Dear friends,
I am writing to you today with Cambridge and public health updates.
Table of Contents
Staff Spotlight
Cambridge Updates
Public Health Updates
Mental Health Services and Resources
Staff Spotlight
While we await updates on bills post-Joint Rule 10 (for a brief refresher on this important deadline, see my February 2 newsletter), I wanted to take this opportunity to provide some background on the Joint Committee on Public Health and the staff that support my work as Chair.
As House Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health, I work with my Senate co-Chair Julian Cyr and our 15 colleagues on the Committee to evaluate a broad spectrum of public health issues each legislative session, including those related to access to care, environment, local boards of health, workforce development, health equity, vaccines, disease prevention, reproductive health, food and nutrition, children’s health, end of life care, and licensing matters. So far this session, the Committee has held 12 public hearings to hear testimony on the nearly 400 bills before us.
The Committee also serves as a resource on public health matters to the entire Legislature. I send out a weekly public health newsletter to my House colleagues to keep them and their staff apprised of the latest news and developments in the sector, which they can use to update their own constituents. Legislators also can come to my staff for help when they have a question about a public health issue for a constituent.
In the weeks prior to Joint Rule 10, my staff and I were busy doing final reviews of bills, rewriting and editing sections of them, and finalizing reports. I appreciate all of my Committee staff’s hard work this session, including conducting hearings; meeting with stakeholders; analyzing public health items in the state budget; and researching, redrafting, and polling legislation. Now that we have made it past the sprint to Joint Rule 10, I want to briefly highlight my three amazing staffers:
Ramla Hagi
Ramla has been working as a Research Analyst for the Committee since December 2022. She recently graduated from UMass Boston and carved her own public health track studying biology and political science. Ramla tracks, reviews, and analyzes legislation primarily relating to health equity, patient safety, food and nutrition, emergency medical services, oral health, pharmacy, agencies, and vital records. Her research focuses on public health issues and policies, and she is involved in organizing committee hearings, maintaining records, coordinating meetings, and redrafting bill language.
Ramla grew up in Woburn and is always up for an adventure, whether that’s traveling or trying out new restaurants. When she’s not in the office, she enjoys her time at her local CrossFit gym.
Marisa Bartolotta
Marisa has served as Legal Counsel to the Committee since October 2021, bringing with her a strong background in public service and health law. She analyzes bills before the Committee, particularly in the areas of children’s health, health care facilities, professional licensure, scope of practice, and reproductive and sexual health. Marisa frequently meets with stakeholders and advocates to thoroughly evaluate bills before the Committee, as well as advising the Chair on potential consequences of policy, and redrafting bills to ensure equity and clarity.
Marisa is originally from Buffalo, NY (go Bills!) and lives in Lowell with her husband, step-kids, and dogs.
Daniella Montero
Daniella joined my staff as a Committee Research Analyst in August 2023. She recently graduated from the Boston University School of Public Health and holds an MPH focused in Health Policy and Law. Her portfolio contains bills related to environmental health, vaccines, tobacco, disposition of remains, disease prevention, end-of-life care, local boards of health, health information technology, and workforce development. This session, Daniella led the Committee’s work on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, a class of chemicals that are harmful to human and environmental health in Massachusetts.
Daniella is originally from Florida but loves Dunkin Donuts as much as any other Bostonian. Her go-to order is an iced coffee with oat milk and butter pecan swirl.
Cambridge Updates
Cambridge NAACP Brunch
The Cambridge NAACP’s 38th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Brunch is tomorrow, Saturday, February 24. The Cambridge NAACP is an invaluable beacon for racial and economic justice. I am so appreciative of their leadership and look forward to honoring individuals and organizations that play a pivotal role in our community. I was also honored to have been recognized in 2018 with the Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major for Leadership Award.
I have been attending this breakfast since I was a student at CRLS. I will always be grateful for the support and mentorship I had from the late Mr. Les Kimbrough. Mr. Kimbrough was a beloved member of the Cambridge community and CRLS teacher who took me to my first breakfast. For those who may not know, Mr. Kimbrough was a teacher, student government advisor, and administrator at CRLS for over three decades. He was a mentor and advocate for so many. I stand where I am today on the shoulders of many, and certainly in part due to his encouragement and support. Mr. Kimbrough was many things to many people, and he encouraged me to apply for the NAACP scholarship as a high school student. I will continue to think of and honor him in my work and advocacy, especially at this annual community gathering. He was an inspiration to many and is sorely missed.
