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New Year's Update from the Mongan Institute
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Reflections from the Director:Glass half empty or half full?
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The last couple of years have been marked by extraordinary changes and transitions--- in our society, in the environment, in public health, and for many of us, in our work and personal lives. With the new year upon us, it’s natural to take stock of losses and gains and ask: Is the glass half empty or half full? But maybe…. this is the wrong question. Years ago, when this question was asked, my nephew John responded in a way that was characteristic of his different way of seeing things as a highly creative person and perhaps with the perspective of someone living with a major mental illness: “Maybe” he suggested, “it’s the wrong glass”.
As we take stock of losses, gains, challenges, and opportunities over 2022 and look forward to the coming year, what is the container that we choose in measuring our quality of life, our meaning, our relationships, our success, and our impact? What is “the right glass”?
Viewed through the lens of conventional metrics and social media this question would be answered by tallying gains in social status, position, possessions, and recognition by others. For those of us in the research world, worth is commonly measured by amount of grant funding, numbers of articles, and “impact factor” reflecting the number of citations by others of a given article. For many early-stage researchers still reeling from the many consequences of COVID-19 and struggling to achieve a reasonable work-life balance, these metrics can seem daunting, and at times, demoralizing.
But perhaps the far more important and meaningful “glass” contains our core values, our core mission, and our commitment to embrace compassion and perseverance as we seek to genuinely improve the lives of others with complex needs, and those who are most challenged and marginalized. This, in many ways was the courageous life that my nephew John led until he tragically succumbed to his struggles with the demons of mental illness and addiction.
Finding the “right glass” is up to each of us—and continually evaluating “what” and not “how much” it contains, perhaps is the far better question. It is in this spirit and reflection that I recognize with gratitude our researchers, our trainees, our staff, and leaders at the Mongan Institute, as we collectively pursue our core mission to make a real difference in improving health, health care, and health equity. Sincere best wishes for a meaningful, fulfilling, and successful new year!
- Steve Bartels, MD, MS
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Mongan Institute Blumenthal Grand Rounds Lecture
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| On December 8, 2022, we hosted the annual Mongan Institute Blumenthal Grand Rounds Lecture. The featured speaker was David Blumenthal, MD, the Inaugural Director of the MGH Institute for Health Policy (now the Mongan Institute). Dr. Blumenthal gave a brilliant lecture titled, “Reflections on the Past Decade of Health Care in America: Coverage, Covid, Conservatism, and Equity,” in which he discussed the trends he has witnessed within the American health care system throughout his time as the President of the Commonwealth Fund. This event was timely as the Mongan Institute was able to honor Dr. Blumenthal before he steps down as the President of the Fund in 2023.
Leadership Transition: Mongan Disparities Solutions Center founder and current Senior Vice President for Equity and Community Health at Massachusetts General Hospital, Joseph Betancourt, MD will be succeeding Dr. David Blumenthal as the 8th President of the Commonwealth Fund.
Read press release: Commonwealth Fund Names Joseph R. Betancourt, M.D., as Its Next President
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Ingrid Bassett, MD, MPH named Co-Director for the Harvard University Center for AIDS Research
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| The Mongan Institute is thrilled to announce that Medical Practice Evaluation Center Co-Director, Ingrid Bassett, MD, MPH, has been selected to serve as Co-Director for the Harvard University Center for AIDS Research (HU CFAR). Dr. Bassett has been an active member of HU CFAR leadership for many years, serving as Director for Mentoring from 2013 through 2016, and in 2016, she became Director for the Developmental & Mentoring Core, a position she held until 2021. Dr. Bassett will begin in her new position as Co-Director on January 9, 2023.
The Harvard University Center for AIDS Research (HU CFAR) provides research, education and training opportunities to HU CFAR members across Harvard University and its affiliates through services that are in direct response to member needs. The mission of the HU CFAR is to expand, promote and facilitate collaborative innovative multidisciplinary activities in HIV/AIDS research in order to bring an end to the epidemic. The goals of the HU CFAR have resulted from twenty-five years of commitment to AIDS research, education, and patient care. Areas of study by NIH-funded HU CFAR investigators include molecular virology, pathogenesis, host immune responses, epidemiology, treatment, vaccines and prevention.
