世界醫藥創新論壇第三日諾華執行長談醫藥未來有四個重點

Highlights of the Day Day Three of the World Medical Innovation Forum was short, but was filled with some of the most exciting aspects of the meeting. The first session touched on the needs of cancer patients who require alternative strategies to achieve optimal therapeutic benefit, and the advantages and challenges associated with combination therapy. The opening session was followed by a fireside chat with Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis, who provided insight into Novartis' successes and discussed current topics including CRISPR, CAR-T, a second generation of immuno-oncology, and the biggest threats to the future of innovation. The morning continued with a session in which panelists discussed new cancer diagnostics driven by advances in genetics, genomics and proteomics, and the integration of these technologies into the delivery of care. This panel was followed by a discussion around the evolving role of disease-focused philanthropic foundations in patient care. For more in-depth highlights from Day Three, see below. The capstone event of the Forum was the announcement of the Disruptive Dozen, the 12 technologies predicted to have the greatest impact on cancer care in the next decade. The main stage was filled with 12 influential leaders in cancer research and clinical care from Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who came together for an exciting and insightful discussion around these state-of-the-art medical technologies and what they mean for the future of the field. The Forum closed with notes from Anne Klibanski, MD, Chief Academic Officer of Partners HealthCare, who noted that one of the greatest accomplishments of the Forum was the facilitation of a new community; a community that can shift paradigms and accelerate cures by having open dialogue, understanding priorities, and incorporating patient needs, expectations, and quality of life issues, and posed a challenge to the audience to maintain this dialogue even after conclusion of the meeting. Next year, the Forum will focus on cardiovascular disease and will be held from May 1-3, 2017 at the Westin Copley in Boston, Massachusetts.

New Philanthropy: Patients Driving Innovation As part of continued discussion around patient-driven innovation, the New Philanthropy session provided insight into the efforts of philanthropic leaders and how their community is redefining its role to develop new ways to help patients and drive breakthroughs. As disease foundations become more involved in all aspects of patient care, including the lab, clinic, engagement, and regulatory approval process, their role has evolved. As gaps in funding for basic and translational research grow, these organizations have provided extensive financial support to the cancer research community, which has led to the development of breakthrough therapies and promising technologies. As Louis DeGennaro, PhD, President and CEO of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, pointed out their foundation funded the basic research that eventually led to the development of Gleevec and supported early efforts in the development of CAR-T technology at the University of Pennsylvania. Additionally, Judy Salerno, MD, President and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, emphasized the importance of funding young investigators and remarked that, as funding has dried up, we are starving a pipeline of next-generation investigators who are needed to advance progress. To provide this support, fundraising is essential, and the panel discussed the role of athletic events and social media in driving their efforts. As Dr. DeGennaro observed, cancer patients "want to win," and athletic events such as walks, challenges, and races are a practical manifestation of that desire and are successful because "people give to people." Supporting that notion, Billy Starr, Founder and Executive Director of the Pan-Mass Challenge, added that today's technology allows people to reach out to their world and create bonds and opportunities that are distinct from the impact of direct mail or celebrity spokespeople. When asked about the influence of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and whether they would consider that type of engagement for their audiences, Judy Salerno, MD, President and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, noted that their focus tends to be more directed toward the recruitment and development of people who are passionate about their mission and can become advocates. To push for faster cures, panelists noted that their organizations are facilitating ongoing dialogue between patients and the FDA to address issues, concerns, and preferences, and training advocates in science to better disseminate their message. Additionally, as money raised from the Pan-Mass Challenge is donated exclusively to treatment and research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Mr. Starr also noted the patient role in the design of the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care, which was intended to advance clinical care and enhance the patient experience.

