MHA, the Massachusetts Medical Society, and the Organization of Nurse Leaders have joined in filing an amicus brief in support of Governor Charlie Baker’s March 10 declaration of a state of emergency in the commonwealth due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A group of individuals and organizations have brought suit against the governor arguing that he improperly exercised his authority under the Civil Defense Act.
  
MHA, MMS, and ONL – three organizations whose members have now spent six months on the front lines of the ongoing fight against COVID-19 – wrote to the Supreme Judicial Court, “To put it simply, the battle cannot be won (and could yet be lost) if the Governor's office is prevented from using the authority granted to it by the [Civil Defense Act]. The levels of sickness and death caused by the virus, and the accompanying strains placed on our healthcare infrastructure, have been unprecedented in modern Massachusetts history. It is self-evident that the pandemic has been a ‘disaster’ and a ‘catastrophe’ resulting from natural causes, as the Act requires for the Governor to invoke it.”

Hebrew SeniorLife and Mass. Senior Care have formed a Massachusetts “hub” that more than 240 nursing homes have joined in order to participate in the federally funded National Nursing Home COVID-19 Safety Program.
  
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality partnered with the ECHO Institute in New Mexico to create the training and mentoring program for the approximately 15,400 nursing homes across the country. Hebrew SeniorLife and Mass. Senior Care are coordinating the effort in Massachusetts.
  
The National Nursing Home COVID-19 Safety Program will assist facilities with implementing evidence-based best practices to prevent COVID-19 from entering nursing homes, prevent the spread of the virus if it does enter a facility, provide care and treatment for patients who test positive for COVID-19, ensure patients who are infected with COVID-19 can safely receive visitors, and provide safety measures to help staff build confidence in their work, feel safe from infection, and keep working.
  
This program is on a fast track, with a launch date of September 15.
  

The state’s MassHealth waiver – the main agreement between the federal government and the state on the operation and funding of the multi-billion-dollar Medicaid program – is coming up for renewal, and Massachusetts has begun asking interested parties what the new waiver should look like.
 
The state issued an “Opportunity to Participate” that outlines the mission of three workgroups that will be created to gather opinions on the strategic design of the delivery system and payment model for MassHealth members; care coordination for individuals with significant behavioral health and/or long-term service needs; and care delivery and financing approaches for a primary care capitation model, including further integration of behavioral health into the primary care setting.
 
Expiration of the current waiver is far off – June 30, 2022 – but the expected changes in the new waiver are so complex that the state is planning now for them. As the state wrote in the document soliciting members for the workgroups, “This effort will be a second phase of the delivery system restructuring efforts that led to the creation of accountable care organizations (ACOs) in 2018. The next waiver will build on the ACO restructuring, including bringing additional focus and prioritization to primary care, behavioral health care, and health-related social needs; further moving the health care system away from fee-for-service reimbursement constructs; and ensuring sustainable support for the Commonwealth’s safety net programs and providers.”

In recognition of the extraordinary compassion shown by front-line professional caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Schwartz Center is collecting stories, videos, photos, audio recordings, and more to honor those providing care. Working in partnership with #FirstRespondersFirst, an initiative of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Thrive Global, and the CAA Foundation, the Schwartz Center invites individuals to share their experiences of acts of compassion. The deadline to submit content is Friday, September 18. Visit here for complete details.

September is Sepsis Awareness Month. September is also Baby Safety Awareness Month. The state has designated September as Massachusetts Emergency Preparedness Month. National Recovery Month in September celebrates the gains made by those living in recovery. And Falls Prevention Week takes place this month during the week of Sept. 21 to 25.
  
The calendar designations bring public attention to these serious health concerns. Yet, hospitals deal with each of the highlighted issues on a daily and even hourly basis. Hospital continuous improvement programs, collaborative sharing of best practices, daily rounds, shift huddles, public reporting, and more are focused specifically on falls prevention, infection reduction, preparedness, behavioral health, and pediatric care – among many, many focus areas.
  
