News From MeHI

November/December 2022

Focus on Caregiving 

November is Family Caregiver Awareness Month

November is Family Caregiver Awareness Month, a time to recognize and honor family caregivers throughout the Commonwealth and across the United States. Family caregivers help maintain the well-being of older adults, as well as people with disabilities and chronic health conditions.

Family Caregiver Awareness Month offers an opportunity to educate communities and improve support for the 1.1 million caregivers across Massachusetts. The Mass Caregiving Initiative at MeHI works year-round to foster innovation in the field of caregiving and support the Massachusetts caregiving community.


As a founding member of the Massachusetts Caregiver Coalition, MeHI and the MassTech Collaborative work with the Mass Business Roundtable and others to help employers support workers who are family caregivers, and drive public/private collaboration in order to recognize, honor, and support caregivers. To learn more, view our Caregiver Initiative page and read the recent report on the cost of caregiving to Massachusetts employers.


The Initiative also works with partners to highlight innovative solutions that leaders and organizations can use to lessen caregiver stress and provide support to caregivers. This includes an Innovations in Caregiving Webinar Series that publicizes research data and highlights approaches, products, and services that empower caregivers. Register for the next webinar in the series here.


MeHI also partners with the Executive Office of Elder Affairs and Mass Home Care to address the needs of caregivers and their supporting communities through webinars and other events. To register for the next webinar in the Caring for the Caregiver series, click here.

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers is available for public comment until November 30th. Comments received from the public will be used to inform the ongoing work of two Congressionally-mandated caregiving advisory councils, as well as to inform future updates to the strategy. Learn more and submit your comments here.

Cybersecurity 

Healthcare Provider Cybersecurity Monthly Call

On the second Thursday of every month, MeHI and the MassCyberCenter host a call to provide updates on emerging cybersecurity threats and cover a monthly topic of interest. The calls feature discussion leaders from MeHI and the MassCyberCenter, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) New England, the Commonwealth Fusion Center, and additional guest speakers.

Thursday,

November 10, 2022

10:00 am-11:00 am

Register

This month's call will take place on Thursday, November 10th at 10:00 amThe presentation topic will be cloud security.  You can register for the call by visiting our Zoom registration page. You can also listen to recordings about the monthly topics from past calls hereIf you have any questions, please email Max Fathy at fathy@masstech.org.

Healthcare Cybersecurity Updates

  • A recent sector alert from the Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) warns that healthcare organizations should prioritize patching a critical OpenSSL cybersecurity vulnerability as soon as possible. Updates were released on November 1. Read more from Health IT Security.


  • This December 5-6, the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) will host a Healthcare Cybersecurity Forum at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel in Boston. Learn more and register here.


  • HIPAA requires covered entities to develop an incident response plan in order to remain in compliance. Covered entities must develop a data backup plan, a disaster recovery plan, and an emergency mode operation plan, among other administrative safeguards. Read more from Health IT Security about how to create a comprehensive cyber incident response plan.


  • New healthcare cybersecurity standards and guidance from the White House are on the horizon. Further federal security guidance could help the sector manage risk amid an increasingly complex cyber threat landscape. Read more from Health IT Security.

Focus on Jobs

Massachusetts digital health companies are actively seeking staff with experience in healthcare to bring operations and clinical expertise to their organizations. As the only free resource solely dedicated to open digital health roles in Massachusetts, the MassDigitalHealth jobs board is the best way to find opportunities in this growing sector. Below are just a few examples of the over 800 open roles currently on the board:



  • Mightier is seeking a Clinical Rater to administer self-report rating scales and provide safety assessments.

Find your next career at jobs.massdigitalhealth.org.


Questions? Email Katie Green at green@masstech.org.

Upcoming Events

Caring for the Caregiver Webinar Series

Join the Massachusetts Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Mass Home Care, and the MassTech Collaborative's Mass Caregiving Initiative for the next webinars in the Caring for the Caregiver series. 

 

The November and December webinars will be a two-part series focused on communication in families. The first webinar on Friday, November 18th at 12 PM will focus on family caregivers’ communication with family members, while the second webinar on Thursday, December 15th at 12 PM will focus on family caregivers’ communication with their loved one.


Please feel free to contact masscaregiver@mass.gov with any questions or comments. You may also view past webinars in the Caregiver Webinar Series here. 

Session 1

Friday, November 18

Noon-1:00pm

Session 2

Thursday, December 15

Noon-1:00pm

Register
Register

For more news and updates visit mehi.masstech.org


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