web pages under the section on Research. You will see a tab in the left-hand margin for these TOC bundles that we post monthly (www.umassmed.edu/fmch/research)
If you’d like to be on the distribution list, please send an email to Judy Savageau (judith.savageau@umassmed.edu). 
 
Research Forums:
In September, we started the first of this academic year’s research forums and invite all of you to attend (held through zoom). These run from September through June on the 3rd Friday of each month from noon-1pm. We would be happy to add you to our list of upcoming presentations (it’s very informal) if you’re working on a new project idea or an on-going project and would love some feedback from attendees. Please contact Judy Savageau (judith.savageau@umassmed.edu) if you would like to be on our schedule of an upcoming presentation.
                                                                                                                                       
Research Web Pages:
Our department’s web pages have a specific section for ‘research’ (www.umassmed.edu/fmch/research) where we list publications, presentations, student/resident projects, information on getting support from the department for your particular project, etc. Please be sure to let us know (or make sure you send a notice to the Tuesday Talk about, for example, a new publication) so that we can highlight your great work!
Announcements

New Faculty Orientation
Faculty Affairs will hold a New Faculty Orientation on January 11, 2022 from 8am-10am for anyone hired since January 2020. See the attached flyer to register.

Volunteers needed for WFCC
Worcester Free Care Collaborative is always in need of volunteer family physicians and family nurse practitioners to support its mission to address needs of the uninsured and underinsured of our community. We also need help with pediatric vaccine program management. You fill find it fulfilling to address needs for vulnerable patients and work with highly motivated student volunteers.
Contact student leader Tyler Healy (tyler.healy@umassmed.edu) for needs across the 6 programs or Danielle Heims-Waldron (danielle.heimswaldron@umassmed.edu) for Monday night’s Epworth program. 

Teaching of Tomorrow (TOT) - Virtual Event
After careful consideration of the current COVID surge and new guidance for safety, the TOT event will be transitioned to a livestreaming virtual event. Although we all looked forward to being together in person, the recent increase in positivity rates and the upcoming holidays lead us to be cautious of in person gatherings. Our livestream virtual event will provide the same interactive format of Teaching of Tomorrow with large and small group sessions with faculty skill building and teacher identity formation. We are sorry for the disappointment and inconvenience that this may cause. This decision was difficult but prioritizing the health and safety of our faculty and participants is paramount.

Mick Huppert Community Health Scholar Awards
If you are working on a community engaged initiative with a second year medical or nursing student, please reinforce for them this opportunity: For the fourth year, the annual Mick Huppert Community Health Scholar awards will be given to second year medical and graduate school of nursing students who have demonstrated a commitment to community engaged service and scholarship. Students should also have an interest in a career as a family physician or family nurse practitioner. Between two and four awards, each up to $2,500 will support awardees’ proposed community health initiatives. Medical and nursing student pairs will be considered and are encouraged. A pair would split one award. Click the link to get to the full announcement and application form. https://umassmed.edu/fmch/communityhealth/sep/mick-huppert-community-health-scholar-awards/ Applications due to Suzanne.Cashman@umassmed.edu by January 17, 2022.

Faculty Development Updates
Mentoring Workshop 
Dr. Ahn, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs, will be providing a faculty development workshop January 19th, 530-7:00 pm, to kick off our 2022 mentoring program cohort. If you are interested in participating in the FMCH mentoring program in 2022 please reach out to Jennifer Masoud at jennifer.masoud@umassmemorial.org. We will be working to pair people up to meet your mentoring needs. 

White Belt Training Opportunity - Upcoming LEAN Training
UMassMemorial Health is committed to disseminate LEAN management tools to all physicians and clinicians and offer leadership development to our providers. Practicing LEAN principles enables team building and promotes respect to our fellow caregivers. It’s a platform that fosters innovation and improves the care we provide to our patients — as well as to advance our own work environment. LEAN is practiced by many caregivers in our health care system. Physicians and clinicians should be educated and have the tools needed to implement successful huddles, idea board systems and process improvement efforts. Our department will offer LEAN white belt training through two upcoming grand rounds. The first session will be a great refresher for those trained many years ago and the second session will include important updates including how to use Innovation Station. For individuals who have not done LEAN training in the past, this is an opportunity to meet the institution's requirement for white belt certification.  
  • January 25th, 12-1pm: LEAN White Belt: Part 2 - Innovation Station
If you are unable to make these trainings and are in need of certification, additional Lean White Belt training registration is available through E-learning 4U.  
Frankly Speaking Podcast

A weekly Podcast series covering newsworthy topics in primary care medicine.

Please join us for an overview: Asthma is one of the most prevalent conditions, affecting almost 340 million individuals across the globe and approximately 25 million Americans, or 7.8% of the US population. Treatment is complex and goals of therapy are elusive for many. Anxiety and other concerns are common in those diagnosed with asthma and can worsen outcomes. A recent study from the UK found the use of a mindfulness app was associated with improved asthma-related quality-of-life indicators. Join us while we discuss this study's implications for helping patients with asthma in primary care. Guest: Susan Feeney, DNP, FNP-BC, NP-C, presents: "Peaceful, Easy Feeling: Can Mindfulness Exercise Improve Asthma-Related Quality of Life?. - Frankly Speaking Ep 255.
Faculty Presentations/Publications

Many faculty presented at Pri-Med EAST, December 9-11 .
  • Robert Baldor, MD: Screening for Autism
  • Alan Ehrlich, MD: Controversies in GI: Colon Cancer Screening & Celiac Disease
  • Jillian Joseph, PA: Asymptomatic Hematuria
  • Frank Domino, MD: Updates from the Medical Literature Obesity

Hugh Silk, MD, MPH, FAAFP, was an invited speaker for a webinar for the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health at UPenn School of Dental Medicine on the topic of Improving Medical-Dental Integration – Educationally, Professionally, Clinically: A Physician-Educator’s Perspective on December 13, 2021.

