Massachusetts Medical Society

10/09/2026

Unionized nurses and Brigham and Women’s Hospital management failed to reach a deal after more than 11 hours of negotiations, leaving a strike scheduled for next week still on the table, the Massachusetts Nurses Association said late Thursday. Nurses at Brigham, one of Mass General Brigham’s two flagship hospitals, said they came to the bargaining session prepared to make some concessions in order to avert the impending open-ended strike. By the end of the evening, the health system “refused to continue discussions,” the union said in a statement. The parties will not meet to continue negotiations on Friday. The nearly 4,000 nurses represented by the Brigham union are set to walk off the job on Oct. 14 for an indefinite strike. They are prepared to forgo paychecks and Brigham’s contributions to their health insurance premiums. https://bit.ly/4j9LViR

Unionized nurses and Brigham and Women’s Hospital management failed to reach a deal after more than 11 hours of negotiations Thursday.

10/09/2026

Can a sidewalk lead to policy change?

For third-year medical student Ellis Barrera, noticing elderly neighbors sitting on sidewalks because of a lack of public benches became a lesson in the power of physician advocacy.

Read about Barrera’s experience, along with perspectives from other physicians, on advocacy beyond the exam room, in our latest Vital Signs issue: https://bit.ly/4i3QYQN

10/08/2026

A few more photos from last week's 2026 Networking and Awards Dinner, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, where we honored several winners of the 2026 MMS Awards.

- Photo 1: Dr. Elisa Choi, 2026 recipient of the Woman Physician Leadership Award, with MMS President-Elect Dr. Mary Beth Miotto

- Photo 2: Dr. Amy Fitzpatrick, winner of the 2026 Women's Health Award, with MMS Immediate Past President Dr. Olivia Liao

- Photo 3: Dr. Priscilla Slanetz, 2026 winner of the Women's Health Research Award, with Dr. Geunwon Kim Sun, Chair of the MMS Committee on Women's Health

Nominations for the 2027 MMS Awards are now open. Learn more here: https://www.massmed.org/awards/

10/07/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for a great evening at last week's 2026 Women in Medicine Networking and Awards Dinner, Women Who Are Wayfinders. Dr. Nicole Christian-Brathwaite presented the keynote talk "More Than a Seat at the Table: Creating Spaces Where Women and Girls of Color Are Seen, Safe, and Successful." The Annual Awards and Networking Event celebrates the achievements of the MMS women physician members, and was sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine.

First photo (left-to-right) Priscilla J. Slanetz, MD, MPH, (Women’s Health Research Award Recipient); Elisa Choi, MD, MACP, FIDSA, FAMWA, (Woman Physician Leadership Award Recipient); Amy L. Fitzpatrick, MD, MS, (Women’s Health Award Recipient); Mary Beth Miotto, MD, MMS President-Elect; Karen Adler, MD, Chair, Women Physicians Section; Geunwon Kim Sun, MD, PhD, Chair, Committee on Women’s Health; and Nicole Christian-Braithwaite, MD, keynote speaker.

10/07/2026

What’s shaping medicine beyond the exam room?

The latest issue of Vital Signs explores the forces influencing physicians’ careers, practices, and professional lives, from advocacy and leadership to international medical graduates, compensation, and financial planning.

Read the latest issue of Vital Signs at https://www.massmed.org/vitalsigns/

10/07/2026

Join us in congratulating Dr. Lauren Stern, who has been honored with the MMS' 2026 Grant V. Rodkey, MD, Award for Outstanding Contributions to Medical Education!

Dr. Stern is heavily involved in medical student and resident education, currently serving as a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in Nephrology at Boston University School of Medicine, as the Director of the Integrated Renal Physiology and Pathophysiology (PISCES) course for first year medical students, and as a Field Specific Advisor for 4th-year medical students who are applying for residencies in Internal Medicine.

A nephrologist, Dr. Stern is also the Medical Director of Boston Medical Center's Home Dialysis Program and has served on several committees through the American Society of Nephrology.

The MMS is currently accepting nominations for the 2027 Grant V. Rodkey, MD, Award through Dec. 7. Nominations for this award must come from medical student members of the MMS or be co-sponsored by medical student members of the MMS.

Learn more: https://www.massmed.org/awards/

10/05/2026

Primary care physicians are often the steady presence in a health care system that can feel increasingly complicated and disconnected.

During National Primary Care Week, we recognize our MMS members and primary care physicians across Massachusetts who build lasting relationships, guide patients through difficult decisions, and help them feel seen, heard, and supported.

Thank you for being at the core of patient care and for bringing your experience and leadership to the MMS physician community.

10/05/2026

We're excited to recognize Dr. Priscilla J. Slanetz as the 2026 winner of the MMS' Women's Health Research Award. Dr. Slanetz is a practicing radiologist, clinical researcher and medical educator who serves as an adjunct professor at Boston University's Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Dr. Slanetz's extensive research has focused on topics such as the evaluation of new imaging modalities in the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of , including specific interests in MRI, digital breast tomosynthesis, contrast-enhanced mammography, and artificial intelligence.

Dr. Slanetz was honored in person at last week's 2026 Networking and Awards Dinner sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine.

Nominations are open for the 2027 Women's Health Research Award. The deadline for nominations is Dec. 7. Learn more here: https://www.massmed.org/awards/

10/05/2026

The nurses at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, one of the region’s busiest medical centers, will go on strike Oct. 14, union officials said Friday. The strike will be open-ended, meaning it’s unclear how long the 4,000 staff nurses would leave their jobs. This would be their second strike of the year. In July, nurses held a one-day strike, and hospital officials locked them out for four additional days while using temporary workers to care for patients. Since then, union and hospital officials met only a couple times before reaching a bargaining impasse, according to people involved in the negotiations. “No nurse or health care professional ever goes into this profession wanting to strike and leave their patients,” said Sarah Bessuille, a Brigham nurse and secretary of the Massachusetts Nurses Association. “It's absolutely devastating to us.”

The strike will be open-ended, meaning it’s unclear how long the 4,000 staff nurses would leave their jobs. This would be their second strike of the year.

10/05/2026

Boston Children’s Hospital has received $10 million to support its construction of a new pediatric psychiatric campus in Brighton, officials said. The donation from Bank of America will go toward the $640 million hospital at Franciscan Children’s campus. The new space will offer inpatient, outpatient, and rehabilitation services at a larger scale and in a reimagined facility compared to the current campus, hospital representatives said. The construction comes at a time of rising mental and behavioral health issues among children, studies show. The bank’s gift will be pooled with the project’s capital funds, and the bank’s name will be emblazoned on a rooftop play area. The announcement comes almost a year after a historic $100 million donation to jumpstart the project from Quincy billionaire philanthropists Rob and Karen Hale. It was the largest gift in the hospital’s history. The first building is expected to break ground on Oct. 8 and open in 2029.

The donation will go toward building a future $640 million hospital in Brighton at the Franciscan Children's campus.