Disruptive Dozen After rigorous consideration by cancer faculty from the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the 12 technologies that are predicted to have the greatest impact on cancer care in the next decade were announced. After a short audio clip describing their disruptive technology, panelists representing each of the 12 areas enlightened the audience as to why their respective fields would have an impact on the future of cancer care in a series of sound bites. Following a major theme of the Forum, and perhaps unsurprisingly, cellular immunotherapy was announced as the most disruptive technology for the next decade. Marcela Maus, MD, PhD, Director of Cellular Immunotherapy at MGH, highlighted the promise of this technology by stating that it has the potential to become a frontline cancer therapy and noting the unprecedented results seen in some patient populations thus far. However, she also noted that there are obstacles to overcome in the development of this technology for the treatment of solid tumors, which can be addressed by identifying new targets, using different engineering strategies to distinguish tumor from self, and targeting the tumor microenvironment. The second runner-up for most disruptive technology was liquid biopsy for oncology, and Shyamala Maheswaran, PhD, Associate in Molecular Biology, Surgery at MGH, praised the benefits of more frequent, less invasive sampling methods as compared to tumor biopsy and described the applications of this technology in early detection of cancer, monitoring of therapy, evaluation of mutational status to direct therapeutics, and assessment of heterogeneity between tumor cells for a deeper understanding of tumor evolution. Coming in at number seven, genome editing was represented by Keith Joung, MD, PhD, Associate Chief of Pathology for Research at MGH. When posed the question, "how crisp are CRISPRs?" by Forum Co-Chair Daniel Haber, MD, PhD, Director of the MGH Cancer Center, Dr. Joung explained that, while limiting off-target effects at this time is a challenge, we have a distinct opportunity to develop treatments for diseases in which there are no therapies currently available and should proceed with the understanding that the technology will evolve and improve over time.

Fireside Chat: Joseph Jimenez, CEO, Novartis 周菊子攝 Rounding out the fireside chat series, Joseph Jimenez, CEO of Novartis, sat down with Gregg Meyer, MD, Chief Clinical Officer at Partners Healthcare System to discuss: • Changes that need to take place in the "healthcare system as a whole to a platform where all patients have access to therapies" • The company's "IO strategy is to be strong with second generation approaches that target the tumor microenvironment" and the "shift away from a transactional approach to outcomes-based approach" • The four pillars: clinical value, patient value, health system value and societal value • The importance of intellectual property for driving innovation - "there are no generics without innovation" • The relatively low cost and continuing benefits, often extending over decades, of a drug once it comes off patent should be included in discussions of drug pricing

周菊子攝

世界醫藥創新論壇第二日談全球癌症市場

Highlights of the Day Day Two of the World Medical Innovation Forum was brimming with fireside chats and panel discussions. The first session of the day highlighted the growing global cancer burden in which panelists from leading international companies and key government entities discussed the challenges to providing innovative technologies in diverse markets, as well as potential strategies to overcome these obstacles. In the second panel, experts provided an in-depth discussion on the promise of epigenetics for cancer research, describing the complex science behind the regulation of how genetic information is processed and the development of therapies that leverage these alterations to target cancer. Two panels focused on the promise of immunotherapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer, highlighting the recent burst in the field of immuno-oncology. A set of fireside chats provided insights into drug pricing, data sharing, collaboration, and patient-driven innovation. The final plenary session, moderated by CNBC Biotech and Pharma Reporter Meg Tirrell, saw a panel of oncology investors discuss some of the most compelling topics in the industry today, including the most promising technologies, investment trends, comparison to other periods in cancer investing and, naturally, drug pricing. The day concluded with four concurrent focus sessions, which provided discussion around radiation therapy, oncology devices, study design for personalized cancer medicine, and the unique challenges posed by increased cancer survivorship. For more in-depth highlights from some of the most interesting panels from Day Two, see below. Notably, panelists demonstrated surprising candor when discussing their personal struggles with cancer, and seemed optimistic about the current trajectory of science, with the word "cure" being used more freely in the context of cancer and without reservations of this being a crazy notion, emphasizing the reality of working towards cures.

Global Cancer Markets As the global cancer burden is expected to increase from 14 million to 22 million cases by 2030, panelists from leading international companies and a key governmental entity, namely the famed National Institute for Health and Care Excellence at the UK NHS, discussed the future of cancer in a global market. Moderator Sheila Dharmarajan, Head of Business Development at Zelnick Media Capital, started out by emphasizing the term "tremendous" to describe not only the prolificacy of cancer, but also to describe the complexity of the market, breakthrough technology, and the dollars at stake in terms of both pricing and cost of innovation. When posed with the question of whether pharmaceutical companies should fund diagnostics, panelists acknowledged that, due to the innate differences in business models, each company must decide their own path, but Bruno Strigini, President of Novartis Oncology, also noted the importance of considering the development of targeted therapies with companion diagnostics, which can be critical to providing the right products to the right patients. Additionally, Newton Crenshaw, Vice President of North America Oncology at Eli Lilly and Company, stressed the importance of symbiosis between diagnostic and therapeutic companies, and indicated that reform is needed for regulatory bodies to accelerate diagnostics and provide access to patients. Following up on this point, Gillian Leng, MD, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Health and Social Care at NICE, stated that this relationship could be most effective if regulatory bodies were allowed to evaluate the drug and diagnostic together. As technology advances and we begin to consider cancer to be a chronic rather than terminal condition, Mr. Crenshaw also posed the question of how to best support patients beyond medicine, but noted that the cost burden of long-term treatment must be considered, as well.

