ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE TO HOST TRAINING ON IDENTITY THEFT DURING TAX SEASON

ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE TO HOST TRAINING ON IDENTITY THEFT DURING TAX SEASON

Training to be held on Jan. 13 in Worcester

BOSTON – With tax season underway, Attorney General Maura Healey’s Office will hold a free workshop on how to avoid identity theft and scams for members of the senior community in Worcester next week.

The training will focus on common identity theft scams and will provide seniors with tips on what to do if their identity has been stolen. This training is part of a series that the AG’s Community Engagement Division is hosting on fundamental consumer protection issues with a specific focus on seasonal topics.

WHAT:          Training for Consumers on Identity Theft 

            WHEN:          Wednesday, Jan. 13

                                    10:30-11:30 a.m.

WHERE:       Worcester Senior Center

128 Providence St.     

Worcester, MA

The AG’s Community Engagement Division will hold another training session in February on Lemon Laws.

This past November, the division held a training on utility rights, home repair scams and landlord-tenant rights , and one on consumer and retail rights in December. Both trainings were held in Springfield.

Launched in May 2015, the Community Engagement Division brings the work and resources of the AG’s Office into communities across the state at times that are convenient for working people and their families.

The training in Worcester is open to the public and is being offered free of charge.

Massachusetts Launches Comprehensive Digital Health Initiative

Massachusetts Launches Comprehensive Digital Health Initiative

Industry, Healthcare & State and Local Government Partner to Enhance Economic Development, Patient Care in Growing Health Industry

BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and executives from the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership (MACP) joined leaders from across state government, healthcare, and the technology sector at Boston Children’s Hospital to announce a comprehensive public-private partnership designed to accelerate the competitiveness of the Commonwealth’s digital healthcare industry.

“Our administration is committed to making Massachusetts a national leader in digital health by partnering with private industry, convening key stakeholders and addressing market gaps,” said Governor Baker. “This emerging industry cluster has the potential to become a powerful driver of job creation across the Commonwealth, while also unlocking new advances in improving patient care and lowering health care costs.”

Digital health, or eHealth, is a rapidly growing sector at the intersection of healthcare and information technology, and according to a report by Goldman Sachs represents an approximately $32B market opportunity over the next decade. The sector spans a variety of technologies including electronic health records, consumer wearable devices, care systems, payment management, Big Data analytics and telemedicine among others, and has close connections to the state’s technology and life sciences sectors. Massachusetts is well-positioned for success in digital health as host to world-class healthcare and academic institutions, strong startup culture, significant venture capital investment, a dominant life sciences sector and roughly 250 existing digital health companies.

The initiative will bring public, private, academic, and healthcare leaders together to build a stronger and more connected statewide digital health ecosystem.  To support digital health startups, the City of Boston, Massachusetts eHealth Institute at MassTech (MeHI), and MACP announced the establishment of a digital health innovation hub. The initiative will provide space, programming and a strong industry network for digital health startups and will serve as a Boston “hub” for the industry. Programming through the hub will be managed and operated by MassChallenge.

"Strong public-private partnerships are what make our City, and our region, more competitive in the global economy," said Mayor Walsh. "We know that the digital healthcare industry is Boston's future, and I thank our state and private sector partners for their support.  By working together, we can maintain Boston's leadership in health care and the life sciences, and create an environment where the digital healthcare industry can thrive and we can better serve our patients and their families." 

MACP also announced several private industry-led initiatives this morning that will help accelerate growth in the digital health sector, including innovative approaches to provide private funds for digital healthcare companies that are starting up, located in, or planning to re-locate to, Massachusetts. MACP also facilitated the development of standardized software, technology and sponsored research agreements and user guides to make it easier for entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and the private sector to do business with our world-class academic institutions, including the University of Massachusetts system, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University and Partners HealthCare. MACP will also host a second year of its Mentorship Speaker Series, with a focus on digital health, connecting high-level, experienced industry leaders across the state with entrepreneurs of emerging companies to discuss how to start and grow a successful tech business in Massachusetts.

