As of today, more than one million Massachusetts residents have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. (The last reported official numbers on March 18 showed 997,000 fully vaccinated people with about 15,000 being added each day.) Fully vaccinated means those who have received the two required doses of either the Moderna or Pfizer vaccines or the single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
  
Overall, 2.7 million doses have been administered in Massachusetts out of the 3.2 million doses sent to the state. Of the total amount administered, hospitals have delivered the greatest amount to individuals – more than 900,000 or 34% of the total. CVS and Walgreens have dispensed the next highest number of vaccines (22%), followed by the mass vaccination sites (15%).
  
As of today, all residents age 60 and over, along with certain essential workers, will be able to get the vaccine when available. On April 5, residents age 55 and over will become eligible, and on April 19, vaccinations will be open to anyone over age 16.
  
Also today, the state moves into the next phase of its reopening plan, meaning the loosening of many capacity restrictions. Stadiums and ballparks can operate at 12% capacity after submitting a plan to DPH, and public settings can now allow 100 people indoors and 150 outdoors. 

The William L. Lane Hospital Advocate Award
 
Philip Cormier, president of Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals, part of Beth Israel Lahey Health, received the prestigious 2021 William L. Lane Hospital Advocate Award from MHA last week. The annual award acknowledges a senior hospital or health system executive's outstanding efforts on behalf of their organization, and their innovative and positive leadership and advocacy to further healthcare access and high-quality, safe care for all.
 
“Phil is a tireless advocate for the patients, staff, and entire community that Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospitals serve,” said Steve Walsh, president & CEO of MHA. “While the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged every Massachusetts healthcare organization like never before, it hasn’t deterred Phil’s efforts to continually improve the care, services, and workplace experience for everyone who calls Beverly and Addison Gilbert their hospital.”
 
The William L. Lane Hospital Advocate Award was established to embody the spirit of William Lane, who led Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Mass., for many years.
  
Cormier's outstanding work, including investing in new services and programs for underserved patient populations, has increased access to high-quality healthcare across all North Shore communities. He oversaw the development of the hospitals’ High Risk Intervention Team, with the goal of addressing gaps in the care of patients with complex social, behavioral, and medical needs. He also expanded programs and local access to specialists and to behavioral health services, among other initiatives.
 
“Phil is a dedicated, visionary leader who put his heart and soul into ensuring the hospitals’ success,” said Nancy Palmer, chair of Beverly & Addison Gilbert Hospitals Board of Trustees.
 
The Trustee Excellence in Leadership Award
 
MHA has recognized two outstanding hospital trustees -- Susan C. Crampton of Martha's Vineyard Hospital (MVH), and Alan G. Macdonald of MelroseWakefield Healthcare. The MHA trustee award honors the significant contributions of trustee leaders whose professional achievements have been of exceptional value to the healthcare community.
 
Crampton is the treasurer of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Windemere Nursing & Rehabilitation Center’s Board of Trustees, serving on the hospital's board for nearly two decades.
 
She is recognized in particular for her commitment to senior care, her leadership in developing MVH’s current affiliation with Massachusetts General Hospital, and her critical role in planning and fundraising for the hospital’s new building. Crampton is also credited with being instrumental in the transformation and redesign of Windemere Nursing and Rehabilitation Center – the only long-term care facility on Martha’s Vineyard. 
 
“Susan serves a crucial role on our board,” said Denise Schepici, president & CEO of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and Windemere Nursing Rehabilitation Center, who nominated Crampton for the honor. “She strikes a graceful balance between ardently advocating for older patients, particularly those struggling with memory loss, and being pointed about fiscal responsibility. Consequently, in recent years, the hospital has added age-friendly services such as cardiology, behavioral medicine, uro-gynecology, and podiatry, while at the same time building a solid, debt-free balance sheet."
 
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Alan Macdonald’s healthcare-related board service spans decades, including a 10-year presence on MHA’s Board of Trustees from 1994 to 2004. He also served as president & CEO of Hallmark Health/MelroseWakefield Healthcare from 2012 to 2018. Macdonald returned to the MelroseWakefield Healthcare board immediately upon stepping down from the system’s executive leadership post.
 
Macdonald’s significant contributions to Massachusetts healthcare policy are noteworthy. During his tenure with the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, he assisted in the development of the Uncompensated Care Pool (now the Health Safety Net) and the individual health insurance mandate, which became cornerstones of the healthcare reform laws both in Massachusetts and nationally. Macdonald is a founding director of Massachusetts Health Quality Partners, alongside co-founding director and now Governor Charlie Baker. He is also co-founding director and chair of the Massachusetts Electronic Health Collaborative, which created and piloted Massachusetts’ first electronic health record systems.
 
