UMass Memorial Health/Road To Care Mobile Clinic, in collaboration with UMass Chan Medical School, the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, the Reliant Foundation, and RIZE Massachusetts, is proud to announce a free Continued Medical Education (CME) conference on September 23, 2024 for providers to fulfill new federal training requirements and improve access to opioid use disorder treatment in the region.

This daylong training session, “Transforming Care: Harm Reduction, Overdose Prevention and Management of Opioid Use Disorder,” gives providers from different health systems and private practices the opportunity to immerse themselves in a comprehensive learning experience led by experts in the field. The conference can be attended in person or remotely.

“We are pleased to partner on this training opportunity that will equip providers with the latest tools to tackle the overdose epidemic and increase the number of individuals who will benefit from expanded access to opioid use disorder treatment in the region,” said Dr. Amie Shei, President and CEO of The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts.

This is the third CME conference supported by the Health Foundation, Reliant Foundation, and RIZE Massachusetts, which have collectively invested over $150,000 in grant funding to enhance prescriber education and treatment options in primary care settings throughout Central Massachusetts. This initiative aims to dismantle barriers to treatment access, particularly in underserved rural areas. Previous sessions have seen strong participation, drawing over 160 doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners from diverse specialties. 

“This training session is essential to increasing regional access to opioid use disorder treatment for those who need it most,” said Dr. Kavita Babu, Medical Director of Community Benefits at UMass Memorial Medical Center and Professor of Emergency Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School. “Continued education on harm reduction, SUD treatment, and alternative pain management strategies plays a pivotal role in improving care for individuals with opioid use disorder.”

The training opportunities follow passage of the federal Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act, which mandates a minimum of eight hours of training for DEA-registered providers in pain management, prescribing practices, and addiction treatment. This legislation aims to standardize substance use disorder training and integrate these practices into primary care settings.

The conference will take place on September 23, 2024, from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, located at 99 Erdman Way, Leominster, MA 01453. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Project ECHO

In addition, the Road to Care Mobile Clinic team is offering a remote learning opportunity through Project ECHO. This program will cover the fundamentals of managing patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) and will include feedback and expert guidance on patient cases. Sessions will be held every other Thursday from 12 to 1 pm, beginning September 5 and running through November 8. This ECHO initiative is made possible by the generous support of RIZE, an independent nonprofit foundation dedicated to funding and developing solutions to end the overdose crisis in Massachusetts.

Register for the in-person or remote Fall 2024 CME conference and remote Project ECHO.

About UMass Memorial Health

UMass Memorial Health is the largest not-for-profit health care system in Central Massachusetts with 17,000 employees and 2,100 physicians. Our comprehensive system includes UMass Memorial Medical Center, UMass Memorial Health – Harrington, UMass Memorial Health – Health Alliance-Clinton Hospital, UMass Memorial Health – Marlborough Hospital, UMass Memorial Health – Community Healthlink, and UMass Memorial Medical Group. We are the clinical partner of UMass Chan Medical School. For more information, visit www.ummhealth.org.

About UMass Chan Medical School 

UMass Chan Medical School, one of five campuses of the University of Massachusetts system, comprises the T.H. Chan School of Medicine, the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School and MassBiologics. At UMass Chan, we are advancing together to improve the health and wellness of our diverse communities throughout Massachusetts and across the world by leading and innovating in education, research, health care delivery and public service. UMass Chan is ranked among the best medical schools in the nation for primary care education and biomedical research by U.S, News and World Report. Learn more at: www.umassmed.edu.

About The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts

The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts is dedicated to improving the health of those who live or work in Central Massachusetts, with particular emphasis on vulnerable populations and unmet needs. Through its unique and impactful approach to grantmaking, The Health Foundation supports community-identified health issues, with health defined broadly to include social determinants of health and with a focus on promoting health equity. As a health conversion foundation launched in 1999 following the sale of the not-for-profit HMO Central Massachusetts Health Care Inc., The Health Foundation’s grants have totaled over $57 million to more than 230 unique organizations over its history. For more information, visit: thfcm.org.

About Reliant Foundation

Established in 1988, Reliant Foundation is an independent public charity, not affiliated with any health care facility or medical group, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of individuals of all ages in the Central and MetroWest regions of Massachusetts. As a 501(c)3 charity, the Foundation offers grants to non-profit organizations within its service area for the purpose of supporting programs that battle critical community health issues like substance use, and children’s mental health. Our charity partners work with thousands of individuals in our community to provide life-saving recovery coaching, mental health and behavioral health services, and impactful education and initiatives to reduce the stigma around these issues. For more information, please visit www.reliantfoundation.org.

About RIZE Massachusetts

RIZE Massachusetts is solely dedicated to funding and creating solutions to end the overdose crisis. Guided by those with lived experience and unafraid of new ideas, RIZE is building networks, designing programming, and supporting community partners who are using novel approaches to preventing overdose and increasing access to treatment. Learn more at www.rizema.org.