During a recent panel, experts discussed the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP) for Moms and how it achieved scale.

The post How One Massachusetts Maternal Mental Health Program Scaled Across the Country appeared first on MedCity News.

Jun 26, 2024

The first-ever town-level spatial analysis of the effect of heat pump adoption on residential heating bills finds that air-source heat pump adoption will increase heating costs for approximately half of all Massachusetts households due to high electricity prices, challenging the state’s ability to achieve its recently announced ambitions for heat pump adoption.

BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing targeted modifications to the 2016 Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) general permit for Massachusetts communities.

Archives, Room Use Only - TK5611.D37 1988

Archives, Room Use Only - KF223.G655 G655 1887

Archives, Room Use Only - CS71.V129 1937

Archives, Room Use Only - CS71.V129 1947

A groundbreaking study by Harvard University’s Harvard Forest and the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute reveals that, if left unchecked, recent trends in the loss of […]

The post Sprawl threatens water quality, climate protection, and land conservation in Massachusetts appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

The 1.3 million nursing home residents in the U.S. make up less than 0.5 percent of the nation’s population, but represent approximately 15 percent of COVID-19 related deaths to date.

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Women in Government (WIG) Issue 2019 Award

A look into Massachusetts ethnic/race/country of origin by town.

My city (a close-in Boston suburb) is offering COVID-19 tests (viral, not antibody) to all residents, regardless of symptoms. I have no symptoms and probably lower-than-average risk of exposure but I'm considering getting tested. In a perfect-except-for-coronavirus world, who would be getting tested, and how often?

Presumably if my city Board of Health is offering these tests, they want residents to be taking them - our infection rate is pretty high. That said, I am probably at low risk of exposure relative to the average resident of my city. We're two-person household with no one working outside the home; I go out to buy food about once a week and take my spouse to medical appointments about every other week. Our city has a substantial working-class and immigrant population who are living/working in more dangerous conditions. Some of our neighboring cities/towns have even much higher rates of infection but we live on the other side of town from those communities and don't do our shopping there.

If I call and I'm able to get an appointment right away I guess I won't worry about it but if there's a backlog I'm not sure whether *I* ought to be getting tested. Is this the kind of broad testing that needs to happen to get positive test rates down to a manageable level, or should I skip getting tested for now and leave my slot and swab available for my higher-risk neighbors who are living in more crowded households and/or working outside their homes? I have basically zero concern that I'm actually infected, though of course if I'm infected and asymptomatic that would be really important to know. My husband tested negative about a month ago and has had no COVID-19 symptoms and minimal opportunities for exposure since - would it make sense for him to be tested?

Personal considerations aside, I'm mostly curious about what an optimal testing strategy (in the absence of test shortages) looks like, and given that the availability and accessibility of tests has changed so much over the past couple of months it's hard to get a straight answer about this. Articles, tweet-threads, etc. are all welcome on this topic!

(United States First Circuit) - Affirming the dismissal of an action by a private energy company against the utility companies because the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act does not provide a private right of action against utility companies and affirming the denial of a motion for additional relief against various Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities officials because the court did not abuse its discretion in doing so.

New Concert Series To Debut In Westfield, Massachusetts - Tickets On Sale This Friday September 27th At 10 AM

Here is the COVID-19 situation in Massachusetts.

Here is the COVID-19 situation in Massachusetts.

Tom Brady is moving up and down the field as he and the New England Patriots make another postseason run. Away from the gridiron, however, the three-time league MVP is still looking to score big in the real estate market.

The success of Greta Gerwig's "Little Women" has been a boon for Orchard House, where Louisa May Alcott lived.

Boston, Massachusetts

Hear about travel to Boston, Massachusetts as the Amateur Traveler talks to Lillie Marshall from AroundTheWorldL.com about her hometown.

A young bull went wandering on a Massachusetts highway after escaping from a trailer and was captured without causing any incidents, police said.

Two additional Delta Dental member companies announced details April 27-28 of programs that will provide economic assistance and post-COVID-19 pandemic relief for members of its independent provider networks across 16 states and the District of Columbia.

Massachusetts' new performance assessment for teacher candidates helps boost readiness.

Research findings on the implementation of a new teacher candidate performance assessment in Massachusetts inform the development of additional supports for educator preparation programs.

Relying on newly available data under ESSA, a local advocacy group found several districts that spend more money on wealthy students than poor students, despite the state's intentions.

This Quality Counts 2019 Highlights Report captures all the data you need to assess your state's performance on key educational outcomes.

The state, which earned a B-plus, led the nation in K-12 achievement rankings and outperformed other states in several key academic indicators, but fell short on funding equity.

The state's "Influence 100" project includes a leadership development program that will give aspiring district leaders a hands-on opportunity to work through an equity issue in their home districts.