And because they are often the main sources of health information to communities, hospitals are using the awareness-month activities to reach out through various means to educate the public. For example, Baystate Health used its social media channels to promote Baby Safety Awareness Month and posted this article on its website.
  
This year, the state’s Emergency Preparedness Month activities are different in that Massachusetts is launching a public campaign to thank essential workers and organizations that have stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit here to see a video message from Governor Baker and instructions on how to participate in the #EPisEssential campaign.
  
The 2020 Sepsis Awareness Month marks the third anniversary of CDC’s Get Ahead of Sepsis educational effort. 
 
The Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery (MOAR) is holding the 30th Annual MOAR Recovery Month Celebration Day on Wednesday, September 23. Details to come.
  
And Falls Prevention Week has a new challenge this year: the Executive Office of Elder Affairs has set a statewide goal to collectively achieve a total of 2.5 million steps in the name of falls prevention. Anyone can simply take a walk anytime throughout September, use a step counter or count each mile as 2,500 steps, and share results on social media using #MASteps2PreventFalls. (Wear yellow for any photos you post.)

The Massachusetts Consultation Service for Treatment of Addiction and Pain (MCSTAP) is holding its next monthly case discussion call-in hour on Wednesday September 16, from 12 to 1 p.m. Dr. Christopher Shanahan, MCSTAP medical director, will discuss a recent consultation about treating a patient with hip pain. 
  
The case discussion call-in hours are an opportunity for participants to hear about real, anonymized cases concerning management of chronic pain and substance use disorder (SUD), and to get input on the treatment of, and best practices for, patients with chronic pain and/or SUD. Click here for more information and to register. CMEs are available.
  
MCSTAP offers real-time, professional consultation by telephone to primary care providers and emergency department clinicians on safe prescribing and managing care for patients with chronic pain and/or SUD. Health professionals can contact MCSTAP at 1-833-PAIN-SUD (1-833-724-6783), Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with questions or to request a consultation.
  

Hurricane Laura, a Category 4 storm, has been devastating for many hospital workers in Louisiana who experienced significant property loss or personal hardship but continued to care for patients before, during, and after the storm. To provide some relief, the Louisiana Hospital Association Research and Education Foundation has established the Louisiana Care Fund to help hospital employees begin to rebuild and recover from the storm. You can donate by clicking here.

American Nurses Association Massachusetts recently announced Lynne Hancock, MSN, RN, NE-BC, has assumed the role of president-elect. Currently, Hancock is the Magnet program and project director for Nursing Patient Care Operations at Boston Children’s Hospital.

Two Don’t-Miss MHA Virtual Education Programs

Healthcare Project Management & Annual Human Resources Labor Forum 

Healthcare Project Management
Tuesday, Sept. 15 and Thursday, Sept. 17; 2 to 4:30 p.m. each day

Faced with major challenges, healthcare organizations are launching performance improvement projects focusing on revenue cycle, implementation of electronic medical records, supply chain cost reductions, patient flow, resource utilization, quality and safety, and patient/employee experience/satisfaction. This MHA Education session provides participants with an overview of project management and an opportunity to practice some of the skills needed to successfully guide a project. Participants will explore project management through the lens of audiences affected by their work and learn how to engage and sustain the involvement and participation from project sponsors and stakeholders. Karen Curley, director, Learning & Organizational Development, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, will lead the course. Visit here to register.

Annual Human Resources Labor Forum
Wednesday, September 16; 8:30 to 11:15 a.m.

Healthcare human resources professionals face an ever-evolving labor and employment landscape. Join this interactive virtual program that will examine trends, best practices, and current policy in the human resources field through a healthcare lens. Expert leaders that are currently practicing innovative HR strategy will provide insight into how to integrate these practices into an organization. This program is geared toward human resources executives and professionals, or leaders seeking learning opportunities on employee onboarding and training. Register here.