2016-08-15T08:02:12-05:00 2015-09-30 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 101 Seaport Blvd Boston MA 02210 990 2014-10-01 042103591 MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY % JACK MALLEY MASS 6175733942 243 CHARLES STREET BOSTON MA 02114 CAROLANN WILLIAMS CFO, VP FIN AND ADMIN 6179120100 2016-08-04 true ERIN COUTURE P01390592 6175305000 2016-08-03 2014 2016-09-27 15:27:22Z CAROLANN WILLIAMS 243 CHARLES STREET BOSTON MA 02114 235731595 false X WWW.MASSEYEANDEAR.ORG X 1827 MA SEE SCHEDULE O. 21 18 2045 253 0 41532901 47770745 170833796 183938391 1702348 482536 14000554 3539923 228069599 235731595 17798238 17006831 0 0 103616750 113683907 190046 206143 2167419 106456236 121887519 228061270 252784400 8329 -17052805 209199752 212622120 180665195 215069116 28534557 -2446996 X SEE SCHEDULE O. false false 42978236 4288687 7428909 SEE SCHEDULE O 4148348 5450 0 SEE SCHEDULE O 137303035 12671387 176509482 SEE SCHEDULE O 184429619 true true false true false false false true false true true false false true true true false true false false true true false true false false true true true false true true false false false false false false false true true false false false false false false true true true true false true 139 0 true 2045 true false false false false false false false false false false X 21 18 false false false false false true true true true false false true true true true true true true true false MA NY X JACK MALLEY 6175733235 243 CHARLES STREET BOSTON MA 02114 ANNETTE NOVA DIRECTOR 2.0 6.0 X 0 0 0 CHARLES DE GUNZBURG DIRECTOR 2.0 6.0 X 0 0 0 D BRADLEY WELLING MD DIRECTOR 29.0 31.0 X 0 766246 55799 DEWALT PETE ANKENY DIRECTOR 2.0 6.0 X 0 0 0 DIANE E KANEB DIRECTOR 2.0 2.0 X 0 0 0 EUGENE HILL DIRECTOR 2.0 2.0 X 0 0 0 FREDERICK THORNE DIRECTOR 2.0 2.0 X 0 0 0 HARVEY FREISHTAT DIRECTOR 2.0 2.0 X 0 0 0 JAMES CARLISLE DIRECTOR 2.0 2.0 X 0 0 0 JOAN W MILLER MD DIRECTOR 27.0 33.0 X 0 812276 59385 JOHN FERNANDEZ PRESIDENT 37.0 23.0 X X 841092 0 259385 JONATHAN KUTCHINS DIRECTOR 2.0 4.0 X 0 0 0 JONATHAN UHRIG TREASURER 3.0 7.0 X X 0 0 0 KATHRYN VECELLIO DIRECTOR (UNTIL 1/6/2015) 2.0 6.0 X 0 0 0 LYLE HOWLAND SECRETARY (AS OF 12/9/2014) 2.0 2.0 X X 0 0 0 RICHARD H ALDRICH DIRECTOR 2.0 2.0 X 0 0 0 ROBERT ATCHINSON DIRECTOR 2.0 2.0 X 0 0 0 SAMUEL FLEMING DIRECTOR 2.0 2.0 X 0 0 0 THOMAS LAUER DIRECTOR (AS OF 4/25/2015) 2.0 2.0 X 0 0 0 VICTORIA MCCULLOUGH DIRECTOR 2.0 6.0 X 0 0 0 WILLIAM ROMAN DIRECTOR 2.0 2.0 X 0 0 0 WYCLIFFE GROUSBECK CHAIR 3.0 7.0 X X 0 0 0 CAROLANN WILLIAMS CFO & VP FINANCE AND ADMIN 49.0 11.0 X 436865 0 32219 MARTHA PYLE FARRELL ASSISTANT SECRETARY 3.0 57.0 X 286466 0 32270 MAUREEN KELLEY ASSISTANT SECRETARY 53.0 7.0 X 190069 0 30683 ALAN K LONG VP RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION 30.0 30.0 X 229706 0 9889 BARBARA SCULLY DIRECTOR PROF REV CYCLE 30.0 30.0 X 178755 0 37485 DEBRA ROGERS VP OPHTHALMOLOGY 20.0 40.0 X 270096 0 11570 EILEEN O LOWELL CNO & VP PAT CARE SVS 60.0 0.0 X 277173 0 38952 JEFFREY J PIKE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 60.0 0.0 X 350783 0 22015 KENNETH E HOLMES CFO MEEA 30.0 30.0 X 274276 0 44467 MICHAEL RICCI CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER 60.0 0.0 X 240539 0 32227 RACHEL WASSERSTROM VP OTOLARYNGOLOGY 30.0 30.0 X 212894 0 23924 RALPH PELOSI DIRECTOR FACILITIES PLANNING 60.0 0.0 X 188354 0 9615 GLENN W BUNTING VOICE & SPEECH CLINICAL DIR 60.0 0.0 X 185360 0 41928 GREGORY J DONNELLY EXEC. DIRECTOR, CLINICAL SRVCS 60.0 0.0 X 194088 0 37834 JENNIFER STREET VP COMMUNICATIONS & PLANNING 60.0 0.0 X 360567 0 36474 MELISSA M PAUL CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER 60.0 0.0 X 255915 0 41482 PHILLIP C JOHNSON DIR FINANCIAL OPERATIONS 60.0 0.0 X 204994 0 44176 JAVIER BALLOFFET VP OPHTHALMOLOGY 20.0 40.0 X 168290 0 11976 5346282 1578522 913755 191 true true false FISH AND RICHARDSON PC PO BOX 3295 BOSTON MA 02241 LEGAL SERVICES 565354 PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP PO BOX 7247-8001 PHILADELPHIA PA 19103 TAX & AUDIT SERVICES 457177 RASKY BAERLEIN STRATEGIC COMMUNICAT 33 ARCH ST BOSTON MA 02110 PUBLIC RELATION SVCS 173064 LFREP SERVICES LLC 260 FRANKLIN ST BOSTON MA 02110 CONSULTANT 330030 CG ASSOCIATES 7 CHUCK DRIVE DRACUT MA 01826 CONTRACTORS 471274 11 19269575 16434877 12066293 47770745 INPATIENT AND OUTPATIENT 900099 163521567 163521567 RESEARCH INDIRECT REVENUE 900099 7428909 7428909 HEARING AID CENTERS 900099 3545854 3545854 CAFETERIA/FOOD SERVICE 900099 1905690 1905690 KPRO INCOME 722210 3675888 3675888 3860483 3860483 183938391 104141 104141 0 3539923 3539923 0 0 0 378395 378395 378395 378395 0 0 0 0 235731595 183938391 4022459 16917408 16917408 0 89423 89423 0 3894362 1298208 2596154 6515 6515 85256939 63233669 20808465 1214805 1565576 1168145 374495 22936 15813857 11927264 3652093 234500 7146658 5240070 1805851 100737 0 951177 835760 115417 552873 106540 446333 90000 90000 206143 206143 0 3366679 2658430 708249 693993 27762 666231 1906574 1214802 636994 54778 3380612 2234358 1146254 0 12195017 4957619 7237398 1270158 979193 258538 32427 0 0 2768171 1829576 938595 0 20663247 13657024 7006223 1511908 72920 1438988 MEDICAL SUPPLIES 41127158 40996874 130284 PHYSICIANS ADMINISTRATION 6747719 6695046 52673 SERVICE CONTRACTS 3434249 1663001 1758507 12741 FOOD 1658226 1325277 311641 21308 19569758 5294735 14007979 267044 252784400 184429619 66187362 2167419 566415 1824021 0 0 360000 0 22892699 25258060 10000 0 0 0 0 0 3028866 3856230 4195936 4183591 357560496 219713200 135347328 137847296 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 42798508 39652922 209199752 212622120 77351461 105438414 0 0 14295172 13280726 80998192 81686932 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8020370 14663044 180665195 215069116 X 28174557 -2446996 360000 0 0 0 28534557 -2446996 209199752 212622120 X -17052805 -493208 -13435540 X false true X true true true X 37417260 33572100 39413484 41532901 47770745 199706490 0 0 37417260 33572100 39413484 41532901 47770745 199706490 354827 199351663 11313782 15165483 16370797 14057593 3644064 60551719 0 1457363 1457363 261715572 838213525 0.76171 0.72513 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED false true false true false false true 126000 false false 126000 false SCHEDULE C, PART II-B, LINE 1(I): DURING FY 2015 MASS. EYE AND EAR PAID CONSULTING FEES FOR ASSISTANCE WITH ADVOCACY IN A NEGOTIATION WITH THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF THE COMMONWEALTH FOR A LAND AND AIR LEASE, DESCRIBED IN THE ACTS OF 2014, CHAPTER 272. ADDITIONALLY THESE PAID CONSULTANTS ASSISTED WITH DEVELOPING STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE STRATEGIES AND SERVED AS A LIAISON TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AS NECESSARY, AS WELL AS MONITORED AND REPORTED ON GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS RELATIVE TO HEALTHCARE FINANCING, INCLUDING STATE APPROPRIATIONS AND GRANTS. MASS. EYE AND EAR IS A MEMBER OF CERTAIN TRADE ASSOCIATIONS THAT MAY LOBBY ON ITS BEHALF. X X X X false 78511651 1229040 -274466 5028553 1824498 72613174 87204664 746394 5114694 12790648 1763453 78511651 89724541 2692680 3521682 7238556 1495683 87204664 86399272 1269332 6139492 2803513 1280042 89724541 60472244 29640100 1622561 4005052 1330581 86399272 0.05040 0.73620 0.21340 false true true 535324 535324 193657816 119005886 74651930 15354497 2824907 12529590 137617080 97827011 39790069 10395779 55396 10340383 137847296 DUE FROM AFFILIATES 22160534 FUNDS HELD FOR RESEARCH 1310606 CONSTRUCTION FUND 13 DEBT SERVICE FUND 6576171 SPECIAL CASH & CAPITAL RESERVE 3802303 QLT 676982 DEFERRED FINANCING COSTS 1363619 TAX DEFERRED PLAN 1685159 CRICO 2077152 CAP RESERVE 383 39652922 0 DUE TO AFFILIATES 2327706 ESTIMATE 3RD PARTY SETTLEMENT 7854958 PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY RESERVE 2595221 TAX DEFERRED LIABILITY 1885159 14663044 X SCHEDULE D, PART III, LINE 4: THE RARE BOOKS COLLECTION CONSISTS MAINLY OF SEVERAL HUNDRED BOOKS IN THE MEEI specialties of ophthalmology and otolaryngology as well as a few on the medical history of Boston and Massachusetts. The majority were donated originally by Moses Lurie, MD and Mrs. Lucien Howe (wife of Lucien Howe, MD). A few were donated by other physicians through the years. Endowment funds set up between Mrs. Howe and Dr. Lurie were designated for the occasional purchase of rare books to supplement the original donations. The rare books are available to the scientific, medical and academic community for purposes of research and education. SCHEDULE D, PART V, LINE 4: THE ENDOWMENT FUNCTIONS TO SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY TO PROVIDE SUPERIOR PATIENT CARE AND RESEARCH. THE INCOME FROM THE ENDOWMENT FUNDS ARE SUBJECT TO DONOR-IMPOSED STIPULATIONS USUALLY FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND PATIENT CARE. SCHEDULE D, PART X, LINE 2: THE MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY ("INFIRMARY") WAS INCLUDED IN CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS WITH ITS AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS. THE INCOME TAX FOOTNOTE IS AS FOLLOWS: THE FOUNDATION AND ITS AFFILIATES QUALIFY AS TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS UNDER THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE. THE FOUNDATION, INFIRMARY, ASSOCIATES, SCHEPENS AND EMBANKMENT ARE TAX-EXEMPT UNDER SECTION 501(C)(3) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE AND CIRCLE IS TAX-EXEMPT UNDER 501(C)(25) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE. ACCORDINGLY, NO PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES HAS BEEN MADE IN THE ACCOMPANYING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS. MANAGEMENT HAS EVALUATED ACCOUNTING FOR UNCERTAINTY IN INCOME TAXES AND THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO THE FOUNDATION'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2015. true North America Program Services Travel 5780 Europe (Including Iceland and Greenland) Program Services Grant Collaboration 5485 Europe (Including Iceland and Greenland) Program Services Conferences 52966 Middle East and North Africa Program Services Travel 287 South America Program Services Travel 4043 South America Program Services Sabbatical/Grant Coll 6752 East Asia and the Pacific Program Services Conferences 24698 East Asia and the Pacific Program Services Grant Collaboration 2388 Central America and the Caribbean Investments 24200 126599 126599 North America BASIC RESEARCH 68646 CHECK Europe (Including Iceland and Greenland) BASIC RESEARCH 20777 CHECK 3 false false true false false false SCHEDULE F, PART I, LINE 2: SUBRECIPIENT MONITORING POLICY AND PROCEDURES Subawards are issued through a consortium agreement between the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary ("MEEI") and the recipient institution. The agreement specifies the terms of the subaward, and includes a detailed budget and scope of work to be performed by the recipient institution. Awarded funds are encumbered by a purchase order that is assigned to a unique fund number. Payments to recipient institutions made against the purchase order are recorded in the MEEI accounting system so that individual payments and purchase order balances can be monitored. Disbursement of funds for subawards require the written approval of the Principal Investigator ("PI"). Frequent progress reports and other forms of communication are required between the PI and the subrecipient institute to ensure that the scope of work is progressing at a satisfactory pace. Research Administration also conducts an annual inventory of institutions to which reserach has been subawarded. A risk assessment matrix is employed, along with a review of the subrecipients most recent A133 audit report, to determine the level of risk regarding the subrecipients ability to comply with federal guidelines. SCHEDULE F, PART I, LINE 3, COLUMN(F) AND PART II, LINE 1 & LINE 2: THE INFIRMARY USES THE ACCRUAL METHOD OF ACCOUNTING AND SEPARATELY IDENTIFIES FOREIGN ACTIVITY ON ITS GENERAL LEDGER. X X X X X true VISION PHILANTHROPY GROUP 401 BOWLING AVENUE 1 NASHVILLE TN 37205 CAPITAL CAMPAIGN false 152143 HUNTSINGER JEFFER INC 809 BROOK HILL CIRCLE RICHMOND VA 23227 ANNUAL FUND false 54000 206143 CA CT FL GA IL MD MA MI MN NH NJ NY NC OH PA RI SC VA SCHEDULE G, PART I, LINE 2B, COLUMN (V): DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2015, MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY ("THE INFIRMARY") CONTRACTED WITH HUNTSINGER & JEFFER, A FUNDRAISING CONSULTING COMPANY, TO ASSIST WITH THE FOUNDATION'S MAILING CAMPAIGN BY DRAFTING LETTERS AND WORKING WITH A MAIL HOUSE TO SEND LETTERS AND EMAILS TO PATIENTS ON THE INFIRMARY'S BEHALF. THE INFIRMARY ALSO CONTRACTED WITH VISION PHILANTHROPY TO ASSIST WITH THE INFIRMARY'S CAPITAL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN. HUNTSINGER AND JEFFER VISION PHILANTHROPY GROUP 809 BROOK HILL CIRCLE 401 BOWLING AVENUE #1 RICHMOND, VA 23227 NASHVILLE, TN 37205 true true true X 400. true X true true true false true true 3962119 2083483 1878636 0.00740 17884208 13868962 4015246 0.01590 3027940 1168750 1859190 0.00740 24874267 17121195 7753072 0.03070 436857 0 436857 0.00170 7659267 1457082 6202185 0.02450 2 705 1742937 1258953 483984 0.00190 39361302 33184152 6177150 0.02440 41350 0 41350 0.00020 2 705 49241713 35900187 13341526 0.05270 2 705 74115980 53021382 21094598 0.08340 true 2490296 32742 46991653 49632244 -2640591 X true true 1 1 MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY 243 CHARLES STREET BOSTON MA 02114 http://www.masseyeandear.org/ 2167 X X X X MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY false false true X X X X X X X X X 13 true false false true X SEE SECTION C X true 13 true SEE SECTION C false false true X 400. 