State Hosts Hearing on Health Care Cost Trends From COVID-19

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BOSTON — The Massachusetts Health Policy Commission (HPC) will host the 2020 Annual Health Care Cost Trends Hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020.

The hearing, a public event at which policymakers and health care stakeholders convene to discuss challenges and oppor­tunities in improving health care in the Commonwealth, will be available live on the HPC’s YouTube channel. The virtual event will focus on examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health care system and residents of the Commonwealth and discussing considerations for the future. More information on the hearing, including a registration link, program booklet, and full agenda, can be found here.

The hearing will feature pre-recorded remarks from Governor Charlie Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey, which will be posted on the HPC’s website after the hearing.
 
Dr. David R. Williams, a social scientist focused on social influences of health, will be the keynote speaker. He is the Florence Sprague Norman and Laura Smart Norman Professor of Public Health, Chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and a Professor of African and African American Studies and Sociology at Harvard University.
 
The hearing will feature a video presentation highlighting the voices of those throughout the Commonwealth who have been most impacted by the pandemic. The video will be posted on the HPC’s website after the hearing. 
 
The hearing will include two hour-long panels featuring health care leaders and clinicians with a range of perspectives and experiences on the impact of COVD-19.
 
Discussion Panel 1 - 10:15 AM
  • Dr. Damian Archer, Chief Medical Officer, North Shore Community Health Center
  • Dr. Thea James, Vice President of Mission & Associate Chief Medical Officer, Boston Medical Center
  • Dr. Steven Strongwater, President and CEO, Atrius Health
  • Ms. Deborah Wilson, President & CEO, Lawrence General Hospital
Discussion Panel 2 - 11:15 AM
  • Dr. Madeline Aviles-Hernandez, Outpatient Services Director, Gándara Center
  • Mr. Andrew Dreyfuss, President and CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
  • Dr. Shari Nethersole, Executive Director of Community Health, Boston Children’s Hospital
  • Dr. Thomas Sequist, Chief Patient Experience and Equity Officer, Mass General Brigham

 

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Pittsfield ZBA Member Recognized for 40 Years of Service

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Albert Ingegni III tells the council about how his father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo who died at age 94 in 2020, enjoyed his many years serving the city and told Ingegni to do the same. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — It's not every day that a citizen is recognized for decades of service to a local board — except for Tuesday.

Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.

"It's not every day that you get to stand before the City Council in honor of a Pittsfield citizen who has dedicated 40 years of his life serving on a board or commission," he said.

"As we say that, I know that there are many people that want to serve on boards and commissions and this office will take any resume that there is and evaluate each person but tonight, we're here to honor Albert Ingegni."

The honoree is currently chair of the ZBA, which handles applicants who are appealing a decision or asking for a variance.

Ingegni said he was thinking on the ride over about his late father-in-law, former Mayor Remo Del Gallo, who told him to "enjoy every moment of it because it goes really quickly."

"He was right," he said. "Thank you all."

The council accepted $18,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation and a  $310,060 from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All program.

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