Dear friends,
I am writing to you today with legislative, public health, and Cambridge updates.
Table of Contents
Staff Spotlight
Legislative Updates
Public Health Updates
A Glimpse at the Past Week
Cambridge Updates
Services and Resources
Staff Spotlight
As we transition into summer and await committees wrapping up the remaining bills under their charge, I want to take this opportunity to offer some background on my personal legislative staff and to introduce two new members who have recently joined my team.
Kerwin Amo
Kerwin joined my team in January and serves as the Chief of Staff for the Joint Committee on Public Health as well my personal legislative team. He is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the office, including human resources, constituent services, and special projects. He grew up in Rhode Island, where he attended the University of Rhode Island for his undergrad degree. He moved to Massachusetts in 2018 to pursue his Master’s in Public Health at Boston University School of Public Health. Prior to joining the team, he worked at Health Care For All (HCFA) as a Policy and Project Coordinator and Health Justice organizer. Before his time at HCFA, he spent his early career at Boston Medical Center working as an HIV Medical Case Manager in the Pediatric HIV Section, providing children, pregnant women, and their families with wrap around services.
When he is not at the office, he enjoys volunteering at Paul Newman’s Hole In The Wall Gang Camp for children with chronic illnesses.
Ryan Telingator
Ryan grew up in the Riverside neighborhood of Cambridge, attending the Morse Elementary School, Putnam Avenue Upper School, and graduating from CRLS in 2017. After graduating from Bowdoin College in 2021, he worked for two years at Jumpstart, an early education nonprofit, doing policy and government relations work. Ryan joined my staff in June of 2023, and is my Legislative Director — overseeing my legislative portfolio and budget priorities. That includes meeting with advocates and constituents about various policy issues, writing and filing bills and amendments, and tracking my bills within the legislative process. Ryan also does constituent casework.
Ryan proudly played for Central Cambridge Little League — beating West Cambridge in the City All-Star Game in 2012 — and played baseball at CRLS. He was the Central Square YMCA basketball Rookie of the Year as a five year old (his peak), and is a big Boston sports fan.
Maggie Peterson
Maggie joined the team as a Legislative Aide in September 2023. She is an alum of UMass Amherst and worked as an early childhood educator prior to coming to my office. She specializes in communications, including monitoring constituent emails, writing press releases, and assisting in drafting social media posts. Maggie also maintains a portfolio of several of my bills and has particular interests in policy related to justice-involved individuals and reproductive rights.
Maggie can be found walking around in search of the best everything bagel in her neighborhood.
Hanna Nur
Hanna joined my staff as a Legislative Aide in December 2022. She serves as both a legislative aide and receptionist for the committee. Hanna primarily works on constituent cases helping to understand the needs of my constituents and directing them to the appropriate resources within the Cambridge community.
On the weekends, Hanna enjoys hiking with her family.
Sarah Pierson
Sarah started as Legal Counsel to the Joint Committee on Public Health earlier this month and is excited to get to work! Sarah graduated from Gettysburg College in 2019 (Go Bullets!) and earned her Juris Doctor from UMass Law in 2022. Prior to joining the team, Sarah worked as a housing attorney at AIDS Action Committee, the oldest and largest AIDS service organization in New England. There, Sarah provided representation to clients across the commonwealth through eviction defense in housing court, requesting reasonable accommodations for disabled individuals, and assisting clients in obtaining benefits such as unemployment assistance.
Sarah is originally from Long Island, New York and will not entertain any Giants or Yankees slander. In her spare time, she enjoys taking spin classes, catching up on episodes of Below Deck, and planning her upcoming wedding in May 2025.
Kaego NDIweka
Kaego is the newest addition to my staff, having recently completed her first week last week! She has already hit the ground running, providing support to constituents and policy analysis for the team. In 2023, she graduated from the 4+1 Accelerated Master of Public Policy program at UMass Amherst with a concentration in Health Policy. During her undergraduate and graduate years at UMass, she researched various topics within the health equity space. Her honors thesis and independent research focused on health inequalities, maternal health, and eating disorders.