400. X X X X true true X X X X true X SEE SECTION C X SEE SECTION C X X X X true X false X true X false false PART V, SECTION B, LINE 5 TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF NEEDS IN MISSION HILL SPECIFICALLY, THE CONSULTANTS WORKED WITH THE MASS. EYE AND EAR CB WORKING GROUP AND WITH BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS LEADERS TO IDENTIFY MISSION HILL SERVICE PROVIDERS, ADVOCATES AND EDUCATORS POSITIONED TO SPEAK TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. THE CONSULTANTS THEN CONDUCTED TEN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH THE IDENTIFIED KEY INFORMANTS. (SEE FIGURE 12 IN THE OFFICIAL MEEI COMMUNITY BENEFITS REPORT FOR THE KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATIONS.) AMONG THEM WAS A MEMBER OF THE NEW ENGLAND BAPTIST HOSPITAL, WHICH OPERATES A SMALLER BUT HIGHLY REGARDED COMMUNITY BENEFITS PROGRAM TARGETING MISSION HILL. THE EXPERIENCES OF THE BWH AND NEW ENGLAND BAPTIST PROVIDED GREAT INSIGHTS THAT INFORMED THE ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING PROCESSES DESCRIBED BELOW. THE INTERVIEWS YIELDED IMPORTANT AND USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS, METHODS FOR BUILDING AND SUSTAINING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS IN MISSION HILL, THE NEEDS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. SECTION B, LINE 7A & LINE 10A: THE INFIRMARY'S COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.masseyeandear.org/about-us/outreach PART V, SECTION B, LINE 11 THE MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR COMMUNITY BENEFITS TEAM CONDUCTS AN ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING PROCESS THAT IDENTIFIES UNMET NEEDS IN TARGET POPULATIONS AND SERVICE AREAS, SPECIFICALLY ON POPULATIONS THAT FACE GREATER OBSTACLES TO CARE AND/OR ARE DISPROPORTIONALLY AFFECTED BY CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT THEIR DAILY FUNCTIONING AND QUALITY OF LIFE. THESE KEY AREAS ARE: CHILDREN, ELDERLY, LOW-INCOME PATIENTS AND PATIENTS OF COLOR. OUR PLAN IS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE VISION, HEARING, AND OTHER CONDITIONS OF THE HEAD AND NECK AMONG VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN OUR AREA. HEALTH SCREENINGS MASS. EYE AND EAR PROVIDES VISION SCREENINGS AND HEARING EXAMS AND FOLLOW UP CARE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH LIMITED ACCESS TO SERVICES. SCREENINGS INCLUDED CAMP HARBOR VIEW, NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE CHARTER SCHOOL, VISION COALITION/YEAR UP, AND ROXBURY TENANTS OF HARVARD COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND SUPPORT GROUPS MASS. EYE AND EAR CLINICIANS AND SOCIAL WORKERS DELIVER EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS DEALING WITH VARIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS OR CHALLENGES, INCLUDING SINUSITIS, HEARING LOSS, VISION LOSS, FACIAL PARALYSIS. THEY ALSO ATTEND SEVERAL COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIRS. EVENTS INCLUDE "KNOW YOUR NOSE," PUBLIC FORUM ON UNDERSTANDING THYROID NODULES AND THYROID CANCER, LOW VISION SUPPORT GROUP, BOSTON CURED CANCER CLUB SUPPORT GROUP, FACIAL PARALYSIS SUPPORT GROUP, HEAR @ BOSTON, GRAVES DISEASE SUPPORT GROUP AND VISION REHABILITATION. HEALTH FAIRS INCLUDED MISSION HILL, MARLBOROUGH, EMERSON HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND STONEHAM TOWN DAY. ACCESS TO SERVICES/RESOURCES/WORK EXPERIENCE MASS. EYE AND EAR PROVIDES SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS THEM AND PROVIDES TARGETED POPULATIONS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO GAIN WORK EXPERIENCE. THIS INCLUDES PROJECT SEARCH, A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDED INTERNSHIPS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT. OTHER SUPPORT INCLUDES TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING FOR NEEDY PATIENTS, VOLUNTEER ESCORTS, FREE EYEGLASSES, FREE MEDICATIONS, SOCIAL WORK CONSULTATIONS, FINANCIAL COUNSELING, HEARING AID CENTER SUPPORT AND CHARITABLE CARE. MASS. EYE AND EAR PROVIDES FREE OR DISCOUNTED CARE TO PATIENTS WHO ARE UNABLE TO COVER THE FULL COST OF THE SERVICES THEY UTILIZE. FINANCIAL SUPPORT MASS. EYE AND EAR PROVIDES FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO A SELECT NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE MISSIONS ALIGN WITH OURS AND SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY BENEFITS GOALS AND ADDRESSES ISSUES AS OUTLINED EARLIER IN THIS DOCUMENT. ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE PERKINS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND, NEW ENGLAND WALK FOR HEARING, ABCD FIELD OF DREAMS, SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR COMPASSIONATE CARE AND THE UNITED WAY. THESE STRATEGIES WERE EFFECTIVE IN ACHIEVING OUR COMMUNITY BENEFITS OBJECTIVES. MISSION HILL - OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFIED ONE AREA THAT WAS IDENTIFIED IN OUR LAST ASSESSMENT AS A NEW FOCUS AREA IS THE MISSION HILL NEIGHBORHOOD. MASS. EYE AND EAR OPENED A MULTI-SPECIALTY AMBULATORY CARE CENTER AT 800 HUNTINGTON AVENUE IN 2012. MASS. EYE AND EAR HAS DETERMINED A NEED TO BROADEN ITS COMMUNITY BENEFITS PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TARGETED PROGRAMMING IN THIS SMALL, DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF LOWER-INCOME RESIDENTS. MASS. EYE AND EAR PARTNERED WITH A HIGH SCHOOL (FENWAY HIGH SCHOOL) IN THE SPRING OF 2016 TO WELCOME THREE HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS FOR AN INTERNSHIP, IS ENGAGING LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO CREATE NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING AND HOSTING EVENTS AT ITS FACILITY LOCATED AT 800 HUNTINGTON AVENUE. MASS. EYE AND EAR WILL FOCUS ON FURTHER INTEGRATION INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND EXPLORE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL VISION AND HEARING SCREENINGS FOR SENIORS, FOLLOW-UP CARE AND EYE GLASSES, SPONSORSHIPS OF NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS, PARTICIPATION IN HEALTH FAIRS, AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO COMMUNITY EVENTS. DURING THE REVIEW PROCESS, MASS. EYE AND EAR REVIEWED UNMET NEEDS, INCLUDING MISSION HILL, AND SET GOALS THAT ALIGN WITH THE GOAL OF THE ORGANIZATION'S COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLAN. AS A SPECIALTY HOSPITAL WITH 17 LOCATIONS (INCLUDING 243 CHARLES STREET AND 800 HUNTINGTON AVENUE), MASS. EYE AND EAR WORKS TO MEET NEEDS IN ITS SPECIALTY AREA, INCLUDING IMPROVING VISION AND HEARING, ENSURING TARGET POPULATIONS HAVE ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND SUPPORT. OTHER IDENTIFIED NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF OUR SPECIALTY AREAS ARE ADDRESSED BY OTHER INSTITUTIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY. PART V, SECTION B, LINE 16b & 16c: THE INFIRMARY'S FINANCIAL ASSISTANCe POLICY CAN BE VIEWED AT http://www.masseyeandear.org/for-patients/patient-guide/financial-assistan ce PART V, SECTION B, LINE 22 CHARGES FOR PATIENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ARE BASED ON THE AVERAGE REIMBURSEMENT OF THE HOSPITAL'S THREE LARGEST PAYERS. 8 MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR STONEHAM ONE MONTVALE AVENUE STONEHAM MA 02180 LICENSED OUTPATIENT LOCATION MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR E BRIDGEWATER ONE COMPASS WAY SUITE 100 E BRIDGEWATER MA 02333 LICENSED OUTPATIENT LOCATION MEEI VESTIBULAR CENTER AT BRAINTREE 250 POND STREET 1ST FLOOR BRAINTREE MA 02184 LICENSED OUTPATIENT LOCATION MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR QUINCY 500 CONGRESS STREET QUINCY MA 02169 LICENSED OUTPATIENT LOCATION MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR AT JOSLIN 1 JOSLIN PLACE BOSTON MA 02215 LICENSED OUTPATIENT LOCATION MEE CONCORD SIGHT (AUDIOLOGY ONLY) 54 BAKER AVE EXTENSION 3RD FL STE CONCORD MA 01742 LICENSED OUTPATIENT LOCATION MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR LONGWOOD 800 HUNTINGTON AVENUE BOSTON MA 02115 LICENSED OUTPATIENT LOCATION MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR PLAINVILLE 30 MAN MAR DRIVE STE 2 PLAINVILLE MA 02762 LICENSED OUTPATIENT LOCATION SCHEDULE H, PART I, LINE 3C: IN ADDITION TO FPG, THE ORGANIZATION CONSIDERS ASSETS, UNPAID MEDICAL EXPENSES, AND EXTRAORDINARY FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES (UNEMPLOYMENT AND OTHER FINANCIAL STRESSES) WHEN REVIEWING AN INDIVIDUAL'S APPLICATION FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. SCHEDULE H, PART II: THE INFIRMARY AND ITS AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS (COLLECTIVELY "MEEI") PROVIDED COMMUNITY BUILDING HEALTH IMPROVEMENT ADVOCACY BY PROVIDING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORT, INCLUDING HOSTED SUPPORT GROUPS, FOCUSING ON HEALTH CONDITIONS IN OUR SPECIALTIES TO PATIENTS AND THE PUBLIC. PLEASE SEE PAGE 16 OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLAN POSTED ON THE MEEI WEBSITE, WWW.MASSEYEANDEAR.ORG, FOR DETAILS. WWW.MASSEYEANDEAR.ORG, FOR DETAILS. SCHEDULE H, PART III, LINES 2-4: Bad debts are written off at gross charges. Accounts receivable related to co-pays, deductibles, and coinsurance that is written off as bad debts are reported at cost and are deducted from the insurance allowed amount. See financial statement, pages 22-23. See financial statement, pages 22-23. SCHEDULE H, PART III, LINE 8: THE SHORTFALL REPORTED ON PART III, LINE 7 SHOULD BE CONSIDERED COMMUNITY BENEFIT BECAUSE REIMBURSEMENT FROM MEDICARE DOES NOT COVER THE COST OF TREATING PATIENTS. MEEI HAS A POLICY TO TREAT ALL PATIENTS, REGARDLESS OF THE PAYER. AS A PRIMARILY OUT-PATIENT FACILITY, WITH ONLY TWO SPECIALTIES, MEEI CANNOT BENEFIT FROM RELATIVELY HIGHER MEDICARE PAYMENTS FOR SOME SPECIALTIES OR HIGHER INPATIENT MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT. WITHOUT COMPROMISING PATIENT CARE, MEEI HAS LIMITED MEANS FOR REDUCING COSTS. MEEI USES A COST ACCOUNTING SYSTEM THAT IS COMPRISED OF A STEP-DOWN METHODOLOGY FOR ALLOCATING HOSPITAL OVERHEAD THAT IS SIMILAR TO THAT USED FOR THE MEDICARE COST REPORT. ALL INDIRECT COSTS ARE ALLOCATED TO PATIENT CARE COST CENTER, TEACHING AND RESEARCH. FULLY-LOADED PATIENT CARE COSTS ARE ALLOCATED TO PATIENTS USING BILLED UNITS, UNIT COSTS, AND ALLOCATION ALGORITHMS SPECIFIC TO EACH COST CENTER. SCHEDULE H, PART III, LINE 9B: PATIENTS ARE NOTIFIED ON ALL BILLING STATEMENTS OF THE AVAILABILITY OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND THE CONTACT INFORMATION OF THE APPROPRIATE STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST IN THE PROCESS. MEEI'S POLICY INCORPORATES SPECIFIC BILLING PRACTICES RELATING TO PATIENTS WHO ARE ELGIBILE FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 2: MEEI ENGAGED THE SERVICES OF CONSULTANTS TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS (BC) WORKING GROUP THROUGHOUT THE ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING PROCESS, WHICH TOOK PLACE DURING THE FALL 2012/WINTER 2013. DURING THE ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING PROCESSES, THE CB WORKING GROUP MET REGULARLY AND ENGAGED THE FULL COMMITTEE AS NEEDED FOR PROGRESS UPDATES AND INPUT. AFTER THE PLAN WAS DEVELOPED AND APPROVED, MEETINGS DECREASED IN FREQUENCY AND THE GROUPS MET ON AN AS-NEEDED BASIS. FOR MOST MASSACHUSETTS HOSPITALS, COMMUNITY-LEVEL DATA AVAILABLE THROUGH THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION ARE USEFUL IN UNDERSTANDING THE SPECIFIC HEALTH NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES AND THOSE IN WHICH DISPARITIES EXIST. THESE DATA ARE TYPICALLY USED TO SELECT VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND POPULATIONS AND TO TARGET SERVICES TO ADDRESS PARTICULAR HEALTH ISSUES AND DISPARITIES. BECAUSE NEITHER THE BOSTON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMISSION NOR THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH COLLECT AND REPORT DATA ON VISION, HEARING AND OTHER HEAD AND NECK CONDITIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS COMMUNITIES, MEEI'S CB COMMITTEE HAD TO RELY ON ITS OWN PATIENT DATA, CENSUS DATA, AND GUIDANCE FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION TO DEFINE ITS TARGET COMMUNITIES AND POPULATIONS AND TO FORMULATE OBJECTIVES FOR ITS COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLAN. SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 3: MEEI, AS A FACILITY, WORKS TO ACTIVELY INFORM PATIENTS OF PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THEM TO HELP WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. BILLING BROCHURES ARE AVAILABLE IN ALL DEPARTMENTAL WAITING AREAS, WHICH EXPLAIN THE BILLING PROCESS AND THE PATIENT'S OPTIONS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. IN ADDITION, THE MEEI EXTERNAL WEBSITE CONTAINS A LINK WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE BASIC FEDERAL PROGRAMS AND ACCESS TO MEEI'S FINANCIAL COUNSELORS. THE FINANCIAL COUNSELING PROCESS IS DESIGNED TO EVALUATE THE PATIENTS' FINANCIAL ABILITY TO PAY AND TO RECOMMEND AND ASSIST THE PATIENT WITH ENROLLING IN ANY APPLICABLE GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE PROGRAMS. WHEN ALL AVENUES HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED, CHARITABLE CARE CRITERIA ARE REVIEWED. SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 4: STEP 1: IDENTIFY MEEI'S TARGET AREA AND POPULATIONS FOR ITS COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLAN THE ASSESSMENT TO INFORM THE NEXT MEEI COMMUNITY BENEFIT PLANS BEGAN WITH ANALYSIS OF 12 MONTHS OF PATIENT DATA (APRIL 1, 2011 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2012) TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE POPULATION SERVED. PATIENTS FROM OUTSIDE OF MASSACHUSETTS WERE EXCLUDED FROM ANALYSES, LEAVING A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF 65,429 PATIENTS. BELOW, OBSERVATIONS ABOUT PATIENTS' SEX, RACE/ETHNICITY, AGE, SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS, AND THEIR GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS ARE PROVIDED. THESE DATA WERE USED TO GUIDE THE SELECTION OF COMMUNITIES AND/OR POPULATIONS OF FOCUS. DEMOGRAPHIC CATEGORIES & STATISTICS: SEX: OVER HALF (53.4%) OF PATIENTS INCLUDED IN THE DATA SET ARE FEMALE. RACE/ETHNICITY: ROUGHLY 75% OF PATIENTS IN THE SAMPLE ELECTED TO PROVIDE DATA ABOUT THEIR RACE AND ETHNICITY AT THE TIME OF REGISTRATION AT THE HOSPITAL. FIGURE 1 BELOW SHOWS THE RACIAL/ETHNIC BREAKDOWN OF PATIENTS IN THE DATA SET, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM (60.2%) ARE WHITE. RACIAL/ETHNIC BREAKDOWN: (NUMBER OF PATIENTS; PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL PATIENTS) AMERICAN INDIAN/ALASKA NATIVE: 125; 0.2% ASIAN: 2,196; 3.4% BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN: 4,684; 7.2% HISPANIC: 1,090; 1.7% PACIFIC ISLANDER: 25; <1% WHITE: 39,392; 60.2% OTHER: 1,148; 1.7% UNKNOWN: 16,769; 25.6% TOTAL: 65,429; 100% BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH MISSING INFORMATION ABOUT RACE/ETHNICITY, THE DATA WERE NOT PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN IDENTIFYING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. GEOGRAPHY: NOTE THAT WITHIN DATA SET, SOME PATIENTS WERE LISTED AS LIVING IN BOSTON WITH NO SPECIFIED NEIGHBORHOOD, WHEREAS OTHERS WERE LISTED AS LIVING IN ONE OF BOSTON'S 21 NEIGHBORHOODS. IN FACT, DATA WERE AVAILABLE FOR 11 OF THE 21 NEIGHBORHOODS. RATHER THAN ROLL THE DATA FOR THE 11 NEIGHBORHOODS INTO THE BOSTON NUMBERS, THE CONSULTANTS KEPT THE DATA SEPARATE TO UNDERSTAND WHICH NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF MEEI PATIENTS. HOWEVER, IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE ACTUAL NUMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS SHOULD BE HIGHER, AS SOME PATIENTS LIVING IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SIMPLY CLASSIFIED AS LIVING IN BOSTON. OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS OF BOSTON MAY ALSO BE HOME TO LARGE NUMBERS OF MEEI PATIENTS BUT, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT BROKEN OUT, WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY PATIENTS RESIDE IT THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. OF THE 65,429 MASSACHUSETTS PATIENTS IN THE DATA SET, NEARLY 30% LIVE IN BOSTON AND NEARLY HALF (49.2%) LIVE IN COMMUNITIES INSIDE ROUTE 128 (INCLUDING BOSTON). THE VAST MAJORITY (82.8%) OF PATIENTS ARE FROM COMMUNITIES INSIDE OF ROUTE 495. PERCENT OF MEEI PATIENTS LIVING IN GEOGRAPHIC AREAS OF MASSACHUSETTS: BOSTON/BOSTON NEIGHBORHOODS: 29.5% WITHIN 128 (EXCEPT BOSTON): 19.7% NORTH SHORE: 3.2% INSIDE 495 (BEYOND 128): 30.4% OUTSIDE 