Dear friends,
I am writing to you today with Cambridge and public health updates.
Table of Contents
Cambridge Updates
Public Health Updates
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Mental Health Services and Resources
Cambridge Updates
Racial Inequities in Maternal Health Event
As you may know, last legislative session, I co-chaired the Special Commission on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health. On April 9, I am hosting a community briefing to present some of the findings and an update on the state of maternal health in Massachusetts and Cambridge with a specialized lens on racial inequities in birthing outcomes for people of color. The briefing is in partnership with Health Resources in Action (HRiA) and YWCA Cambridge and will also highlight current legislative momentum on maternal health policy. This event will feature a panel of speakers including representatives from MassHealth, Cambridge Health Alliance, Mount Auburn Hospital, Planned Parenthood, Neighborhood Birth Center, Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office, and Councilor Ayesha Wilson. We will open up the discussion for a conversation with the audience.
The event will be on Tuesday, April 9, from 6pm-8pm at the Cambridge Community Center (5 Callendar St.). If you are interested in attending, you can RSVP here or email marjorie.decker@mahouse.gov. I look forward to seeing you there.
Community Assistance and Response & Engagement (CARE) Team Event
The Cambridge Community Safety Department (CSD)’s CARE Team will be holding an information and Q&A session on March 19. The CSD’s mission is to provide residents with an alternative police response that prioritizes issues of mental and behavioral health in some of the city’s most vulnerable communities. Members of the CARE Team have expertise in social work, mental health counseling, developmental psychology, and emergency medical services. The event will be held at the Lecture Hall in the Main Library.
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
CDC Disputes Findings of New Study Suggesting Maternal Mortality Rate is Overestimated
A new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology this week suggested the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has overstated the maternal mortality rate in the United States. Researchers involved in the study recalculated the CDC’s maternal mortality rate, only counting cases that specifically cite pregnancy as a cause of death on a death certificate. Using this metric, researchers determined the maternal mortality rate was 10.4 per 100,000 live births between 2018 and 2022, as opposed to the CDC’s maternal mortality rate of 23.6 in the same period. They also noted that racial disparities in maternal mortality continued to persist in their findings. This study utilized a more stringent metric to identify maternal deaths than the CDC currently uses. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the CDC have disputed these results. ACOG stated the study is “incomplete” as it focused on only one facet of maternal mortality, and the CDC issued a statement saying that the metric used in this study would “produce a substantial undercount” of maternal deaths.
New Study Finds Colorectal Cancer Can Be Detected through a Blood Test
A new study published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine shows that a blood test can screen for colorectal cancer at an early stage. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., and rates have been increasing in younger people, according to the American Cancer Society. The blood test, developed by Guardant Health, works by detecting colon cancer signals in the bloodstream from DNA released by cancerous tumors. Study results showed that the blood test was 83% effective in detecting colorectal cancers. The blood test is up for FDA approval this year and, if approved, would be the first blood test to screen for colorectal cancer, raising the potential to increase the number of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer drastically.
Mass General Researchers Develop Promising New Treatment for Brain Cancer
Researchers at the Mass General Cancer Center recently developed a new form of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy that has shown promise in treating glioblastoma, a common and aggressive form of brain cancer, in a small clinical trial. CAR-T therapy was originally approved to treat blood cancers and works by extracting and reprogramming patients’ T-cells to target and destroy cancer cells. Scientists at the Mass General Cancer Center updated CAR-T therapy by adding an additional molecule that allows T-cells that were not extracted and reprogrammed by healthcare providers to attack cancer cells as well. This was an early-stage clinical trial on three patients. While two patients experienced tumor regrowth within six months, the tumor remained nearly undetectable in the third patient.
Spread of H5N1 Bird Flu Increases In South American Wildlife
The deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has been spreading more aggressively in South America since 2022, with cases reported in wild birds and marine mammals. Scientists warn of the risk of mammal-to-mammal transmission, with evidence of the virus killing dolphins, seals, and sea lions. Climate change could exacerbate the spread as animals move into new territories, opening new opportunities for the virus to spread and mutate. While human cases have been limited, the Pan American Health Organization is convening to address the growing concern by launching a first-of-its-kind commission to monitor and respond to this virus.
Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospital will Merge Clinical Departments
This week, Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospital announced they will merge clinical departments in an effort to increase access to and improve patient care. This is the latest in a series of efforts Dr. Anne Klibanski, president and chief executive of Mass General Brigham (MGB) since 2019, has made to streamline health care provided at MGB facilities. Previously, MGB announced efforts to combine radiology services and cancer care across its network. Integrating the almost three dozen clinical departments across Mass General and Brigham and Women’s Hospital is expected to take several years. It will ultimately result in only 18 clinical departments across both institutions. Departments included in this merger include surgery, medicine, cardiology, and pediatrics. Although merging clinical departments is likely to result in some roles being eliminated or modified, MGB leadership says there will not be a significant number of jobs lost.
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Monday, I attended the Massachusetts Building Trades Union (MBTU) 105th Annual Convention. I joined Senator Paul Mark to talk about the importance of project labor agreements (PLAs). PLAs allow for communities and entities to provide predictability and accountability on large-scale construction projects, ensuring project efficiency, cost savings, and labor protections.
Wednesday, YouthBuild’s Just-A-Start students and graduates stopped by my office for their annual State House day. YouthBuild is a community-based pre-apprenticeship program dedicated to empowering young people who either did not earn their diploma or who require additional educational support after earning it. During the program, students gain additional job skills or a high school credential while partaking in community service, mentoring, and academic classes.
Wednesday, I attended the Irish-American Partnership's Annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast Celebration with several of my colleagues and had the honor of hearing the Taoiseach (Prime Minister) of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, speak.
Thursday, I attended the Rotary Club Leaders of Today and Tomorrow breakfast, where I addressed National Honor Society students from Cambridge Rindge & Latin School (CRLS), Community Charter School of Cambridge (CCSC), and Prospect Hill Academy Charter School (PHA). I shared my journey to public service, which began as a student organizer at CRLS. I also talked about UNESCO’s initiative on empathy education which has been implemented in Ireland. Empathy as an act of kindness and engagement instead of passive observation is, in and of itself, an act of public service.
Thursday, I spoke at a briefing on a bill I have filed over the years centered on increasing the state match for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) to 50% of the federal credit. When I joined the Legislature, the state match was at 15%. Throughout my six terms in office and with the support of leadership and my colleagues, I have been successful in increasing the match from 15% to 23% to 30% and eventually to 40% in the latest tax reform package. I’m really proud of the progress I have made on this legislation with the support of House leadership.
For the rest of the session, I am focused on trying to include Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) holders. Currently, without a social security number, those with ITINs are unable to receive EITC benefits despite paying taxes.MassBudget just released a report that, with rich data, shows the important impact of how including ITIN holders in the EITC benefit would have a positive impact on helping immigrants in our community transition out of poverty. You can find that report here.
Thursday, I attended The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) advocacy day. Last year, I was successful in working with my colleagues and ASC CAN on passing a bill regulating step therapy in cancer treatment. As you may know, step therapy is an insurance utilization management policy that requires a patient to try one or more carrier preferred treatments, and for that preferred treatment to be found ineffective or harmful, before receiving approval to try a preferred treatment prescribed by a clinician.
This session, I continue that work with An Act relative to access to care for serious mental illness (H.984), which would regulate step therapy in treatment for serious mental illnesses, defined as a mental disorder that results in serious functional impairments that substantially interfere with life activities. That bill was reported favorably out of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, and I continue to work with my colleagues to bring it to the House floor for a vote.
While Fridays might be casual, the work continues. I met with members of the team from Cambridge’s Transition House and the Cambridge-based Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC). I have a long history of working with Transition House starting during my time as a City Councilor and continue to work closely with them and support the work they do. As a City Councilor working closely with Transition House, I was able to lead a process that led to social workers being placed in the Cambridge Police Department and reimagining how we approach domestic violence in Cambridge. I continue that work as a State Representative and continue to rely on Transition House as an important partner. I am also very grateful for the work BARCC does and to have their support.
Both Transition House and BARCC were advocating for Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Bridge Funding, among other priorities. As you may recall from previous newsletters, in 2022, Congress allowed $60 million in VOCA funding to expire that Massachusetts would have received to support and fund victims’ rights organizations. I’m proud to say that I have led the efforts to secure $40 million to bridge the funding gap working closely with MOVA, House leadership, and my colleagues. We will continue to work to secure the additional resources that Congress failed to provide.
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