Commonwealth Conversations: Health and Human Services

MassVetsAdvisor.org launches Memorial Day weekend: Services and support for veterans just a click away with new web portal

By U.S. Army Reservist Kyle Toto

I joined the U.S. Army Reserves because I wanted to give back to my country and to carry on a tradition that had been in my family for three generations. After being in the reserves for three years, my civil affairs company was mobilized for a year-long deployment to Kandahar, Afghanistan. It wasn’t easy to leave my family and friends, as well as my commitments to work and grad school, but I felt that it would be worth it. After a long year in Afghanistan and countless times outside the wire, I was thrilled to go home and reconnect with family. When I got back I was focused on catching up with friends and enjoying all the comforts of home. My benefits were the last thing on my mind.

That’s why I’m proud this Memorial Day to help the Patrick-Murray Administration’s Department of Veterans’ Services, Massachusetts Broadband Institute and the Home Base Program launch a new website to help veterans and their family members access over 200 state and federal benefits in one location.

MassVetsAdvisor.org is the perfect resource for veterans to easily access their benefits from the comfort of their own homes, on their own time.

As the new Community Manager for Broadband Adoption, I’ll be working with veterans and Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) across the Commonwealth to help them utilize the website and connect to all of the benefits and services they have earned.

MassVetsAdvisor.org is just one more way that the Patrick-Murray Administration has continued to make Massachusetts the the nation's leader in providing services and outreach for our state’s veterans.

If you are a veteran or a family member of a veteran please check out www.massvetsadvisor.org

If you are a service provider and would like training on the new veterans portal, feel free to contact me via email at toto@masstech.org, by telephone at (508) 870-0312 x 604, or through the mail at: Massachusetts Broadband Institute, ATTN: MassVetsAdvisor, 75 North Drive, Westborough, MA 01581.

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MassHealth begins paying incentives to providers who adopt and use Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

By MassHealth Health IT Project Manager Deborah Schiel

Recently, I was referred to a specialist by my primary care physician. Prior to the appointment, the new physician requested my medical records so he could review my health history. It seemed easy enough. Since my physician had an electronic health record (EHR) system I thought I could simply sign the paperwork that would allow him to share my medical information with the new provider and it would be transferred electronically in a timely way.

Although Massachusetts has more providers using EHRs than most other states, many providers still use paper medical records or if they do have electronic medical records, these systems are not set up to “talk to each other.” In my particular case, the two electronic medical record systems did not “communicate” with each other, transfer of my medical information meant that my primary care provider had to print out a copy of my medical record; I had to stop by his practice to pick it up and then drop it off at the specialist’s office a couple of days prior to my appointment. Can you imagine having to take these same steps to transfer money from one bank account to another bank account? Shouldn’t the transfer of health care information be handled electronically much like the banking industry?

Last October, Massachusetts reached a health care milestone with the launch of the Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment Program, working toward the Commonwealth’s goal of ensuring that every provider in the state has access to a federally certified EHR system that communicates with other certified EHR systems by 2015. During the first four months of the program, more than $76 million in Medicaid EHR incentives have been disbursed to over 40 short-term acute care hospitals and nearly 1,700 eligible health care professionals.  Both the Medicaid program and the Medicare EHR Provider Incentive Payment Program were established through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). 

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provide 100% of the incentives paid to providers and 90% of the state’s costs to operate the program. In August 2011, CMS announced that MassHealth would receive more than $12 Million in federal reimbursement to support operations and provider outreach activities for the first two years of the Medicaid incentive program. MassHealth estimates that more than 6,000 eligible professionals and most of the acute care hospitals in Massachusetts will be eligible for the program, which means potentially more than $500 million in federal EHR incentives being paid to Massachusetts providers during the 10-year program. 

MassHealth is partnering with its colleagues at the Massachusetts eHealth Institute (MeHI), a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, which will support key operational and provider outreach components of the incentive program.  MeHI is the state agency dedicated to  health care innovation, technology and competitiveness.  Another crucial participant is the Provider Compliance Unit of The University of Massachusetts Medical School’s Center for Health Care Financing. They will be reviewing providers to make sure they meet all necessary requirements for receiving the incentive payments, and they will also audit the providers after the incentive payments are made.

