October 15, 2023 • 24 mins
Amie Shei, PHD and CEO of the Health Foundation of Central MA, talks with Mike about drinking water safety and health equity.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
The following broadcast is paid for byWhat's at Risk. HI. This is
Mike Christian with What's at Risk thisweek. In our first segment, I'll
be talking with Amy Shay, CEOof the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts.
Our second segment features Will Austin ofthe Boston Schools Fund. This is What's
(00:22):
at Risk with Mike Christian on WBZ, Boston's News Radio. Amy Shay,
PhD is President and CEO of theHealth Foundation of Central Massachusetts. Doctor sha
joined the foundation in twenty sixteen andplays a leading role in its grant making
(00:44):
and advocacy efforts aimed at improving healthand promoting health equity. She currently serves
on the board of directors of Healthcarefor All and the Worcester Regional Research Bureau.
Her research and writing have been publishedby very media outlets, including The
Boston Business Journal, Commonwealth Magazine,Health Affairs, Public Health Reports, and
(01:07):
The Boston Globe. The Health Foundationof Central Massachusetts is dedicated to improving the
health of those who live or workin Central Massachusetts, with particular emphasis on
vulnerable populations and unmet needs. Throughits unique and impactful approach to grant making,
(01:29):
the Foundation supports community identified health issues, with health defined broadly to include
social determinants of health and with afocus on promoting health equity. Launched in
nineteen ninety nine, the Foundation's grantshave totaled over fifty two million to more
than two hundred unique organizations over itshistory. Oh machine, well, oh
(01:53):
machinewell. Hello, everybody. We'respeaking with Amy Shay, President and CEO
of the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. Amy, maybe a good place to
start would be for you to tellus a little bit about your background and
how you got to where you aretoday and what you're doing as the president
and CEO there. Sure, thankyou for having me. I've been in
(02:16):
Massachusetts for most of my life.Grew up in Eastern Massachusetts and went to
college in Western Massachusetts. Went backto the Boston area after college for work
and graduate school. I have aPhD in health policy, and after that
worked in consulting for a number ofyears. I was really looking for an
(02:38):
opportunity to have a greater impact onmy community and to have my work have
a greater impact on public health andhealth policy, and was really thrilled to
have the opportunity to come to theHealth Foundation of Central Massachusetts working to improve
the health of those who live orwork in Central Massachusetts. The foundation's mission
(03:00):
is to improve the health of thosewho live in work in Central Massachusetts,
but with a particular emphasis on vulnerablepopulations. Can you maybe expand on that
a little bit? Sure, werecognize that there are particular populations that have
been overlooked and that disproportionately are impactedby systemic inequities, and so we have
(03:27):
made an intentional effort to ensure thatour grant making is able to address the
health of those populations. How longhas the foundation been along around? We
will actually celebrate our twenty fifth anniversarynext year. Oh nice. We're founded
in nineteen ninety nine. Who wasthe founder and what was the inspiration for
(03:49):
establishing it? We are what isknown as a health conversion foundation. So
this foundation was created when a nonfor profit HMO Central Massachusets Healthcare was sold
to a for profit entity. Andthe government requires that when these types of
sales happen, that the proceeds areset aside to benefit the community. So
(04:13):
that is our history. There area number of health conversion foundations across Massachusetts.
Hundreds of health conversion foundations across thecountry. We all have a different
geographic focus and different approach to grantmaking, but that is our history here
in central mass So over five hundredthousand Massachusetts residents rely on well water for
(04:35):
drinking and this is from a recentpoll that I think you actually went out
and stimulated, right, the polewas put together by your organization, yet,
and so it finds that there arestrong support for efforts to improve the
quality and safety of private well drinkingwater. Can you tell the listeners a
little bit about that? Sure?The Health Foundation commissioned this pole, which
(05:00):
was actually conducted by the mass IncPolling Group. This is part of one
of our major grants, the PrivateWell Program to Protect Public Health, which
is led by our nonprofit partner artCAAP Solutions. And over the course of
this project, which began in twentytwenty, we came to the realization that
(05:21):
over half a million Massachusetts residents relyon private wells for drinking water. Yet
it is an unregulated drinking water source. So for those a listener who live
in urban areas or even suburban areas, they're generally connected to public water infrastructure
(05:41):
which is regulated by the state alsothe federal government as well under the Safe
Drinking Water Act to ensure that thedrinking water is safe to consume. Unfortunately,
those same protections do not apply toprivate well owners across the state.
