Foundations Collaborate to Support Free Provider Training for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment | |
A display of 2,357 flags at UMass Memorial Medical Center on August 31, 2023 representing each overdose death in Massachusetts last year in honor of International Overdose Awareness Day. Photo credit: Rick Cinclair/T&G | |
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As reported by the Worcester Business Journal and Spectrum News, The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, in partnership with Reliant Foundation and RIZE Massachusetts, recently announced $153,824 in combined grant support for a UMass Memorial Health project aimed at advancing prescriber education and opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment in primary care settings throughout Central Massachusetts.
In Central Massachusetts, the number of overdose-related death continues to climb, particularly in communities of color and rural communities. Statewide, opioid-related deaths reached an all-time high of 2,357 in 2022, an increase of 2.5% from 2021, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. By encouraging more prescribers to incorporate OUD treatment into primary care practices, this initiative aims to expand access, normalize treatment, and reduce stigma.
One effective treatment is buprenorphine, and recent changes to federal requirements offer an opportunity to expand access to treatment across Central Massachusetts. Through this project, the UMass Memorial Health Road to Care team will offer free training for physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners regardless of their clinical affiliation. The course will also allow prescribers to meet current educational requirements while providing guidance in diagnosing and treating OUD in their patient populations.
The first training will be held on December 14 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Beechwood Hotel, 363 Plantation Street, Worcester. The eight-hour session will also be offered via Zoom. Subsequent sessions will be held in other parts of the region to facilitate participation from more rural parts of the region. In addition, Project ECHO modules will provide another opportunity for providers to present and learn from clinically based vignettes regarding OUD and overdose prevention.
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Promoting Safe Drinking Water For All | |
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The Health Foundation President & CEO Dr. Amie Shei and RCAP Solutions President & CEO Brian Scales testify on September 27.
Photo credit: RCAP Solutions
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On September 27, the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources held a hearing for An Act Promoting Drinking Water Quality For All (H.902/S.482), a bill that was developed as part of the Private Well Program to Protect Public Health Round 5 Synergy Initiative project led by RCAP Solutions. The bill would enable the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to develop minimum statewide standards to ensure that private well water is safe to consume, and it would expand an existing state revolving loan fund to assist low-income homeowners with remediating contaminated wells.
Dr. Shei provided testimony alongside RCAP Solutions President & CEO Brian Scales. Testimony was also provided by individuals from the Massachusetts Medical Society, Franklin Regional Council of Governments, UMass Amherst College of Engineering, Massachusetts Public Health Association, Town of Harvard Board of Health, SafeWell Corporation, MassINC Polling Group, Education Development Center, and Association to Preserve Cape Cod. Former Secretary of Environmental Affairs Bob Durand and a private well homeowner also testified in support of the bill. The hearing was covered by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.
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An excerpt from Dr. Shei’s testimony:
"Contaminated private well water is not hypothetical. Recent studies have found concerning rates of naturally occurring and manmade contaminants. We cannot delay action."
"There was a time when regulation of public water systems was piecemeal and inadequate, but then the federal Safe Drinking Water Act was passed by Congress in 1974, and it set rigorous requirements for states to meet. In 1975, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Quality Engineering (now MassDEP) and its Drinking Water Program were formed. These federal and state regulations were put in place for public water systems nearly 50 years ago, and they continue to be improved to protect public health. It is time for us to modernize and standardize protections for private wells. I do not think any of us in the room expect that private wells will continue to be unregulated 50 years from now, so I hope we can take the bold action TODAY to address this inequity."
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Individuals and organizations interested in voicing their support can submit testimony to the committee ([email protected]) and/or sign on to a joint letter. In order to sign-on to the letter, please complete this Google Form. You may use this form to sign-on as an individual or as an organization.
If you sign-on as an individual, your full name and city/town will be listed on the letter.
If you sign-on as an organization, your organization (and not your own name) will be listed on the letter. All types of organizations (non-profits, for-profits, boards of health, etc.) from anywhere in Massachusetts are welcome to sign-on.
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On September 20, The MassINC Polling Group released a public opinion survey that finds broad support among Massachusetts residents for strengthening drinking water protections for private wells to ensure safety and quality. The survey was sponsored by The Health Foundation as part of the Private Well Program to Protect Public Health Synergy Initiative project led by RCAP Solutions.