Launching the Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment Program is just one of many exciting health information technology (HIT) initiatives that MassHealth,  Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), other state agencies and key stakeholders (including MeHI) are collaborating on to promote the widespread adoption and meaningful use of certified EHRs by providers across the Commonwealth. Widespread use of EHRs by Massachusetts health care providers is essential to transforming health care in the Commonwealth, and the move away from a fee-for-service model towards a system that offers fully integrated, coordinated, and patient-focused health care services. 

For more information on the Program, providers can contact the Massachusetts Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment Program staff at 1-855-massEHR or submit questions to massEHR@masstech.org.  In addition, providers can receive information on the Program at www.mass.gov/masshealth/ehrincentives.

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Department of Transitional Assistance receives special recognition from the Obama Administration for its tornado response

By Assistant Secretary for Children, Youth and Families Marilyn Chase

Following the unusual tornadoes that touched down last June in Central and Western Massachusetts, the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) quickly responded to ensure assistance for affected residents. The DTA team exhibited tremendous fortitude, putting in long hours and collaborating with employees of multiple state agencies to deliver support to residents in need. For DTA’s hard work and efficiency, this week the Obama Administration recognized the Department for its achievement delivering disaster SNAP benefits (DSNAP).to residents of the Central and Western regions.

Acknowledging the national recognition of DTA, Governor Patrick said: "I'm proud of the Department of Transitional Assistance for its dedication to helping the residents of the Commonwealth who were devastated by last summer’s tornadoes. Massachusetts leads the nation in ensuring that vulnerable families and individuals have access to the services they need, and this recognition is a testament to the Department’s effectiveness.

DTA’s special recognition came from a recent review by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which looked at swift responses to disaster across the country. USDA noted DTA’s outstanding administration of DSNAP, noting that it was "impressed by the level of coordination and sophisticated systems that were developed in a matter of days to prepare for this operation, as well as the degree of customer service given to disaster victims seeking food assistance.”

DTA’s mission is to assist low-income individuals and families to meet their basic needs, increase their incomes and improve their quality of life. I’m very proud of the agency for staying committed to this mission, even during an emergency situation, and alleviated some of the strain on displaced families in the Central and Western parts of the state. This is a well-deserved honor.

Read the full press release here.

 

Increasing the dialogue on sexual assault awareness and prevention

By DPH’s Director of Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services Unit
Marci Diamond

Sexual violence is everyone’s issue: in fact, a new national study found that one in three women and one in five men in Massachusetts have experienced sexual violence, typically starting at a young age.

April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), and as the DPH Director of Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services Unit, I am honored to serve this year as Advisory Council Chair for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). NSVRC serves as a coordinating and resource organization for SAAM, and has designated this year’s SAAM theme as "Healthy Sexuality".

This theme connects with conversations we’ve long had at DPH about healthy sexuality, and its connection to preventing sexual violence and other health concerns. Several years ago, staff from DPH programs such as violence prevention, teen pregnancy prevention, and HIV prevention came together with the understanding that that our work would be more effective in all of these areas if we could find common ground and coordinate efforts in what we were all trying to promote as a vision of wellness. DPH now has a cross-Department Healthy Sexuality/Healthy Relationships workgroup to coordinate the promotion of positive sexual development across the lifespan, in order to improve the health, safety, and well-being of MA residents. The MA Sexual Violence Prevention Plan further reinforces these connections, and supports our community partners who work across MA to prevent and respond to sexual violence.

Gov. Patrick said: "Massachusetts has a plan…to keep children from developing problem sexual behaviors, help parents and educators teach children that sexual respect is expected, and assist adults in changing the climates in our diverse communities and institutions so that healthy relationships between all people can be the state norm…not only to improve our response to incidents…but also toward shaping a safer, healthier future".

We invite you to join the dialogue not just this April, but throughout the year. You can find lots of resources at NSVRC  and at your local DPH-supported Rape Crisis Center  or Child Advocacy Center. It may be challenging to start, but we CAN talk about --and practice -- appropriate boundaries, sexual respect, and healthy, nurturing, equitable relationships.  By starting the conversation early and often, we can all help to build safe, healthy relationships and communities.

 

 

DTA assists low-income households affected by the Back Bay blackout: Replacement SNAP benefits can be requested until close of business April 5

By DTA Commissioner Dan Curley

Few of us will forget the sight of the darkened Prudential Tower and surrounding buildings on the evening of March 13, especially those who live in the immediate area and were forced to evacuate their homes. A fire at an NSTAR substation in Boston’s Copley Square resulted in widespread power outages that affected more than 20,000 people – some for as long as six days. 