It really is an overlooked issue thatmany don't understand. And if you think
about water contamination and what health issuescould emanate from a private well, what
(06:06):
are just an example of some examplesof some of that. There are potential
immediate health impacts. For example,if somebody drinks water contaminated with ecoli,
they could feel gi distress, andwe have heard stories about that. Some
of the other health impacts are longerterm. They may not be felt immediately,
(06:27):
but the culmination of these contaminants overtime can have adverse health effects.
Some of these contaminants are carcinogens.For example, many listeners have probably heard
about pfasts, the forever chemicals whichare prevalented throughout our lives and our drinking
water and the various consumer products thatwe purchase, and then there's no mandate
(06:50):
for testing this water and it's andwell as I assumer more often in rural
areas, that'd be correct, Yes, that is correct. Of private wells
are especially prevalent in central and WesternMassachusetts also on the cape. But really
you can find private wells across thestate in many different types of communities.
(07:12):
What brought this to light? Howwas it the study that you did,
or was it something that's been sortof percolating for a while and came up
with your awareness of it. Wereally have our grantee, our CAP Solutions
to thank for raising this issue.Our approach to grant making is responsive.
We do not define priority areas.We really look to nonprofits within central Massachusetts
(07:36):
to identify pressing health issues and topropose strategies for how to address those health
issues. So this is an issuethat our Cap Solutions brought to our attention.
To be honest, it had notbeen on our radar prior to that.
I think most people assume that ina state like Massachusetts, drinking water
must be safe, especially in arural area where when you look outside it's
(08:00):
very bucolic. You just assume thatthe air and the water are clean.
And of course a lot of thewells are in places that were probably previously
manufacturing areas, and so there couldbe chemicals that have creeped into the water
over time. I assume, yes, yes, there could be chemicals from
manufacturing, for example. Recent studieshave found that communities with firefighting academies or
(08:26):
close to airports have pfast contamination forexample. But there are also a number
of naturally occurring contaminants due to thegeology and due to other environmental reasons.
And these could include ecoli and otherforms of bacteria, also arsenic, uranium,
radon. These are all naturally occurringcontaminants. Right. Are there documented
(08:52):
cases of people getting sick from wellwater? We've heard many anecdotes just from
our work of individuals. Sometimes individualsand family members have unknown or undiagnosed health
issues and they can't quite pinpoint thereason, and then they test their private
well water and discover very high ratesof uranium, for example, or raidon,
(09:18):
and that information actually helps the doctorsto figure out, you know,
the root cause of some of thesehealth issues. I think I read and
maybe it was in your report,that maybe only of these wells are tested
on a regular basis. Is thatcorrect? Yes, there's a big testing
gap. Again. I think manypeople assume that drinking water in Massachusetts is
(09:45):
safe without actually testing and knowing forsure that it is safe. So there
is a lot of education that isnecessary to make sure people understand the importance
of routine testing to make sure thattheir water is safe and continues to be
safe as time goes on, becauseyou know, with different weather patterns and
(10:05):
different industries that may be moving inand out of various areas, water quality
may change over time. Just becauseat one point in time it's safe doesn't
mean it will always be safe.Yeah. And then coming from the report
that you commissioned, it seems there'sa pretty large public support for actually having
some sort of regulated testing of thesewells, right, Yes, Yes,
(10:28):
we were thrilled with the results.The poll found that near unanimous support that
all Massachusetts residents or have access tosafe drinking water, that state government should
play a role in ensuring that allresidents have access to safe drinking water,
and for the legislation that we've beensupporting. Very strong support for that as
(10:54):
well across all demographics and party affiliationsas well. And is there a bill
now in the Massachusetts legislation to movethis along. Yes, there is an
act promoting drinking water quality for all. We're very grateful that Senator Jamie Eldridge,
Representative Smitty Pignatelli and Representative Dan Senahave sponsored that legislation and we just
(11:18):
had a hearing last week. Andwhat would the process be for that?