Hugh Silk, MD, MPH, FAAFP, presented at the Learning Communities Institute Annual Meeting (Virtual) on the topic of The Humanities Lab - Promoting projects in the Humanities in a Learning Community and Medical School with other UMCMS faculty and students.

Hugh Silk, MD, MPH, FAAFP, Judy Savageau, MPH and UMCMS student Mack Jones presented a poster at the American Academy of Pediatrics Annual Conference virtually on the topic of Creating a Model Oral Health Curriculum for Medical Schools and Pediatric Residencies.
Department Member Recognition

Erik Garcia’s work was highlighted “above the fold” in the Sunday 12-19 issue of Worcester Telegram for his work caring for the city’s homeless and the Road to Care mobile medical clinic. Hugh Silk was also mentioned by name and PA, Jillian Joseph, was alluded to, along with MassAHEC Urban Health Scholar nursing student Monica Wiant.    https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2021/12/16/umass-road-care-program-meeting-homeless-drug-addicted-streets-worcester/8793064002/.

Jennifer Reidy wanted to share the happy news that we matched with Shaun Toomey, MD, as our palliative care fellow for AY22-23. Dr. Toomey is currently a pulmonary critical care fellow at UMass Memorial, and previously trained in the UMass Internal Medicine Residency. He is widely respected by his peers in critical care, and has been dedicated to training as a palliative care subspecialist since he was a resident. Please congratulate him if and when you see him!
Clinical Services Spotlight:
COVID-19 UPDATES

MA COVID Cases
Massachusetts reported the largest number of COVID-19 cases since January last week. 
  • Total confirmed deaths, 933,908. 
  • The 7-day percent positivity is 5.77%.
  • The total number of hospitalizations is 1,499 with 315 in ICUs and 189 of those intubated. 
  • The confirmed deaths are 19,406. (2.08%)
  • Worcester Stop-the-Spread test positivity has increased to 12.3%.
 
UMMMC
  • Current census of COVID-19 inpatients is 170 across the system, with 91 at the Medical Center (of these 27 in ICU).
  • In-house test positivity for asymptomatic patients is stable at 4.6%; the rate has risen for symptomatic patients to 22.8%.
  • Patients with COVID-19 who are fully vaccinated are 18 (23%). 

Contact Tracing
Massachusetts is shutting down its contact tracing program for the public. The program will only remain for areas where the infection is more likely to spread, including the following:
·       Health care facilities
  • Nursing homes
  • Homeless Shelters
  • Schools

Omicron
  • Omicron is a contagious variant and spreads faster than the delta variant. A recent study states it may spread 70 times faster.
  • Preliminary data suggests that the omicron variant can spread faster from asymptomatic carriers.
  • Although the omicron variant can spread faster, currently it accounts for less than 3 percent of COVID cases. The severity of omicron is not yet known.

The Holiday Watch
These items work together to help you and your family stay safe. Even if vaccinated, you should:
  • Maintain social distancing.
  • Avoid large crowds.  
  • Wear your mask.
  • Wash your hands often. 
  • Test yourself if you have symptoms or you have been exposed.
  • Get your booster if you have not already.

Institutional Protocols for COVID Surge- UMass Memorial Ambulatory Protocol
  • Clinic Entrances: All UMass Medical Center-based, including CMG/Offsite clinics, will have control points at the entrances. At the current time, DPH screening questions will continue at the entrances. 
  •  All patients/visitors will be required to pass through a control point prior to arrival at their clinic. 
  • All patients will be required to wear a mask. If they arrive without one, they will be handed a surgical mask at the entrance. 
  • All patients will be asked to perform hand hygiene. 
  • All patients will transit through the hospital to the clinics following posted signage. 
  • Elevators can be utilized by all patients following social distancing recommendations by Infection Control (4 people per elevator). 
  • A no visitor policy will remain in effect (exceptions do exist on a case-by-case basis, i.e., – pediatrics and those that need assistance). 
  • https://www.umassmemorialhub.org/documents/visitor-policy-ambulatory-areas 
  • https://www.umassmemorialhub.org/documents/ambulatory-visitor-policy-exceptions.
Wellness Resources

The Caring for the Caregiver Program provides resources such as the Caregiver Support Line (508-334-HELP) and The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which offers a variety of services and supports (including virtual peer support and wellness tips. EAP can be accessed at 866-263-3525, or www.LiveandWorkWell.com, [company code UmassMemorial]. More information is available on the Caring for the Caregiver page.
Working on Wellness
Yoga Classes with Dr. Liz Erban
New Yoga Link!
Our Yoga class hit the 1 year anniversary - which in zoomland means we need a new link. Happy anniversary yogis and much gratitude to our fearless leader, Liz!

Also, a great time to join, new members always welcome. Start your mid week with some relaxing yoga! 

Please join department members for early morning gentle yoga, Wednesday mornings 6:30am via Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting ID: 923 9393 3653 Passcode: 764113
Zumba with Dr. Anna Zheng

Zumba Monday 6am is on hold.
On hold until the new year in 2022. 

Thursdays 6:15pm: In-person or ZOOM
Please join department members Thursday evenings at 6:15pm**(30 Anna Street: tall & spacious indoor location) and get moving with Zumba. Please note details and any changes via webpage: http://annazheng.zumba.com/. ZOOM still possible for all classes.
 
Much appreciation to Dr. Anna Zheng for hosting these outstanding classes. New to the class? Please email Dr. Zheng at ZumbawithAnnaZheng@gmail.com to register, complete brief health screen if it's your first class and the ZOOM link.