When she is not in the office, she spends a majority of her free time on Letterboxd and Goodreads.
Legislative Updates
Veterans Bill
On Wednesday, the House passed (156-0) legislation that will honor veterans in Massachusetts. “An Act honoring, empowering, and recognizing our servicemembers and veterans,” also known as the (HERO Act), will significantly impact hundreds of thousands of veterans living in the state. It will achieve this by expanding the definition of a veteran, enhance tax credits and increase access to state benefits. Additionally, the legislation seeks to modernize the services upon which our veterans rely on. Some notable highlights of the legislation include:
Medical assistance, dental and vision benefits: requires the Secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) to provide a medical assistance benefit, behavioral health assistance benefit, and dental benefit beyond other benefits available to veterans, including medical and dental visits, behavioral health assessments, procedures, prescriptions, and costs.
Benefits for dependents of veterans: updates the definition of “dependent” to make it gender neutral and include children over the age of 18 that meet the criteria for emancipation. It also expands the pool of coverage by extending benefits to dependents who are mentally or physically unable to support themselves after reaching the age of 23. This section aligns the residential eligibility requirements of the dependent of a veteran with residential eligibility requirements of the veteran, granting benefits to the dependent of a veteran that has resided in Massachusetts for one day prior to applying for benefits.
Annuity for blind, paraplegic or veterans with disabilities: starting July 1, 2024, increases from $2,000 to $2,250 the annuity for blind, paraplegic, or veterans with disabilities. Starting July 1, 2025, increases from $2,250 to $2,500 the annuity for blind, paraplegic, or veterans with disabilities.
Employer tax credit for hiring veterans: increases from $2,000 to $2,500 the amount of a tax credit for each qualified veteran hired by an employer and for subsequent years of continued employment of each veteran. This applies for taxable year 2024.
Motor Vehicle Sales Tax exemption: adds veterans with disabilities with a Purple Heart recipient plate to those allowed a sales tax exemption for the purchase of a motor vehicle for personal use.
Alternative therapies for mental health treatments: requires EOVS, in coordination with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), to convene a working group to study and make recommendations on the use of psychedelics as an alternative therapy for mental health treatments for veterans.
Recognition day for sacrifice of Gold Star families: annually requires the Governor to issue a proclamation on Memorial Day in recognition of the sacrifices of Gold Star families, and requires certain landmarks and bridges be illuminated in gold on Memorial Day including the Fore River Bridge, Zakim Bridge, and Longfellow Bridge.
Flag requirements: requires flags to be flown at half-staff at public buildings and military installations when a military member is killed in active duty, or when the remains of a prisoner of war or a military member that went missing in action return home to Massachusetts, and annually on national POW/MIA day.
You can find a summary of the rest of the provisions in the Hero Act on the General Courts Press Room.
Public Health Updates
New DPH Report Finds that Fatal Opioid Overdoses are More Prevalent Among Residents Injured at Work
A recent report from the Department of Public Health (DPH) reveals a concerning correlation between work-related injuries and opioid-related overdose deaths among working-age residents. This report represents the first time repercussions of workplace injuries have been associated with opioid overdose deaths. Using data from workers' compensation claims and death certificates, the report found that individuals who suffered work-related injuries and died between 2011 and 2020 were 35% more likely to have died due to an opioid-related overdose. Most notably, the study found that males between 25-44 years old, Hispanic people, and US-born workers in physically demanding industries like construction, mining and quarrying, and food preparation were at higher risk of dying from opioid overdose. The most common workplace injuries among those who suffered a fatal opioid overdose were strains and sprains, especially of the back. Workplace injuries can take a physical and mental toll on individuals, and lack of paid sick leave, low wages, and job insecurity can increase the likelihood that injured employees continue working and forgo seeking necessary medical and substance use treatment. The report emphasizes the need to address stigma around substance use disorder in the workplace and advocates for targeted interventions to protect and promote the health of workers, especially those in physically demanding occupations.
