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Provider Resources for Frontline Workers
The Commonwealth has developed a
reopening
webpage, which includes
vendor
resources for procuring PPE. These vendors include state-contracted manufacturers that Massachusetts has historically purchased from who have pivoted to producing a range of supplies as part of the Manufacturing Emergency Response Team (M-ERT) process.
How
is the Commonwealth determining which PPE requests to fill?
As outlined in the Department of Public Health's reopening
guidance
, prior to resuming elective services health care providers must ensure that they have an adequate supply of PPE and other essential supplies for the expected number and type of procedures and services that will be performed. Health care providers cannot rely on the distribution of PPE from the Commonwealth's emergency stockpile to meet this requirement.
Who can access DPH's Emergency Stockpile for PPE?
The State's emergency stockpile can serve as a short-term bridge to support emergency operations when an entity has a critically low supply and is only conducting emergency procedures. The Commonwealth is not able to supplant the normal supply chain for PPE. If the above criteria are met, DPH will provide a bridge of up to seven days' worth of supplies to those facilities with less than five days remaining in stock.
Where to make a PPE request:
If you are a medical facility, nursing home, assisted living facility, community health center, private/non-fire-based EMS, local public health group, or otherwise providing clinical care:
Additional Massachusetts Frontline Worker Resources:
In an effort to connect frontline workers with various supports such as free/discounted meals, guidance on accessing PPE and priority testing, emergency child care, and alternate housing options, the Attorney General's Office developed the Frontline Workers Resource website.
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 Using a Patient Self-Efficacy Screening Tool to Help Members Identify Barriers to Medication Adherence
Poor medication adherence can be an issue for patients on long-term medication for treatment of chronic conditions, including major depression.
Use of
a patient self-efficacy screening tool
, along with motivational interviewing, is a
best practice for supporting patients in adhering to their medication regimens
. The results of the screening can help to facilitate discussion around patient concerns and address challenges that the patient feels might be barriers to medication adherence.
Providers can use screening tools like the
ASK-20
,
which is free and can be administered by provider staff, either in person, via Telehealth, including telephonically, or self-administered by the patient, in less than five minutes. Tools like the ASK-20 can identify useful information about patients' strengths and resources that support them in adhering to medication, as well as perceived barriers, including attitudes about medication, concerns about medication side effects, and lack of understanding of instructions about taking the medication. The provider can support the patient in engaging his or her specific strengths and resources, as well as in identifying strategies to address barriers. The questionnaire may be offered to all clients who are taking medications for chronic conditions as a way of identifying potential barriers, or with select individuals who demonstrate challenges with adherence.
In addition to improving clinical practice, implementing a screening tool such as the ASK-20 can be used to provide information - through aggregate data collection from multiple administrations of the tool - for agencies to assess and adjust their systemic approaches to providing integrated care for Members who are managing medications.
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Social Connection is Crucial to Mental and Physical Health
Former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recently authored a book flagging loneliness as a major public health concern. The
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) website
cites research indicating that loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness is linked to elevated risks for heart disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, and other behavioral and medical conditions. With one in five Americans reporting that they feel lonely or socially isolated, the public health implications are truly significant. Adding in the isolation that many people have experienced during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, addressing loneliness is on the minds of many providers.
Raising awareness of the potential health impacts of loneliness and social isolation - along with suggestions for ways to feel more connected - can help our Members take active steps in maximizing their overall wellbeing.
Some simple ways to combat loneliness include decreasing the amount of time spent on social media, reaching out to friends and family by telephone or through online platforms, connecting with a faith community, and joining social clubs or other community groups, even if they are only online.
Members can also call
a warmline to connect to a friendly voice. People in recovery from mental health conditions answer these phone lines.
For more information on the impact of loneliness on health:
Resources to help providers work with their patients:
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The American Psychological Association (APA) released a report in November 2019,
Stress In America™ 2019
, noting that money was the second leading personal source of stress for the adults interviewed. Stress is widely acknowledged to have a negative effect on physical and emotional health and can exacerbate physical and behavioral health conditions.
Previous APA reports have highlighted the fact that parents
, younger generations, and persons in lower-income households have higher levels of stress than Americans do overall, especially when it comes to stress about money. From a population health standpoint, financial stability is one of the key domains that the federal government has designated in its Healthy People 2020
program.
Helping Members to improve their financial literacy - the ability to understand basic financial concepts and manage personal finances - could be one way to lessen their stress around money. Becoming better informed about money management and learning how to recognize financial scams and other types of fraud may even help Members to avoid serious financial problems
down the road.
For more information on the health impacts of stress around money:
For online resources about improving financial literacy:
Information on fraud and scamming:
For more information on the social determinants of health:
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Open Access Hours are a Convenient Way to Access Mental Health Services
To address the issue of making services more conveniently available to Members, many providers have implemented walk-in or open access models to meet the needs of the communities they serve. This scheduling model offers outpatient behavioral health services, including intakes, therapy, groups, and psychopharmacology during certain hours of the day where individuals can walk-in and receive services. The ability to be seen "on-demand" allows clients to receive services when they are ready to be seen, on their schedule, with no wait.
To find behavioral health providers who offer Open Access, go to the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Access (MABHA) website
. In the blue "Mental Health Services" box on the home page, click "Find Provider Openings" and then choose Outpatient Walk-In/Open Access from the drop-down menu in the Search bar.
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