Immunotherapy: Checkpoint Activation, Cancer Vaccines, and Cell Based Therapies Day Two featured two panels on the promise of immunotherapy in cancer treatment in which panelists discussed various approaches to leveraging the human immune system to fight cancer, including checkpoint inhibition, anticancer vaccines, and CARTs. In the first session, panelists were cautiously optimistic about immunotherapy as a tool for cancer treatment and agreed that this wave of enthusiasm is still in its early stages and we must proceed by paying particular attention to the determinants of tumor response and resistance. In this context, a recurring message was the importance of tissue biopsy and biomarker analysis before and during treatment, which will be critical to the understanding of what is happening to patients at a molecular level and, as Scott Rodig, MD, PhD, Associate Professor at Brigham and Women's Hospital, mentioned, will be extremely important in the determination of rational drug combinations going forward. Similarly, panelists also stressed that we should think carefully about how we are approaching combination therapy; rather than using a shotgun approach in which we try every drug combination, we should be deliberate in understanding the underlying mechanisms to predict optimal patient populations and avoid toxicity. More specifically, Thomas Daniel, MD, Chairman of Celgene Research, stated that we should be considering the patients for which combinations are medically valuable, along with a scientific grounding for why a specific combination makes sense, which is a more tractable and financially feasible option as compared to the shotgun approach. David Reese, MD, Senior Vice President of Translational Sciences at Amgen, noted that a major challenge in the field at present is a need for the development of new surrogates for traditional response criteria; as patients live longer and overall survival becomes increasingly difficult to measure, some trial designs will essentially become intractable. The second immunotherapy panel discussed what's next for CAR T-cell therapy, with Usman (Oz) Azam, MD, Global Head of Cell and Gene Therapies Unit at Novartis, referring to the current technology to as "version 1.0." Panelists discussed the promise of CART in hematological malignancies, but as Mark Frohlich, MD, Executive Vice President of Portfolio Strategy at Juno Therapeutics, pointed out, we must still determine the right targets for solid tumors. When quizzed about the future of the technology, Dr. Azam also mentioned that gene therapy could be utilized to take CARTs to the next level, which Chuck Wilson, PhD, CEO of Unum Therapeutics, expanded upon by suggesting that the use of gene editing to target specific genes, create allogeneic T cells, or inhibit signaling pathways, could support the work of CARTs. Dr. Wilson also reminded the audience that the reality is, as an autologous cell therapy, the logistics of taking cells from the patient, manufacturing cells, and returning them to the patient, will be inherently more costly than other therapies, but that scalability could bring this cost down. Additionally, as Marcela Maus, MD, PhD, Director of Cellular Immunotherapy at MGH, pointed out, the development of point-of-care methods or "off-the-shelf" T cells that could treat many patients with one lot are potentially less costly.