Tickets for the breakfast, which will be held at 142 Memorial Drive (Walker Memorial on the MIT campus), can be purchased here.
“The existence of poverty in the US should not be accepted as a necessary evil or insoluble problem, but should be considered a crisis requiring emergency measures. It is a matter of will and priorities, not a matter of resources.’ -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Cambridge Public Health Helpline Supports Residents with COVID-19
To speak with someone, call the confidential COVID-19 Hotline at 617-933-0797. Learn more here.
City Offering Free At-Home COVID Tests in Partnership with the Cambridge Health Alliance
The tests can be picked up Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM in the CHA lobby at 119 Windsor Street. Cambridge businesses or organizations that would like free rapid tests to provide to customers can call the COVID-19 hotline at 617-933-0797 to request them. The at-home COVID test expiration date can be checked here.
Public Health Updates
FDA Approves Treatment to Reduce the Risk of Allergic Reactions
In 2021, nearly 6% of people in the U.S. had a food allergy, according to the CDC. Currently, there is no cure for food allergies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the approval of the first medication to help reduce allergic reactions to multiple food allergies brought on by accidental exposure to certain foods in adults and children over the age of 1. The medication is not approved for immediate emergency treatment during an allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis. Instead, the newly approved drug, Xolair, administered by injection repeatedly every two to four weeks, is intended for use to reduce the risk of reactions over time. In a clinical trial with 168 patients allergic to peanuts and at least two other foods, the study showed that 68% of those who received Xolair were able to consume a single dose of peanuts without moderate to severe allergic symptoms like whole-body hives, persistent coughing, or vomiting.
Biden Administration Expands Access to Methadone
This month, the Biden Administration approved a new federal rule relaxing strict regulations for methadone and buprenorphine, two highly effective medications used to treat opioid use disorder, representing one of the first substantial updates to these regulations in decades. This rule eliminates the requirement that patients must demonstrate they have been misusing opioids for at least a year before becoming eligible for methadone treatment, allows methadone to be prescribed via telehealth appointments, increases the starting methadone dose from a maximum of 30 to 50 milligrams, gives physician’s discretion to prescribe higher initial doses if clinically necessary, and allows telehealth providers to prescribe buprenorphine without the need for patients to receive additional medical visits. In Massachusetts, overdose deaths reached an all-time high of 2,359 in 2022, in part due to fentanyl, an extremely strong opioid, becoming more prevalent in the drug supply. Increasing access to evidence-based, life-saving treatments for opioid use disorders like methadone is critical to reducing opioid overdose deaths. learn more about this rule change here.
Study Shows Structural Racism Impacts Adolescent Mental Health
Researchers at Kaiser Permanente and UC Berkeley conducted one of the first studies exploring the effects of residential segregation on teen mental health. The study analyzed data from over 34,000 adolescents and utilized the Index of Concentration at the Extremes, a measure that simultaneously quantifies geographical and social polarization between socioeconomic groups, to measure residential segregation and its influence on mental health. Results indicate that adolescents in the least privileged neighborhoods have a 51% higher risk of reporting depressive symptoms and a 79% higher risk of reporting suicidality during medical visits compared to those in the most privileged neighborhoods. The study underscores the impact of structural racism on well-being and emphasizes the need for interventions beyond clinical care. Policymakers must work on dismantling the underlying causes of structural racism to address the disparities identified in this study.
Mental Health Services and Resources
If you or a loved one are struggling, please know you are not alone. There are some great resources here: decker4rep.com/2021/mental-health-services-and-resources/
Intimate Partner Abuse Prevention Helpline
This initiative is designed to prevent intimate partner violence by fostering accountability and change in people who harm or may harm their partner. You can find more information at 10to10helpline.org or by calling 877-898-3411.
Overdose Prevention Helpline
The Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline is a virtual spotting/overdose detection service for people who use drugs. Learn more at massoverdosehelpline.org or access it by calling 800-972-0590.
De Novo Center for Justice and Healing
De Novo is a Cambridge-based nonprofit that provides free civil legal assistance and affordable psychological counseling to people with low incomes. You can learn more about their services at denovo.org.
As always, please contact me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Marjorie
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