Many of the residents cast into the dark that night are elderly and disabled individuals who live in senior, public, and privately-managed low-income housing. The City of Boston and the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) acted quickly on behalf of these individuals to ensure they would not go hungry. Households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can request replacement benefits if food is lost due to a disaster or household misfortune such as fire, flood, loss of electricity, equipment (refrigerator/freezer) failure or other disaster.

Additionally, DTA asked for, and recently received, a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to give residents an additional ten days to request replacement SNAP benefits. Requests can be made until close of business on Thursday, April 5. Getting this extension is especially critical because many evacuated residents were unable to contact a DTA office until recently, and others were unaware they could request additional help.

Since the blackout, the Department has received and processed hundreds of requests for replacement SNAP benefits, primarily through the DTA office on Massachusetts Avenue in Newmarket Square.   

As always, I am proud of my team for their work assisting people during challenging times. I am also very pleased with our collaboration with the City of Boston, and I appreciate the Mayor’s concern for affected Boston residents and willingness to partner with the Department to administer replacement SNAP benefits. Working together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of people in need. If you know someone who receives SNAP benefits and lost food during the power outage, please encourage him or her to call us at 1-800-445-6604 by close of business on April 5.        

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Fifth annual White Ribbon Day campaign culminates March 1

By DCF Commissioner Angelo McClain

 “From this day forward, I promise to be part of the solution in ending violence against women.” -- Massachusetts White Ribbon Pledge 

On December 6, 2011, Jane Doe Inc., a statewide coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence, launched the 5^th Annual Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign, calling on men to step up and be part of the solution in ending men’s violence against women. I am honored to join Paulo Pinto, MPA, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers, and my Co-Chair of the 2012 White Ribbon Day Campaign.

On March 1, 2012, Jane Doe Inc. will host the fifth annual statewide White Ribbon Day Event, calling upon men to stand up and be counted as allies in the fight against violence against women. An event will be held at the State House to commemorate White Ribbon Day, at 1:00 p.m., in the Great Hall. All are invited and encouraged to attend.

As part of the Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign, men and boys are invited to take the White Ribbon Pledge, and sign up to be ambassadors. Ambassadors are men who have taken the Pledge to stand up against sexual and domestic violence and have committed to serving as examples for other men and boys.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED:

• Take the pledge and sign up to be an ambassador at www.janedoe.org/whiteribbonday; when you sign up to be an Ambassador you are agreeing to recruit at least five men or boys to join you to take the pledge and to help raise awareness.    
• Wear the White Ribbon as a symbol that you are against violence against women; 
• Attend the fifth annual White Ribbon Day event at the State House on Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 1:00 p.m;
• Get involved with a local White Ribbon Day event; and/or
• Host a White Ribbon Day event.

The campaign is targeted at raising awareness and action among men, but women can participate by spreading the word to men they know and encouraging them to become ambassadors.

I was proud to join men from the leadership team at the Department of Children and Families (DCF) on January 23, when we stood together to take the pledge, committing to be part of the solution in ending violence against women. As men, it is our responsibility to set an example for young men and boys who look up to us which is why it is so important that men sign up as ambassadors and join this cause. We all have an important role to play in promoting awareness and prevention regarding sexual assault and domestic violence against women. 

Great strides have been taken toward reducing sexual and domestic violence, but there is still important work to be done to ensure that women are safe in their homes and in their relationships. On March 1^st, and throughout the year, let’s all stand together to reduce, and eventually eliminate, all forms of violence against women.

To find out more about White Ribbon Campaign in Massachusetts and internationally visit: www.janedoe.org/whiteribbonday .

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State undertakes a new initiative to improve the quality of health care

By Commissioner of the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy Áron Boros and Commissioner of Public Health John Auerbach

Firmly established as a national leader in guaranteeing health coverage for all its residents, Massachusetts is turning to the next phase of innovation, improving value in the health care system by further increasing quality and reducing cost. While the Commonwealth has long had a reputation for high quality care, a new undertaking offers the promise of sustained, public focus on quality in certain key areas by establishing a minimum set of quality measures to be uniformly reported across the state. This set of measures will ultimately be available for adoption by hospitals, clinics, primary care providers, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and insurance carriers, to help enhance decision making in health care delivery. As was true with Massachusetts Health Care Reform, this effort to transparently focus on quality measurement and improvement may offer a model for the rest of the nation. 