“The innovation economy comprised of the life sciences and digital technology sectors is the future growth engine of our Commonwealth,” said Dr. Jeffrey Leiden, who led the Digital Health Initiative on behalf of MACP. “It has been a privilege for me to lead this outstanding group of public and private sector partners toward our shared goal of accelerating the growth of the digital healthcare industry in Massachusetts. With the strengths of our universities, academic medical centers, and life sciences companies, Massachusetts is uniquely positioned to succeed in digital healthcare and I’m thrilled to be part of the team that will make it happen.” 

“Massachusetts residents and organizations are known worldwide for their brain power and industrious spirit,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. “These traits uniquely position the Commonwealth to become global leaders in the digital healthcare sector. I am proud that the House’s past two economic development bills have supported eHealth programs because I believe this industry presents rich opportunities for Massachusetts. I look forward to collaborating with the Baker and Walsh Administrations, and local companies, to ensure that eHealth is an economic driver for Massachusetts.”  

Governor Baker and Secretary Ash have designated the Massachusetts eHealth Institute at MassTech (MeHI) as the state’s implementing agency.  Established in 2008 by the Legislature as a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, an economic development agency, MeHI works to promote and accelerate the use of digital healthcare, such as electronic health records and health information exchange.  Governor Baker announced today that he will file legislation to expand MeHI’s efforts to include digital healthcare cluster development activities.

Led by a Strategy Committee composed of leaders across industry, academia, healthcare, and government, MeHI will work on cluster development activities designed to promote and support the sector. MeHI will co-invest in the establishment of a digital healthcare hub in Boston, lead development of a market access program designed to help digital health innovations get to market faster by building strategic connections between entrepreneurs and the healthcare system, and partner with state agencies to better capture the “big data” opportunity in healthcare.

“The Baker-Polito Administration is creating jobs in all the Commonwealth’s regions by harnessing emerging technologies to strengthen our diverse innovation economy,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “This new statewide public-private partnership in digital health builds on a base of existing investments in an array of sectors, from biotech to cloud computing and flexible hybrid electronics. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with industry stakeholders and academic researchers to harness Massachusetts’ national leadership in research and development, and unlock new economic opportunities.”

Digital health is an emerging industry cluster identified by the Commonwealth’s economic development plan signed by Governor Baker on December 23^rd.  The digital health market is emerging rapidly, and has potential to create multiple positive effects on the state’s economic bottom line by creating jobs, attracting investment, and developing solutions, which improve healthcare delivery and ultimately can help contain healthcare costs.

“Data and technology are powerful tools in our goal to improve health care outcomes, to integrate behavioral health and physical health care and to deliver on the promise of health care transparency,” said Executive Office of Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders.