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2022 Innovator Award from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation
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| Chana Sacks, MD, MPH, co-director, MGH Center for Gun Violence Prevention, clinician investigator, Division of Internal Medicine, received the 2022 Innovator Award from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation. Sacks and her team will create a multimedia education resource called “Sleep Superheroes” with the funding received. “Sleep Superheroes” will be used to assist with healthy sleep and relaxation among youth impacted by gun violence. Congratulations Chana!
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Certificate Course: Reducing Racial Disparities in Health Care
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| In partnership with the Disparities Solutions Center at MGH, Harvard is offering an online course: Reducing Racial Disparities in Health Care. Applications are now open until February 27th. To learn more and apply, click here.
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Selected Recent Publications
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Below are examples of selected high impact publications recently published by Mongan Institute investigators.
- Prevalence of undiagnosed HIV among children in South Africa, Côte d'Ivoire and Zimbabwe: a model-based analysis to inform paediatric HIV screening programmes. McCann NC, Stanic T, Penazzato M, Flanagan CF, Abrams EJ, Dugdale CM, Johnson LF, Neilan AM, Davies MA, Freedberg KA, Fassinou P, Doherty M, Essajee S, Mushavi A, Soeteman DI, Ciaranello AL. J Int AIDS Soc. 2022 Dec;25(12):e26045. doi: 10.1002/jia2.26045. PMID: 36519674 Free PMC article.
- The benefits of care: treated HIV infection and health-related quality of life among older-aged people in Uganda. Quach LT, Ritchie CS, Tsai AC, Reynolds Z, Paul R, Seeley J, Tong Y, Hoeppner S, Okello S, Nakasujja N, Olivieri-Mui B, Saylor D, Greene M, Asiimwe S, Siedner MJ. Aging Ment Health. 2022 Dec 12:1-7. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2022.2150143. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36503332
- Diet Quality and Risk of Older-Onset Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. Khalili H, Hakansson N, Casey K, Lopes E, Ludvigsson JF, Chan AT, Chan SSM, Olen O, Wolk A. J Crohns Colitis. 2022 Dec 15:jjac184. doi: 10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjac184. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 36521021
- Best practices to reduce COVID-19 in group homes for individuals with serious mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities: Protocol for a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation cluster randomized trial. Levison JH, Krane D, Donelan K, Aschbrenner K, Trieu HD, Chau C, Wilson A, Oreskovic NM, Irwin K, Iezzoni LI, Xie H, Samuels R, Silverman P, Batson J, Fathi A, Gamse S, Holland S, Wolfe J, Shellenberger K, Cella E, Bird B, Skotko BG, Bartels S. Contemp Clin Trials. 2022 Dec 17:107053. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.107053. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36539061 Free PMC article.
- A longitudinal study of risk factors for sexual victimization in Puerto Rican youth. Fong HF, Alvarez K, Cruz-Gonzalez M, Canino G, Bird HR, Alegría M. Acad Pediatr. 2022 Dec 27:S1876-2859(22)00631-3. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.12.003. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36584936
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| Examples from Mongan Science Minute
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The Mongan Science Minute is our new social media initiative designed to better communicate the extraordinary research that is being published by Mongan Institute leaders, faculty and investigators.
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Please visit our website to stay updated on all open positions at the Mongan Institute and our centers/programs. To apply, visit the MGH Careers website and search the job number listed.
- Senior Data Analyst - 3209899
The Mongan Institute in the Department of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital is seeking a full time Senior Data Analyst to manage its Data Management and Analytic Program. Reporting to and working closely with the Institute Director and Administrative Director, the candidate will lead the development of a new Data Management and Analytics Program (DMAP) that will support the Institute’s 13 research centers and programs. Once established, the program will offer a range of data management and analysis services, including statistical and study design consultation, research protocol development, web-based survey development, data management plans, analysis and interpretation of data, and assistance in presenting and disseminating results.
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