Boston Medical Center Press Releases
Incarceration Associated with Increased Mortality Rates Among Black Individuals
BOSTON – A new study led by researchers at Boston Medical Center shows that Black individuals who were incarcerated experience higher mortality rates post-incarceration compared to non-Hispanic non-Black individuals who were incarcerated. Examining a national cohort that was followed over nearly four decades, the analysis identified that following incarceration, Black individuals had a statistically significant 65 percent increase in mortality whereas no statistically significant association was observed for non-Black individuals. Published online in JAMA Network Open, the researchers signal that these results may impact the disparities in life expectancy between Black and non-Black individuals in the United States.
Vital Village Networks Selects 14 Emerging Leaders for Inaugural Community Food Systems Fellowship
Boston, MA – Vital Village Networks (VVN), a network of residents and organizations committed to maximizing child, family, and community well-being at Boston Medical Center, is working to promote community-ownership of local food systems by increasing opportunities for local leaders to build capacity, skills and networks to strengthen these efforts.
Boston Medical Center Awarded Magnet® Recognition for Nursing Excellence
Boston Medical Center Awarded Magnet® Recognition for Nursing Excellence
New Study Finds COVID-19 Pandemic Exacerbated Anxiety and Depression in Racial and Ethnic Minority Children
BOSTON – New research has determined that the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased depression, anxiety and social risks among urban, racial, and ethnic minority children aged five to 11 years old compared to the prior six months. Led by researchers at Boston Medical Center, study findings show that a reduction in school assignment completion, increased screen time, and caregiver depression are all significantly associated with worse mid-pandemic mental health in children.
Pharmacy Standing Orders Increased the Dispensing of Naloxone to Reverse Opioid Overdoses in Massachusetts
Boston – Quantities of naloxone and the number of pharmacies dispensing the prescription medication that reverses opioid overdoses both increased due to the statewide naloxone standing order (NSO) in Massachusetts, according to new research led by Boston Medical Center.
BMC Pediatrics Residents Receive National Recognition for Health Equity Grand Rounds
Boston - A group of resident physician leaders at Boston Medical Center (BMC) have been recognized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for incorporating health equity into graduate medical education programming. Granted to pediatrics residents from BMC and Boston Children’s Hospital’s Boston Combined Residency Program (BCRP) Urban Health and Advocacy Track (UHAT), the prestigious 2022 David C. Leach Award is being given in recognition for the Health Equity Rounds curriculum that addresses the impact of racism and bias on clinical care.
Boston Medical Center Health System Launches Health Equity Accelerator to Close Disparities in Healthcare
BOSTON – Boston Medical Center Health System (BMCHS) has created a new Health Equity Accelerator to focus on closing the deepest, most pervasive health care gaps among people of different races and ethnicities.
Unstable Housing, Homelessness Associated with COVID-19 Re-infection
Unstable Housing, Homelessness Associated with COVID-19 Re-infection
Advanced Imaging May Not Be Necessary to Screen Stroke Patients for Mechanical Thrombectomy
Boston – Results of an international study show no significant benefits to using advanced imaging instead of routine imaging procedures when determining whether stroke patients with a large vessel occlusion at the base of their brain should undergo a mechanical thrombectomy. Led by researchers at Boston Medical Center, the data showed patients screened for mechanical thrombectomy eligibility using non-contrast computed tomography (CT) had similar outcomes to the patients who had advanced imaging modalities, such as CT perfusion (CTP) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Published in JAMA Neurology, these findings indicate that the more-widely available non-contrast CT imaging can be used to more quickly screen patients for eligibility to undergo the procedure.
Car crash deaths involving cannabis increasing and more likely to involve alcohol
New research indicates that between 2000 and 2018, the percentage of car crash deaths in the United States involving cannabis have doubled, and the percentage of deaths involving both cannabis and alcohol, have more than doubled. Researchers from Boston Medical Center, Boston University, and University of Victoria found people who died in crashes involving cannabis had 50 percent greater odds of also having alcohol in their system. Published in the American Journal of Public Health, these results suggest that as states have loosened cannabis policies, cannabis and alcohol have increasingly been used together when driving.
Mother-to-child HIV transmission lower in infants with high antibody function levels
The antibody function known as antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) is associated with protection against HIV in infants, according to new research from Boston Medical Center. Data from the study show that infants with high levels of ADCC against their mother’s strain of HIV are less likely to get HIV through breast milk and have lower rates of morbidity and death even without antiretroviral therapy.
Boston Firearm Violence Higher in Areas that were Redlined in 1930s
Boston – New study results show areas of Boston that experienced redlining in the 1930s currently have higher rates of firearm violence compared to areas that were not redlined. Led by researchers at Boston Medical Center, the study demonstrates that structural racism in the form of redlining has led to these increased rates in large part due to high rates of poverty, low educational attainment, and low homeownership rates. Published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, the researchers highlight the need to better understand other factors at play in redlined areas in order to develop targeted interventions to reduce firearm violence.