495 - CENTRAL: 6.6% OUTSIDE 495 - NORTH: 4.5% WESTERN MA: 5.1% CAPE/ISLANDS: <1% TO IDENTIFY POPULATION CENTERS, THE CONSULTANTS LOOKED FOR THE COMMUNITIES/NEIGHBORHOODS IN WHICH THE LARGEST NUMBERS OF MEEI PATIENTS LIVE. FIFTEEN COMMUNITIES/NEIGHBORHOODS ARE HOME TO THE LARGEST NUMBERS OF MEEI PATIENTS. NEARLY HALF (49.9%) LIVE IN THESE 15 COMMUNITIES. MASSACHUSETTS COMMUNITIES/NEIGHBORHOODS WITH HIGHEST PROPORTION OF MEEI PATIENTS: (COMMUNITY: NUMBER OF PATIENTS; PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL PATIENTS; GEOGRAPHIC AREA) BOSTON (NO COMMUNITY SPECIFIED): 12,575; 19.2%; BOSTON JAMAICA PLAIN: 1,007; 1.5%; BOSTON WEST ROXBURY: 817; 1.2%; BOSTON ROSLINDALE: 789; 1.2%; BOSTON HYDE PARK: 780; 1.2%; BOSTON ALLSTON/BRIGHTON: 1,414; 2.2%; BOSTON CHARLESTOWN: 1,188; 1.8%; BOSTON CAMBRIDGE: 4,037; 6.2%; WITHIN 128 LYNN: 3,941; 6.0%; WITHIN 128 WAKEFIELD: 911; 1.4%; WITHIN 128 WOBURN: 933; 1.4%; WITHIN 128 READING/N. READING: 1,180; 1.8%; INSIDE 495 ANDOVER/N. ANDOVER: 1,356; 2.1%; INSIDE 495 FRAMINGHAM: 941; 1.4%; INSIDE 495 WORCESTER: 752; 1.1%; OUTSIDE 495 AGE: THE MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL IS INTERESTED IN HAVING THE HOSPITAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLANS TARGET VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. MEEI HAS CLINICAL EXPERTISE IN SERVING ELDERS AND CHILDREN, POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE POPULATIONS SELECTED BY THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS STEERING COMMITTEE AS PRIORITY POPULATIONS FOR MEEI'S COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLAN BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT OF HEARING/VISION IMPAIRMENT ON CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT AND HEARING/VISION IMPAIRMENT AND BALANCE ISSUES ON THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ELDERS. THE MEAN AGE OF MEEI PATIENTS IS 46.81 YEARS, WITH A RANGE OF LESS THAN ONE YEAR OF AGE TO 106 YEARS OF AGE. PATIENTS AGED 65 AND OVER MAKE UP 23.5% OF THOSE SEEN DURING THE SELECTED TIMEFRAME, WHEREAS THOSE 18 OR YOUNGER CONSTITUTE 13.7% OF THE POPULATION. BELOW SHOWS THE PROPORTION OF PATIENTS IN VARIOUS AGE GROUPS: (AGE GROUP: PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL) <1 YEAR TO 18 YEARS OLD: 13.7% 19 TO 24 YEARS OLD: 5.4% 25 TO 34 YEARS OLD: 10.6% 35 TO 44 YEARS OLD: 12.2% 45 TO 54 YEARS OLD: 16.3% 55 TO 64 YEARS OLD: 18.3% 65 AND OVER: 23.5% TEN COMMUNITIES ARE HOME TO THE LARGEST NUMBER OF MEEI'S SENIOR (65 YEARS AND OLDER) POPULATION. THESE TEN COMMUNITIES ARE HOME TO 34% OF MEEI SENIORS: (COMMUNITY: NUMBER OF PATIENTS; PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL) BOSTON (NO COMMUNITY SPECIFIED): 1,820; 11.8% CAMBRIDGE: 1,015; 6.6% DORCHESTER: 540; 3.5% LYNN: 386; 2.5% BRIGHTON: 298; 1.9% FRAMINGHAM: 261; 1.7% JAMAICA PLAIN: 238; 1.5% PEABODY: 237; 1.5% SAUGUS: 227; 1.5% WOBURN: 227; 1.5% TEN COMMUNITIES ARE HOME TO THE LARGEST NUMBERS OF MEEI PATIENTS WHO ARE LESS THAN 1 YEAR OF AGE THROUGH AGE 18. NEARLY 30% OF THE CHILDREN SERVED BY MEEI DURING THE DESIGNATED TIME PERIOD LIVE IN THESE TEN COMMUNITIES: (COMMUNITY: NUMBER OF PATIENTS; PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL) BOSTON (NO COMMUNITY SPECIFIED): 883; 9.9% LYNN: 370; 4.1% CAMBRIDGE: 350; 3.9% SAUGUS: 192; 2.1% CHARLESTOWN: 175; 2.0% WOBURN: 169; 1.9% HAVERHILL: 143; 1.6% ANDOVER: 141; 1.6% DORCHESTER: 131; 1.4% READING: 129; 1.4% SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS: SOCIO-ECONOMIC (SES) IS ANOTHER VARIABLE ASSOCIATED WITH VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. PATIENTS' HEALTH INSURANCE CAN BE USED AS A PROXY FOR SES BECAUSE THERE ARE INCOME ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS IN PLACE FOR PUBLIC PAYERS THAT ALLOW US TO MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHICH PATIENTS ARE LOW INCOME. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE NUMBER OF LOW-INCOME PATIENTS SERVED BY MEEI IS LIKELY MUCH HIGHER. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO KNOW HOW MANY MASSHEALTH PATIENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE INSURED THROUGH A COMMERCIAL CARRIER WITH A MANAGED CARE CONTRACT WITH MASSHEALTH. ADDITIONALLY, IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO KNOW WHICH PORTION OF THE SENIORS USING MEDICARE PRODUCTS TO PAY FOR THE SERVICES THEY RECEIVE AT MEEI ARE LOW-INCOME AND WHICH ARE NOT. ALTHOUGH AN IMPERFECT METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE SES OF PATIENTS, THESE ARE THE BEST DATA AVAILABLE FOR THIS PURPOSE. USING PAYER AS PROXY, IT APPEARS THAT JUST OVER 11% OF THE MEEI PATIENTS ARE LOW-INCOME, BROKEN DOWN AS FOLLOWS: (PUBLIC PAYER: NUMBER OF PATIENTS; PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL) MASSHEALTH: 3,672; 7.1% HEALTH SAFETY NET: 796; 1.2% MEDICAID: 287; 0.4% BMC HEALTH NET: 143; 0.2% NETWORK HEALTH: 1,493; 2.3% THE AVERAGE AGE OF THESE LOW-INCOME PATIENTS IS 37 WITH A RANGE OF LESS THAN ONE YEAR OF AGE TO 96 YEARS OF AGE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF SENIORS (65+) ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE ANALYSES BECAUSE MOST SENIORS USE MEDICARE PRODUCTS TO PAY FOR THEIR CARE. TEN COMMUNITIES ARE HOME TO THE LARGEST NUMBERS OF MEEI PATIENTS WHO HAVE LOW SES. NEARLY 50% OF THE PATIENTS WITH LOW SES LIVE IN THESE TEN COMMUNITIES: (COMMUNITY: NUMBER OF PATIENTS; PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL) BOSTON (NO COMMUNITY SPECIFIED): 1,102; 17.2% LYNN: 504; 7.9% CAMBRIDGE: 440; 6.9% DORCHESTER: 248; 3.8% LAWRENCE: 198; 3.1% CHARLESTOWN: 160; 2.5% EAST BOSTON: 163; 2.2% SAUGUS: 129; 2.0% LOWELL: 127; 2.0% WORCESTER: 123; 1.9% MEEI SERVES A POPULATION WITH A LARGE AGE RANGE, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT SENIOR (65+) AND PEDIATRIC (LESS THAN ONE YEAR THROUGH AGE 18) POPULATIONS. USING PATIENT PAYER AS A PROXY FOR SES, AT LEAST 11.2% OF THE PATIENTS HAVE LOW SES. NEARLY HALF OF MEEI'S PATIENTS LIVE IN COMMUNITIES WITHIN ROUTE 128, INCLUDING BOSTON AND SELECT NEIGHBORHOODS. ELEVEN OF THE 15 COMMUNITIES THAT ARE HOME TO THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF MEEI PATIENTS ARE WITHIN THIS GEOGRAPHIC AREA. THERE IS OVERLAP IN THE TOP COMMUNITIES FOR THE GENERAL POPULATION OF PATIENTS SEEN DURING THE DESIGNATED TIMEFRAME AND THE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. THREE ARE AMONG THE TOP COMMUNITIES FOR THE OVERALL POPULATION AND ELDERS, CHILDREN AND THOSE WITH LOW-SES: BOSTON, CAMBRIDGE AND LYNN. TWO OTHERS (DORCHESTER AND SAUGUS) ARE AMONG THE TOP TEN FOR ALL THREE VULNERABLE GROUPS. IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO MAXIMIZE RESOURCES FOR ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF PATIENTS OVERALL AND AMONG THE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS BY CONCENTRATING EFFORTS IN COMMUNITIES/NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN 128, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHERE SUCH OVERLAPS EXIST. A 2010 CENSUS MAP PRODUCED BY THE BOSTON GLOBE AND AVAILABLE ON-LINE SHOWS THAT THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE OF COLOR IN MASSACHUSETTS IS IN THE METRO BOSTON AREA. A SIMILAR 2010 CENSUS MAP SHOWS THAT, ALTHOUGH METRO BOSTON IS HOME TO SOME OF THE COMMONWEALTH'S WEALTHIEST COMMUNITIES, IT IS ALSO HOME TO SOME OF THE LOWEST INCOME COMMUNITIES. A THIRD MAP CREATED BY THE GERONTOLOGY INSTITUTE AT THE MCCORMACK GRADUATE SCHOOL OF POLICY AND GLOBAL STUDIES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS BOSTON SHOWS THAT THE POPULATION OF SENIORS LIVING WITHIN THE METRO BOSTON AREA EXCEEDS THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE. ACCORDING TO THE 2010 CENSUS, 13.8% OF MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS ARE AGED 65 AND OLDER. WITHIN THE MAJORITY OF METRO BOSTON COMMUNITIES, SENIORS COMPRISE BETWEEN 15.1% AND 20% OF THE CITY/TOWN POPULATIONS. CONCLUSIONS: BASED ON THE MOST RECENT CENSUS DATA AND MEEI'S OWN PATIENT DATA, THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS COMMITTEE CONCLUDED THAT, ALTHOUGH MEEI CARES FOR PATIENTS FROM ALL OVER THE COMMONWEALTH, THE HOSPITAL'S PRIMARY SERVICE AREA INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES IN THE METRO-BOSTON AREA (WITHIN THE ROUTE 128 BELT). ANALYSES ALSO SHOWED THAT LARGE NUMBERS OF VULNERABLE (I.E., CHILDREN, ELDERLY AND LOW-INCOME) PATIENTS RESIDE WITHIN THE METRO-BOSTON/128 AREA. THE COMMITTEE FURTHER CONCLUDED THAT, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND PROPORTION OF PEOPLE OF COLOR RESIDING WITHIN ITS PRIMARY SERVICE AREA, MEMBERS OF MEEI'S TARGET POPULATION ARE VERY LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE BARRIERS TO CARE RELATED TO DIVERSITY (E.G., LANGUAGE) AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS. BECAUSE OF THE FACTORS THAT MAKE CHILDREN, SENIORS AND LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE, THESE GROUPS WILL BE PRIORITIZED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLAN. ALTHOUGH THE PLAN SHOULD NOT EXCLUDE THOSE LIVING OUTSIDE THE METRO-BOSTON AREA, IT SHOULD EMPHASIZE SERVICES FOR THOSE LIVING WITHIN IT BECAUSE RESIDENTS ARE SO LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE BARRIERS TO CARE. MEEI SHOULD BUILD UPON A SOLID FOUNDATION OF OUTREACH AND SERVICE PROVISION TO METRO-BOSTON COMMUNITIES AND INCLUDE STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING ACCESS TO CARE IN THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLAN. STEP 2: ASSESS UNMET NEEDS IN METRO BOSTON AND AMONG THE TARGET POPULATIONS THE CB WORKING GROUP, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS COMMITTEE, OTHER PROVIDERS AND STAFF AT MEEI, AND EXTERNAL PARTNERS AT ORGANIZATIONS SERVING THE TARGET POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES WORKED TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND THE UNMET NEEDS THAT, AS AN INSTITUTION, MEEI IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO ADDRESS BECAUSE OF ITS CLINICAL SERVICES AND EXPERTISE. THROUGH ON-GOING DIALOG AND CONVERSATIONS OVER THE SUMMER AND FALL OF 2012, THE CB WORKING GROUP LED THE PROCESS TO IDENTIFY THE RESOURCE NEEDS. THE NEEDS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THOSE IDENTIFIED IN THE 2010 COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLAN: -TO EXTEND VISION SCREENING AND HEARING EXAMINATIONS AND FOLLOW UP CARE TO INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE NO OR VERY LIMITED ACCESS TO SUCH SERVICES. -FOR RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGICAL SERVICES FOR SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE WHO EXPERIENCED PHYSICAL INJURIES TO THE HEAD AND/OR NECK AS A RESULT OF ABUSE. -FOR EDUCATION, SCREENING AND SUPPORT FOR HEAD AND NECK CANCERS. -FOR EDUCATION AND SUPPORT RELATED TO FACIAL PARALYSIS AND CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT SMELL AND TASTE. -FOR RESOURCES TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CARE FOR MEMBERS OF THE TARGET COMMUNITIES WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM MEEI SERVICES BUT WHO ARE UNABLE TO GET THE CARE THEY NEED DUE TO LINGUISTIC OR FINANCIAL ISSUES, LACK OF TRANSPORTATION, OR A LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THEIR CONDITIONS AND THE SERVICES TO ADDRESS THEM. -FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY-BASED NON-PROFITS ENGAGED IN UNIQUE AND HIGH QUALITY WORK TO ADDRESS VISION, HEARING OR OTHER CONCERNS OF THE HEAD AND NECK IN THE TARGET COMMUNITIES AND/OR AMONG THE TARGET POPULATIONS. WITH GROWTH IN THE SENIOR POPULATION, THE INCREASE IN POVERTY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND THE SMALL NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS OFFERING THE CLINICAL EXPERTISE AND SERVICES AVAILABLE AT MEEI WITHIN METRO BOSTON, THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS COMMITTEE CONCLUDED THAT THE NEEDS ARE LIKELY TO PERSIST FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. SOME OF THE IDENTIFIED NEEDS (I.E., THOSE RELATED TO AWARENESS AND EDUCATION) AFFECT LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE IN THE TARGET AREA. OTHERS AFFECT SMALLER GROUPS OF PEOPLE, EITHER BECAUSE POCKETS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCE IMPEDED ACCESS TO SERVICES THAT ARE OTHERWISE GENERALLY AVAILABLE OR BECAUSE A CLINICAL CONDITION IS RARE AND THE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS IT ARE EXTREMELY LIMITED. CONCLUSION: THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS COMMITTEE CONCLUDED THAT THE UNMET NEEDS IDENTIFIED DURING THE METRO BOSTON ASSESSMENT WERE ALIGNED WITH THE CAPABILITIES OF MEEI AND ITS COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND SHOULD BE USED TO FORMULATE GOALS FOR MEEI'S COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLAN. STEP 3: ASSESS NEEDS IN MISSION HILL AS NOTED EARLIER, MEEI DECIDED TO BROADEN ITS COMMUNITY BENEFITS WORK TO PROVIDE TARGETED PROGRAMMING IN MISSION HILL, THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH ITS NEW OUT-PATIENT FACILITY IS LOCATED. MISSION HILL IS ONE SQUARE MILE, THREE-QUARTERS OF WHICH IS RESIDENTIAL. THE OTHER QUARTER IS COMPRISED OF THE LONGWOOD MEDICAL AREA. ACCORDING TO A REPORT BASED ON 2010 CENSUS DATA, MISSION HILL IS HOME TO 16,305 RESIDENTS, 19.7% OF WHOM ARE HISPANIC/LATINO. JUST UNDER 46% OF THE POPULATION IS A RACE OTHER THAN WHITE. ROUGHLY 21% OF THE MISSION HILL POPULATION IS 19 YEARS OF AGE OR YOUNGER AND 9.1% IS 65 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER. AN AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY (2005-2009) ESTIMATE REPORT ESTIMATES THAT 3,711 OR 28.1% OF MISSION HILL RESIDENTS WERE BORN OUTSIDE OF THE U.S. AND THAT 48.5% OF THOSE ARE NOT CURRENTLY U.S. CITIZENS. JUST OVER 44% OF RESIDENTS SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN OR IN ADDITION TO ENGLISH. OF THOSE WHO SPEAK A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH, 33.2% ARE LINGUISTICALLY ISOLATED BECAUSE THEY SPEAK LITTLE OR NO ENGLISH. IN 2009, AN ESTIMATED 19.3% OF MISSION HILL RESIDENTS EARNED LESS THAN $10,000 A YEAR. MORE THAN HALF (53.6%) EARNED LESS THAN $40,000 PER YEAR. IN CONTRAST, 12.6% EARNED $100,000 OR MORE IN THE SAME 12 MONTHS. ACCORDING TO THE 2010 CENSUS, OF THE 6,332 OCCUPIED HOUSING UNITS IN MISSION HILL, ONLY 11.4% ARE OWNER-OCCUPIED AND 33.6% ARE OCCUPIED BY FAMILIES. SEVERAL HUNDRED HOUSING UNITS IN MISSION HILL ARE OWNED AND RENTED BY THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY. SENIORS (65+) RESIDE IN 17.8% OF MISSION HILL HOUSEHOLDS WHILE CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18 ARE IN 16.9% OF HOUSEHOLDS. MISSION HILL IS HOME TO MORE THAN 20 HEALTH CARE, RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS. MISSION HILL IS A SMALL BUT DIVERSE COMMUNITY. ALTHOUGH, HOME TO SOME OF THE CITY'S LARGEST EMPLOYERS AND SEVERAL HUNDRED MIDDLE AND UPPER INCOME RESIDENTS, MISSION HILL IS PRIMARILY A NEIGHBORHOOD OF LOWER-INCOME FAMILIES. SENIORS AND CHILDREN MAKE UP ROUGHLY 30% OF THE MISSION HILL POPULATION. TO LEARN ABOUT MEEI'S PATIENTS WHO RESIDE IN MISSION HILL, THE CONSULTANTS ANALYZED DATA FROM THE LARGER DATA SET FOR PATIENTS WHOSE ZIP CODE IS 02120 (THE ZIP CODE FOR MISSION HILL). DURING THE