News Briefs

CHA Renames Obstetrics and Gynecology Centers

Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) Women’s Health Centers have a new name. All three centers in Cambridge, Somerville and Revere are now called CHA Obstetrics and Gynecology Centers. 

CHA Obstetrics and Gynecology Centers focus on providing safe and equitable gynecological, reproductive health as well as prenatal and postnatal care. “We care about all of our patients, every day,” said Kate Harney, MD, CHA’s chief of obstetrics and gynecology. 

In 2021, CHA’s Labor, Delivery and Postpartum services were named among the top 100 in the country by Newsweek magazine. This recognition, along with a Leapfrog A grade and distinguished awards from the Lown Institute for Value of Care, Health Equity, Cost Efficiency, Inclusivity and more, demonstrate the high quality Obstetrics & Gynecology care patients receive at CHA.

“One of the important reasons we were added to the list of best maternity services in the country is our commitment to equity,” said Dr. Harney. “The department prioritizes removing barriers to care and by changing our name, we’re making our centers more inclusive, especially for transgender and gender diverse patients.”

MVES Offers Virtual Healthy Aging Workshop on Health Eating 

Mystic Valley Elder Services (MVES) will present a FREE Virtual Healthy Aging workshop series called My Life; My Health: Healthy Eating for Successful Living, offered on Mondays, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm from January 24 to March 7, 2022 (no class February 21).  Throughout the series, you’ll learn more about how nutrition, physical activity and lifestyle changes can promote better health. This virtual workshop series focuses on heart- and bone-healthy nutrition strategies to help maintain or improve wellness and prevent chronic disease development or progression in older adults. Healthy Eating uses the USDA’s MyPlate as a framework.

Mystic Valley Elder Services works with our neighbors in Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Revere, Stoneham, Wakefield, and Winthrop.

Learn how to connect virtually thru a Zoom platform and take the classes from the comfort of your home. Class size is limited so reserve your spot today. To register, or if you have any questions about the program, contact Donna Covelle at [email protected] or call 781-388-4867.

Celebrating 45 Years of helping older adults keep their independence, Mystic Valley Elder Services is a non-profit agency located in Malden, Mass., that provides essential home- and community-based care and resources to older adults, adults living with disabilities, and caregivers who reside in Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Revere, Stoneham, Wakefield and Winthrop, regardless of their income level. Agency services include coordination of home care, transportation, Meals on Wheels, and information and referrals. For more information, please call (781) 324-7705 or visit www.mves.org.  

Winter Weather Advisory: Check CO Alarms and Keep Vents Clear of Snow

With the season’s first significant snow, State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey reminded residents to test their carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and keep dryer, furnace, and other exhaust vents clear of snow.

“Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of fatal poisoning, and home heating equipment is the primary source of carbon monoxide in the home,” State Fire Marshal Ostroskey said. “As part of your storm planning, check your CO alarms to be sure they’re working properly, and if an alarm is more than five to seven years old, replace it.”

Residents should also be sure to keep outside vents clear of falling, drifting, or shoveled snow. In January 2005, 7-year-old Nicole Garofalo died when a heating vent was blocked by snow drifts outside, allowing carbon monoxide to accumulate inside her Plymouth home. This tragedy led toNicole’s Law, which requires CO alarms on every habitable level of a Massachusetts residence.

“Fuel-fired heating appliances like dryers, furnaces, boilers, and fireplaces are all sources of carbon monoxide,” State Fire Marshal Ostroskey said. “If the vent or flue is blocked, this poisonous gas can reach deadly levels inside the home. Know where the vents on your home are, be sure to clear them when shoveling, and be careful not to blow snow onto them if using a snowblower.”

Massachusetts fire departments reported nearly 18,000 CO incidents in 2020, officials said, and 92% were in residential settings. The poison gas can cause headache, fatigue, dizziness, and/or nausea at lower concentrations and death at higher concentrations. Exposure while asleep is particularly dangerous.

“We can’t see, smell, or taste carbon monoxide, but we can detect it with working CO alarms,” State Fire Marshal Ostroskey said. “If your alarm sounds, get outside and call 9-1-1.”

For more information on carbon monoxide and CO alarms, visit the DFS website.

FEMA Awards More Than $14.6 Million to Massachusetts for COVID PPE Expenses

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be granting more than $14.6 million to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to reimburse the costs of purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE) for use during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

The $14,659,688 in Public Assistance grants will go to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to reimburse it for purchasing nitrile gloves, hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes, N95 disposable respirators, disposable face masks, non-surgical isolation gowns, medical goggles and hand sanitizing wipes for healthcare workers, patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection, and first responders.

In total, EOHHS received and managed the distribution of emergency materials and equipment on behalf of over 250 state agencies, group homes, congregate facilities, and essential healthcare facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes.

“FEMA is pleased to be able to assist Massachusetts with these costs,” said FEMA Region I Acting Regional Administrator Paul Ford. “Providing resources for our partners on the front lines of the pandemic fight is critical to their success, and our success as a nation.”

FEMA’s Public Assistance program is an essential source of funding for states and communities recovering from a federally declared disaster or emergency.

So far, FEMA has provided almost $835 million in Public Assistance grants to Massachusetts to reimburse the commonwealth for pandemic-related expenses.

Additional information about FEMA’s Public Assistance program is available at https://www.fema.gov/public- assistance-local-state-tribal-and-non-profit. To learn more about the COVID-19 response in Massachusetts, please visit https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4496

Shoveling today? Remember the Mailbox

It takes more than a few flakes to deter letter carriers from making their appointed rounds throughout New England. “But, if they cannot reach your mailbox, they cannot deliver your mail,” said David Guiney, Postmaster of Boston.

“The Postal Service treats safety and service with equal priority,” Guiney said, “That’s why we remind you to include that mailbox in your snow removal routine.”

Letter carriers are on the front line of severe weather conditions. Doorstep deliveries, painted porches and steps quickly grow hazardous. â€œWhile salting and rubber-backed mats help, we rely on you to clear the snow,” Guiney said. “If there’s a warm spell, and the melting snow puddles, a quick freeze can make a sidewalk slick again.”

Residents who receive delivery to roadside mailboxes also must keep the approach to, and exit from, the mailbox clear of snow or any other obstacles, like trash cans and other vehicles. “The carrier needs to get in, and then out, without leaving the vehicle or backing up,” said Guiney. “The area near the mailbox should be cleared in a half-moon shape to give the carrier full visibility.”

“Please watch for slow-moving postal vehicles, carriers on foot, and children that play near mailboxes or snow banks,” he said. “And don’t zip by neighbors who are clearing mailboxes or collecting their mail. Let’s all stay safe.”

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.