Study Finds Birth Outside the U.S. Less Protective for Black Women Against Poor Perinatal Outcomes
Black women, infants face highest risk during and after pregnancy
Boston Medical Center Appoints Justin Williams as Vice President and Chief Development Officer
Justin Williams has been named Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Boston Medical Center (BMC), overseeing philanthropy at New England’s largest safety net hospital.
Christian Arbelaez Appointed Chief of Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical Center
Christian Arbelaez, MD, MPH is the new Chief of Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).
New Form of Gene Editing Efficient for Treatment of AATD, Liver and Lung Disease
BOSTON – New research results show that a new form of gene editing is efficient in correcting a mutation in patient cells with the monogenic disease Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), a common inherited disease that affects the liver and the lungs. This new approach, called base editing, is different from other forms of editing including CRISPR, because the base editors do not induce a break in the DNA, which helps prevent double strand breaks, potential off-target editing, and unwanted mutations during cell repair.
Two Thirds of Women Don’t Meet Criteria to Discontinue Cervical Cancer Screening
BOSTON - Current guidelines recommend stopping cervical cancer screening at age 65, but women over age 65 make up over one in five new cervical cancer diagnoses, and are twice as likely to die after a cervical cancer diagnosis compared to younger women. New research from Boston Medical Center found that fewer than one in three women aged 64 to 66 met the criteria to discontinue cervical cancer screening while looking at patients with both private insurance and from a safety-net hospital setting. Published in Gynecologic Oncology, researchers found that even among women with 10 years of continuous insurance coverage, 41.5 percent did not qualify to end screening and most women did not receive adequate screening in the ten years leading up to this important screening decision.
Back Pain Shows Association with Increased Mortality Risk in Women
BOSTON – New research from Boston Medical Center identifies elevated mortality risk for women with back pain when compared to women without back pain. Back pain was not associated with mortality among men indicating long-term consequences of back pain may differ by sex. The overall findings suggest that mild back pain (pain that does not keep a person from exercising or doing daily activities) is unlikely to impact the length of one’s life, but risk of mortality was increased among adults with more severe back pain. Published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, this new study raises the question of whether better management of back-related pain and disability, over time, may extend life.
Significant Decline in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Hospitalizations for Neurological Emergencies Due to COVID-19
New research led by investigators from Boston Medical Center and Grady Memorial Hospital demonstrates the significant decline in hospitalizations for neurological emergencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rate of Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) - bleeding in the space between the brain and the tissue covering the brain - hospitalizations declined 22.5 percent during the study period, which is consistent with the other reported decreases in emergencies such as stroke or heart attacks.
BMC Launches App to Help Providers Treat Patients with Opioid Use Disorder
Boston – Boston Medical Center has developed a first of its kind app to help providers deliver evidence-based addiction treatment. The app, BMC MAT, which can be downloaded free of charge now in the Apple iTunes store and Google play, provides guidelines and resources to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) with medication (buprenorphine or naltrexone) in office-based settings.
NFL Stars & Twin Brothers Devin and Jason McCourty Join Boston Medical Center Health System Boards
Boston – Boston Medical Center Health System (BMCHS) today announced that Devin McCourty is joining the Boston Medical Center (BMC) Hospital Board and Jason McCourty is joining the BMC Philanthropic Trust. The McCourty’s have both had distinguished careers in the National Football League, most recently as defensive teammates on the New England Patriots for the past three seasons, but off the field, they have been a driving force behind efforts focused on healthcare, youth development and social justice.
Recuperation Unit Decreased Hospitalizations of Homeless Individuals with COVID-19
Boston – A new study shows that providing a non-acute care space after hospital discharge for patients with COVID-19 who are experiencing homelessness helped reduce hospitalizations and keep inpatient beds available for those requiring acute care. Published in JAMA Network Open and led by researchers at Boston Medical Center’s (BMC) Grayken Center for Addiction, the study demonstrates the importance of developing innovative approaches to tackle issues facing people experiencing homelessness, including their inability to isolate, in order to mitigate additional COVID-19 exposure while simultaneously alleviating the strain on hospitals during surge situations.
Boston Medical Center Appoints Sadiqa Kendi to Division Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine
BOSTON - Boston Medical Center (BMC) has named Sadiqa Kendi, MD as division chief of pediatric emergency medicine. Kendi, an AOA graduate of the Yale School of Medicine, will also have an academic appointment at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM).
Principles of Care Established for Young Adults with Substance Use Disorders
Boston – A national group of pediatric addiction medicine experts have released newly-established principles of care for young adults with substance use disorder. Led by the Grayken Center for Addiction at Boston Medical Center, the collection of peer-reviewed papers was developed to guide providers on how to treat young adults with substance use disorder given their age-specific needs, as well as elevate national discussions on addressing these challenges more systematically.
