Massachusetts Governor's Newsletter September 2026
In this Issue:
- Governor's Welcome
- Finance Report
- Advocacy Update from your MA Chapter Health and Public Policy Committee
- 2026 Massachusetts Annual Meeting
- Opportunities for Involvement
Lauren Doctoroff, MD, MBA, FACP, ACP Governor
Governor's Welcome
I hope that everyone has enjoyed their summers and is getting back into the schedules of fall, with school, foliage peeping, and of course our Annual Scientific Meeting. Our planning committee has been busy at work preparing a rich educational offering for our members, from trainees to retirees, on October 24.
The National ACP Organization has also been going through transitions, with the retirement last spring of Executive Vice President Darilyn Moyer and the hiring of a new leader, Leroi Hicks. I look forward to working with Dr. Hicks and inviting him to one of our chapter meetings in the future.
As fall begins, our committees are starting to plan activities for the year. As noted in the bottom of this newsletter, please reach out if you are interested in the public policy committee, our health equity committee, the Early Career Council, or have other ideas of how you would like to contribute to the strength and growth of the chapter. My virtual door is open!
I am pleased to announce that our chapter has received the Gold Level of the 2026 Chapter Excellence Award! The award recognizes truly extraordinary chapters that surpass excellence in chapter management. I would like to extend a special thanks to our Immediate Past Governor, Dr. Judith Melin, and all of the chapter volunteers who assisted us in all of these endeavors! We received this reward as a result of their hard work and dedication.
Finally, one of our most important civic duties, as both physicians and members of society, is to vote. For those of us who are able, please take the time this November to cast your ballot. I know that our schedules can make it challenging to make it to the polls, but take advantage of early and absentee voting if you need. Remember that voting is one of our key powers to make our voices heard.
Sincerely,
Lauren
Finance Report
The Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Physicians ended the fiscal year in a strong financial position, with revenues exceeding expenses and producing a positive operating result. Membership dues remained the Chapter's primary source of revenue. Interest income also made a meaningful contribution, reflecting the success of the Chapter's initiative over the past two years to invest a portion of its reserves in certificates of deposit.
Advocacy Update from your MA Chapter Health and Public Policy Committee
Dr. Hemal Sampat & Dr. Sunny Kung, Co-Chairs
We would like to provide an update on the status of the bills for which we advocated on Advocacy Day last March.
H.2554 - The bill eliminating non-medical exemptions to vaccines successfully passed both the Joint Committee on Public Health and the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing and was advanced to the House Committee on Ways and Means. This is the furthest this legislation has ever gotten. Unfortunately, it did not advance further before the end of the legislative cycle. However, we are optimistic that it will be reintroduced in the next legislative cycle, and we will continue to advocate strongly for it.
Primary Care Reform – Both the House and the Senate passed separate bills to address primary care reform. House passed unanimously 158-0. The next step is for the House and Senate to renegotiate the two separate bills to create a single bill, This will hopefully happen in the fall, with a final vote in both chambers for this new bill and signing into law by Dec 2026.
PROTECT Act – This bill was signed into law by Governor Healey on 8/5/26. Specifically, the PROTECT Act focuses on protecting patient access to care and limiting immigration enforcement in healthcare settings. It prohibits warrantless civil immigration arrests by ICE at healthcare facilities, requires healthcare organizations to adopt standardized protocols for responding to interactions with ICE, and directs the state to issue multilingual guidance outlining patients' civil rights and institutional responsibilities. Outside of healthcare, the legislation restricts 287(g) agreements so that state and local law enforcement cannot assist with civil immigration enforcement or share certain non-public information with ICE. The bill also strengthens language access and due process protections for people in immigration detention, including translated medical and intake materials and improved access to legal counsel.
2026 Massachusetts Annual Meeting
We are excited to see you at this year's chapter meeting on Saturday, October 24th. Register now to reserve your spot.
We are hosting a sock drive at the Annual Scientific Meeting. Please bring new white sox with you to the meeting to donate.
Opportunities for Involvement
MA Chapter Council of Early Career Physicians
The Council exists to support the professional growth and quality of life of early career physicians across Massachusetts, encourage engagement in ACP activities, and make sure early career perspectives are represented in every chapter discussion.
As a member, you'll help shape programming for early career physicians — and enjoy some chances to connect socially along the way.
To join our council, complete this short questionnaire.
MA Chapter Health Equity Committee
The Health Equity Committee held several webinars in their “Navigating Medicine” series and will be making plans for the upcoming year this fall. If you are interested in participating, please fill out this short questionnaire.
MA Chapter Health and Public Policy Committee
Are there healthcare issues that come up in your practice or in the news that you wish you could do something about? Are you interested in government and public policy? We invite you to join the Massachusetts Chapter Health and Public Policy Committee.
HPPC advocates for issues in medicine and patient care, from prescription drug costs to telehealth to vaccines to the drug overdose crisis. We meet with legislators at our annual Advocacy Day at the State House, participate in coalitions dedicated to a variety of issues, and advocate for our patients by making our voices heard.
If you are interested in joining our committee, please fill out this questionnaire by Wednesday, September 2, 2026. We look forward to seeing your application.
If you would like to learn about additional opportunities with the MA Chapter, please contact our Chapter Administrator at 781-434-7317 or via email to maacp2@mms.org