Fireside Chat Roundup The first two days of the Forum were filled with fireside chats, which allowed for an intimate perspective on pricing, the importance of data sharing, academic and industry collaborations, current healthcare challenges, and much more. Kicking off the first fireside chat of the Forum on Monday evening, Richard Gonzalez, CEO of AbbVie, sat down with Nancy Snyderman, MD, Medical Advisor, GE Healthymagination, to discuss: • The acquisition of Pharmacyclics and the "blind dating process" • "Doubling down on R&D" to bring a consistent stream of good medicines • Catering to patients by "bringing improvements for standard of care" that the healthcare system would reward • The most important model today of "partnering with academic and biotech" Tuesday's lineup of fireside chats started with Amgen's CEO Robert Bradway and Bloomberg's biotech reporter Caroline Chen on a variety of topics including: • The need "to collaborate outside of your organization, especially with cancer" • The costly price tag that comes with innovation but "the need to focus on the benefit that it brings for society" • Project Data Sphere, an independent and not-for-profit initiative of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer's Life Science Consortium (learn more here). • A call to society to invest more in cancer prevention With nine months left on the job, Andy Slavitt, Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), spoke candidly with CNBC's biotech and pharma reporter, Meg Tirrell on: • The need for new payment models because governments don't have "magic pots of money" and "we are still in the 1st and 2nd generation of pricing models" • Finding new ways to care for the "most difficult people with the lowest income and are disconnected from the healthcare system" • Pilot programs for cost containment and spurring innovation focused on "doubling down on primary care and prevention" • The qualifications for the next CMS administrator - "doesn't need the job, doesn't see it as a stepping stone, doesn't need to make friends, and has struggled to find and provide care" Praising the industry for its strides in finding important cures for cancer, Bristol-Myers Squibb CEO, Giovanni Caforio, MD, started off his chat with Meg Tirrell by highlighting three critical points to being a leading company in oncology: keeping the patient at the center, following the science and collaborations with industry and academia. Other topics included: • The need for "different payment models and flexibility in the healthcare system" • The "beginning stages of understanding why patients don't respond to immunotherapies" • The need to focus on biomarkers as "they are really important" Rounding out today's fireside chats, "patient scientist" Kathy Giusti, Founder of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation and Multiple Myeloma Research Consortium, spoke with Nancy Snyderman, MD, to discuss her journey: • Being a patient advocate, patient and business disruptor who has elevated attention and propelled advancements for multiple myeloma • The need for data sharing for research and cures • The "tough lifting" that comes with trying to stay on top of the cancer landscape • Partnership with Harvard Business School to "put together a business plan by which business and science could start disrupting" and "to bring the absolute best-in-class to ask the tough questions and to share and solve the problem" • How she made the decision to stop her own treatment

波市公校進考試學校研讀班學位增至750

Exam School Initiative prep program expands seats for under-served youth in Boston Public Schools

BOSTON - (Wednesday, April 26, 2016) - Boston Public Schools (BPS) announced today that the Exam School Initiative, a free study program for students seeking admission to the district's three exam schools, will expand the number of seats in the program this summer from 450 to 750 to provide more equitable access to academic rigor for students from the district's traditionally underrepresented schools.   "The expansion of the Exam School Initiative is an important step forward in helping build a more diverse student body in our most highly sought schools," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "It is critical that all of the city's youth have access to a high-quality education - they deserve nothing less."   The Exam School Initiative is a free preparation course offered to any student living in Boston who is eligible to take the "ISEE" exam to gain admission into the district's three exam schools: Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, and the John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science. The annual program begins in August and has been hosted at Boston Latin School since it began in 2000. "Operating through the lens of equity is at the core of what we do in Boston Public Schools," said Boston School Committee Chairperson Michael O'Neill. "We know that an important aspect to closing the opportunity and achievement gaps is providing students of color access to programs with strong academic rigor like the Exam School Initiative. I am proud of our work and thankful of the support of Mayor Walsh and the Boston Latin School Association in this tremendous effort."   A charitable foundation that Mayor Walsh helped form and the Boston Latin School Association will account for the 300 additional seats, as well as communication and recruitment outreach, specifically for Boston students who attend public schools that have been traditionally under-represented in the Exam School Initiative program.   "Thoughtfully expanding this tremendously impactful program will help students who need it the most," said BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang. "I applaud the work of the Office of Opportunity and Achievement Gaps for taking a critical look at better providing meaningful academic experiences for all of our students."   Each year, approximately 600 BPS students who score above a certain threshold on the TerraNova standardized exam are invited to participate in the Exam School Initiative Open House in the spring. Students attend the Exam School Initiative courses in the summer and through the fall, typically of their sixth-grade year, when they take the "ISEE" exam to gain admittance to one of the three BPS exam schools.   The Exam School Initiative began in 2000 with a goal of helping BPS students of color gain entrance into the exam schools and to understand the benefits of an exam school education. However, 2014 enrollment data shows that 44% of the participants were White; 28% were Asian; 14% were Hispanic; and 10% were Black.   "Having additional seats proportional to students who are best served by the Exam School Initiative is an important step in the right direction," said Colin Rose, assistant superintendent of opportunity and achievement gaps for BPS. "We will continue to analyze the impact of these changes to guide our efforts of providing equitable access for all students."   Peter G. Kelly, president of the Boston Latin School Association and a 1983 alumnus of Boston Latin School, said supporting the Exam School Initiative expansion is imperative.   "The Boston Latin School Association is proud to collaborate with Mayor Walsh and to expand its partnership with the Boston Public Schools in providing opportunities for quality learning for students of all backgrounds," Kelly said. "This investment reflects the core values and the fundamental mission of the BLSA to ensure that all BPS students have the opportunity to achieve through exam school education."