I just asked to public assume there'sa public caring for it, and all
the usual stuff that you have withthe bill. Right, Yes, many
steps, So that was the Iguess first official step. There was a
hearing in front of the Joint Committeefor Environment and Natural Resources. We're now
(11:39):
awaiting report from the committee. Weare hopeful that the committee will report the
bill favorably out of committee and promptlyso that we can move forward with next
steps in this process. The longerwe wait, the longer people continue to
unknowingly drink contaminated water. Right,and then, what would be the positive
(12:03):
consequence of a bill if it's passedin the legislation and becomes a law or
at least a regulation. Is itit require testing on a regular basis,
at least when somebody sells a house, I think, and maybe some other
some other aspects to it. Also, Yes, the details themselves will be
developed in coornation with Massachusetts Environment Departmentof Environmental Protection mass to EP with stakeholder
(12:31):
input. There will be a periodof public comment we expect that this will
follow the same approach to Title five, which is the State Environmental Code to
ensure that septic systems are working properlyso that they do not harm the environment
and also harm public health. Somost likely testing would be required upon transfer
(12:56):
of property. So it's not asthough this bill would pass and all of
a sudden overnight, every body wouldhave to run out and test their water
and put in treatment systems. Thisis something that would be rolled out over
time, and as properties are transferredhomes are sold, that really is an
opportune time for a new home buyerto understand if the water is safe to
(13:16):
drink and if something does need tobe installed at that point of time,
it's a negotiation between the buyer andseller as to who would cover that.
So that's how we expect this willwork out over time. Do you think
there'd be funding available for remediation,maybe for low income families or people that
couldn't afford the remediation. Yes,so that is a top priority for us.
(13:39):
So this bill actually includes a provisionthat would expand an existing state revolving
loan fund to help low income homeowners, so there would be very low interest
loans to help homeowners with this,and relative to the cost of having to
maintain and remediate septic system, thecosts for private wells are actually very modest.
(14:05):
I think I read in that reportand it was almost not necessarily core
to this topic, but that gatewaycities often have lower water quality than other
cities in Massachusetts, and maybe youcan for our listeners maybe explain what a
gateway city is first and then addressthe question. Sure, So, gateway
(14:26):
cities refer to cities across Massachusetts formerindustrial cities that are often struggling these days
because those industries have since left andno new industries or major employers have replaced
those former industrial employers in those areas. So an example here in central Massachusetts
(14:52):
would be Worcester, also Fitchburg withinour service area. The Pole did on
lower perception of water quality in thesecommunities, So it's not that they in
fact have worse water quality and gatewaycommunities, it's the perception that the residents
(15:13):
living there perceive that their water isless safe, and that could be a
number of different factors, but itis a very interesting finding. Yeah,
but the testing would be consistent acrossthe state in terms of finding chemicals or
impurities within the water. So itwouldn't be a different code or different standard
(15:35):
in a gateway city than in othercities, right, correct. And that's
what we're hoping to achieve with privatewells too, is just to level the
playing field and ensure that there isa basic floor in terms of the minimum
standards. I think many people probablyrecall the incident in Flint, Michigan a
(15:56):
number of years ago when the localwater supply and Flint was changed during a
financial crisis and over one hundred thousandpeople were exposed to lead. And we
would not want individual municipalities in Massachusettsgateway cities, for example, or Boston
(16:17):
to have to figure out their owntesting requirements and treatment plans, for them
to decide whether they have the fundingand resources to ensure that the water is
safe to drink. We want thereto be sort of minimum standards that give
everybody confidence that their water is safe. And do you feel I know,
(16:37):
and I wouldn't hold you to it, because I know you're not necessarily an
expert on water quality, but wouldyou For our listeners, should they be
concerned about the quality of their waterand contamination or is it something that it
should be wary if they have aprivate well, probably, But in terms
of city water, is it generallysafe in Massachusetts? I would say so,
(17:00):
And again it's because there are stateand federal requirements that these local water
supplies, these public water supplies mustcomply with, and so residents who are
connected to a public water system,they should be receiving routine reports, and
I would encourage them to actually readthe reports and understand what is in their
(17:22):
water and what sort of treatment hasbeen put in place. And it is
part of the fee that people paywhen they pay for their water. I
think the annual water bill for residentsin sort of the Boston areas about seven
hundred dollars a year on average,and so part of that goes towards the
(17:45):
routine maintenance and testing for the publicwater infrastructure. And I wanted to just
change the topic a little bit becauseI know you're focused on the whole gamemative
health in your foundation. Health equityadvocates are urging lawmakers to advance a comprehensive
(18:06):
health equity bill to overcome racial disparitiesin the healthcare system. Maybe I'll ask
you first and for our listeners,what exactly is health equity. Health equity
is the idea that everybody has theopportunity to reach their highest level of health.
