Massachusetts Medical Society

“The fact that you can go into a supermarket and 30% to 40% of those samples test positive, that suggests there’s more of the virus around than is currently being recognized,” said Richard Webby, an influenza virologist who has been analyzing the samples at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, where he heads the WHO Collaborating Center for Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals. https://ow.ly/nKvc50RprhX

"Fewer practitioners are going into #PrimaryCare, and too many are retiring or leaving the field because of how warped health care has become," said primary care physician Dr. David Weinstock. "Without the financial support needed to provide quality patient care, more and more primary care providers will run out of options to stay in practice. Ultimately, it’s the patients who suffer." https://ow.ly/I5W050RptiO

“When people are coming out of four years of college and four years of medical school with hundreds of thousands of dollars of loans, it’s very hard to choose a specialty where you’re going to make a lot less, a significant amount less,” said MMS President Dr. Barbara Spivak. Dr. Spivak estimated that #PrimaryCare doctors make between $100,000 and $400,000 less a year than physicians who choose other specialties. https://ow.ly/2EY250RpzQP

A multitude of studies have shown that embedding teams of addiction specialists within hospitals reduces the severity of substance use, increases participation in treatment, and dramatically reduces hospital readmissions — all of which save lives and taxpayer dollars. https://ow.ly/JTt950RpqPQ

“To date, we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe,” the FDA said in a statement. https://ow.ly/KaRS50RooAH

“We’ve been asking, ‘How do we incorporate sustainability that doesn't get in the way of the science?” said Dr. Anne-Christine Duhaime, associate director for research and publications at the Center for the Environment and Health at Massachusetts General Hospital. https://ow.ly/ycqm50RobTH

Brookline’s ban on tobacco sales to anyone born this century is inspiring other cities and towns across Greater Boston to follow suit. https://ow.ly/bi6j50RobF2

Massachusetts HHS Secretary Kate Walsh described the financing structure at Steward — which sold its physical properties years ago and now leases back the hospitals — as "unlike anything I've seen" and added that it has "made their hospitals less attractive to potential acquirers" amid talk of sales. https://ow.ly/Ywno50Ro7im

Massachusetts will spend $775,000 to deploy more than 200 small community air sensors across the state, as well as nearly 100 more sophisticated sensors in low-income areas and communities of color. The sensors can measure harmful air pollutants, which have been linked to higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. https://ow.ly/F54Z50Rnzug

Examine essential insights into the critical elements shaping #PrimaryCare at the 2024 MMS Annual Education Program. This dynamic program is designed to address four key pillars of modern health care: access, workforce capacity, health equity, and health care costs. Join our moderator, keynote speaker, and panel of experts as they explore the pivotal role of health care professionals in improving patient health. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eiDTjp-F