TIMEFRAME FROM WHICH PATIENT DATA WERE DRAWN, MEEI CARED FOR 263 PATIENTS WHO LIVE IN MISSION HILL (1.6% OF THE MISSION HILL POPULATION). WITH THE NEW FACILITY IN MISSION HILL AND A CONCENTRATED EFFORT TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH ITS COMMUNITY BENEFITS PROGRAMMING, WE EXPECT THAT NUMBER TO RISE OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. (SEE FIGURE 11 IN THE OFFICIAL MEEI COMMUNITY BENEFITS REPORT FOR THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF MEEI'S PATIENTS WHO LIVE IN MISSION HILL.) AFTER PROFILING THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE CONSULTANTS INTERVIEWED TWO SENIOR MANAGERS FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS AT BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL (BWH). BWH IS LOCATED IN THE LONGWOOD MEDICAL AREA, NEIGHBORING MISSION HILL, AND HAS AN EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY BENEFITS PROGRAM THAT INVOLVES NUMEROUS INITIATIVES IN THE MISSION HILL. BOTH SENIOR MANAGERS HAVE SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE WORKING IN MISSION HILL AND WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF BWH'S EXPERIENCE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. BOTH SENIOR MANAGERS SHARED A SYNOPSIS OF FINDINGS FROM THEIR OWN COMMUNITY BENEFITS NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN MISSION HILL. TO GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF NEEDS IN MISSION HILL SPECIFICALLY, THE CONSULTANTS WORKED WITH THE MEEI CB WORKING GROUP AND WITH BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS LEADERS TO IDENTIFY MISSION HILL SERVICE PROVIDERS, ADVOCATES AND EDUCATORS POSITIONED TO SPEAK TO THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. THE CONSULTANTS THEN CONDUCTED TEN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS WITH THE IDENTIFIED KEY INFORMANTS. AMONG THEM WAS A MEMBER OF THE NEW ENGLAND BAPTIST HOSPITAL, WHICH OPERATES A SMALLER BUT HIGHLY REGARDED COMMUNITY BENEFITS PROGRAM TARGETING MISSION HILL. THE EXPERIENCES OF THE BWH AND NEW ENGLAND BAPTIST PROVIDED GREAT INSIGHTS THAT INFORMED THE ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING PROCESSES DESCRIBED BELOW. THE INTERVIEWS YIELDED IMPORTANT AND USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS, METHODS FOR BUILDING AND SUSTAINING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS IN MISSION HILL, THE NEEDS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. THE INTERVIEW DATA WERE ANALYZED FOR COMMON AND DIVERGENT THEMES, WHICH ARE SUMMARIZED BELOW. MISSION HILL WAS DESCRIBED AS A COMMUNITY OF HIGH ECONOMIC NEED AND ONE IN WHICH JOB CREATION, JOB TRAINING, AND YOUTH EMPLOYMENT ARE HIGH PRIORITIES. THE KEY INFORMANTS DESCRIBED MISSION HILL RESIDENTS AS CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE WITH LARGE POPULATIONS OF HISPANIC, CHINESE, RUSSIAN, SOMALI, AND ETHIOPIAN RESIDENTS. THE COMMUNITY IS ALSO HOME TO A NUMBER OF HIGHLY DEDICATED ADVOCATES WHO ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH INSTITUTIONAL NEIGHBORS TO BENEFIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TO RESOLVE ISSUES AS THEY ARISE. MEEI IS VIEWED IN A POSITIVE LIGHT AND WAS OVERWHELMINGLY WELCOMED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. ALL OF THE KEY INFORMANTS EXPRESSED A SINCERE DESIRE TO HELP MEEI AS THE HOSPITAL BECOMES FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMUNITY AND INTRODUCES COMMUNITY BENEFITS PROGRAMS. MISSION HILL RESIDENTS ACCESS ROUTINE HEALTH CARE SERVICES FROM MANY SOURCES, INCLUDING THE LOCAL HOSPITAL PRIMARY CARE PRACTICES, COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS AND HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS. DIABETES WAS IDENTIFIED AS A PARTICULAR HEALTH ISSUE OF CONCERN IN MISSION HILL. THE KEY INFORMANTS REPORTED THAT VISION AND HEARING ISSUES ARE NOT ADDRESSED IN A COMPREHENSIVE MANNER IN THE COMMUNITY AND THAT A NEED FOR SUCH CARE EXISTS. THE KEYS TO BUILDING AND SUSTAINING STRONGLY RELATIONSHIPS IN THE COMMUNITY WERE DESCRIBED AS: -BEING A GOOD AND RESPECTFUL NEIGHBOR TO THOSE WHO ABUT THE NEW MEEI FACILITY, INCLUDING HAVING REGULAR DIALOGUE WITH THEM. -HAVING A PRESENCE IN MISSION HILL BY ATTENDING EVENTS. -HAVING A POINT PERSON/LIAISON TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD BEING RESPONSIVE AS NEEDS OR ISSUES ARISE -BEING INCLUSIVE, WORKING TO SERVE THE BROADER COMMUNITY RATHER THAN SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN IT. -TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCATES IN MISSION HILL, INCLUDING MIKE ROSS, BOSTON CITY COUNCILMAN, WHO LIVES IN MISSION HILL. THE KEY INFORMANTS IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF NEEDS THAT ARE CONSISTENT WITH MEEI'S CLINICAL EXPERTISE AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS MISSION, INCLUDING: -VISION/HEARING SCREENINGS FOR SENIORS AND FOR CHILDREN (TO COMPLEMENT SCREENINGS OFFERED BY THE BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS) -FOLLOW UP CARE FOR SENIORS AND CHILDREN, INCLUDING FREE/REDUCED COST EYE GLASSES AND HEARING AIDS -EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS/MATERIALS: -SENIORS: VISION CARE, ESPECIALLY RELATED TO DIABETES, BALANCE/FALLS PREVENTION, HEAD AND NECK ISSUES -YOUTH: HEARING ISSUES RELATED TO PORTABLE DEVICES AND HEADPHONES -TEACHERS: DETECTING HEARING AND VISION ISSUES AMONG STUDENTS AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEARING AND SPEECH. THE INTERVIEW PARTICIPANTS ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL JOB TRAINING/EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, PARTICULARLY FOR YOUTH. SUGGESTIONS INCLUDED SUMMER JOBS FOR YOUTH, PAID INTERNSHIPS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, EMPLOYMENT FOR MISSION HILL RESIDENTS AT THE MEEI MAIN CAMPUS AND THE MISSION HILL LOCATION, AND SCHOLARSHIP CONTRIBUTIONS. THE KEY INFORMANTS RECOMMENDED THAT MEEI "PIGGY BACK" ON EXISTING EFFORTS IN MISSION HILL TO REACH THE TARGET POPULATION FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS INITIATIVES, GOING TO THE PLACE WHERE YOUTH AND SENIORS ALREADY TEND TO MEET (E.G., THE TOBIN COMMUNITY CENTER). THEY ALSO RECOMMENDED WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT REPRESENT SENIORS AND CHILDREN FROM ACROSS MISSION HILL (E.G., THE LEGACY PROJECT, THE MISSION HILL YOUTH COLLABORATIVE) TO REACH THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND ELDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. THE ORGANIZATIONS IN MISSION HILL HAVE WELL-ESTABLISHED METHODS FOR COMMUNICATING WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WITH RESIDENTS ABOUT EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. ALTHOUGH SEVERAL USE EMAIL TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR COLLEAGUES IN OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, MOST ALSO DISSEMINATE FLYERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO ADVERTISE PROGRAMMING TO RESIDENTS. SOME ALSO USE PHONE TREES AND GO DOOR TO DOOR. NEWSLETTERS, CALENDARS, MONTHLY ORGANIZATION MEETINGS, AND THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER, THE MISSION HILL GAZETTE, ARE OTHER METHODS FOR SPREADING THE WORD IN MISSION HILL. ALL OF THE KEY INFORMANTS OFFERED TO HELP MEEI PUBLICIZE ITS COMMUNITY BENEFITS OFFERINGS THROUGH THEIR ESTABLISHED LINES OF COMMUNICATION. CONCLUSIONS: BASED ON THE FINDINGS FROM THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN MISSION HILL, THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS COMMITTEE DECIDED THAT IN EACH OF THE NEXT THREE YEARS, THE HOSPITAL'S COMMUNITY BENEFITS STRATEGIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: -WORKING WITH THE MISSION HILL LEGACY PROJECT, OFFER A FREE VISION SCREENING TO AT LEAST 25 SENIORS AT ITS NEW LONGWOOD CENTER -WORKING WITH THE TOBIN COMMUNITY CENTER, PROVIDE A FREE EDUCATIONAL SESSION FOR YOUTH ON HEARING LOSS PREVENTION AT THE TOBIN COMMUNITY CENTER LOCATION. (IF IN YEARS 2 AND 3 OF THE PLAN, MEEI AND ITS COMMUNITY PARTNERS DETERMINE THAT SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THE ANNUAL VISION SCREENING FOR SENIORS OR HEARING EDUCATION EVENT FOR YOUTH IS NEEDED/PREFERABLE, THE PLAN WILL BE EDITED TO REFLECT SUCH CHANGES. THE OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFITS STRATEGIES ARE LIKELY TO OCCUR IN EACH OF THE THREE YEARS OF THE PLAN.) -WORKING WITH ONE OF THE EXISTING YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PARTNERS OR THE MISSION HILL YOUTH COLLABORATIVE, PROVIDE AN INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY TO A YOUNG PERSON IN MISSION HILL AT THE LONGWOOD FACILITY. -CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE MISSION HILL MAIN STREET ROAD RACE (IN THE FORM OF AN ANNUAL $1000 SPONSORSHIP. -PARTICIPATE IN THE MISSION HILL HEALTH FAIR THAT IS HELD IN JUNE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE HOSPITAL AND PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF CLINICAL ISSUES OF THE HEAD AND NECK. -ASSIST THOSE IN NEED OF FOLLOW UP CARE, INCLUDING HEARING AIDS AND GLASSES, TO OBTAIN COVERAGE FOR WHICH THEY ARE ELIGIBLE OR TO ACCESS ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE HOSPITAL (E.G., CHARITABLE CARE, FREE/REDUCE COST EYEGLASSES OR HEARING AID PROGRAMS). MEEI FILES AN ANNUAL COMMUNITY BENEFITS REPORT WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS ATTORNEY GENERAL. WHEN THE REPORTS ARE POSTED, THEY ARE AVAILABLE HERE: HTTP://WWW.MASSEYEANDEAR.ORG/ABOUT-US/OUTREACH/ SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 5: MEEI'S COMMUNITY BENEFITS STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING ITS OBJECTIVES AND ANNUAL TARGETS PROGRAM FALL INTO FOUR MAJOR CATEGORIES: 1. SCREENING AND CLINICAL SERVICES 2. EDUCATION AND SUPPORT 3. ACCESS TO SERVICES/RESOURCES 4. SPONSORSHIPS CATEGORIES 1 AND 2 DRAW ON MEEI'S BROAD CLINICAL AND TEACHING EXPERTISE AND ENCOMPASS THE NEW JOB READINESS STRATEGIES. CATEGORY 3 RESPONDS TO BARRIERS AND OBSTACLES THAT LIMIT ACCESS TO SERVICES. CATEGORY 4 REPRESENTS MEEI'S OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT PARTNERS WHOSE MISSIONS ARE ALIGNED WITH THOSE OF MEEI AND WHO ARE PROVIDING SERVICES TO MEEI'S PRIORITY PATIENT GROUPS AND/OR GEOGRAPHIC AREAS. EACH CATEGORY BELOW OFFERS A DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSOCIATED STRATEGIES AND PARTNERSHIPS AND CONCLUDES WITH AN AT-A-GLANCE TABLE THAT DESCRIBES THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS, TARGET AUDIENCE AND GEOGRAPHIC AREA SERVED, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S COMMUNITY BENEFITS CATEGORIES ADDRESSED, AND THE COSTS/RESOURCES EXPENDED FOR THE REPORTABLE YEAR FOR EACH STRATEGY IN THE CATEGORY. FISCAL YEAR 2014 WAS YEAR TWO OF MEEI'S THREE-YEAR PLAN. CATEGORY 1: SCREENING & CLINICAL SERVICES MEEI PROVIDES SCREENING AND CLINICAL SERVICES TO A WIDE RANGE OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS, FROM LOW-INCOME CHILDREN TO SENIORS TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. SPECIFIC INITIATIVES ARE AS DESCRIBED BELOW: NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE CHARTER SCHOOL (NHCS) NHCS WAS FOUNDED IN 1995 TO PROVIDE A BETTER EDUCATIONAL OPTION FOR LOW-INCOME BOSTON FAMILIES AND TO INCUBATE INNOVATIVE PRACTICES THAT HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL STUDENTS. TODAY, NHCS SERVES 400 STUDENTS AND IS ONE OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER SCHOOLS IN THE CITY, SUCCESSFULLY SERVING A DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF CHILDREN IN GRADES PRE-K THROUGH 8 FROM DORCHESTER AND SURROUNDING BOSTON NEIGHBORHOODS. MEEI'S DEPARTMENTS OF AUDIOLOGY AND OPHTHALMOLOGY PARTNERED WITH NHCS'S SCHOOL NURSE TO OFFER VISION AND HEARING SCREENING TO ALL STUDENTS. CHILDREN WHO NEED FOLLOW-UP CARE RECEIVE IT, FREE IF NECESSARY, AT MEEI. WORKING WITH NHCS' SCHOOL NURSE, MARY MCNULTY-ANGLIN, WE SET A GOAL OF SCREENING ALL CHILDREN IN ADVANCE OF FLU SEASON TO MAXIMIZE THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE. CAMP HARBOR VIEW: CREATED IN 2008 TO OFFER BOSTON CHILDREN A TRUE SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCE, CAMP HARBOR VIEW IS AN INITIATIVE OF THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT CAMP HARBOR VIEW FOUNDATION, INC. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF BOSTON AND THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF BOSTON. THE CAMP OFFERS CHILDREN AGES 11 TO 14 LIVING IN BOSTON'S AT-RISK NEIGHBORHOODS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE THE CITY DURING THE DAY AND PARTICIPATE IN A FOUR-WEEK SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM. RECOGNIZING MEEI'S EXPERTISE IN VISION SCREENING, MAYOR MENINO REQUESTED THAT MEEI PLAY A ROLE AT CAMP HARBOR VIEW. MEEI HAS BEEN PARTNERING WITH THE CAMP SINCE ITS FIRST SEASON. MEEI STAFF MEMBERS TRAVELED TO CAMP HARBOR VIEW TO CONDUCT ON-SITE VISION SCREENINGS AND IDENTIFY THOSE IN NEED OF FOLLOW-UP CARE. VISION COALITION/YEAR UP BOSTON: THE MISSION OF VISION COALITION MASSACHUSETTS IS TO REMOVE POOR VISION AS AN IMPEDIMENT TO LITERACY, EDUCATION, AND A BETTER WAY OF LIFE. VISION COALITION PROVIDES FREE VISION SCREENINGS AND FREE EYEGLASSES. MEEI PARTNERS WITH VISION COALITION MASSACHUSETTS BY PERFORMING FULL EYE EXAMS AND PROVIDING MEDICAL CARE FOR PARTICIPANTS IN YEAR UP BOSTON, WHICH THE VISION COALITION IDENTIFIED THROUGH SCREENING AS NEEDING VISION CARE. YEAR UP SERVES YOUNG URBAN ADULTS, PROVIDING THEM WITH THE SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND SUPPORT THAT WILL EMPOWER THEM TO REACH THEIR POTENTIAL THROUGH PROFESSIONAL CAREERS AND HIGHER EDUCATION. MEEI STAFF MEMBERS GIVE EYE EXAMS TO THESE YOUNG ADULTS, PROVIDE THOSE WHO NEED THEM WITH EYE GLASSES (WHICH ARE PURCHASED AT COST BY VISION COALITION), AND ENSURE THAT THOSE WHO NEED FOLLOW-UP CARE ARE LINKED TO SERVICES. HEAD AND NECK CANCER SCREENING/LECTURE: MEEI'S DEPARTMENTS OF ENT AND SOCIAL WORK COLLABORATE TO OFFER CANCER SCREENING TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH ORAL, HEAD AND NECK CANCER. SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE WITH ORAL, HEAD AND NECK CANCER HAS A SUPPORT GROUP CHAPTER AT MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL. MEEI COLLABORATES WITH THIS GROUP AND WITH THE HEAD AND NECK CANCER ALLIANCE TO RAISE AWARENESS DURING ORAL, HEAD AND NECK CANCER AWARENESS WEEK BY HOSTING AN EDUCATION TABLE. Face Forward Collaboration: The Face Forward program is a collaboration with Mass General Hospital formed after the collapse of the R.O.S.E. Fund (Regaining One's Self Esteem). The program continues the charter of breaking the silence and the cycle of domestic violence and teen dating violence and abuse. Face Forward screens and refers to Mass. Eye and Ear survivors of domestic violence in need of reconstructive surgery. Mass. Eye and Ear's surgeons perform these life-altering surgeries free of charge. The Legacy Project: The Legacy Project is a grassroots effort to provide support to seniors who reside in Mission Hill. Leaders of the Legacy Project reach out to seniors living in both public housing developments and to those who are living alone, providing information about services and community events. The Legacy Project