WORCESTER MEDICINE
President’s Message
Editorial Continued
the safe disposal of unused medications. As Dr. Anna Morin reports, numerous studies have documented the presence of medications or their metabolites in not only wastewater but also in streams, rivers, lakes, and public water supplies in the United States. Although present in small concentrations, the chemicals have been shown to have a deleterious impact on exposed flora and fauna. Ms. Emily Gentile, a third-year medical student at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), describes her awakening to the disproportionate impact of climate change on the inhabitants of third world countries. She writes, “…the populations who are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change (have) made the least contributions to the drivers of climate change.” Thus, she reasonably argues that both a medical and a social justice imperative exists to address climate change with urgency. Heartening indeed are the initiatives which she and other medical students have launched at UMMS and beyond. Don’t think that individual organizations can have a hefty impact on climate change? Well, prepare to be awestruck by Ms. Suzanne Wood, who reports that the University of Massachusetts Medical School has had a sustainability program since 2004 and who details the school’s innovative programs which have yielded dazzling reductions in energy and resource utilization. For example, Ms. Wood writes, “…even though the UMMS campus has grown by several million square feet of built space in the past 15 years, energy use per-square-foot of building space has dropped almost thirty percent.” Not surprisingly, UMMS has garnered national recognition for its sustainability programs. Congressman Jim McGovern outlines the political challenges to moving forward with sufficient action to mitigate impact of climate change, so thoughtfully presented by other contributors to this issue of Worcester Medicine. Equally important, Congressman McGovern offers a sense of “optimism and possibility” regarding the challenges ahead, and he reminds us that “we must act, individually and collectively, with the urgency and scale the climate crisis demands” in order to “reclaim our climate future.” Given the magnitude of the threat to our planet and the well-being of future generations, how can we do otherwise? + Anthony L. Esposito, M.D., F. A.C.P. Hospital Epidemiologist, Saint Vincent Hospital Professor of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Spiro Spanakis, D.O. President, WDMS
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reetings from the wdms office at
Mechanics Hall. As you read the second issue of 2021 of Worcester Medicine, I wanted to thank Dr. Hugh Silk for serving as the first guest editor of the previous issue. Moving forward, we will be inviting guest editors for each issue. If you have interest in serving as a guest editor for a subsequent issue, please contact the office. As I thumbed through the last issue of our magazine on oral health, I recalled how many patients I cared for who required dental extractions under anesthesia prior to major surgeries. Not only did poor oral health serve as a post-operative risk to the patient but it had also potentially contributed to the need for surgical intervention. These cases serve as a reminder of how important it is to consider the patient as a whole when providing care. I want to thank Dr. Anthony L. Esposito for serving as a guest editor of this issue on the effects of climate change on our patients. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, I am encouraged by the progress of public vaccination campaigns. The district Society’s officers, staff, and membership have been busy continuing the work of the Society. We are planning virtual events for the foreseeable future. Please stay tuned for updates. +
upcoming events
March 24, 2021 6:30 pm Virtual Meeting
Local Physician Panel on Vaccination Roll-Out
March 30, 2021 6:30 pm Virtual Meeting
WDMS Talent Show In Honor of Doctor’s Day
April 28, 2021 6:30 pm Virtual Meeting
Annual Business Meeting Awards Ceremony & 25/50 Year Anniversary Members
speaker Madeline Ryan, PhD Librarian/Archivist, Worcester Historical Museum title Medicine for Madness: The Rise and Fall of Moral Treatment at the Worcester State Hospital
May 27, 2021 6:30 pm Virtual Meeting
Women In Medicine Leadership Forum
speaker Dr. Heather Lipkind title From Burnout to Thriving: One Physicians Bundle for Personal Resilience
MARCH / APRIL 2021
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