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT

With state match, new revenues could exceed $20M annually for housing, open space, and historic preservation in Boston

BOSTON - Wednesday, April 27, 2016 - Further affirming his commitment to ensuring access to quality housing and open space, in a city that values and preserves its history, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced his support for the Community Preservation Act (CPA), which could provide a significant revenue stream to support affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space initiatives. The proposal, which is currently pending before the City Council, could potentially be placed on the ballot in Boston in November 2016. "Our city is growing and thriving, but success has brought challenges-housing costs being one of the greatest," said Mayor Walsh. "We've studied the impacts and benefits, and I believe the Community Preservation Act offers a balanced and timely strategy for helping Boston build affordable housing, invest in our parks, and preserve Boston's historic and inclusive character. I thank the City Council for taking this up, and look forward to working with them and our community partners in support of the Community Preservation Act." Enacted in 2000, the CPA statute allows communities to create a local Community Preservation Fund for open space, historic preservation, and affordable housing. Community preservation funds are raised locally, through a surcharge of the tax levy against real property of up to three percent.  Municipalities must adopt CPA by ballot referendum.   The statute allows for communities to exempt the first $100,000 of value for all properties, and the majority of new revenue would come from commercial properties. The funds from CPA would provide a significant stream to support affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space initiatives.  Communities can decide on the distribution of funds across the three areas covered under the CPA, as long as each area -- open space, historic preservation, and affordable housing -- each receive at least 10 percent of the total available funds.   In addition to funds raised by the surcharge, the CPA statute created a statewide Community Preservation Trust Fund, administered by the Department of Revenue.  This fund provides matching distributions of funds each year to communities that have adopted CPA.  The matching funds come from a surcharge on transaction fees at the Registry of Deeds and special appropriations by the State Legislature.  In prior years, the match has ranged from 23 percent to approximately 50 percent.  Last year, the match was 29 percent. Currently, 160 cities and towns across the Commonwealth have approved the CPA, and more than $1.6 billion has been raised to date for community preservation funding statewide.   New City revenue from the surcharge is estimated to be $16.5 million annually, and is expected to leverage millions more in state funding every year. The average homeowner would pay an additional $28 per year. To determine which projects will receive funding, on adoption of the Act, Boston would create a Community Preservation Committee.  This five-to-nine member board will make recommendations on CPA projects to the City Council.  This committee would include at least one member each representing the interests of the Conservation Commission, the Landmarks Commission, Boston's planning department, the Parks Commission, and the Housing Cabinet.   "Thank you to Mayor Walsh and to Council co-sponsors Councilor Michael Flaherty and Councilor Andrea Campbell for their leadership in advancing the opportunity for Boston to capture much-needed funding for priorities that we share," said Council President Michelle Wu. "I'm proud to stand with them in support of the Community Preservation Act and ask voters to approve this mechanism for much-needed resources in November." A specific CPA proposal is pending before the City Council. Following its adoption by the City Council, the proposal would then be put before voters in the next regularly scheduled municipal or state election.  Alternatively, the question could be placed on the ballot without a Council vote, but would require a petition signed by at least five percent of Boston's registered voters, which would be certified by the Election Commission. Since the CPA was enacted 16 years ago, 160 cities and towns in Massachusetts have enacted it.

Wang YMCA 4/28、29 辦烘培會為 Isabella Wu 籌款

On April 23, 2016, Isabella Wu passed away due to a tragic accident that occurred right outside of Tufts Medical Center.
She was only 2 years old.

We hope to support the family during this time
by donating to their gofundme page,
so that the family can make funeral arrangements and relocate.

Wang Y After-School Program will be hosting a Bake Sale onThursday, April 28^th & Friday, April 29^th 5pm-6pm
in order to collect donations for the family.

 

We would appreciate any money and food donations for the bake sale (all foods must come with a list of ingredients).