BOSTON SETS AFFORDABLE HOUSING RECORD

BOSTON SETS AFFORDABLE HOUSING RECORD

BOSTON - Thursday, January 7, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today that Boston has surpassed the 1,000-unit mark of new affordable housing units permitted in a single year. The 1,022 new units of affordable housing permitted in 2015 is the largest number of new units permitted in a single year in 20 years of record-keeping. The previous record was 862 units in 2004. This number includes all deed-restricted housing permitted in the City of Boston. Boston is now running at 107 percent of the target rate needed to create the 6,500 new affordable units called for in Mayor Walsh's housing plan Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030. "We are committed to creating a Boston that anyone, at any income level, can afford to live in," said Mayor Walsh. "I am pleased that because of our administration's commitment to creating affordable housing, we have been able to capture the strong real estate market, create jobs and give more people and families the opportunity to find affordable housing in Boston." The Mayor made the announcement during remarks at the Commercial Real Estate Services' annual market overview meeting in Boston on Thursday morning. Of these new affordable units, 364 will be affordable to households making below 30 percent of area median income. In addition, this number includes 658 units of deed-restricted units affordable to the middle class.   In 2015, the City's Department of Neighborhood Development and the Boston Redevelopment Authority approved 1,443 new units of affordable housing - 35 percent of all new development approvals in 2015 and a 55 percent increase over 2014.  Although these units have not received permits yet, they make up a sizable portion of Boston's affordable housing pipeline.   The estimated total development cost for these affordable units is approximately $492 million, with a total public investment of approximately $154 million, including $23 million of City funds from sources including HOME, Inclusionary Development funds, Linkage and City operating funds.  Other public funding sources include state and federal funds, along with tax credit equity. With 19 percent of its housing units reserved to help house its low and moderate income residents, Boston's share of affordable housing is higher than any other major city in the country. But even though Boston is a national leader in affordable housing production and policy, there are still many residents in need of affordable housing options. The City of Boston is currently home to an estimated 28,400 low-income households who need affordable housing. Demographic projections show that by 2030, there will be approximately 9,750 additional low-income non-elderly households living in Boston, resulting in a projected affordable housing need of approximately 38,200 units by 2030. In 2015 alone, the administration invested nearly $50 million in affordable housing this year through 2 RFP processes; shifted the Inclusionary Development Policy to generate more units and more finding for affordable housing, and increased the amount of City-owned real estate designated for housing and mixed-use development from 29,625 square feet in 2014 to 419,442 square feet in 2015.

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $6.8 Million for Prevention of Prescription Drug Misuse Among Youth in 16 High Need Communities

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $6.8 Million for Prevention of Prescription Drug Misuse Among Youth in 16 High Need Communities

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today awarded $6.8 million in grants to support Strategic Prevention Framework Partnership for Success 2015 (SPF-PFS) programs for prescription drug misuse prevention activities in 16 Massachusetts communities significantly impacted by opioid overdoses and overdose deaths.

“This support for communities in need is an important resource for fighting opioid misuse and preventing further tragedy,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I look forward to our ongoing work with the legislature to pursue the tools necessary to curbing this public health crisis.”

“This award is positive news for Massachusetts parents who are raising families in communities where the scourge of opioid addiction has taken its greatest toll,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “These families deserve our full attention as we strive to end opioid misuse across the state.” 

The Baker-Polito Administration has implemented numerous reforms aimed at curbing the Commonwealth’s opioid epidemic, including $114 million in this year’s budget for substance abuse prevention, bulk purchasing of Narcan by municipalities and the announcement of a new, vastly improved Prescription Monitoring Program Online System.  Most recently, Governor Baker filed landmark legislation to provide medical personnel with the power to intervene with patients suffering from addiction, control the spread of addictive prescription opioids and increase education about substance use disorder (SUD) for providers and in the community. Over one hundred treatment beds have opened in communities across the Commonwealth, with more expected this winter.  A full update on the Governor’s Opioid Working Group’s progress can be found at: www.mass.gov/statewithoutstigma.

Funding for the SPF-PFS program is provided by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The goal of the program is to implement evidence-based prevention programs, policies, and practices to reduce prescription drug misuse among persons aged 12 to 25 years old in high-need communities.  The grant will provide $1.36 million in annual funding for a total of 5 years to partner programs in Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Everett, Fall River, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Medford, New Bedford, Quincy, Revere, Springfield, Taunton, Weymouth, and Worcester. Each community will receive $85,000 per year.

“This grant is an opportunity to provide invaluable resources to the grassroots efforts of our partners fighting this epidemic on the ground,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders. “Working together, we can implement proven strategies to address opioid misuse in ways that make sense for the specific needs of each community.”

As part of the grant program, the DPH Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS) will work with funded communities to develop a prevention and evaluation plan that meets SPF-PFS requirements; build the implementation and evaluation capacity within these agencies; and select and deploy strategies and interventions that best address prescription drug misuse among young people within each specific community.

“In the world of public health, one thing we know for sure is that prevention works,”said DPH Commissioner Monica Bharel, MD, MPH. “We are delighted to be able to provide these communities with the tools and assistance they need to make a difference for the young people that they serve.”