And so this bill or this urgingyou know what the legislation may look
(18:30):
at, what does that encompass,and what precipitated it. This bill really
came together with the leadership of theHealth Equity Compact, which is a group
of over eighty leaders of color inMassachusetts representing a diverse array of industries and
sectors including healthcare institutions and hospital systems, insurers, community health centers, philanthropy,
(18:57):
public health. As leaders have cometogether over the past few years to
develop this comprehensive bill that really takesthe first bold step to advance health equity
in Massachusetts. The previous wave ofhealthcare reform in Massachusetts was really focused on
(19:18):
health insurance coverage and it became anational model for health reform. And so
we're hoping that this work to advancehealth equity in Massachusetts can also become a
model for other efforts across the country. And what would be some of the
aspects of it, access and fairnessin terms of treatment assistance from a cost
(19:41):
standpoint. Of those elements of it, yes, yes, all of those
and much more. It is avery comprehensive bill tackling some of the key
aspects that are needed to advance healthequity. It proposes a new Secretary of
Equity, for example, to reallyelevate that role in the importance of equity
(20:03):
in Massachusetts. There are provisions relatedto the reporting of data related to health
equity so we can better understand andtrack how we're doing over time. So
in terms of equity for certain populationsin Massachusetts, what are the barriers for
them? Cost? I'm sure isone of them. But is it education?
(20:26):
Is it just being able to finda facility not go to an emergency
room, which I know where alot of people go for the first first
instance of care. What are thebarriers there to health equity? Yes,
all of the barriers you mentioned andmore. For us here in central mass
we have the perspective of working withboth urban communities such as Worcester and Fitchburg,
(20:52):
but also some very rural communities whereaccess, the physical access is a
real barrier. Having transportation to getto the nearest hospital or to get to
your primary care provider is a realbarrier. So one of our other major
projects. In addition to our privatewells work is a rural transportation project that's
(21:12):
aimed at developing a new model thatcan be replicated and sustained over time.
Now, you're a foundation, sothat means you're often giving grants or providing
funding to other nonprofit size soon.Is that correct? Yes, that's correct,
but they would be mostly focused inthe health area. What would be
(21:33):
some of the examples of that.We define health very broadly, and many
of our grants actually focused on addressingthe social determinants of health, So the
upstream factors such as transportation, suchas education and housing that impact health at
the end of the day. Sowe always tell perspective applicants if you can
(21:56):
make the case that it is linkedto health, whether it's art or education
or green space, then we're opento considering it. What's your process typically
for giving a grant? Do nonprofitshave to do to access your foundation?
We have two main grant making avenues. Our Activation Fund grants which are typically
(22:21):
available every year, and then ourmulti year Synergy Initiative grants which are available
every five or so years. Soit will be a few more years before
our Synergy Initiative is open again,but we do expect to offer the Activation
fund grant opportunity again next year,and I would encourage listeners if they're interested,
(22:42):
to visit our website and sign upfor our newsletter. That's probably the
best way to stay up to dateas to when we have new grant opportunities.
And just one last question, wherewhere does your funding come from?
Is it from individuals or government ora combination. Our funding comes from the
original conversion from the sale of theHMO, so those assets were invested,
(23:06):
and our grant making derived from thatinitial sale, So an endowment basically that
continues in perpetuity. Yes, essentially, that's great. Well, Amy,
is there anything I didn't ask youor anything else you wanted to mention?
Oh, there's lots more to coverand perhaps in a future conversation. But
(23:26):
thank you for this opportunity. Andwe are always looking to connect with new
organizations working in central Massachusetts. SoI hope to hear from some of your
listeners. Well, thank you verymuch, Amy, I really appreciate your
insights. Thank you very much.Not far, yes, not Far'll be
(24:00):
right back after the news at thebottom of the hour.
The following broadcast is paid for byWhat's at Risk. HI. This is
Mike Christian with What's at Risk thisweek. In our first segment, I'll
be talking with Amy Shay, CEOof the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts.
Our second segment features Will Austin ofthe Boston Schools Fund. This is What's
(00:22):
at Risk with Mike Christian on WBZ, Boston's News Radio. Amy Shay,
PhD is President and CEO of theHealth Foundation of Central Massachusetts. Doctor sha
joined the foundation in twenty sixteen andplays a leading role in its grant making
(00:44):
and advocacy efforts aimed at improving healthand promoting health equity. She currently serves
on the board of directors of Healthcarefor All and the Worcester Regional Research Bureau.
Her research and writing have been publishedby very media outlets, including The
Boston Business Journal, Commonwealth Magazine,Health Affairs, Public Health Reports, and
(01:07):
The Boston Globe. The Health Foundationof Central Massachusetts is dedicated to improving the
health of those who live or workin Central Massachusetts, with particular emphasis on
vulnerable populations and unmet needs. Throughits unique and impactful approach to grant making,
(01:29):
the Foundation supports community identified health issues, with health defined broadly to include
social determinants of health and with afocus on promoting health equity. Launched in
nineteen ninety nine, the Foundation's grantshave totaled over fifty two million to more
than two hundred unique organizations over itshistory. Oh machine, well, oh
(01:53):
machinewell. Hello, everybody. We'respeaking with Amy Shay, President and CEO
of the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts. Amy, maybe a good place to
start would be for you to tellus a little bit about your background and
how you got to where you aretoday and what you're doing as the president
and CEO there. Sure, thankyou for having me. I've been in
(02:16):
Massachusetts for most of my life.Grew up in Eastern Massachusetts and went to
college in Western Massachusetts. Went backto the Boston area after college for work
and graduate school. I have aPhD in health policy, and after that
worked in consulting for a number ofyears. I was really looking for an
(02:38):
opportunity to have a greater impact onmy community and to have my work have
a greater impact on public health andhealth policy, and was really thrilled to
have the opportunity to come to theHealth Foundation of Central Massachusetts working to improve
the health of those who live orwork in Central Massachusetts. The foundation's mission
(03:00):
is to improve the health of thosewho live in work in Central Massachusetts,
but with a particular emphasis on vulnerablepopulations. Can you maybe expand on that
a little bit? Sure, werecognize that there are particular populations that have
been overlooked and that disproportionately are impactedby systemic inequities, and so we have
(03:27):
made an intentional effort to ensure thatour grant making is able to address the
health of those populations. How longhas the foundation been along around? We
will actually celebrate our twenty fifth anniversarynext year. Oh nice. We're founded
in nineteen ninety nine. Who wasthe founder and what was the inspiration for
(03:49):
establishing it? We are what isknown as a health conversion foundation. So
this foundation was created when a nonfor profit HMO Central Massachusets Healthcare was sold
to a for profit entity. Andthe government requires that when these types of
sales happen, that the proceeds areset aside to benefit the community. So
(04:13):
that is our history. There area number of health conversion foundations across Massachusetts.
Hundreds of health conversion foundations across thecountry. We all have a different
geographic focus and different approach to grantmaking, but that is our history here
in central mass So over five hundredthousand Massachusetts residents rely on well water for
(04:35):
drinking and this is from a recentpoll that I think you actually went out
and stimulated, right, the polewas put together by your organization, yet,
and so it finds that there arestrong support for efforts to improve the
quality and safety of private well drinkingwater. Can you tell the listeners a
little bit about that? Sure?The Health Foundation commissioned this pole, which
(05:00):
was actually conducted by the mass IncPolling Group. This is part of one
of our major grants, the PrivateWell Program to Protect Public Health, which
is led by our nonprofit partner artCAAP Solutions. And over the course of
this project, which began in twentytwenty, we came to the realization that
(05:21):
over half a million Massachusetts residents relyon private wells for drinking water. Yet
it is an unregulated drinking water source. So for those a listener who live
in urban areas or even suburban areas, they're generally connected to public water infrastructure
(05:41):
which is regulated by the state alsothe federal government as well under the Safe
Drinking Water Act to ensure that thedrinking water is safe to consume. Unfortunately,
those same protections do not apply toprivate well owners across the state.
It really is an overlooked issue thatmany don't understand. And if you think
about water contamination and what health issuescould emanate from a private well, what
(06:06):
are just an example of some examplesof some of that. There are potential
immediate health impacts. For example,if somebody drinks water contaminated with ecoli,
they could feel gi distress, andwe have heard stories about that. Some
of the other health impacts are longerterm. They may not be felt immediately,
(06:27):
but the culmination of these contaminants overtime can have adverse health effects.
Some of these contaminants are carcinogens.For example, many listeners have probably heard
about pfasts, the forever chemicals whichare prevalented throughout our lives and our drinking
water and the various consumer products thatwe purchase, and then there's no mandate
(06:50):
for testing this water and it's andwell as I assumer more often in rural
areas, that'd be correct, Yes, that is correct. Of private wells
are especially prevalent in central and WesternMassachusetts also on the cape. But really
you can find private wells across thestate in many different types of communities.
(07:12):
What brought this to light? Howwas it the study that you did,
or was it something that's been sortof percolating for a while and came up
with your awareness of it. Wereally have our grantee, our CAP Solutions
to thank for raising this issue.Our approach to grant making is responsive.
We do not define priority areas.We really look to nonprofits within central Massachusetts
(07:36):
to identify pressing health issues and topropose strategies for how to address those health
issues. So this is an issuethat our Cap Solutions brought to our attention.
To be honest, it had notbeen on our radar prior to that.
I think most people assume that ina state like Massachusetts, drinking water
must be safe, especially in arural area where when you look outside it's
(08:00):
very bucolic. You just assume thatthe air and the water are clean.
And of course a lot of thewells are in places that were probably previously
manufacturing areas, and so there couldbe chemicals that have creeped into the water
over time. I assume, yes, yes, there could be chemicals from
manufacturing, for example. Recent studieshave found that communities with firefighting academies or
(08:26):
close to airports have pfast contamination forexample. But there are also a number
of naturally occurring contaminants due to thegeology and due to other environmental reasons.
And these could include ecoli and otherforms of bacteria, also arsenic, uranium,
radon. These are all naturally occurringcontaminants. Right. Are there documented
(08:52):
cases of people getting sick from wellwater? We've heard many anecdotes just from
our work of individuals. Sometimes individualsand family members have unknown or undiagnosed health
issues and they can't quite pinpoint thereason, and then they test their private
well water and discover very high ratesof uranium, for example, or raidon,
(09:18):
and that information actually helps the doctorsto figure out, you know,
the root cause of some of thesehealth issues. I think I read and
maybe it was in your report,that maybe only of these wells are tested
on a regular basis. Is thatcorrect? Yes, there's a big testing
gap. Again. I think manypeople assume that drinking water in Massachusetts is
(09:45):
safe without actually testing and knowing forsure that it is safe. So there
is a lot of education that isnecessary to make sure people understand the importance
of routine testing to make sure thattheir water is safe and continues to be
safe as time goes on, becauseyou know, with different weather patterns and
(10:05):
different industries that may be moving inand out of various areas, water quality
may change over time. Just becauseat one point in time it's safe doesn't
mean it will always be safe.Yeah. And then coming from the report
that you commissioned, it seems there'sa pretty large public support for actually having
some sort of regulated testing of thesewells, right, Yes, Yes,
(10:28):
we were thrilled with the results.The poll found that near unanimous support that
all Massachusetts residents or have access tosafe drinking water, that state government should
play a role in ensuring that allresidents have access to safe drinking water,
and for the legislation that we've beensupporting. Very strong support for that as
(10:54):
well across all demographics and party affiliationsas well. And is there a bill
now in the Massachusetts legislation to movethis along. Yes, there is an
act promoting drinking water quality for all. We're very grateful that Senator Jamie Eldridge,
Representative Smitty Pignatelli and Representative Dan Senahave sponsored that legislation and we just
(11:18):
had a hearing last week. Andwhat would the process be for that?
I just asked to public assume there'sa public caring for it, and all
the usual stuff that you have withthe bill. Right, Yes, many
steps, So that was the Iguess first official step. There was a
hearing in front of the Joint Committeefor Environment and Natural Resources. We're now
(11:39):
awaiting report from the committee. Weare hopeful that the committee will report the
bill favorably out of committee and promptlyso that we can move forward with next
steps in this process. The longerwe wait, the longer people continue to
unknowingly drink contaminated water. Right,and then, what would be the positive
(12:03):
consequence of a bill if it's passedin the legislation and becomes a law or
at least a regulation. Is itit require testing on a regular basis,
at least when somebody sells a house, I think, and maybe some other
some other aspects to it. Also, Yes, the details themselves will be
developed in coornation with Massachusetts Environment Departmentof Environmental Protection mass to EP with stakeholder
(12:31):
input. There will be a periodof public comment we expect that this will
follow the same approach to Title five, which is the State Environmental Code to
ensure that septic systems are working properlyso that they do not harm the environment
and also harm public health. Somost likely testing would be required upon transfer
(12:56):
of property. So it's not asthough this bill would pass and all of
a sudden overnight, every body wouldhave to run out and test their water
and put in treatment systems. Thisis something that would be rolled out over
time, and as properties are transferredhomes are sold, that really is an
opportune time for a new home buyerto understand if the water is safe to
(13:16):
drink and if something does need tobe installed at that point of time,
it's a negotiation between the buyer andseller as to who would cover that.
So that's how we expect this willwork out over time. Do you think
there'd be funding available for remediation,maybe for low income families or people that
couldn't afford the remediation. Yes,so that is a top priority for us.
(13:39):
So this bill actually includes a provisionthat would expand an existing state revolving
loan fund to help low income homeowners, so there would be very low interest
loans to help homeowners with this,and relative to the cost of having to
maintain and remediate septic system, thecosts for private wells are actually very modest.
(14:05):
I think I read in that reportand it was almost not necessarily core
to this topic, but that gatewaycities often have lower water quality than other
cities in Massachusetts, and maybe youcan for our listeners maybe explain what a
gateway city is first and then addressthe question. Sure, So, gateway
(14:26):
cities refer to cities across Massachusetts formerindustrial cities that are often struggling these days
because those industries have since left andno new industries or major employers have replaced
those former industrial employers in those areas. So an example here in central Massachusetts
(14:52):
would be Worcester, also Fitchburg withinour service area. The Pole did on
lower perception of water quality in thesecommunities, So it's not that they in
fact have worse water quality and gatewaycommunities, it's the perception that the residents
(15:13):
living there perceive that their water isless safe, and that could be a
number of different factors, but itis a very interesting finding. Yeah,
but the testing would be consistent acrossthe state in terms of finding chemicals or
impurities within the water. So itwouldn't be a different code or different standard
(15:35):
in a gateway city than in othercities, right, correct. And that's
what we're hoping to achieve with privatewells too, is just to level the
playing field and ensure that there isa basic floor in terms of the minimum
standards. I think many people probablyrecall the incident in Flint, Michigan a
(15:56):
number of years ago when the localwater supply and Flint was changed during a
financial crisis and over one hundred thousandpeople were exposed to lead. And we
would not want individual municipalities in Massachusettsgateway cities, for example, or Boston
(16:17):
to have to figure out their owntesting requirements and treatment plans, for them
to decide whether they have the fundingand resources to ensure that the water is
safe to drink. We want thereto be sort of minimum standards that give
everybody confidence that their water is safe. And do you feel I know,
(16:37):
and I wouldn't hold you to it, because I know you're not necessarily an
expert on water quality, but wouldyou For our listeners, should they be
concerned about the quality of their waterand contamination or is it something that it
should be wary if they have aprivate well, probably, But in terms
of city water, is it generallysafe in Massachusetts? I would say so,
(17:00):
And again it's because there are stateand federal requirements that these local water
supplies, these public water supplies mustcomply with, and so residents who are
connected to a public water system,they should be receiving routine reports, and
I would encourage them to actually readthe reports and understand what is in their
(17:22):
water and what sort of treatment hasbeen put in place. And it is
part of the fee that people paywhen they pay for their water. I
think the annual water bill for residentsin sort of the Boston areas about seven
hundred dollars a year on average,and so part of that goes towards the
(17:45):
routine maintenance and testing for the publicwater infrastructure. And I wanted to just
change the topic a little bit becauseI know you're focused on the whole gamemative
health in your foundation. Health equityadvocates are urging lawmakers to advance a comprehensive
(18:06):
health equity bill to overcome racial disparitiesin the healthcare system. Maybe I'll ask
you first and for our listeners,what exactly is health equity. Health equity
is the idea that everybody has theopportunity to reach their highest level of health.