 

Thank you,

OST Staff

  

To make your own separate donation, visit:

www.gofundme.com/2rrwupzf

AG HEALEY ASSESSES MORE THAN $326,000 IN RESTITUTION AND PENALTIES AGAINST CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2016

AG HEALEY ASSESSES MORE THAN $326,000 IN RESTITUTION AND PENALTIES AGAINST CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2016

Part of an Ongoing Effort by the AG’s Office to Address Wage Theft in the Industry

       

BOSTON – As part of an ongoing effort to address wage theft in the construction industry, Attorney General Maura Healey has issued 29 civil citations against construction companies from January 2016 through March 2016, an increase from the previous two quarters. Restitution for employees of the various employers totaled nearly $260,000 and the companies were fined a total of more than $68,000. 

            “Wage theft is a real issue in Massachusetts, including in the construction industry where dishonest companies continue to cheat their employees,” AG Healey said. “Our office is working to level the playing field so that workers are paid fairly and contractors who follow the rules are not at a disadvantage.”

            Violations in these cases included the failure to pay proper wages, failure to pay overtime, retaliation and failure to furnish records for inspection. For work performed on public construction projects in the state, the violations included the failure to pay the prevailing wage, failure to submit true and accurate certified payroll records, and failure to register and pay apprentices appropriately.

The AG’s Office issued citations against the following construction companies in the first quarter of 2016:

• AK Electric, Inc. and owner Anibal C. Alves for more than $61,000 in restitution and penalties for violations relating to work performed on a public construction project at UMass Amherst;
• Boston Electric & Telephone Corp. and its owner Gerard Cardillo for more than $48,000 for failing to pay the proper prevailing wage and failing to submit true and accurate certified payroll records;
• C&M Construction d/b/a CM Construction and its owner William A. Leone for more than $14,000 in restitution and penalties for failure to pay the proper overtime and failure to furnish records to the AG’s Office;
• Felix Painting and its owner Felix Mendez Soto for more than $12,300 in restitution and penalties for failure to pay the proper overtime rate; and
• Glenshane III, LLC and its owner Patrick McKenna for more than $8,000 in restitution and penalties for failure to pay the proper overtime rate.

The AG’s Office cited 11 other companies for more than $180,000 in restitution and penalties for various violations.

           

            AG Healey is committed to protecting the economic security of Massachusetts residents, particularly vulnerable workers.These cases were handled by AG Healey’s Fair Labor Division, which is responsible for enforcing the laws regulating the payment of wages, including prevailing wage, minimum wage and overtime laws.

            Workers who believe that their rights have been violated in their workplace are encouraged to call the Office’s Fair Labor Hotline at (617) 727-3465. More information about the state’s wage and hour laws is also available in multiple languages at the Attorney General's Workplace Rights website www.massworkrights.com.

House Passes Balanced FY17 Budget with Focus on Local Aid, Fiscal Responsibility

House Passes Balanced FY17 Budget with Focus on Local Aid, Fiscal Responsibility

Prioritizes initiatives to benefit the Commonwealth’s children and most vulnerable residents

BOSTON - The Massachusetts House of Representatives today passed its FY17 budget which aims to provide opportunities for all residents through investments in multiple areas including local aid, enhanced support for early education and care (EEC), and programs to help those battling addiction and homelessness.

The spending bill, approximately $39.5 billion, highlights the House’s ongoing commitment to balancing fiscal prudence with targeted social service investments, a practice that has resulted in Massachusetts retaining its AA+ bond rating, the highest in the state’s history. The budget includes no new taxes or fees and reduces the Commonwealth’s reliance on one-time revenue sources. For the second year in a row, it does not withdraw any funds from the stabilization fund.

 “Through fiscally responsibility and thoughtful, forward-looking investments this budget supports citizens of all backgrounds, particularly the most vulnerable among us,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop). “I am particularly proud of our investments in early education and care, elder affairs and substance addiction programs. I thank Chairman Dempsey, the House Ways & Means Committee and the members of the House for their outstanding work on this budget.”

"This budget reflects the shared priorities and values of the Members and the constituents they represent,” said Representative Brian S. Dempsey, Chair of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means (D-Haverhill). “We are able to balance fiscally responsible decision making while making unprecedented investments in education and local aid. This budget ensures that we maintain the high quality services and programs that help our neediest citizens and continues to prioritize necessary funding increases to meet the challenges of substance abuse and homelessness."

