President's Message

Giles Whalen, MD President, WDMS

Dear Colleagues,

We are blessed that the scourge of COVID has abated – at least, the more life-threatening infectious aspects of that scourge. However, here in Worcester, and across the Commonwealth, a mental health crisis — particularly in children and adolescents — has accelerated as part of the fallout of this pandemic. The reasons for it are many, but the human consequences are appalling, and effective solutions are not so obvious or not so immediately at hand. Worcester District Medical Society has addressed the urgency of this problem at our legislative breakfast this spring with our state representatives and senators, and is committed to working with all parties to find solutions which can be practically brought to bear in as timely a fashion as possible. This particular issue of Worcester Medicine, which is so ably curated and edited by Dr. Lloyd Fisher, suggests that many solutions may well lie outside the realm of clinical medicine, away from hospital beds, emergency rooms, and medications. It admirably addresses some of the ways that we might think anew to ease this problem. In our medical world, summer is the time of new beginnings: new students, new residents, and new graduates. Everyone moves up eager for the challenges of a new start. We are grateful for this new start Dr. Fischer has provided us here, and confident in the wisdom of our concerned community who want to address this problem. Have a great summer. You may expect to hear more about what we are doing in this arena. +