Minuteman High School Planning Two New Career and Technical Education Programs

Minuteman High School Planning Two New

Career and Technical Education Programs

LEXINGTON – It may have been missed during the debate over construction of a new school, but officials at Minuteman High School have been quietly planning to open two new career and technical education programs:  Advanced Manufacturing & Metal Fabrication and Multi-Media Engineering.

They are two of the 16 high-quality career and technical education programs to be offered in the new school.  They are part of an Educational Program Plan endorsed by the Minuteman School Committee and submitted to the state in the fall of 2014.

“We’re really excited by these new offerings,” said Michelle Roche, Director of Career and Technical Education at Minuteman. 

The 40-page Educational Program Plan looked at six criteria when deciding what programs were most beneficial.  Factors included job growth, wage growth, student interest, emerging occupations, post-secondary alignment, and the presence of strategic industry partners.    

“Both of these programs are supported by the data,” said Ms. Roche.

Numerous studies have shown that there are thousands of high-paying jobs currently open in the high-tech manufacturing field in Massachusetts.  The Advanced Manufacturing & Metal Fabrication program was designed in direct response to this unmet need.  The program will prepare students for occupations encompassing Mechanical Engineering, Machining, Manufacturing, Fabrication, and Welding so they can secure high-paying jobs as welders, solderers, cutters, sheet metal workers, and structural steel workers.

The Multi-Media Engineering program prepares students for the growing Creative Industries and provides a variety of career and college opportunities in the region.  This includes jobs for audio and visual technicians, film and video editors, video operators, multi-media artists, sound engineering technicians, riggers, and set designers.  Student interest in the program is clear.

"There's a genuine career path here,” said James R. McCartney, a professional stage hand in Boston and training coordinator for Local 11 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts. 

Mr. McCartney said “there’s no question in my mind” that there is a strong demand for high-quality people with basic carpentry and electrical skills, and knowledge of digital control systems for lighting, visual and audio at live performances including theater and concerts as well as commercial and corporate event planning and training and conference development.  He said there is “tremendous growth on the corporate side of things”, including fashion shows, business meetings, marketing conferences, trade shows, and car shows.

“We’re always on the lookout for technicians with the type of skills you’ll be developing at Minuteman,” said Mr. McCartney.  He said it’s “a top priority” for the union.

For those looking for additional training, he said several area colleges offer degree programs in technical theater.     

Both of the new programs will have Program Advisory Committees, including business and civic leaders, to help guide them.  Both will be located in the new Minuteman High School’s Engineering, Construction and Trades Academy.   

Minuteman is an award-winning regional high school located in Lexington.  The school gives students a competitive advantage in the new economy by delivering robust academics and powerful career and technical skills.   

Minuteman prepares students for college and career success, with more than 60% of the school’s graduates typically pursuing a post-secondary education.  