Key findings from the poll include:
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| 73% of Mass residents think well water should be protected in the same way as other sources of drinking water. | | 97% agree that all Mass residents should have access to safe drinking water. | | 92% believe that state government should play a role in achieving that goal. | | 80% support when explained the proposed legislation includes financial support for remediation of contamination for low-income homeowners with private wells. | | 75% support proposed legislation to enable Mass DEP to develop statewide private well protections. | | |
(L-R) Senator Jamie Eldridge; Dr. Amie Shei, THFCM President & CEO; Representative Dan Sena; Brian Scales, President & CEO, RCAP Solutions; Bob Durand, President, Durand and Anastas Environmental Strategies; and Madison Wellman, Business Opportunity Specialist, RCAP Solutions. Photo credit: RCAP Solutions | |
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photo courtesy of The Health Equity Compact
As a member of the Health Equity Compact, a group of over 80 leaders of color who aim to advance health equity together in Massachusetts, Dr. Shei joined fellow Compact members and allies at the State House for a rally and hearing for the Compact’s omnibus health equity bill on September 20. An Act to Advance Health Equity (H.1250/S.799) aims to prioritize health equity in state government, standardize and report on health equity data, and improve access to and quality of care. This work is consistent with The Health Foundation’s longstanding commitment to health equity. The rally and hearing were covered extensively in the media, including the Boston Globe, and Dr. Shei was interviewed by the MetroWest Daily News.
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In her oral testimony at the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing hearing, Dr. Shei noted that The Health Foundation’s ability to serve as an effective funder is constrained by longstanding systemic inequities. She also shared her personal perspective as someone who has had access to excellent educational, health, and career opportunities and who recognizes that not all Massachusetts residents have access to those same opportunities to reach their highest levels of health and their full potential. She called on the committee, and the legislature, to take action to advance health equity.
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Synergy Initiative "Speed Dating" | |
The Health Foundation's Vice President for Programs Jennie Blake leads a discussion during the Foundation's Speed Dating event held on September 26. | |
In 2023, The Health Foundation opened Round 6 of the Synergy Initiative, which supports collaborative projects that target significant health issues, especially inequities in Central Massachusetts with integrated, comprehensive strategies and an end goal of systems or policy change. Selected projects generally progress from planning to pilot to full implementation over the course of three to five years. A key element of the Synergy Initiative model is inclusion of a robust evaluation component from the outset, and, as such, selection of a professional evaluator for each project is part of the application process.
On Tuesday, September 26, The Health Foundation hosted its signature “Speed Dating” event at the Beechwood Hotel in Worcester to match Synergy Initiative applicants with professional evaluators. During the event, a pool of professional evaluators recruited by The Health Foundation rotated among eight applicants in 15-minute increments to meet one another and discuss the proposed projects. The Health Foundation then matched applicants and evaluators based on stated preferences. Organizations and evaluators alike have commented that this unique approach helps to ensure a good fit for both parties, increasing the likelihood for success.
|  | Project teams and evaluators meeting during the event. | As a next step, evaluators will help the applicants develop measurable goals and objectives and an evaluation plan for the initial year of the proposed project. For additional information on the Synergy Initiative and examples of previous projects and related impact, please visit the Foundation’s website. | |
Worcester Community Food Assessment Survey | |
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Whenever appropriate, The Health Foundation shares information and opportunities from our community partners.
The Worcester Task Force on Food Security developed a survey to help determine how and where people in Worcester get their food, what their experience is like, what barriers they face in accessing food that is culturally appropriate, healthy, and affordable for themselves and their families.
"The Community Food Assessment (CFA) is a project of the Center on Food Equity. It will help identify food resources, gaps, and opportunities to improve equitable food access in the city of Worcester. When complete, the data collected in the CFA will help inform recommendations for food policy, projects, and programs that will help improve access to food for all of our residents. The data collected will be available to public, private, and nonprofit entities who are working to improve food security in Worcester." - Worcester Task Force on Food Security.
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Please share this survey with Worcester residents for completion by October 10th. | | |
MassHealth Redetermination | |
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Given the importance of MassHealth redetermination to health and health care in Massachusetts, the Foundation continues to raise awareness and share information about the MassHealth redetermination process, which began on April 1. Over the past year, the Foundation has awarded grants and hosted a health equity breakfast aimed at supporting partnering organizations like Health Law Advocates and Health Care For All with their critical direct service and advocacy work.
Many resources are available for individuals and organizations that may be affected by MassHealth redetermination. Please visit these websites for more information.
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The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts is dedicated to improving the health of those who live or work in Central Massachusetts, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and unmet needs. Through its unique and impactful approach to grantmaking, the Foundation supports community-identified health issues, with health defined broadly to include social determinants of health and with a focus on promoting health equity. As a health conversion foundation launched in 1999 following the sale of the non-for-profit HMO Central Massachusetts Health Care, Inc., the Foundation’s grants have totaled over $54 million to more than 220 unique organizations over its history. For more information, visit www.hfcm.org. | | |
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If you are interested in supporting this work, The Health Foundation Fund, Inc. is the 501(c)(3) fundraising affiliate that supports the purpose and mission of the Foundation through donations, memorial contributions and gifts of life insurance. Thank you for your consideration. | |
© 2023 The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts | | | | |
