Page 32 - Healthcare News Jan/Feb 2022

Study Links Contraceptive Methods, Early Menopause
AMHERST — The long-term use of oral contraceptives and certain methods of tubal ligation (TL) were associated with lower levels of a biomarker for ovarian aging, sug- gesting an increased risk for early menopause, according to preliminary research by UMass Amherst epidemiolo- gists.
Using data from the landmark Nurses’ Health Study
II, among the largest investigations into the risk factors for chronic diseases in women, researchers at the UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences ex- amined the association of oral contraceptive use and tubal ligation with antimüllerian hormone (AMH).
The study’s results, published in the journal Meno- pause, were “intriguing,” according to lead author Chris- tine Langton, who conducted the research as part of her Ph.D. dissertation.
“We’re one of the larger studies to have looked at both of these contraceptive methods at the same time,” said Langton, now a post-doctoral researcher at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. “We feel we’re contributing to the story, and to the literature,
though nothing we did was definitive. This is a piece of the puzzle.”
Women who experience menopause before the age of 45, defined as early menopause, are at greater risk for car- diovascular disease, osteoporosis, and dementia, among other health conditions. Oral contraceptives change hormone levels and prevent ovulation, tubal ligation may affect blood supply to the ovaries, and certain methods
of the procedure may damage the ovary and surround- ing neural tissue, noted the researchers, including senior author Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson, professor of Epidemi- ology and Langton’s mentor.
“Recently, AMH has become an established marker for the timing of menopause and was found to be strongly associated with the risk of early menopause,” the paper states. “Yet, the association of reproductive and lifestyle factors with AMH levels remains unclear.”
The team zeroed in on a subset of 1,420 premenopausal women in the Nurses’ Health Study prospective cohort who had provided a blood sample between 1996 and 1999. A history of their oral contraceptive use and tubal ligation
began in 1989 and was updated every two years until their blood was collected.
“Women who reported that their [tubal ligation] procedure included the use of a clip, ring, or band had significantly lower AMH levels compared to women who never had a TL procedure,” the researchers write.
One limit of this finding is the relatively small number of women reporting the type of tubal ligation, Langton added.
When it came to oral contraceptives, “we saw a significant inverse association — the longer the use of oral contraceptives, the lower the AMH levels were,” she noted. “That particular finding was a little surprising to us because it didn’t completely align with what we saw when we looked at oral contraceptives and early menopause in the larger cohort” of more than 115,000 women.
Even after adjusting for related factors including BMI, smoking, alcohol, number of pregnancies, and breastfeed- ing, the inverse association between oral contraceptive use and AMH levels remained significant. “We think further research is warranted,” Langton said.
Berkshire Health Systems, Berkshire Healthcare Systems Collaborate
PITTSFIELD — Berkshire Health Systems (BHS)
and Berkshire Healthcare Systems (BHCS) announced
a structural reorganization between the two entities that will enhance opportunities for strategic collaboration and conclude a long-standing shared-services management agreement between the two nonprofit organizations.
BHCS was established under BHS sponsorship in 1987, with the mission of providing high-quality services to individuals needing short-term rehabilitation and long- term care. BHCS operates a variety of skilled-nursing and rehabilitation facilities, assisted-living facilities, and other senior housing and hospice care services in Berkshire County as well as across Massachusetts.
A management-services arrangement through a BHS affiliate known as BHS Management Services (BHSMS) allowed BHCS to share in the health system’s administra- tive strengths and efficiencies. The two organizations, each with their own governing boards, recently concluded that BHCS has independent capabilities strong and com-
prehensive enough to no longer benefit from additional administrative support of BHSMS.
“BHS and BHCS are proud of all we have jointly ac- complished to provide high-quality care to so many of our region’s most vulnerable residents for more than 30 years,” said David Phelps, president and CEO of BHS. “As our organizational relationship evolves, we are looking forward to focusing on specific clinical collaborations to effectively support the health and well-being of the com- munities we serve.”
BHS and BHCS have effectively partnered in numer- ous clinical areas, from behavioral health to respiratory programs to antibiotic stewardship.
“This transition will allow both entities to more closely focus on their respective missions and areas of expertise, working together when it will best serve the community,” Phelps said. “For Berkshire Health Systems, that means delivering excellent clinical services to patients in Berk- shire County across the full spectrum of care. Berkshire
Healthcare Systems, in turn, will continue to provide out- standing long-term care to not only residents of Berkshire County in collaboration with BHS, but throughout the state.”
To complete this transition, each BHCS staff member now employed by BHSMS will be offered the opportu- nity to continue in their current roles, although under an employment arrangement with a BHCS entity, effective Feb. 1, 2022.
“We will continue to strategically coordinate patient transitions and care opportunities between BHS and BHCS facilities in the Berkshires to ensure that everyone receives the best care possible,” said William Jones, presi- dent of Berkshire Healthcare Systems.
“We will also continue our close working relationships with the Berkshire community organizations and local governments that have been our faithful partners for decades.”
State Awards $13.5 Million for COVID-19 Vaccine-equity Efforts
BOSTON — The Baker-Polito administration an- nounced $13.5 million to support community organiza- tions working in the cities and towns hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the Massachusetts Vaccine Equity Initiative to increase awareness, acceptance, and access to the COVID-19 vaccine. These latest grants are part of the administration’s investment of more than $46.5 million to address vaccine hesitancy.
With these funds, community organizations continue the work of reducing barriers to vaccine access and promoting primary vaccines and boosters for communi- ties and populations most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
“These trusted, community-based organizations and
leaders know their communities and neighborhoods best,” acting Department of Public Health Commissioner Mar- gret Cooke said. “These organizations expand and amplify the efforts of our Vaccine Equity Initiative by helping ad- dress the immediate and long-term health-equity needs in priority communities — needs that have been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”
The $13.5 million includes:
• $10.65 million to launch the Massachusetts Commu- nity Health Workers for Resilient Communities program. Ten organizations in nine priority communities have been awarded three-year grants to support community health workers in clinical-care settings and support local boards of health in increasing COVID-19 vaccination efforts;
• $2.2 million to extend current outreach and education funding to 45 community- and faith-based organizations, which will continue hosting and promoting vaccine clinics in the 20 Massachusetts communities most impacted by COVID-19. Funded organizations will also engage fami- lies and children to support pediatric vaccinations; and
• $675,000 has to nine community organizations to sup- port a new COVID-19 vaccine-equity program to support the unique needs of rural communities.
The grants are the result of three major funding awards from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion to Massachusetts, building on the Commonwealth’s investment to increase vaccine awareness and acceptance in communities hardest-hit by COVID-19.
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