Second Human Case of Bird Flu Reported in Michigan
On Wednesday, Michigan state health authorities announced that a second case of human H5N1, also known as bird flu, infection linked to the current outbreak in dairy cows has been detected in the state. The individual, a farm worker with regular exposure to infected cows, had mild symptoms and has since recovered. This announcement comes just two months after a dairy farmer in Texas was infected earlier in the same outbreak. The CDC still considers H5N1 to be of low risk to the general public; bird flu is rarely spread between humans and those most at risk are people who come into direct contact with infected birds or animals such as dairy workers, veterinarians, and backyard bird flock owners. The CDC has published guidance for individuals in industries with higher risk of infection. 900 people in 24 countries have been confirmed to have been infected with bird flu since 2003 and the most recent confirmed infection in Michigan is only the third recorded case in the United States. Even so, scientists believe that the U.S. may be missing cases of human H5N1 infections. It can be difficult to detect and track the virus in rural areas that are home to many of the noted outbreaks for a variety of reasons. In these areas, people generally face barriers in obtaining health care due to their remote location, hesitancy to seek out health care, lack of insurance, concerns about immigration status, or a combination of obstacles. There is also hesitation among dairy farmers to alert public health officials to possible infections out of concern for the stigma attached to the virus. The USDA has announced that assistance will be provided to farmers whose herds have been affected to assist with implementing additional biosecurity measures on dairy farms, but additional financial incentives are in the works.
Ombudsman Appointed to Monitor Care at Steward Hospitals
The U.S. Trustee for the Southern District of Texas appointed Suzanne Koenig as ombudsman for Steward Hospitals while the system goes through bankruptcy restructuring earlier this week. Owner of a senior living facility and health care management consultant, Koenig is charged with monitoring Steward Health Care facilities in Massachusetts and is required to report to the Bankruptcy Court immediately if she concludes that the quality of care is either significantly declining or otherwise being materially compromised during restructuring. Steward operates the third largest hospital system in Massachusetts, employing about 16,000 people and serving hundreds of thousands of vulnerable low-income people, older adults, and people with disabilities covered by Medicare and Medicaid. The Department of Public Health (DPH) has already been monitoring staffing, capacity, and other issues at Steward’s hospitals since January, ensuring they have the required staffing and supplies to provide high-quality care to patients. State officials have activated an incident command center to manage the fallout from Steward’s anticipated breakup. After Steward announced its bankruptcy, the State launched a website with resources about the situation and a hotline dedicated to health care providers and patients. For more information about ongoing developments at Steward Hospitals, please visit the State’s informational website here or call the Commonwealth’s Steward Health Care Call Center at 617-468-2189 between 8am and 6pm Monday through Friday.
Guidance on Vaccinations
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health urges residents to get vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published its recommendations on the annual flu shot, recommending routine annual influenza vaccination for all persons aged ≥ 6 months who do not have contraindications. Everyone aged 6 months and older are also recommended to receive an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against serious illness from COVID-19. Given the increased risk of severe disease from COVID-19 in older adults, CDC guidelines recommend adults aged 65 years and older to receive an additional updated COVID-19 vaccine dose. Find a vaccine location near you at mass.gov/CovidVaccine. Many people, including pregnant people, newborns, and many people aged 60 and older are eligible for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination this year. Learn more about the ways to protect yourself and others from getting sick, through testing, treatment, and other preventative measures here.
AAP Modifies Guidance on Breastfeeding by HIV-Positive Mothers
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reversed its long-standing position on HIV-positive mothers breastfeeding their infants on Monday. Now, the nation’s top pediatrics group says that, so long as their infection is properly controlled, it is generally safe for mothers with HIV to breastfeed or provide breast milk to their babies. According to the WHO, mother-to-infant transmission is the leading form of HIV infection in infants. According to the AAP, approximately 5,000 people with HIV give birth every year in the U.S.; research shows that the risk of a virally suppressed mother transmitting the virus through breastfeeding is less than 1%. Additionally, the AAP’s reversed position acknowledges that restricting breastfeeding exacerbates the inequalities HIV-positive women already face, such as health risks such as obesity, diabetes, and reproductive cancers, and access to safe water or formula. The AAP’s new guidance provides recommendations that pediatricians provide appropriate counseling to HIV-positive pregnant people on the risks associated with breastfeeding; the only way to eliminate the risk of transmission is the use of adequately prepared formula or pasteurized donor human milk from a milk bank. However, this research supports giving people with HIV the opportunity to make informed choices regarding infant feeding, thus shifting the care of birthing people with the virus towards bodily autonomy and reproductive justice.