This Quality Counts 2020 Highlights Report captures all the data you need to assess your state's performance on key educational outcomes.

Massachusetts is the fifth state to join the Innovative Assessment Demonstration Authority created through the Every Student Succeeds Act, which allows states to experiment with new forms of testing.

School buildings in Massachusetts will remain closed through the end of the academic year, but remote learning will continue, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday.

Boston : Nathan Hale, 1835.

Boston : Wright & Potter Printing Co, 1898.

The new law overturns a nearly 15-year-old law that had eliminated bilingual education in most of the state's public schools.

Following a rapid increase from 1980 to 2001, the prevalence of obesity among school-age children and adolescents in the United States has plateaued. Few studies have examined obesity trends among younger children in the past decade, and findings are inconsistent.

Among children aged <6 years at this multisite pediatric practice, the prevalence of obesity was fairly stable during 1999–2003, but substantially decreased during 2004–2008. This decrease was smaller among children insured by Medicaid than children insured by non-Medicaid health plans. (Read the full article)

Overall antibiotic prescribing rates for children declined throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. These declines were concurrent with changes in practice related to acute otitis media, the most common reason for antibiotic treatment in young children.

The downward trend in antibiotic-dispensing rates to young children in 16 Massachusetts communities ended by 2004–2005 and remained stable thereafter. This trend was driven by a declining otitis media diagnosis rate. Antibiotic treatment of diagnosed otitis media remained constant. (Read the full article)

Use of behavioral health (BH) screens in pediatrics have increased identification of children with BH issues. Screening rates increased in Massachusetts after it was mandated, as did the volume of some mental health services.

This is the first study of children after Massachusetts mandated behavioral screening began. Almost 40% of children who screened positive were newly identified. Being male, having a BH history, and being in foster care predicted a positive screen. (Read the full article)

Massachusetts implemented a major health reform in 2006 to reduce uninsurance, improve access to care, and increase financial protection for its citizens, but little is known about its effect on privately and publicly insured children with special health care needs.

Massachusetts health reform improved access to specialists for privately insured children with special health care needs but did not reduce uninsurance, increase access to primary care, or improve financial protection. National reform may produce similarly modest outcomes for these children. (Read the full article)

Behavioral health (BH) screening is known to increase identification of children with BH issues, but in small-scale studies, rates of follow-up after screening have been reported to be low.

This study examines the relationship between BH screening and the receipt of BH services in Massachusetts Medicaid children. Nearly 60% of children identified with BH problems received BH services, but only 30% of newly identified children received BH services. (Read the full article)

A program to support pediatric primary care providers in mental health care using point-of-care, telephone-based advice from specialists has been available since 2005 in Massachusetts. Other US states are implementing similar models. Little is known about how providers use this service.

There is wide variability in adoption and use of this program. Patterns are associated with panel size, enrollment timing, and assignment to the program team at the pilot site. Findings will help new programs establish expectations and design implementation interventions. (Read the full article)

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities has issued an order approving long-term contracts for 9,554,940 MWh annually of hydropower between H.Q. Energy Services (U.S.) Inc. and the Commonwealth’s electric distribution companies through the New England Clean Energy Connect 100% Hydro project (NECEC Hydro).

Commercial property owners with existing energy storage systems, or owners considering implementing an energy storage system, may be able to benefit from a recent order by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) allowing utility companies to pay customers who agree to rely upon their energy storage systems and dispatch the energy during peak events.

This week, diversified real estate acquisition and development firm Commercial Development Company and transmission developer Anbaric said they plan to build a renewable energy center at Brayton Point Commerce Center in Somerset, Massachusetts. The site is the former home of the Brayton Point Coal Plant, the cooling towers for which were demolished two weeks ago. (video of demolition at the end of article at this link).

In 2017, Massachusetts was ranked No. 1 in energy efficiency by ACEEE for the seventh consecutive year. On the other side of the country, California was ranked a close second after tying with Massachusetts for the top spot in 2016.

This week, diversified real estate acquisition and development firm Commercial Development Company and transmission developer Anbaric said they plan to build a renewable energy center at Brayton Point Commerce Center in Somerset, Massachusetts. The site is the former home of the Brayton Point Coal Plant, the cooling towers for which were demolished two weeks ago. (video of demolition at the end of article at this link).

Commercial property owners with existing energy storage systems, or owners considering implementing an energy storage system, may be able to benefit from a recent order by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) allowing utility companies to pay customers who agree to rely upon their energy storage systems and dispatch the energy during peak events.

This week, diversified real estate acquisition and development firm Commercial Development Company and transmission developer Anbaric said they plan to build a renewable energy center at Brayton Point Commerce Center in Somerset, Massachusetts. The site is the former home of the Brayton Point Coal Plant, the cooling towers for which were demolished two weeks ago. (video of demolition at the end of article at this link).