also hosts a range of educational sessions and activities in its space at the Tobin Community Center. Activities range from computer classes to exercise and dance to intergenerational forums. The Legacy Project aims to build community through inclusiveness and communication, and partners with Mass. Eye and Ear in its community benefit programming for seniors. CATEGORY 2: EDUCATION & SUPPORT MEEI'S CLINICIANS AND SOCIAL WORKERS DELIVER EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS COPING WITH VARIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS OR CHALLENGES (E.G., SINUSITIS, HEARING LOSS, VISION LOSS, FACIAL PARALYSIS) AND ALSO REACH OUT TO PROVIDERS WHO INTERACT WITH SENIORS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH. DETAILS ON THESE EDUCATIONAL AND SUPPORT STRATEGIES ARE PRESENTED BELOW: PUBLIC FORUM ON HEARING AND HEARING LOSS: MEMBERS OF MEEI'S AUDIOLOGY DEPARTMENT PRESENTED AN 11TH ANNIVERSARY HAVE YOU HEARD? PUBLIC FORUM FEATURING EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS AND LECTURES ON HEARING AND HEARING LOSS. THIS YEAR'S SESSIONS FOCUSED ON THE MEDICAL AND SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF HEARING LOSS, AUDIOLOGIC EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF HEARING LOSS, AND SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES IN UNDERSTANDING HEARING AND HEARING LOSS. TARGETING THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND ESPECIALLY SENIORS AND INDIVIDUALS WITH HEARING LOSS, THE EVENT WAS PUBLICIZED VIA COMMUNITY PAPERS AND THROUGH MEEI PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS COUNCIL ON AGING. MEEI SURVEYS FORUM PARTICIPANTS AND WILL USE THEIR SUGGESTIONS TO DEVELOP THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR NEXT YEAR. PUBLIC FORUM ON CONDITIONS THAT AFFECT SMELL AND TASTE: THIS YEAR, MEMBERS OF MEEI'S DEPARTMENT OF ENT OFFERED A SERIES OF LECTURES ON SINUSITIS. TARGETING THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND ESPECIALLY SENIORS, THE EVENT WAS PUBLICIZED VIA COMMUNITY PAPERS AND VIA MEEI'S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS COMMISSION ON AGING. BOSTON CURED CANCER CLUB SUPPORT GROUP: THE BOSTON CURED CANCER GROUP FOR LARYNGECTOMEES SUPPORTS THE REHABILITATION OF LARYNGECTOMEES AND HELPS OFFER UNDERSTANDING TO PATIENTS AND THEIR LOVED ONES. MEEI HAS A STRONG COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS ORGANIZATION, PROVIDING MEETING SPACE AND SPEAKERS FOR THE GROUPS. THE BOSTON CURED CANCER GROUP COMES AND MEETS WITH NEW LARYNGECTOMEES, PROVIDING SUPPORT TO MEEI PATIENTS. PARTICIPANTS IN THE GROUPS, MOSTLY OLDER PEOPLE, ARE LARGELY FROM METRO BOSTON, BUT SOME COME FROM GREATER DISTANCES. FACIAL PARALYSIS SUPPORT GROUP: THE FACIAL PARALYSIS SUPPORT GROUP IS A FORUM FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH FACIAL PARALYSIS AND THOSE CLOSE TO THEM TO MEET AND SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND TO DISCUSS SUPPORT, TREATMENT, COPING AND SELF IMAGE. MEEI HOSTS THIS GROUP MONTHLY, PROVIDING MEETING SPACE AND SOCIAL WORK AND PHYSICIAN SUPPORT. WHILE THE GROUP IS OPEN TO ALL INDIVIDUALS WITH FACIAL PARALYSIS AND THEIR FAMILIES, PARTICIPANTS ARE GENERALLY FROM METRO BOSTON. MEEI PUBLICIZES THE SUPPORT GROUP VIA SOCIAL MEDIA AND THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FACIAL PARALYSIS SUPPORT NETWORK. HEAR @ BOSTON: HEAR@BOSTON, A CHAPTER OF THE HEARING LOSS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, IS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS EMPOWER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HEARING LOSS BY FACILITATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATION AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT. MEEI DONATES MONTHLY MEETING SPACE AND MEEI CLINICIANS SERVE AS SPEAKERS FOR MEETINGS AND EVENTS. MANY OF HEAR@BOSTON'S MEMBERS ARE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 20 AND 45, BUT THE GROUP ENCOURAGES PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO JOIN. Mission Hill Community Health Fair: Mass. Eye and Ear, Longwood, was out in full force at the Mission Hill Community Health Fair, an annual wellness event. Mass. Eye and Ear provided safety tips for hearing and vision protection and learned about disease prevention. Mission Hill Women's Health Group: Mass. Eye and Ear provided a physician to give a talk and answer questions about eye health at a meeting of the Mission Hill Women's group. The intention of the talk was to provide information for healthier vision. THYROID EYE DISEASE SUPPORT GROUP: THE MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY OFFERS A THYROID EYE DISEASE (GRAVES' DISEASE) SUPPORT GROUP, WHICH WILL ALLOW MEMBERS TO EXPRESS THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS CHRONIC ILLNESS TO HELP FORM A SOCIAL CONNECTION WITH OTHERS AND IMPROVE COPING SKILLS. THE OPEN FORUM GIVES MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION ABOUT GRAVES' DISEASE AND GIVES PHYSICIAN SPEAKERS A CHANCE TO INFORM MEMBERS OF THE LATEST TREATMENTS. MEEI DONATES MEETING SPACE FOR THIS GROUP, WHICH MEETS QUARTERLY. VISION REHABILITATION: IN THE AREA OF VISION REHABILITATION EDUCATION, MEEI STAFF RESPONDED TO A NUMBER OF REQUESTS FROM ORGANIZATIONS SERVING SENIORS TO PROVIDE SUPPORTIVE EDUCATION RELATED TO VISION REHABILITATION. DRESS FOR SUCCESS: THE MISSION OF DRESS FOR SUCCESS BOSTON IS TO PROMOTE THE ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE OF DISADVANTAGED WOMEN. THEY DO THIS BY PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL ATTIRE, A NETWORK OF SUPPORT AND THE CAREER DEVELOPMENT TOOLS TO HELP WOMEN THRIVE IN WORK AND IN LIFE. MEEI MAKES AN ANNUAL DONATION TO THIS ORGANIZATION TO HELP ADVANCE ITS EFFORTS IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AMONG LOW-INCOME WOMEN. Internships/Coops: Mass. Eye and Ear provides internships and coops to help get young people interested in health care so they can better care for their communities. This program introduces students to the wide variety of careers in healthcare, helps them see how various hospital roles are intertwined, and gives them opportunities to broaden the circle of role models in their lives. Partners include the PIC program, John Hancock, YMCA Training, Inc, Northeastern University. The Tobin Community Center: The Tobin Community Center is one of 35 Boston Center for Youth and Families facilities which are located in every neighborhood in Boston. The Center provides recreational space and activities for youth and families, including basketball courts, workout space, a daycare facility, career learning center and a diverse range of programs and activities for all interests. The mission of BCYF is to enhance the quality of life for Boston's residents by supporting children, youth and families through a wide range of programs and services. The Center hosts Mass. Eye and Ear educational sessions. Mission Hill Youth Collaborative: The Mission Hill Youth Collaborative is a grassroots coalition of community-based organizations and institutions that promotes the well-being of the neighborhood's young people and their families through collaborative activities. MHYC brings together youth-serving organizations and institutions to address the needs of the community in light of changing economic and social conditions as well as institutional expansion. The members have advocated for more effective programming, improved resources, and built a support network for the Mission Hill youth workers, youth, and their families. John Hancock MLK Summer Scholars: The MLK Summer Scholars program addresses a critical need in the City of Boston - summer jobs for youth. Mass. Eye and Ear hires young people each summer. In additional to the experience gained on the job, interns get additional support through participation in weekly job readiness and life skills workshops. Mass. Eye and Ear provides a summer job to one MLK Scholar each summer. Boston Private Industry Council (PIC): The PIC is a public-private partnership that connects business, schools, government, labor, and community organizations to create innovative workforce solutions. PIC helps businesses develop the workforce they need and Boston residents gain access to career opportunities and higher incomes. The PIC connects youth and adults with education and employment opportunities. Mass. Eye and Ear hires 12 PIC students as summer interns. CATEGORY 3: ACCESS TO SERVICES/RESOURCES THIS CATEGORY DESCRIBES MEEI STRATEGIES TO MAKE SERVICES AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS WHO MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO ACCESS THEM. THESE SERVICES AND RESOURCES ARE AS FOLLOWS: TRANSPORTATION FOR NEEDY PATIENTS: MEEI PROVIDES FREE TAXI TRANSPORTATION FOR PATIENTS AND FAMILIES IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. FREE EYEGLASSES PROGRAM: SOCIAL WORK STAFF, PATIENT FINANCIAL COUNSELORS, AND OPTICAL SHOP STAFF COLLABORATE TO PROVIDE FREE GLASSES TO MEEI PATIENTS WHO MEET INCOME AND OTHER ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES AND ARE UNABLE TO PAY FOR GLASSES. CONSULTATION FOR NON-MEEI PATIENTS: MEEI'S SOCIAL WORK STAFF PROVIDES INFORMATION AND REFERRAL FOR FINANCIAL RESOURCES, VISION AND HEARING RESOURCES, HOMECARE, AND EDUCATION TO NON-MEEI PATIENTS. SOCIAL WORK CONSULTATIONS FOR PATIENTS NEEDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: THE STAFF FROM MEEI'S DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK ASSISTS PATIENTS IN SECURING LODGING, MEAL VOUCHERS, PARKING VOUCHERS, AND OTHER SMALL NECESSITIES THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR PATIENTS AND FAMILIES TO RECEIVE TREATMENT AT MEEI. FINANCIAL COUNSELING ASSISTANCE: THE HOSPITAL'S FINANCIAL COUNSELORS WORK WITH PATIENTS TO ASSESS INSURANCE COVERAGE, IDENTIFY COVERAGE OPTIONS FOR WHICH THE UN/UNDER-INSURED MAY BE ELIGIBLE, AND TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING FOR AND ACCESSING COVERAGE. HOWE LIBRARY: MEEI'S RESEARCH LIBRARY STAFF ASSISTS PATIENTS WHO ARE SEEKING INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR MEDICAL CONDITIONS. SERVICES INCLUDE COMPUTER SEARCHING AND RETRIEVAL OF ARTICLES, FINDING BOOKS FOR USERS, AND PROVIDING COMPUTERS, COPIERS, PRINTERS, AND ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE IN USING THEM. THE HEARING AID CENTER: THE MEEI HEARING AID CENTER PROVIDES SUPPORT, INCLUDING EDUCATION AND EQUIPMENT, TO PATIENTS WITH HEARING LOSS. FOR PATIENTS WHO MEET INCOME GUIDELINES, THESE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED AT NO CHARGE OR AT A REDUCED RATE. FREE PARKING: MEEI OFFERS FREE PARKING TO PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THAT ENABLES THEM TO COME FOR CARE AND PARTICIPATE IN SUPPORT GROUPS. MEEI ALSO EXTENDS FREE PARKING TO PARTICIPANTS AT COMMUNITY BOATING, A LOCAL NONPROFIT, AND TO SUPPORT GROUPS SUCH AS THE GLAUCOMA SUPPORT GROUP AND HEAR @ BOSTON. CHARITABLE CARE: EACH YEAR, MEEI PROVIDES FREE OR DISCOUNTED CARE TO PATIENTS WHO ARE UNABLE TO COVER THE FULL COST OF THE SERVICES THEY UTILIZE. THIS YEAR THE HOSPITAL PROVIDED $194,886 IN FREE OR DISCOUNTED CARE TO PATIENTS THAT MEET MEEI'S FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE POLICY. MEEI MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR PATIENTS AND TO HELP THEM ACCESS THE COVERAGE FOR WHICH THEY ARE ELIGIBLE. HOWEVER, EACH YEAR MEEI PROVIDES CARE TO PATIENTS THAT IS NOT FULLY REIMBURSED. IN 2014, MEEI'S NET CHAIRTY CARE TOTALLED $2,719,571, WHICH INCLUDES THE HEALTH SAFETY NET (HSN) ASSESSMENT AND SHORTFALL, HSN DENIED CLAIMS, AND FREE OR DISCOUNTED CARE PROVIDED TO PATIENTS THAT MEET MEEI'S FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE POLICY. THE NET CHARITY CARE PROVIDED EACH YEAR IS A REFLECTION OF MEEI'S AND THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS COMMITTEE'S COMMITMENT TO THE DELIVERY OF HIGH-QUALITY CARE TO PATIENTS AND IS AN IMPORTANT STRATEGY FOR ENSURING ACCESS TO CARE IN THE MEEI COMMUNITY BENEFITS PLAN. CATEGORY 4: SPONSORSHIPS MEEI DESIGNATES A PORTION OF ITS COMMUNITY BENEFITS RESOURCES TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT IN THE FORM OF SPONSORSHIPS TO A SELECT NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS WHOSE MISSIONS ALIGN WITH THOSE OF MEEI AND ITS COMMUNITY BENEFITS GOALS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO ADDRESS ISSUES AFFECTED THE TARGET COMMUNITIES AND POPULATIONS OF THE HOSPITAL'S COMMUNITY BENEFIT PLAN. EACH OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS PROMOTES WELLNESS AMONG THEIR TARGET POPULATION AND SERVES PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH. SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 6: NOT APPLICABLE SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 7: LIST OF STATES RECEIVING COMMUNITY BENEFIT REPORT: MA true BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL 300 LONGWOOD AVE BOSTON MA 02115 042774441 501(C)(3) 238243 RESEARCH BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL 75 FRANCIS ST BOSTON MA 02115 042312909 501(C)(3) 331750 RESEARCH JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY 600 N WOLF ST BALTIMORE MD 21218 520595110 501(C)(3) 14846 RESEARCH MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL 55 FRUIT ST BOSTON MA 02114 042697983 501(C)(3) 518281 RESEARCH MIT DIVISION OF HEALTH 77 MASS AVE CAMBRIDGE MA 02139 042103594 501(C)(3) 22717 RESEARCH MAYO CLINIC 200 1ST ST SW ROCHESTER MN 55905 416011702 501(C)(3) 162903 RESEARCH HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL MASS HALL CAMBRIDGE MA 02138 042103580 501(C)(3) 550277 RESEARCH WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE 100 INSTITUTE RD WORCESTER MA 01609 042121659 501(C)(3) 169769 RESEARCH SCHEPENS EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE 20 STANIFORD ST BOSTON MA 02114 042129889 501(C)(3) 266341 INSTITUTIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI 1400 NW 10TH AVE MIAMI FL 33136 590624458 501(C)(3) 127969 RESEARCH MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN 8701 WATERTOWN PLANK RD MILWAUKEE WI 53226 390806261 501(C)(3) 37142 RESEARCH MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR ASSOCIATES INC 243 CHARLES STREET BOSTON MA 02114 222658209 501(C)(3) 12493958 INSTITUTIONAL RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL 593 Eddy Street Providence RI 029034923 050258954 501(c)(3) 197297 RESEARCH THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SD 9500 Gilman Dr MC0934 San Diego CA 92023 956006144 501(C)(3) 49975 RESEARCH HARVARD VANGUARD MEDICAL ASSOC INC 133 Brookline Avenue Boston MA 02215 043397450 501(C)(3) 5005 RESEARCH CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY 10900 Euclid Ave Cleveland OH 441067015 341018992 501(c)(3) 250134 RESEARCH SCHEPENS EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE 20 STANIFORD ST BOSTON MA 02114 042129889 501(C)(3) 457169 RESEARCH Chicago Association for Research and Education 5000 South 5th Avenue Hines IL 60141 363334177 501(C)(3) 126572 RESEARCH University of Michigan 500 S State St Ann Arbor MI 48109 386006309 501(C)(3) 12111 RESEARCH University of Utah 201 S Pres Cir Salt Lake City UT 84112 876000525 501(C)(3) 34911 RESEARCH SALUS UNIVERSITY 8360 Old York Rd Elkins Park PA 19027 231413680 501(C)(3) 106846 RESEARCH PARTNERS HEALTHCARE 101 Merrimac Street Boston MA 02114 043230035 501(C)(3) 197353 RESEARCH NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL 700 Childrens Dr Columbus OH 43205 316056230 501(C)(3) 26223 RESEARCH PRESIDENT & FELLOWS OF HARVARD Massachusetts Hall Cambridge MA 02138 042103580 501(C)(3) 46266 RESEARCH HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 10 Shattuck Street Boston MA 02115 042103580 501(C)(3) 174155 RESEARCH EMORY UNIVERSITY 1599 Clifton Rd 4th FL Atlanta GA 30322 580566256 501(C)(3) 11255 RESEARCH BIONIC EYE TECHNOLOGIES INC 4 Willow Lake Drive Fishkill NY 12524 465766628 501(C)(3) 287939 RESEARCH 27 0 SCHEDULE I, PART I, LINE 2: SUBRECIPIENT MONITORING POLICY AND PROCEDURES. Subawards are issued through a consortium agreement between the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary ("MEEI") and the recipient institution. The agreement specifies the terms of the subaward, and includes a detailed budget and scope of work to be performed by the recipient institution. Awarded funds are encumbered by a purchase order that is assigned to a unique fund number. Payments to recipient institutions made against the purchase order are recorded in the MEEI accounting system so that individual payments and purchase order balances can be monitored. Disbursement of funds for subawards require the written approval of the Principal Investigator ("PI"). Frequent progress reports and other forms of communication are required between the PI and the subrecipient institute to ensure that the scope of work is progressing at a satisfactory pace. Research Administration also conducts an annual inventory of institutions to which research has been sub awarded. A risk assessment matrix is employed, along with a review of the subrecepients most recent A133 audit report, to determine the level of risk regarding the sub recipient's ability to comply with federal guidelines. X X X X false true false false false false false true false ALAN K LONG VP RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION 193523 0 16979 0 19204 0 8844 0 1045 0 239595 0 0 0 BARBARA SCULLY DIRECTOR PROF REV CYCLE 178528 0 0 0 227 0 15125 0 22360 0 216240 0 0 0 CAROLANN WILLIAMS CFO & VP FINANCE AND ADMIN 382394 0 53931 0 540 0 10787 0 21432 0 469084 0 0 0 D BRADLEY WELLING MD DIRECTOR 0 679676 0 72000 0 14570 0 35750 0 20049 0 822045 0 0 DEBRA ROGERS VP OPHTHALMOLOGY 231741 0 25000 0 13355 0 4926 0 6644 0 281666 0 0 0 EILEEN O LOWELL CNO & VP PAT CARE SVS 257074 0 18640 0 1459 0 16247 0 22705 0 316125 0 0 0 GLENN W BUNTING VOICE & SPEECH CLINICAL DIR 179877 0 1200 0 4283 0 19499 0 22429 0 227288 0 0 0 GREGORY J DONNELLY EXEC. DIRECTOR, CLINICAL SRVCS 180456 0 10000 0 3632 0 15094 0 22740 0 231922 0 0 0 JAVIER BALLOFFET VP OPHTHALMOLOGY 108853 0 50000 0 9437 0 2152 0 9824 0 180266 0 0 0 JEFFREY J PIKE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 315286 0 34984 0 513 0 12935 0 9080 0 372798 0 0 0 JENNIFER STREET VP COMMUNICATIONS & PLANNING 314196 0 45582 0 789 0 13329 0 23145 0 397041 0 0 0 JOAN W MILLER MD DIRECTOR 0 712454 0 80000 0 19822 0 35750 0 23635 0 871661 0 0 JOHN FERNANDEZ PRESIDENT 730682 0 109600 0 810 0 235750 0 23635 0 1100477 0 0 0 KENNETH E HOLMES CFO MEEA 235149 0 15098 0 24029 0 16847 0 27620 0 318743 0 0 0 MARTHA PYLE FARRELL ASSISTANT SECRETARY 258241 0 27500 0 725 0 8935 0 23335 0 318736 0 0 0 MAUREEN KELLEY ASSISTANT SECRETARY 185172 0 4500 0 397 0 8168 0 22515 0 220752 0 0 0 MELISSA M PAUL CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER 209444 0 28421 0 18050 0 18747 0 22735 0 297397 0 0 0 MICHAEL RICCI CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER 232318 0 8000 0 221 0 9599 0 22628 0 272766 0 0 0 PHILLIP C JOHNSON DIR FINANCIAL OPERATIONS 181726 0 5000 0 18268 0 21389 0 22787 0 249170 0 0 0 RACHEL WASSERSTROM VP OTOLARYNGOLOGY 200134 0 12500 0 260 0 4175 0 19749 0 236818 0 0 0 RALPH PELOSI DIRECTOR FACILITIES PLANNING 174123 0 10000 0 4231 0 8690 0 925 0 197969 0 0 0 SCHEDULE J, PART I, LINE 4B: John Fernandez participates in a Deferred Compensation arrangement with Massachusetts Eye and Ear. Under the agreement, Mr. Fernandez will be credited $200,000 for CALENDAR YEAR 2014. Each annual credit will vest on the fourth anniversary of the date such credit was made or upon (1) the attainment of the age of 65 while employed; (2) termination without cause or resignation for good reason; (3) death; (4) disability; or (5) change of control of MASSACHUSETTS Eye and Ear within the meaning of section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. SCHEDULE J, PART I, LINE 7: The Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, upon recommendations of the Compensation Committee, approve a bonus program for certain individuals listed on the Schedule J. The program requires that supervisory personnel make the determination of (1) eligibility and (2) amount of bonus dollars based on overall job performance. The CEO of the Infirmary has the authority to (1) overrule recommendations made by supervisors and (2) make bonus determinations for Vice President level personnel. The Compensation Committee of the board has the final authority for bonuses paid to the CEO as well as the Vice Presidents. Total Compensation for listed individuals, including bonus payments, was analyzed by independent compensation consultants, determined to be reasonable compensation, and approved by the Board. No compensation payment can be made in excess of these amounts. A MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH AND EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES 042456011 57586EWL1 2010-09-29 63156092 FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS false false false B MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH AND EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES 042456011 57586ELD1 2007-03-22 20000000 FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS false false true C MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH AND EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES 042456011 57586ELD1 2005-02-25 13695000 FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS false false true A 3320000 0 63156092 5074593 5191181 0 1243623 0 0 51707858 0 13 2015 false false true true B 10861001 0 20000000 91391 0 0 95209 0 0 19700000 93380 0 2010 false false true true C 7814649 0 13695000 58806 0 0 61507 0 0 13489575 68300 0 2009 false false true true A false false false false 0 false true B false false false false 0 false true C false false false false 0 false true A false true false false 0 false 0 false false B true true false 0 false 0 false false C true true false 0 false 0 false false A true B true C true PART I, BOND (A), COLUMN (F): THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF RENOVATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING SPACE AND ACQUISITION OF MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT LOCATED IN MEEI'S MAIN CLINICAL BUILDING, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING: THE AMBULATORY AND INPATIENT OPERATING ROOMS, THE SINUS CLINIC, THE NEURO-OPTHALMOLOGY CLINIC, THE OTOLARYNGOLOGY LASER CENTER, THE ENT CLINIC FOCUSING ON HEAD AND NECK CONDITIONS, THE PRE-ADMISSION TESTING SUITE, THE OPHTHALMOLOGY OUTPATIENT CLINICS LOCATED ON THE FIRST FLOOR, THE GROUND FLOOR (INCLUDING THE LOBBY AREA, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT), THE PEDIATRIC OPHTHALMOLOGY CLINIC, THE HEAD AND NECK CLINIC, THE LASER CENTER, THE PEDIATRIC INPATIENT UNIT, THE OPHTHALMOLOGY PLASTICS OUTPATIENT CLINIC, THE OTOLARYNGOLOGY FACULTY OFFICE SUITE AND THE DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURAL FEES RELATING TO THE RECONSTRUCTING OF THE GROUND, FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD FLOORS FOR ADDITIONAL CLINICAL SPACE. IMPROVEMENTS TO EXISTING BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE. PLANNING AND DESIGN COSTS RELATED TO A REPLACEMENT RESEARCH OR CLINICAL BUILDING TO BE LOCATED AT 309-325 CAMBRIDGE STREET. COSTS OF ISSUANCE AND CAPITALIZED INTEREST ON THE BONDS FINANCING THE PROJECTS DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION FOR A PERIOD OF UP TO THREE YEARS. PART I, BOND (B), COLUMN (F): THE PROJECT ALL TO BE OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE INFIRMARY, CONSISTS GENERALLY OF (A) RENOVATION OF THE OUTPATIENT AREAS OF THE INFIRMARY AND OF THE 7TH FLOOR SERVICE AREA AND OFFICES, ALL LOCATED AT 243 CHARLES STREET, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND (B) EQUIPMENT PURCHASES. PART I, BOND (C), COLUMN (F): THE PROJECT ALL TO BE OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE INFIRMARY, CONSISTS GENERALLY OF (A) RENOVATION OF THE OUTPATIENT AREAS OF THE INFIRMARY AND OF THE 7TH FLOOR SERVICE AREA AND OFFICES, ALL LOCATED AT 243 CHARLES STREET, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND (B) EQUIPMENT PURCHASES. PART IV, BOND (A), LINE 2C: A rebate calculation was performed for the bonds on October 13, 2015 for the rebate period ended September 30, 2015. No arbitrage rebate was due. 0 62036 JOAN MILLER MD DRCTR IS LICENSOR TO ORG 170817 PATENT LICENSE PROCEEDS false JOHN MILLER MD SON OF DIRECTOR 62036 EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT false SCHEDULE L, PART V, BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS INVOLVING INTERESTED PERSONS (A) NAME OF PERSON: JOAN MILLER, MD (D) DESCRIPTION OF TRANSACTION: INVENTOR PROCEEDS FOR PATENT RIGHTS ARE MADE IN ACCORDANCE WITH WRITTEN MEEI POLICY IN RESPECT OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. FORM 990, PART I, LINE 1 & PART III, LINE 1: THE MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY ("THE INFIRMARY") IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT TEACHING HOSPITAL CONDUCTING PATIENT CARE AND RESEARCH. THE INFIRMARY IS A TEACHING HOSPITAL OF HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL AND AN INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH. IT HAS THE MOST COMPETITIVE PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY FOR EYE, EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT RESIDENCY TRAINING AND THE WORLD'S LARGEST OPHTHALMIC FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM. IT IS PART OF A SYSTEM OF RELATED ENTITIES THAT PROVIDE SPECIALIZED MEDICAL CARE COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS "MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY" ("MEEI"). FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A: Massachusetts Eye and Ear is a specialty hospital dedicated to excellence in the care of disorders that affect the eye, ear, nose, throat and adjacent regions of the head and neck. 2015 was an exceptional year : U.S. News & World Report ranked Mass. Eye and Ear #1 in the nation; growth throughout seventeen clinical locations; advancements in research; commitment to community; and the launch of two major technology transitions, PeopleSoft, which is the system Mass. Eye and Ear will use for all enterprise resource planning (payroll, general ledger, HR) and Epic, our new, unified patient care system. They are both considered the premier products in their field and have an impact on virtually every person in the Mass. Eye and Ear community. Research Ophthalmology Age-related Macular Degeneration Center of Excellence Preventing Vision Loss through Neuroprotection Researchers are investigating novel neuroprotection strategies for AMD, focusing on understanding the multiple pathways that lead to photoreceptor cell death in the retina and associated vision loss. While anti-angiogenesis treatments can be beneficial for patients with wet AMD, neuroprotection offers a potentially complementary treatment approach in cases where neuron loss continues to progress. Investigators in the Mass. Eye and Ear Angiogenesis Laboratory have identified the mode of death of cone cell photoreceptors in an animal model of retinitis pigmentosa. Demetrios Vavvas, MD, PhD; Joan W. Miller, MD; and colleagues have further demonstrated that receptor-interacting protein kinase-mediated program necrosis is a key mediator of photoreceptor cell loss and damage in animal models of inherited retinal degenerations and dry AMD. Kip Connor, PhD; Deeba Husain, MD; and other vision researchers at Mass. Eye and Ear found a significant increase in the immune system's alternative complement pathway following retinal detachment. Healthy photoreceptors have proteins that normally protect them from complement-mediated cell death. However, injured photoreceptors lose these proteins, and are selectively targeted by the alternative complement pathway, resulting in early photoreceptor cell death. Researchers were able to protect photoreceptors from cell death by blocking the alternative complement pathway. Inflammation and the Development of Dry AMD A collaborative effort among the laboratories of Patricia A. D'Amore, PhD, MBA; Bruce Ksander, PhD; Meredith Gregory-Ksander, PhD; and Kameran Lashkari, MD, at Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear suggests that the inflammasome plays a role in the development of dry AMD. Retinal tissue from human donor eyes with AMD showed expression of components of the inflammasome, whereas retinal tissue from age-matched controls showed none. The inflammasome may represent a new target for the prevention or attenuation of AMD. Cornea Center of Excellence Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency Project Ula Jurkunas, MD; Ahmad Kheirkhah, MD; Kishore Reddy, PhD; Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH; and colleagues from the Center for Human Cell Therapy at Boston Children's Hospital, are studying a new method for growing cells from a patient's healthy eye and transplanting them onto the diseased eye. If successful, this intervention could offer hope for a significant number of blind patients worldwide. Researchers in other countries are investigating similar transplantation methods, but are using animal-derived cells. Aside from this Phase I trial, there are no known clinical trials in the United States studying a human-derived cell intervention. New Treatments for Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH, and colleagues are participating in a multicenter study to determine the efficacy of fish oil supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids for dry eye. If proven to be effective, this could be this could be a new, safe, over-the-counter therapy for patients with dry eye disease. Also, Mass. Eye and Ear has teamed up with Rigel Pharmaceuticals to evaluate the efficacy of a novel eye drop to treat ocular surface disease in patients with ocular graft-versus-host disease, a common and serious complication in stem cell and bone marrow transplant recipients. Another study has Mass. Eye and Ear investigators teaming with Domp, a biopharmaceutical company, to test the efficacy of nerve growth factor in patients with non-healing corneal defects. Innovative Medical Therapies: From Eye Drops to Drug-Eluting Contact Lenses. In collaboration with colleagues at Boston Children's Hospital and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Joseph Ciolino, MD, developed a drug-eluting contact lens