Study Reveals Teens who Use Cannabis are at Higher Risk of Developing Psychotic Disorders
Researchers from the University of Toronto found that teenagers who used cannabis within the last year are 11 times more likely to develop a psychotic disorder when compared to teens who abstained. The study analyzed survey data and health service records, including hospital, emergency department, and outpatient health service records from more than 11,000 youth between the ages of 12 and 24 across Ontario, Canada. The study also revealed that five out of every six teenagers admitted to the hospital due to a psychotic episode had a history of cannabis use. The results of this study add to the growing body of evidence linking marijuana use to an increased risk of psychotic disorders. Researchers emphasize that these data do not indicate that cannabis use during adolescence causes psychotic episodes, stating that the majority of teens using cannabis will not develop a psychotic disorder. Further analysis of the data found there was no association between cannabis use and psychotic disorders in people ages 20-23. Researchers hypothesize that teens may be more vulnerable to developing psychosis when using cannabis because of how the drug disrupts the endocannabinoid system, a complex system that plays a role in memory, learning, and regulating anxiety and metabolism.
A Glimpse at the Past Week
On Monday evening, I attended GBH’s forum on birthing justice. It was great to see my colleagues, healthcare experts, and advocates for an important conversation on the state of maternal health in the Commonwealth, particularly about the stark disparities in maternal outcomes for Black birthing people. They shared insights on improving access to care to ensure that giving birth is safe, nurturing, and survivable. As Chair of the Joint Committee, I am proud to have advanced a maternal health omnibus to improve maternal health outcomes for all birthing families in Massachusetts.
Cambridge Updates
The Cambridge Youth Council is holding its 4th Annual Fundraiser to raise money for the Cambridge community.
This year, funds will be distributed evenly among six organizations doing critical work to support immigrant communities in Cambridge: Adbar Ethiopian Women’s Alliance, Found In Translation, Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers, New England Bangladeshi American Foundation, Pathway for Immigrant Workers, and Rian Immigrant Center. If you wish to donate, you can do so here.
WHAT: On Sunday, May 26, 2024, and Monday, May 27, 2024, DCR will close portions of Memorial Drive from Gerry's Landing Road to Cambridgeside Place in the City of Cambridge to accommodate the ‘Run to Remember’ race during Memorial Day Weekend. The entire road will reopen to vehicular traffic on Monday, May 27, at 2 p.m.
Gerry's Landing Road to Western Avenue will remain closed from 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 26 to 2 p.m. on Monday, May 27
Western Avenue to Cambridgeside Place will close from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, May 27.
Additionally, on Friday, May 24, 2024, and continuing through Sunday, May 26, 2024, DCR will work with Massachusetts State Police (MSP) and local police to direct traffic and minimize delays along Memorial Drive for the Boston Calling music festival.
WHERE: Memorial Drive (both directions) from Gerry's Landing Road to Cambridgeside Place in the City of Cambridge
WHEN: Sunday, May 26, 2024, at 7 p.m. – Monday, May 27, 2024, at 2 p.m.
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.
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.
MassLegalHelp.org is a resource to help Massachusetts residents learn about their legal rights. The website does not offer legal advice or answer individual questions, but has a page about options for finding a lawyer. It does provide resources for those facing legal issues, such as: a landlord refusing to make repairs, appealing the denial of SNAP benefits, and questions about getting a CORI sealed.
As always, please contact me with questions or concerns at Marjorie.Decker@mahouse.gov.
Sincerely,
Marjorie