The quality initiative is guided by legislation that directs the Department of Public Health and the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy to form and chair a Statewide Quality Advisory Committee (SQAC) to recommend measures for inclusion in a Standard Quality Measure Set.  The Department of Public Health will later develop regulations advised by these recommendations, requiring uniform public reporting of the Standard Quality Measure Set for a variety of purposes, including driving quality improvement and facilitating informed consumer decision making to ensure that the right care is delivered at the right time, in the right place.

The Committee, which includes representatives from a variety of stakeholders (the full list of members is available at the Committee’s website) met for the second time in mid-February, and is in the process of considering four national measure sets (required by statute) that apply to inpatient hospital and ambulatory settings.

In order to help broaden the recommendations beyond these sets, the Committee is currently soliciting input from the public. The SQAC is currently looking to address three specific priorities identified by the Department of Public Health:

• efficiency and system performance
• care transition and coordination
• high-priority setting and clinical focus areas: 
  • behavioral health
  • post-acute care
  • community and population health. 

All proposed measures will be made public, and the Committee will review the proposals at a future meeting. Any Committee member will then have the opportunity to request that the SQAC formally consider any of the proposed measures for inclusion in the Standard Quality Measure Set through a nomination process. The formal consideration will involve an evaluation of how well a measure meets the priorities described above, as well as an evaluation of the measure’s validity and practicality (the review process and principles are outlined in the Committee Bylaws). 

If you are interested in proposing a measure for consideration, please submit ideas before March 16^th on this website: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SQACNomination1.  The site outlines the required information, including technical information about the measure, and information about how the measure is currently being used. 

Stakeholder participation in the nomination process and the work of the SQAC more broadly will help ensure the success of the overall initiative.  We thank you very much for your contributions to this collective effort.   Please email sqac@massmail.state.ma.us if you have any questions and we look forward to reviewing your submissions. 

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Commonwealth’s Safe and Successful Youth Initiative advances with powerful public service message

By Assistant Secretary for Children, Youth and Families Marilyn Anderson Chase

The Patrick-Murray Administration’s $10 million Safe and Successful Youth Initiative is designed to end youth violence in communities throughout the Commonwealth. As part of this initiative, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) today unveiled an online public service announcement entitled: “Stop. Think. Let it Go.” The public awareness campaign is designed to encourage youth to think and reconsider the consequences of their actions before engaging in violent activity. The PSA follows a related radio campaign which began last summer to promote the state’s Safe and Successful Youth Initiative.

“We are working alongside municipal leaders, local law enforcement and community groups to focus on those young people most likely to be affected by violence,” said Governor Patrick. “I hope the stories in this video will help our young residents realize that peace is possible in our communities.”   

At the core of this initiative are partnerships between state and local government and the communities in which we are targeting youth violence. The testimonies in this video illustrate the devastating impact of youth violence; we’re confident that its message will reach our target youth audience and beyond.

The Initiative specifically targets young men between the ages of 14 and 24, identified as potentially high risk for becoming either perpetrators, or victims, of violence. The “Stop. Think. Let it go.” viral video includes authentic testimonies from family members of youth who have been victims of violence and from youth who had previously engaged in violent acts. 

“She didn’t have to die. She was stolen. Not from me, from her mom or her dad, but from everyone who loved her," said Bayholla Jacobs, one of the subjects of the video who lost her niece to gun violence. "Don’t take your pain out on other people. Don’t lose yourself to violence.” 

This video reflects the dedicated efforts of EOHHS, the Executive Office of Public Safety, municipal leadership and community partners who are all working together to end youth violence in the Commonwealth. It also sends the message in an incredibly powerful way that violence is preventable and reinforces our commitment to the youth of Massachusetts, all of whom are invaluable assets to our communities.

View the “Stop. Think.” video:

A smart step toward reducing alcohol use among our youth

By Secretary of Health and Human Services Dr. JudyAnn Bigby

There’s no question that underage drinking is a serious public health problem in communities across the nation. Here in Massachusetts, we’ve made progress in reducing rates of alcohol consumption among our young people, but there’s still much more to be done.