that can deliver various pharmaceutical agents at a sustained therapeutic rate daily for a full month. Already, he and colleagues have successfully used the lens to deliver latanoprost, a common glaucoma medication. While still in development, this contact lens has the potential to benefit a diverse patient population. In support of these efforts, the Department of Defense awarded Dr. Ciolino and colleagues nearly $1 million in 2014. Glaucoma Center of Excellence Imaging in Three Dimensions Teresa Chen, MD, and Lucy Shen, MD, of Mass. Eye and Ear are advancing imaging techniques to aid in the early diagnosis and monitoring of patients with glaucoma and other retinal diseases. Dr. Chen focuses her research on 3D imaging of the eye using spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and swept source imaging. Along with colleagues in the Glaucoma Center of Excellence and investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital, she was the first to image the human eye in vivo with video-rate SD-OCT, a widely used imaging modality for the care of glaucoma patients. With SD-OCT, ultra-high resolution 3D video imaging of the optic nerve and the retina is possible. Dr. Shen conducted a research study that imaged the glaucomatous optic nerve using 3D swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Since then, 3D images of more than 1,000 patients have been captured using this imaging technology. These images are playing a key role in developing newer methods of detecting microscopic changes in the optic nerve and surrounding nerve tissues, which are affected in glaucoma disease. New Insights into Exfoliation Glaucoma Exfoliation glaucoma is an age-related systemic disease that manifests itself primary in the eyes. As little is known about its cause, increased attention has been given to understanding the role of the environment, diet, and lifestyle in this disorder. Louis Pasquale, MD, and Janey Wiggs, MD, PhD, of Mass. Eye and Ear, along with colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital, found that living in the middle or southern United States was associated with a decreased risk of exfoliation glaucoma when compared to the northern states. In another study, researchers found a link between caffeinated coffee consumption and the development of exfoliation glaucoma. Diabetic Eye Disease Center of Excellence Understanding Diabetic Retinopathy in African Americans Diabetes is one of the most serious health problems that the African American community faces today. By drawing patients from the Jackson Heart Study patient population (African Americans with cardiovascular disease), Lucia Sobrin, MD, MPH, and colleagues are investigating the genetic profiles of patients who develop retinopathy with those who do not develop the disease. Understanding these genetic factors may lead to insights about novel molecular pathways that are involved in the advancement of diabetic retinopathy and consequently lead to the identification of new treatment targets. Identifying non-genetic risk factors associated with progression is also important because this knowledge can be used to counsel patients on lifestyle changes (smoking, diet, etc.) that may lower their risks of developing the late stages of diabetic retinopathy. Mobility Enhancement and Vision Rehabilitation Center of Excellence Prism Glasses for Hemianopia Alex Bowers, PhD, and colleagues published the first multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial of a prismatic correction for hemianopia. This study represents a major step forward in the field and establishes an evidence base for the efficacy of peripheral prism glasses for hemianopia. The prism device itself was invented by Eli Peli, MSc, OD, at Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear, where many early clinical trials were conducted. Video Games Teach Navigational Skills To better understand the brain's role in wayfinding, Lotfi Merabet, OD, PhD, MPH, and colleagues used functional neuroimaging to show that the region of the brain associated with navigation skills, independence, and visual information becomes activated during gaming. This suggests that information learned through video games translates into interactive "mind maps" in the gamer's brain that can be later called upon for way finding. Ocular Oncology Center of Excellence Limitations of Metformin Kinga Bujakowska, MD, and colleagues demonstrated that metformin, an anti-diabetic drug, inhibited the in vitro proliferation of retinoblastoma cells at levels well above those tolerated in vivo. This suggests that metformin's potential anticancer effects, observed in epidemiological studies, may be limited to specific tumor types, and/or related to indirect mechanisms not observed under laboratory conditions. Verteporfin, Possible Adjuvant for Retinoblastoma Joan W. Miller, MD; Evangelos Gragoudas, MD; and Demetrios Vavvas, MD, PhD, demonstrated a novel role of the YAP-TEAD pathway in retinoblastoma, as well as the therapeutic potential of verteporfin as an adjunctive therapy when treating patients with retinoblastoma. Verteporfin without light activation was found to be a potent inhibitor of retinoblastoma cell growth, disrupting proto-oncogenes downstream of the YAP-TEAD signaling pathway and downregulating the pluripotent marker OCT4. Infectious Disease Institute (IDI) New Diagnostic Tests Michael Gilmore, PhD; James Chodosh, MD, MPH; Marlene Durand, MD; Lucia Sobrin, MD, MPH; Suzanne Freitag, MD; Lucy Young, MD, PhD; and Wolfgang Haas, PhD, have begun to develop and implement new diagnostic tests to detect difficult-to-diagnose infections of the eye. As current methods require days to yield results, the long-term goal is to develop new rapid diagnostic technologies that can detect a range of pathogens within hours. In collaboration with the clinical microbiology laboratory, clinicians are working to develop, and receive clinical laboratory improvement amendments (CLIA) approval, for state-of-the-art rapid PCR diagnosis of viral infections of the eye to speed patient diagnosis and treatment. Ocular Genomics Institute (OGI) Researchers Resurrect Ancient Viruses in Hopes of Improving Gene Therapy Luk Vandenberghe and colleagues have reconstructed an ancient virus that is highly effective at delivering gene therapies to the liver, muscle, and retina. This approach, published July 30, 2015 in Cell Reports, could be used to design a new class of genetic drugs that are safer and more potent than those currently available. Dr. Vandenberghe and his colleagues hope to use they knowledge gained in this study to design next-generation viruses for use as vectors in gene therapy." EFEMP1 Gene Mutation in Doyne Honeycomb Retinal Dystrophy/Malattia Leventinese Eric Pierce, MD, PhD; Donita Garland, PhD; and colleagues used proteomic analyses to identify the proteins present in the basal deposits of Efemp1-R345W mice-a model of Doyne honeycomb retinal dystrophy/malattia Leventinese. In humans, this inherited macular degeneration is caused by mutations in the EFEMP1 gene, which encodes an extracellular matrix protein. Researchers showed that the basal deposits are composed of normal extracellular matrix components that are present in abnormal amounts. The proteomic analyses also suggest that the altered extracellular matrix stimulates a local immune response, including activation of the complement system. Ocular Regenerative Medicine Institute (ORMI) First to Regrow Fully Functional Human Corneas in Mice Bruce Ksander, PhD, and post-doctoral fellow Evi Kolovou, MD, as well as other ORMI members - James Zieske, PhD, and Meredith Gregory-Ksander, PhD - identified ABCB5 as a marker of limbal stem cells, which are necessary for corneal development and repair. As a result, Drs. Ksander and Kolovou were able to use antibodies detecting ABCB5 to target the stem cells in tissue from deceased human donors, and use them to regrow anatomically correct, fully functional human corneas in mice. The ability to prospectively identify and isolate limbal stem cells will greatly enhance the success of corneal regeneration in patients with a limbal stem cell deficiency. Otolaryngology Basic Science Non-canonical pathway from cochlea to brain signals tissue-damaging noise A team of researchers, including M. Charles Liberman, Ph.D., published a paper showing that the unmyelinated fibers in the cochlear nerve, whose function has remained unknown, respond to hair cell damage in the inner ear and thus likely constitute the nociceptive pathway of the auditory periphery responsible for signaling auditory pain. This discovery could help lead to the development of therapies for hyperacusis, the debilitating hypersensitivity to moderate level sounds that sometimes occurs following acoustic injury. Flores EN, Duggan A, Madathany T, Hogan AK, Mrquez FG, Kumar G, Seal RP, Edwards RH, Liberman MC, Garca-Aoveros J. A non-canonical pathway from cochlea to brain signals tissue-damaging noise. Curr Biol. 2015 Mar 2;25(5):606-12. New system could be used to treat deafness, other genetic conditions A team of researchers including Zheng-Yi Chen, Ph.D., developed a system that uses commercially available molecules, cationic lipids, to efficiently deliver genome-editing proteins into cells, and have even demonstrated that the technology can be used to perform genome editing in living animals. They believe that delivering genome-editing proteins into cells could offer hope to patients suffering from a host of conditions, including certain diseases of the eye, ear, liver, muscles and blood. Dr. Chen's team will use the newly developed system to modify genes in specialized hair cells in the inner ears of mice to pursue new protein-based therapies for hearing loss. Zuris JA, Thompson DB, Shu Y, Guilinger JP, Bessen JL, Hu JH, Maeder ML, Joung JK, Chen ZY, Liu DR. Cationic lipid-mediated delivery of proteins enables efficient protein-based genome editing in vitro and in vivo. Nat Biotechnol. 2015 Jan;33(1):73-80. Researchers find salicylates, a class of NSAIDs, stop growth of vestibular schwannomas A team of researchers including Konstantina Stankovic, M.D., Ph.D., FACS, demonstrated that salicylates, a class of non-steroidal inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), reduced the proliferation and viability of cultured vestibular schwannoma cells that cause a sometimes lethal intracranial tumor that typically causes hearing loss and tinnitus. Dilwali S, Kao SY, Fujita T, Landegger LD, Stankovic KM. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications are cytostatic against human vestibular schwannomas. Transl Res. 2015 Jan 7. P-glycoprotein inhibitor may lead to new therapies for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps is a lifelong inflammatory disease of the sinuses. The causes of this disease are poorly understood and, consequently, treatment options are limited to steroids, which have many negative side effects. Benjamin S. Bleier, M.D., and members of his laboratory have discovered that a cellular pump, P-glycoprotein, is overactive in these patients and may be responsible for the high levels of inflammation seen in these patients. Dr. Bleier demonstrated that Verapamil, an inhibitor of P-glycoprotein, can block the release of some of the cytokines specifically involved in polyp-related inflammation. These results not only point the way towards a better understanding of what causes chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, but they also open the door to new therapeutic options. Bleier BS, Kocharyan A, Singleton A, Han X. Verapamil modulates interleukin-5 and interleukin-6 secretion in organotypic human sinonasal polyp explants. Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. 2015 Jan;5(1):10-3. Immediate and delayed cochlear neuropathy after noise exposure in pubescent mice A team of researchers from Mass. Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School, including Konstantina M. Stankovic, M.D., Ph.D., with collaborators from the University of Copenhagen, has shed further light on the acute loss of synapses on sensory inner hair cells, which contributes to hidden hearing loss. The researchers explored whether cochlear synaptopathy followed by neuropathy occurred after noise exposure in pubescence. They also defined the noise levels at which neuropathic damage occurs, and compared those levels to non-neuropathic noise levels. The data demonstrated a fine line between neuropathic and non-neuropathic noise levels associated with temporary threshold shift in the pubescent cochlea. Jensen JB, Lysaght AC, Liberman MC, Qvortrup K, Stankovic KM. Immediate and delayed cochlear neuropathy after noise exposure in pubescent mice. PLoS One. 2015 May 8;10(5):e0125160. Delivery of bisphosphonates to the inner ear Researchers from Mass. Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School, including David H. Jung, M.D., Ph.D., found that bisphosphonates, potent inhibitors of bone remodeling, can be delivered directly to the mammalian cochlea without damaging the inner ear. This is potentially important for the treatment of otosclerosis, a bone metabolism disorder that results in hearing loss. The work also contributes to an understanding of where drugs go when they are delivered to the cochlea; therefore, the paper has broader implications for treatment of other ear diseases. Kang WS, Sun S, Nguyen K, Kashemirov B, McKenna CE, Hacking SA, Quesnel AM, Sewell WF, McKenna MJ, Jung DH. Non-ototoxic local delivery of bisphosphonate to the mammalian cochlea. Otol Neurotol. 2015 Jul;36(6):953-60. Researchers Develop Techniques to Bypass Blood-Brain Barrier, Deliver Drugs to Brain and Nervous System A team of researchers from Mass. Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical, including Benjamin S. Bleier, M.D., using a neuroprotective model, successfully prevented the development of Parkinson's disease in a mouse model using nasal mucosal grafting to deliver glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-a known therapeutic protein shown to delay or even reverse disease progression in Parkinson's disease-to the brain and central nervous system. They showed through behavioral and histological data that their delivery method was equivalent to direct injection of GDNF-the current gold standard for delivering this drug in Parkinson's disease-in diffusing drugs to the brain. Bleier BS, Kohman RE, Guerra K, Nocera AL, Ramanlal S, Kocharyan AH, Curry WT, Han X. Heterotopic Mucosal Grafting Enables the Delivery of Therapeutic Neuropeptides Across the Blood Brain Barrier. Neurosurgery. 2016 Mar;78(3):448-57. Bioengineering Researchers demonstrate functionality of key component in the development of an implantable inner ear drug delivery device A team of researchers from Draper continues their collaboration with faculty at Mass. Eye and Ear, including Sharon G. Kujawa, Ph.D., Michael J. McKenna, M.D., and William F. Sewell, Ph.D., to develop an implantable drug delivery device for the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss. The device addresses one of the most significant challenges in restoring hearing, the blood-cochlear barrier, by delivering precise quantities of one or more drugs in a timed sequence to the inner ear to regrow sensory cells. A recent study demonstrated functionality of a key component of the device-the micropump delivering drugs to the cochlea. Tandon V, Kang WS, Spencer AJ, Kim ES, Pararas EE, McKenna MJ, Kujawa SG, Mescher MJ, Fiering J, Sewell WF, Borenstein JT. Microfabricated infuse-withdraw micropump component for an integrated inner-ear drug-delivery platform. Biomed Microdevices. 