“The House of Representatives has crafted a balanced and responsible state budget that invests in our communities by increasing education and local aid accounts which benefit each of our cities and towns,” said Representative Stephen Kulik, Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means (D-Worthington).  Again this year, we have focused attention on programs that address the opioid crisis in our communities through innovative approaches to treatment and education.  I am grateful for the input and collaboration from all House members who continue to prioritize fiscal stability and building economic growth and opportunity throughout our Commonwealth.”

The budget extends the House’s longstanding reputation as a champion of municipalities. With increases in both local education funding and Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA), this budget raises local aid by $159 million from FY16. It provides $55 in per-pupil-aid, more than doubling last year’s expenditure, and fully funds Special Education Circuit Breaker.

Recognizing the immense impact that high-quality EEC has on the lives of our residents – both children and adults – the budget makes targeted investments to support the EEC workforce while expanding access to high-quality programming. EEC investments include a $15 million rate reserve, continued support for expanding pre-kindergarten opportunities, and $2M to ensure access to quality EEC programming.

The budget also provides $18.6 million for Kindergarten Expansion Grants.

For the fifth year in a row, this budget increases funding for community colleges, state universities and UMass. It also provides:

-       $96.6 million for a state scholarship program which benefits Massachusetts residents attending both private and public colleges;

-       $4.75 million for the STEM Starter Academy, a House-created initiative for community college students which has shown notable early success;

-       $1.7M to support inclusive higher education learning opportunities for students with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 22 years.

Recognizing that education and economic development are intrinsically paired, the budget enhances the House’s focus on bolstering job opportunities for residents of all skillsets in diverse regions of the Commonwealth through programs including:

-       Invests $2 million in the Big Data Innovation and Workforce Fund, to promote the big data and analytics industries, provide tools for related career development and explore how analytics can help address problems of public concern;

-       MassCAN: $1.7 million to establish and enhance widespread, progressive computer science curriculum in public school through a public-private matching program;

-       Provides $2 million for technical grants for small business;

-       Provides $3 million in grants for an urban competitive grant program;

-       Talent Pipeline: $1.5 million to encourage young innovators to get a head start on their futures by matching stipends for interns at innovation start-ups, and to provide mentoring opportunities for new entrepreneurs;

-       Continues to fund the Massachusetts Manufacturing Partnership, a program that continues to show results in closing the skills gap, and provides $1.5 million for the precision manufacturing workforce development fund.

Since FY12, the Legislature has increased funding for substance addiction services by more than 65% and passed two landmark bills to help address this public health epidemic. This year’s budget makes notable investments for behavioral health, including new funding of more than $28 million for the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services and $13 million for the Department of Mental Health. These investments include:

-       $2 million for 46 new transitional support services beds, boosting the state’s capacity by more than 13 percent;

-       $2 million for new supportive case management services that will benefit 500 families;

-       Funding for 45 substance addiction treatment beds at Taunton State Hospital;

-       $1.5 million to expand district attorney trafficking and heroin diversion programs;

-       A $3 million pilot for Medication Assisted Therapy in emergency rooms.

In additional to behavioral health and substance addiction initiatives, the House’s budget features numerous provisions to support Massachusetts’ most vulnerable citizens including: 

-       Increases the Department of Children & Families’ budget by more than $23 million. A portion of this funding will support new and recently hired employees;

-       Increases the Department of Developmental Services’ budget by $45 million;

-       Boosts funding for Family Respite Services to assist an addition 3,000;

-       Provides more than $30 million for domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and treatment programs;

-       Increases the Councils on Aging formula grant to $10 per individual, per year.

The House has a longstanding history of enacting effective programs to combat homelessness. As of March 31, 2016, Massachusetts’ shelter population fell below 4,000 for the first time since August of 2013; and the number of families in hotels and motels has dropped by more than 1,500. This year the House continues to enhance its efforts by:

-       Providing more than $155 million for the Emergency Assistance Family Shelter Program;

-       Since FY10 funding for the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP) has increased by more than 300%. This year MRVP is funded at $100 million which will result in 375 new vouchers;

-       Funding the HomeBASE program at $31.9 million.

MassHealth remains the largest expense in the Commonwealth’s budget. Notably, this legislation contains MassHealth spending growth to 5 percent from FY16 while maintaining member benefits and eligibility. It provides the Health Safety Net with a $15 million transfer and institutes a five-year Delivery System Reform Incentive Program to maximize federal funding as the state moves toward an accountable-care-organization model of health care delivery.

The budget will now go to the Senate.