And so this bill or this urgingyou know what the legislation may look
(18:30):
at, what does that encompass,and what precipitated it. This bill really
came together with the leadership of theHealth Equity Compact, which is a group
of over eighty leaders of color inMassachusetts representing a diverse array of industries and
sectors including healthcare institutions and hospital systems, insurers, community health centers, philanthropy,
(18:57):
public health. As leaders have cometogether over the past few years to
develop this comprehensive bill that really takesthe first bold step to advance health equity
in Massachusetts. The previous wave ofhealthcare reform in Massachusetts was really focused on
(19:18):
health insurance coverage and it became anational model for health reform. And so
we're hoping that this work to advancehealth equity in Massachusetts can also become a
model for other efforts across the country. And what would be some of the
aspects of it, access and fairnessin terms of treatment assistance from a cost
(19:41):
standpoint. Of those elements of it, yes, yes, all of those
and much more. It is avery comprehensive bill tackling some of the key
aspects that are needed to advance healthequity. It proposes a new Secretary of
Equity, for example, to reallyelevate that role in the importance of equity
(20:03):
in Massachusetts. There are provisions relatedto the reporting of data related to health
equity so we can better understand andtrack how we're doing over time. So
in terms of equity for certain populationsin Massachusetts, what are the barriers for
them? Cost? I'm sure isone of them. But is it education?
(20:26):
Is it just being able to finda facility not go to an emergency
room, which I know where alot of people go for the first first
instance of care. What are thebarriers there to health equity? Yes,
all of the barriers you mentioned andmore. For us here in central mass
we have the perspective of working withboth urban communities such as Worcester and Fitchburg,
(20:52):
but also some very rural communities whereaccess, the physical access is a
real barrier. Having transportation to getto the nearest hospital or to get to
your primary care provider is a realbarrier. So one of our other major
projects. In addition to our privatewells work is a rural transportation project that's
(21:12):
aimed at developing a new model thatcan be replicated and sustained over time.
Now, you're a foundation, sothat means you're often giving grants or providing
funding to other nonprofit size soon.Is that correct? Yes, that's correct,
but they would be mostly focused inthe health area. What would be
(21:33):
some of the examples of that.We define health very broadly, and many
of our grants actually focused on addressingthe social determinants of health, So the
upstream factors such as transportation, suchas education and housing that impact health at
the end of the day. Sowe always tell perspective applicants if you can
(21:56):
make the case that it is linkedto health, whether it's art or education
or green space, then we're opento considering it. What's your process typically
for giving a grant? Do nonprofitshave to do to access your foundation?
We have two main grant making avenues. Our Activation Fund grants which are typically
(22:21):
available every year, and then ourmulti year Synergy Initiative grants which are available
every five or so years. Soit will be a few more years before
our Synergy Initiative is open again,but we do expect to offer the Activation
fund grant opportunity again next year,and I would encourage listeners if they're interested,
(22:42):
to visit our website and sign upfor our newsletter. That's probably the
best way to stay up to dateas to when we have new grant opportunities.
And just one last question, wherewhere does your funding come from?
Is it from individuals or government ora combination. Our funding comes from the
original conversion from the sale of theHMO, so those assets were invested,
(23:06):
and our grant making derived from thatinitial sale, So an endowment basically that
continues in perpetuity. Yes, essentially, that's great. Well, Amy,
is there anything I didn't ask youor anything else you wanted to mention?
Oh, there's lots more to coverand perhaps in a future conversation. But
(23:26):
thank you for this opportunity. Andwe are always looking to connect with new
organizations working in central Massachusetts. SoI hope to hear from some of your
listeners. Well, thank you verymuch, Amy, I really appreciate your
insights. Thank you very much.Not far, yes, not Far'll be
(24:00):
right back after the news at thebottom of the hour.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Intentionally Disturbing
Join me on this podcast as I navigate the murky waters of human behavior, current events, and personal anecdotes through in-depth interviews with incredible people—all served with a generous helping of sarcasm and satire. After years as a forensic and clinical psychologist, I offer a unique interview style and a low tolerance for bullshit, quickly steering conversations toward depth and darkness. I honor the seriousness while also appreciating wit. I’m your guide through the twisted labyrinth of the human psyche, armed with dark humor and biting wit.