MILFORD/METROWEST DAILY NEWS
Pitch, report and write accurate, timely and in-depth stories every week about Massachusetts legislature, covering maternal health care, behavioral health, opioid overdose and other health-related policy and bills.
MARKEY, OTHERS WANT EXPANDED METHADONE ACCESS
Nov, 2023
Sen. Ed Markey proposed to empower board-certified addiction medicine physicians to prescribe methadone and allow local pharmacies to dispense it to patients. But some say such measures could backfire, resulting in methadone diversion, misuse and overdose.
MASS. HEALTH CARE ACTIVISTS PUSH FOR MORE EQUITY IN BILL
Sept, 2023
Health equity advocates are urging lawmakers to advance a comprehensive health equity bill to overcome racial disparities in the health care system.
DOES YOUR DOCTOR DISMISS YOUR CONCERNS? IF YOU'RE A WOMAN OR MINORITY, YOU'RE NOT ALONE
May, 2023
When Kira, of Southborough, decided to undergo surgery to remove her fallopian tubes, she encountered a "subtle dismissive" response from her local obstetrician-gynecologist.
The story originally appeared on Milford Daily News and was picked up by USA Today as well.
MORE THAN 16,000 FATAL OPIOID OVERDOSES IN MASS. SINCE 2012. WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?
April, 2023
It’s all personal. No matter what kind of chronic pain they suffer from, or what kind of darkness they experience from trauma, fear, anxiety or depression, people sometimes choose to use substances for a quick escape from life's harsh realities.
NEWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY CUT THIS DISABILITY AWARENESS PROGRAM IN FISCAL 2024
April, 2023
NEWTON — A disability awareness curriculum that helps students understand disability in a holistic way faces termination in the next academic year in Newton due to a $5 million school budget deficit.
MASS. GAMING PANEL OKS MORE STRINGENT AD POLICIES FOR SPORTS BETTING. IS IT ENOUGH?
April 2023
In response to recent proposals from Attorney General Andrea Campbell, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has voted to add new rules and incorporate language changes to its advertising regulations.
STATE'S VERSION OF MEDICAID IS REDETERMINING THE ELIGIBILITY OF EVERY MEMBER
March 2023
As MassHealth redetermines eligibility for its members throughout the state, local hospitals and community care centers are working to inform and educate the public about the renewal process.
LAUNCH OF ONLINE BETTING CREATES PUSH FOR 'PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH' FOR GAMBLING ADDICTION
March 2023
The first three days of mobile sports betting in Massachusetts attracted over 400,000 people and created 8.1 million geolocation transactions.
WILL THIS BE THE YEAR THAT MEDICAL AID IN DYING BECOMES LAW IN MASSACHUSETTS?
February 2023
When community activists Bev Baccelli and Liz DiCarlo saw loved ones painfully gasping for breath while waiting to die, they started to think about options to end the suffering.
GREATER MILFORD GETS BIG INVESTMENTS AS PART OF STATE'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ROLLOUT
February, 2023
After a soft launch earlier this year, Riverside Community Care is ready to showcase its new community behavioral health center to address mental health and substance use challenges for MassHealth members.
MASS. REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE ADVOCATES ARE CALLING FOR COMPREHENSIVE MATERNAL CARE
February, 2023
Reproductive justice advocates are calling on lawmakers to pass legislation that ensures all individuals have access to comprehensive reproductive care after the tragedy of a Duxbury mother charged with strangling her three children at home last month.
GREATER MILFORD LAWMAKERS SPELL OUT PRIORITIES FOR NEW LEGISLATIVE SESSION
January 2023
Bills focusing on education, health care and energy are among the top priorities cited by Greater Milford lawmakers at the beginning of the new two-year session of the state Legislature.