“Alan’s incredible ongoing contributions to our healthcare community are unmatched,” said Susan Sandberg, R.N., president & CEO of MelroseWakefield Healthcare. “His vision and thought leadership have helped to transform healthcare, not only in our community, but throughout the commonwealth. We are grateful for his contributions and are so pleased that he is the recipient of this distinguished honor.”
 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has created new resources to help track the COVID-19 variants that are causing concern as the nation begins to re-open the economy.
  
A U.S. government interagency group developed a three-tier classification scheme that labels variants as either a “Variant of Interest,” Variant of Concern,” or “Variant of High Consequence.”
  
The well-publicized variants from the United Kingdom (B117), Brazil (P1), and South Africa (B1351) are variants of concern. The CDC announced the three have been joined by two variants that have been detected in California (B1427 and B1429). Variants of concern are ones in which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease (increased hospitalizations or deaths), significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures.
  
To date there are no variants of high consequence, which means, among other things, that vaccine effectiveness is substantially diminished against them.
  
This CDC page describes and lists the current known variants. This page shows a state-by-state listing of where the variants are occurring.

MHA has consistently advocated that advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) be allowed “full practice authority” – that is, that they be allowed to use their knowledge, skills, and judgment to practice to the full extent of their education and training.
  
Last week, the state’s Department of Mental Health (DMH) issued emergency regulations to implement provisions of Chapter 260 of the Acts of 2020 that allow qualified APRNs to authorize involuntary and voluntary behavioral health admissions to psychiatric facilities. That function and other expansions of APRN authority were previously restricted to only physicians.
  
The language in DMH’s emergency regulations mirrors allowances that DPH and DMH made during the course of the pandemic that have proven critical in maintaining access to psychiatric services. The law and regulations also address ongoing, and considerable, behavioral health workforce challenges by allowing psychiatric APRNs to practice at the top of their license.
  
The emergency regulations are in effect immediately for 90 days. Within that time, DMH will hold a public hearing and comment period to fully promulgate the regulations.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Friday, March 19 to extend the moratorium on the 2% Medicare sequester payment cut, which currently expires on March 31. The bill, H.R. 1868, is sponsored by Reps. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), Richard Neal (D-Mass.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and David Scott (D-Ga.). The vote in the House was 246-175.
 
The bill would eliminate the 2% Medicare sequester through 2021 and waive the 
Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) budget rule, which, if not waived, would result in automatic cuts of federal spending programs, including Medicare. The bill also would make several technical changes, including the certification date for rural health centers (RHCs) to allow Medicare enrollment applications to be submitted through December 31, 2020. A clarification on a payment increase for RHCs also was included.
 
A similar bill has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), but it only addresses the extension of the 2% sequester moratorium.

People wishing to comment on a draft report from the federal government on how to improve patient safety and reduce medical errors now have more time to submit their comments, according to a notice published in the Federal Register last week.
  
The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 required the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to prepare a draft report on errors and safety, and to submit it to the public for comment. The original opportunity-to-comment notice was published in the Federal Register on December 16, 2020, and set a February 16 comment deadline. Last week, the deadline was extended to April 5.
  
Click here to read "Strategies to Improve Patient Safety: Draft Report to Congress for Public Comment and Review by the National Academy of Medicine." Send comments on the report to PSQIA.RC@ahrq.hhs.gov.
  

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is the new Secretary of U.S. Health & Human Services, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate last week on a 50 – 49 vote. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) was the only Republican to vote for Becerra, who as AG led many legal challenges against the Trump Administration’s attacks on the Affordable Care Act. The HHS Secretary along with the CMS Administrator are the two most influential federal regulators of the hospital/healthcare sector. President Biden has nominated Chiquita Brooks-LaSure as the CMS chief – a position that also requires Senate confirmation. Until then, Liz Richter is acting CMS administrator.

MHA Executive Insights Webinar Series:
The Strength of our Community Hospitals

Tuesday, March 30; 8 - 8:30 a.m.

Ever wanted to pick a hospital CEO's brain about some of the most pressing issues facing our healthcare system? Join MHA's Executive Insights Series, which throughout 2021 will feature candid interviews of hospital leaders. We welcome you to pour a cup of coffee and start your day with us as we hear directly from the CEOs who help power our world-class healthcare community.
  
Christine Schuster R.N., the president & CEO of Emerson Hospital, will join us on Tuesday, March 30 to discuss her unique perspective as the leader of a community hospital and her take on how to address some of the biggest challenges facing the healthcare system at large. Register today!