MAYOR WALSH LAUNCHES PILOT SITE TO SHOW PROGRESS TOWARDS REDESIGNED CITY WEBSITE

MAYOR WALSH LAUNCHES PILOT SITE TO SHOW PROGRESS TOWARDS REDESIGNED CITY WEBSITE

BOSTON - Thursday, January 7, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced an important step in the redesign of the City of Boston's website - the launch of the Boston.gov pilot site (pilot.boston.gov). The pilot site provides a preview of the new design and encourages feedback as the broaderBoston.gov site is developed. "This is an exciting chapter in the redesign of the City's website," said Mayor Walsh. "We want to give the people of our City a look at the work we're doing and a voice in the process as we continue to build a more welcoming and useful website." At the start of the project, the City spoke to constituents who shared valuable feedback about how to improve the city's website. This feedback process will continue throughout the duration of the pilot, and residents are encouraged to share their thoughts on the redesign through the feedback navigation on the pilot website. An audit of the more than 20,000 indexed pages illustrated the need to make it easier to find information. The goal of the redesigned City website is to help users navigate the many resources provided by the City in a way that is simple and intuitive. In a step toward that goal, the pilot site previews a new way of organizing content through "topics." Topic pages feature curated content based on how a resident thinks about an issue, such as owning a car or winter preparedness. "We heard from residents who mentioned how difficult it can be to search through departments and find the right information on the current website," said Chief Digital Officer Lauren Lockwood. "By pulling content from various departments into Topic pages, we're able to organize resources in a more intuitive way." While the pilot site focuses on topic pages as a new way to discover tools and resources, the redesigned City website will eventually include additional ways for residents to easily find the content they need, including a more robust menu and navigation bar. The pilot website is a work in progress and will continue to grow and change in the coming months with an expected full launch of the new Boston.gov site later in 2016. In the meantime, the current website (www.CityofBoston.gov) will operate as usual. The effort is being led by the City's Digital Team in partnership with IDEO, an award-winning global design firm, and Boston-based Acquia, a leading local technology provider. To receive updates on this project, sign up atNext.Boston.gov. About the City of Boston's Digital Team The Digital Team is part of the City's Department of Innovation and Technology and focuses on delivering digital services that are welcoming, highly useful, and designed around the needs of the Boston community.

BOSTON MAN ARRESTED FOR MULTIPLE ROBBERIES

BOSTON MAN ARRESTED FOR MULTIPLE ROBBERIES

 

BOSTON – A Boston man was arrested today and charged with robbing three financial institutions: the East Cambridge Saving Bank and Naveo Credit Union in Cambridge and Rockland Trust in Allston.

 

Kim N. Daley, 46, was charged by criminal complaint with three counts of bank robbery. U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell scheduled a detention and probable cause hearing for Jan. 14, 2016.

 

According to court documents, on June 1, 2015, an individual later identified as Daley, entered the East Cambridge Savings Bank in Cambridge and gave the teller a note demanding money.  The teller handed Daley money from her drawer and he fled the bank.  Surveillance video recorded the robbery and Daley’s image was circulated on the Massachusetts Crime Network.  A state parole officer recognized Daley as the robber and notified the Cambridge Police Department.

 

On Aug. 7, 2015, an individual, later identified as Daley, entered the Rockland Trust in Allston.  Once again, Daley gave the teller a note demanding money.  The teller handed Daley money from her drawer and he fled the bank.  Following the robbery, Daley was identified by bank employees from a photo array.

 

On Aug.14, 2015, an individual, later identified as Daley, entered the Naveo Credit Union in Cambridge.  Daley gave the teller a note demanding money and stated, “hurry up, I have a gun.”  The teller handed Daley money from her drawer and he then fled the bank.  Surveillance cameras recorded the robbery which law enforcement reviewed and identified Daley.

 

On Aug. 21, 2015, Daley was arrested in New York City and transported to Massachusetts to face charges.

 

The charging statue provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 on each count.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.  Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

 

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; Boston Police Commissioner William Evans; Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas; and John Gibbon, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts, made the announcement today.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Ortiz’s Major Crimes Unit.

 

Governor Baker Announces $700,000 in Naloxone Grants for First Responders

Governor Baker Announces $700,000 in Naloxone Grants for First Responders

Equips police and fire departments in 40 communities with resources to reverse opioid overdoses

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced that $700,000 will be awarded to police and fire departments in 40 communities heavily impacted by the Commonwealth’s opioid epidemic, facilitating the purchasing, carrying and administering of the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone.

“This grant will help save more lives as our administration continues to pursue new and wide-ranging tools to combat the opioid epidemic, including the ability for medical personnel to intervene with those who have overdosed,” said Governor Baker. “We look forward to continuing to work with the legislature to pass meaningful reforms, and are pleased to support our first responders’ access to immediate, life-saving resources.”

Last year as part of comprehensive recommendations from the Governor’s opioid working group, the administration established a bulk purchasing fund allowing first responders in municipal entities to access the state rate for naloxone purchases, and when available, receive an additional discount. Governor Baker has also filed landmark legislation to provide medical personnel with the power to intervene with patients suffering from addiction, control the spread of addictive prescription opioids and increase education about substance use disorder (SUD) for providers and in the community.

“Today’s announcement, along with the creation of the bulk purchasing fund, will increase the amount of naloxone available in hot-spot communities where it is needed most,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “These resources will help ease the costs of medication, enabling our firefighters and police officers to save more lives.”

Grants for $10,000 to $50,000 are being awarded to the following communities:

Attleboro, Barnstable, Beverly, Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Falmouth, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Medford, New Bedford, North Attleboro, Peabody, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Somerville, Springfield, Stoughton, Taunton, Waltham, Wareham, Westfield, Weymouth, Winthrop, Woburn, Worcester

“There is no faster and more effective way to reverse an opioid overdose than to administer naloxone,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders.“It is imperative we do everything we can to counteract the epidemic of opioid addiction by providing as many first responders as possible the opportunity to use this life-saving medication.”

“The use of naloxone is one of our state’s greatest success stories in the fight against the opioid epidemic,” said DPH Commissioner Monica Bharel.  “This funding will allow more first responders in our hardest hit communities to have access to this safe, life-saving drug.”

Only municipalities that met the following criteria were eligible to apply:

• an average annual rate of 6.0 and above of unintentional/undetermined opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 and
• an average annual count of unintentional/undetermined opioid overdose deaths of 4.0 and above (2009-2013).

The award amounts were calculated by taking the total allocation ($700,000) and dividing it among the applicants based on the population of the municipality.

The Baker-Polito Administration has already implemented many reforms aimed at curbing the Commonwealth’s opioid epidemic, including $114 million in this year’s budget for substance abuse prevention and changes to the Prescription Monitoring Program’s reporting requirement. One hundred and thirteen treatment beds have opened in six communities (Quincy, Plymouth, New Bedford, Boston, Westborough, Fall River) with more expected in Greenfield this winter. 

A full update on the Governor’s Opioid Working Group’s progress can be found at:www.mass.gov/statewithoutstigma.

Boston Public Health Commission Announces $100,000 in grants to Community Health Centers

Boston Public Health Commission Announces $100,000 in grants to Community Health Centers

New grant funds will improve healthy eating among Boston Housing Authority residents

BOSTON - Wednesday, January 6, 2016 - The Boston Public Health Commission today announced $100,000 in grant awards to four Boston community health centers.  The funds will support health centers in implementing improvements to their systems and services that will enable them to better serve residents of Boston Housing Authority (BHA) developments.   "The people of Boston deserve the right to access affordable, quality healthcare," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh.  "The community health centers provide those vital services to Boston residents, and these funds will enable them to stay ahead of the curve and continue developing innovative solutions to today's pressing health challenges. I look forward to seeing the results of their efforts in bringing positive change to the community."   The four health centers, Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury, the South End Community Health Center in the South End, Upham's Corner Health Center in Dorchester, and Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center in Jamaica Plain, are anticipated to reach up to 27,000 public housing residents through the project.   "I am pleased to have another opportunity to support the innovative work that our city's community health centers are doing to address the social factors that affect health," said Huy Nguyen, MD, Interim Executive Director and Medical Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. "If these strategies prove successful in improving outcomes around healthy eating and hunger, we will have a stronger argument to take them to scale."   "These grants enable us to address some key factors that make our patients unhealthy," said Tom Kieffer, Director of the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center. "Living in poverty and not having access to healthy foods are some of the top challenges that they face."   Each of the four community health centers has a record of collaboration with BHA and BHA tenant organizations. Through this project, they will continue their partnerships by targeting 23 developments, including family and elderly/disabled developments, with innovative strategies to address healthy eating and food insecurity.  Each health center will choose among a set of strategies that could include: Improving clinical systems to identify patients experiencing food insecurity. Increasing access to healthy food through on-site community gardens, fresh food vendors, and other resources and referrals. Incorporating culturally specific healthy eating education and demonstration with food resources. Developing a video in which BHA residents share their strategies for healthy eating on limited budgets and with limited transportation options. Promoting leadership development for BHA residents at the health centers, including having BHA residents on Community and Youth Advisory Boards.   "Our goal is to empower our residents to make healthy choices," said Bill McGonagle BHA Administrator. "We applaud the work of BPHC and our REACH partners who promote health and wellness to all of our residents."   Residents of Boston Housing Authority have prioritized access to healthy and affordable food as an area for action. Public housing residents in Boston are 3.5 times more likely to be affected by obesity and related health conditions than non-public housing residents.    "I'm excited to see that community health centers including mine are addressing food disparities among public housing residents and others" said Julieta Lopez, president of the Lenox Camden Tenant Association and Community Outreach Advocate for the South End Community Health Center.  "This effort will increase the availability of affordable, healthy groceries in neighborhoods such as the South End and Lower Roxbury and will engage health centers in helping patients to access these resources."