That’s why I’m so encouraged by the recent announcement by the MBTA to no longer allow advertising for alcohol on any of its property, including subway cars and stations, buses and bus shelters, and commuter rail trains.

Why is this so important? We already know that young people are especially vulnerable to peer pressure when it comes to drinking alcohol. What may come as a surprise is just how influential alcohol advertisements are on youth.

Here, the science is clear: the more alcohol ads that young people see, the more likely they are to drink. For example, one recent study showed that each alcohol advertisement that a teen sees above the monthly average (23) causes an increase in alcohol consumption of 1%. That same study indicated that youth in markets with greater alcohol advertising expenditures drank more.

That’s troubling – especially when we consider just how much young people are bombarded by alcohol messages. In 2008, for instance, alcohol advertisers spent close to $8 billion nationwide on outdoor advertising. One recent study published in the American Journal of Public Health showed that in urban areas, young people are exposed to alcohol advertisements almost as soon as they walk out their front doors. What’s more, there is substantial evidence that alcohol advertisements are disproportionately located in African-American neighborhoods.

We know the impact that alcohol advertising has on youth. So it’s important that we do everything we can to reduce the influence of advertising in environments where young people congregate.

For many young people in greater Boston, MBTA buses, subways and trains are a vital part of everyday life; in many cases the MBTA is their school bus. Our children deserve to ride to school, work, and social activities without being encouraged to consume alcoholic beverages.

What’s more, the MBTA is not alone in working to support underage drinking prevention efforts. With its recent decision, the T joins transit agencies in Chicago, Washington DC, San Diego, Philadelphia and San Francisco in rejecting these advertisements and supporting healthy development among our youth.

Working together, we can continue our forward movement in the battle against underage drinking in Massachusetts. I’m proud that the MBTA has joined us in this fight.

 

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Helping Massachusetts refugees ‘RISE’ toward independence

By Emel Hadzipasic, director of development and planning for the Office of Refugees and Immigrants (ORI) 

Recently, the Massachusetts Office for Refugees and Immigrants (ORI) received a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement to provide enhanced employment services to newly arrived refugees that have multiple barriers to employment and self-sufficiency.  This new ORI program, Refugee Independence through Service Enhancement or RISE, will target four refugee sub-groups, including: single refugee mothers; refugee women with low/no literacy; refugees with medical conditions; and refugees with social and psychological issues. Since refugees in these target populations constitute a substantial portion of the approximately 2,500 new refugee arrivals to Massachusetts, we expect the grant to yield overall higher employment among the state’s newly arrived refugees. RISE clients will likely be represented by all of Massachusetts’ refugee populations that come from approximately 60 different countries, although Iraqi, Bhutanese, Burmese, and Somali refugees are the largest groups represented during the past few years.      

Employment service providers for refugees participating in RISE are in the Commonwealth’s main refugee resettlement areas: Greater Boston, the North Shore, Merrimack Valley; and Central and Western Massachusetts. RISE Resource Coordinators within each of the service agencies receiving funding as part of this grant will be instrumental to ensuring that each RISE client receives customized supports to ensure successful job placements. One of the unique features of RISE is the role volunteers play to provide direct services. ORI and each of the service agencies will work closely with the statewide RISE Volunteer Coordinator, charged with recruiting and training volunteers from universities throughout Massachusetts as well as other sources (e.g. churches and professional organizations). Volunteers will be matched with RISE clients to ensure that each RISE client receives assistance with tutoring, counseling, life-skills orientation, and other forms of personal guidance that will help clients address the difficult challenges they face on the road to employment and financial independence in the U.S. 

The RISE service model holds enormous promise for creating successful employment outcomes for targeted refugees through a cost-efficient approach that utilizes volunteers.  ORI looks forward to implementing RISE services during the two-year project term, which runs through FY12 and FY13. We are excited about the opportunity to fortify services for the most vulnerable of the state’s refugee populations, and to leverage more successful outcomes through the RISE program’s unique public-private partnership model.  RISE will count on the expertise of the Tufts University Refugee Assistance Program (TU-RAP), a volunteer program developed by graduate students from Tufts’ Fletcher School of International Affairs to help newly-arrived refugees with various needs. This private initiative has been gaining strength throughout the Greater Boston area during the last year. With support from RISE funding, we hope the TU-RAP model of assisting refugees will be replicated statewide.

 

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