Governor Baker Announces $700,000 in Naloxone Grants for First Responders

Governor Baker Announces $700,000 in Naloxone Grants for First Responders

Equips police and fire departments in 40 communities with resources to reverse opioid overdoses

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced that $700,000 will be awarded to police and fire departments in 40 communities heavily impacted by the Commonwealth’s opioid epidemic, facilitating the purchasing, carrying and administering of the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone.

“This grant will help save more lives as our administration continues to pursue new and wide-ranging tools to combat the opioid epidemic, including the ability for medical personnel to intervene with those who have overdosed,” said Governor Baker. “We look forward to continuing to work with the legislature to pass meaningful reforms, and are pleased to support our first responders’ access to immediate, life-saving resources.”

Last year as part of comprehensive recommendations from the Governor’s opioid working group, the administration established a bulk purchasing fund allowing first responders in municipal entities to access the state rate for naloxone purchases, and when available, receive an additional discount. Governor Baker has also filed landmark legislation to provide medical personnel with the power to intervene with patients suffering from addiction, control the spread of addictive prescription opioids and increase education about substance use disorder (SUD) for providers and in the community.

“Today’s announcement, along with the creation of the bulk purchasing fund, will increase the amount of naloxone available in hot-spot communities where it is needed most,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “These resources will help ease the costs of medication, enabling our firefighters and police officers to save more lives.”

Grants for $10,000 to $50,000 are being awarded to the following communities:

Attleboro, Barnstable, Beverly, Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Everett, Fall River, Falmouth, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Medford, New Bedford, North Attleboro, Peabody, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Somerville, Springfield, Stoughton, Taunton, Waltham, Wareham, Westfield, Weymouth, Winthrop, Woburn, Worcester

“There is no faster and more effective way to reverse an opioid overdose than to administer naloxone,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders.“It is imperative we do everything we can to counteract the epidemic of opioid addiction by providing as many first responders as possible the opportunity to use this life-saving medication.”

“The use of naloxone is one of our state’s greatest success stories in the fight against the opioid epidemic,” said DPH Commissioner Monica Bharel.  “This funding will allow more first responders in our hardest hit communities to have access to this safe, life-saving drug.”

Only municipalities that met the following criteria were eligible to apply:

• an average annual rate of 6.0 and above of unintentional/undetermined opioid overdose deaths per 100,000 and
• an average annual count of unintentional/undetermined opioid overdose deaths of 4.0 and above (2009-2013).

The award amounts were calculated by taking the total allocation ($700,000) and dividing it among the applicants based on the population of the municipality.

The Baker-Polito Administration has already implemented many reforms aimed at curbing the Commonwealth’s opioid epidemic, including $114 million in this year’s budget for substance abuse prevention and changes to the Prescription Monitoring Program’s reporting requirement. One hundred and thirteen treatment beds have opened in six communities (Quincy, Plymouth, New Bedford, Boston, Westborough, Fall River) with more expected in Greenfield this winter. 

A full update on the Governor’s Opioid Working Group’s progress can be found at:www.mass.gov/statewithoutstigma.