2015 Apr;17(2):9923. Light-based activation of the auditory system Elliott D. Kozin, M.D., A. Ed Hight, M.S., M. Christian Brown, Ph.D., Daniel J. Lee, M.D., and colleagues from MIT have demonstrated the ability to stimulate the auditory system with light. They found in a murine auditory brainstem implant model that the central auditory pathway could be sensitized to light by delivery of novel light sensitive proteins called "opsins." Prior reports by this group demonstrated that older generations of opsins may be too slow to encode speech information. However, a new opsin, developed by collaborators at MIT, called Chronos, may have the kinetics fast enough to form the basis of a light-based auditory implant. These findings have implications for the future auditory neuroprosthetics, as well as improved outcomes in patients with cochlear and auditory brainstem implants. Hight AE, Kozin ED, Darrow K, Lehmann A, Boyden E, Brown MC, Lee DJ. Superior temporal resolution of chronos versus channelrhodopsin-2 in an optogenetic model of the auditory brainstem implant. Hear Res. 2015 Apr;322:235-41. Clinical Practice Disparities in emergency department utilization for acute sinusitis A team of rhinologists, including senior author Ahmad R. Sedaghat, M.D., Ph.D., recently published a series of assessments related to emergency department utilization for acute sinusitis. In this study, researchers have shown that hundreds of thousands of individuals continue to utilize emergency departments annually for uncomplicated acute sinusitis-a non-urgent condition that can be appropriately managed in outpatient clinics-and also showed a correlation with Medicaid insurance. Though previous studies have suggested that individuals with Medicaid are less likely to be satisfied with the quality of their primary care encounters and have more difficulty getting access to clinic appointments in a timely manner, this study found that there were no disparities in quality of acute sinusitis primary care for patients with Medicaid. In fact, physicians were found to spend more time with Medicaid patients compared to patients with private insurance. Scangas GA, Ishman SL, Bergmark RW, Cunningham MJ, Sedaghat AR. Emergency department presentation for uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis is associated with poor access to health care. Laryngoscope. Laryngoscope. 2015 Oct;125(10):2253-8. Bergmark RW, Ishman SL, Scangas GA, Cunningham MJ, Sedaghat AR. Insurance status and quality of outpatient care for uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015 Jun;141(6):505-11 Correction of the alar base in patients with flaccid facial paralysis Faculty from the Facial Nerve Center at Mass. Eye and Ear, including Tessa A. Hadlock, M.D., and Robin W. Lindsay, M.D., prospectively studied the effect of placement of a fascia lata sling placement for correction of external nasal valve compromise in 68 patients with flaccid facial paralysis, utilizing a validated disease specific quality of life outcome survey, the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation (NOSE) scale. Ratings were ascertained preoperatively and postoperatively. Sixty patients completed a NOSE survey prior to surgical intervention and 40 completed the survey after intervention. There was a statistically significant difference in NOSE scores after fascia lata sling (Wilcoxin signed-rank test, p<0.001). All patients had improvement in their nasal obstruction, which persisted uniformly in follow-up. Lindsay RW, Bhama P, Hohman M, Hadlock TA. Prospective evaluation of quality-of-life improvement after correction of the alar base in the flaccidly paralyzed face. JAMA Facial Plast Surg. 2015 Mar 1;17(2):108-12. Use of intraoperative CT scanning for maxillofacial reconstructive surgery An important part of intraoperative decision making, intraoperative computed tomography (CT) provides surgeons with real-time feedback during maxillofacial trauma and reconstructive surgery. A team of researchers including David A. Shaye, M.D., recently published a study evaluating a variety of factors, including the time needed to perform intraoperative CT scans during maxillofacial surgery and to identify the characteristics of cases that required intraoperative revision based on the results of an intraoperative CT scan. In the study, which reviewed 38 cases, the authors concluded that current intraoperative CT scanning techniques are rapid, averaging 14.5 minutes per case, and that intraoperative revisions were most common in complex cases. They recommend that surgeons use intraoperative CT imaging for maxillofacial reconstruction, especially in complex procedures. Shaye DA, Tollefson TT, Strong EB. Use of intraoperative computed tomography for maxillofacial reconstructive surgery. JAMA Facial Plast Surg. 2015 Jan 8. Outcomes in professional voice artists undergoing thyroidectomy A team of researchers including Ramon A. Franco, M.D., Gregory W. Randolph, M.D., and Phillip Song, M.D., published a quantitative analysis of pre- and postoperative neural-monitored thyroid surgery voice outcomes in a unique series of professional singers/voice users. Utilizing three validated vocal instruments, the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), the Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI) and the Evaluation of Ability to Sing Easily (EASE), researchers surveyed the outcomes of 27 vocal professionals undergoing thyroidectomy with the assistance of nerve monitoring technology. They also studied objective outcome measures such as final intraoperative EMG amplitude, the time to return to performance and vocal parameters affected. The authors concluded that with nerve monitoring technology, thyroidectomy-including those for thyroid malignancy-is safe in professional voice users, showing that there were no changes in three different voice/singing instruments and that 100 percent returned to performance. Randolph G, Sritharan N, Song P, Franco R, Kamani D, Woodson G. Thyroidectomy in the professional singer-neural monitored surgical outcomes. Thyroid. 2015 Mar 19. Voice outcomes after total laryngopharyngectomy reconstruction A team from Mass. Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School, including Daniel G. Deschler, M.D., FACS, analyzed voice-related outcomes of more than 40 cases of reconstruction after total laryngectomy or total laryngopharyngectomy-the most thorough and rigorous study of tracheoesophageal voice in reconstructed patients to date. Using a strict protocol developed by this group, subjective and objective speech analysis was combined with three quality of life assessments to demonstrate that although speech in reconstructed patients was inferior to speech in patients who did not require reconstruction, reconstructed patient speech was effective and dependable. The study also demonstrated that speech was not significantly different for patients reconstructed with the radial forearm free flap compared to patients reconstructed with the jejunal free flap. Deschler DG, Herr MW, Kmiecik JR, Sethi R, Bunting G. Tracheoesophageal voice after total laryngopharyngectomy reconstruction: Jejunum versus radial forearm free flap. Laryngoscope. 2015 Jul 21. Emergency department utilization for sinus disease Emergency department (ED) utilization for conditions that can be readily treated at primary care offices is a source of considerable, unnecessary healthcare expenditure. Unnecessary ED utilization can reflect problems with primary care physician access, quality of care, treatment patterns, patient symptoms, or other factors. Researchers from Mass. Eye and Ear/Harvard Medical School, including Ahmad R. Sedaghat, M.D., Ph.D., have used uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) as a paradigm for a common condition that is most appropriately treated in the primary care setting. They previously showed that individuals with Medicaid and the uninsured are disproportionately more likely to use the ED for uncomplicated ARS. They subsequently found evidence that ED use for uncomplicated ARS by Medicaid patients may be partially related to poor access to primary care providers while ED use by the uninsured may be related to the greater severity of their ARS symptomatology. Bergmark RW, Ishman SL, Scangas GA, Cunningham MJ, Sedaghat AR. Socioeconomic determinants of overnight and weekend emergency department use for acute rhinosinusitis. Laryngoscope. 2015 May 27. Radiology Educational Highlights: The radiologists wrote or participated in 40 papers including: Boes AD, Caruso P, Duhaime AC, Fischl B. FreeSurfer is useful for early detection of Rasmussen's encephalitis prior to obvious atrophy. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2015 July 15. Cohen AR, Caruso P, Duhaime AC, Klig JE. Feasibility of "rapid" magnetic resonance imaging in pediatric acute head injury. Am J Emerg Med. 2015 Jul;33(7):887-90. Kolodny E, Fellgiebel A, Hilz MJ, Sims K, Caruso P, Phan TG, Politei J, Manara R, Burlina A. Cerebrovascular involvement in Fabry disease: Current status of knowledge. Stroke. 2015 Jan;46(1):302-13. Diercks GR, Cunnane MB, Hartnick CJ. Laryngeal mask airway may result in false negative imaging for carotid medicalization: A case report. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2015 Oct 13. Freitag SK, Cunnane MB, Yoon MK, Barnes JA, Winkfield KM, Sohani AR. Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital-Case 18-2015: A 41 y/o woman with decreased vision in the left eye and diplopia. N Engl J Med. 2015 Jun 11;372(24):2337-45. Noij KS, Remenschneider AK, Kozin ED, Puram S, Herrmann B, Cohen M, Cunnane MB, Lee DJ. Direct parasagittal magnetic resonance imaging of the internal auditory canal to determine cochlear or auditory brainstem implant candidacy in children. Laryngoscope. 2015 Oct;125(10):2382-5. Curtin HD. Imaging of conductive hearing loss with a normal tympanic membrane. Am J Roentgenol. 2015 Oct 22:1-8. Quesnel AM, Nadol JB, Nielsen GP, Curtin HD, Lesperance MM. Temporal bone histopathology in NOG-symphalangism spectrum disorder. Otol Neurotol. 2015 Oct. 12. Raghavan D, Lee TC, Curtin HD. Cholesterol granuloma of the petrous apex: A 5 year review of radiology reports with follow-up of progression and treatment. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. 2015 Aug:76(4):266-71. Juliano AF, Ginat DT, Moonis G. Imaging review of the temporal bone: Part II, traumatic, postoperative and noninflammatory nonneoplastic conditions. Radiol. 2015 Sep;276(3):655-72. Ho ML, Juliano AF, Eisenberg RL, Moonis G. Anatomy and pathology of the facial nerve. Am J Roentgenol. 2015 Jun;204(6):W612-9. Ochoa EM, Juliano AF, Curtin HD. Interior displacement of the lower belly of the lateral pterygoid muscle: A sign of temporomandibular joint lesions. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2015 May-Jun;39(3):340-2. Grob SR, Jakobiec FA, Rashid A, MacIntosh P, Kelly H, Fay A. Pediatric optic nerve meningioma: Diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Ophthal Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015 Jan. 12. Lookabaugh S, Kelly H, Carter MS, Niesten ME, McKenna MJ, Curtin HD, Lee DJ. Radiologic classification of superior canal dehiscence: Implications for surgical repair. Otol Neurotol. 2015 Jan;36(1):118-25. FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4B: Education Academic Programs Ophthalmology -24 Residents -22 Clinical Fellows -119 Research Fellows -Two new clinical fellowships have been initiated: Medical Retina (Directors: Drs. Magda Krzystolik and Paul Greenberg), and Anterior Segment (Director: Dr. Kathryn Hatch) Otolaryngology -18 Residents -11 Clinical Fellows -55 Research Fellows -2 Research Residents -5 additional PGY-1 residents from surgical programs Educational Highlights Ophthalmology Symposia and Conferences: -Alcon Research Institute Symposium, September 18-19, 2015 -Special Grand Rounds - New England Journal of Medicine Clinicopathologic Conference, September 24, 2015 -Annual Meeting and Alumni Reunion: More than 300 HMS Department of Ophthalmology faculty, alumni, and trainees gathered for a three-day meeting and set of events May 29 - 31, 2015. New Course Uveitis Instruction Course Established in 2015, the Uveitis Instruction Course at Mass. Eye and Ear is a one-day event for ophthalmology residents, fellows, medical students and practicing ophthalmologists from Boston and the surrounding New England area. During the course, participants review the diagnosis and treatment of common uveitis conditions in addition to diagnostic testing, imaging, and treatment approaches to ocular inflammatory diseases. Otolaryngology This year we celebrated the graduation of the Class of 2015 at a June 26th ceremony held in the Meltzer Auditorium at Mass. Eye and Ear. Our outstanding graduates included residents Margaret S. Carter, M.D., Kyle J. Chambers, M.D., Sunshine M. Dwojak, M.D., MPH, Allan C. Lam, M.D., and Matthew C. Mori, M.D. We also celebrated the graduation of six clinical fellows: -Caroline A. Banks, M.D., Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery -Neerav Goyal, M.D., Head and Neck Surgical Oncology/Microvascular -Inna A. Husain, M.D., Laryngology -Rahul Modi, M.D., Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery -Ahmad R. Sedaghat, M.D., Ph.D., Rhinology -William Yao, M.D., Rhinology Following graduation, we welcomed several new trainees in otolaryngology at Mass. Eye and Ear. The HMS Otolaryngology Residency Program recently received approval from ACGME to accept five residents per year. This represents a permanent increase from our previous agreement to accept classes of four or five residents on alternating years. Therefore, this year, five new residents joined the program, including Vivek Kanumuri, M.D., Ashton Lehmann, M.D., Katie Phillips, M.D., Yen Rin, M.D., Ph.D., and Rosh Sethi, M.D., MPH. We also welcomed two new clinical fellows: -Erez S. Davidi, M.D., Neskey-Coghlan Fellowship in Balance and Vestibular Disorders -Tjoson Tjoa, M.D., Head and Neck/Microvascular In other education news, we continue to enjoy our state-of-the-art Otolaryngology Surgical Training Laboratory and have held several major courses there over the past year, from resident dissection courses to CME courses with international attendees. The first fellow for the Neskey-Coghlan Fellowship for Balance and Vestibular Disorders, a one-year post-residency fellowship program based at Mass. Eye and Ear, was selected in July 2015. Mass. Eye and Ear recently established the Lauer Tinnitus Research Center, a research program dedicated to cultivating a deeper understanding of tinnitus and alleviating the condition through the development and evaluation of both medical and rehabilitative treatments. The Center represents a major investment in tinnitus research from scientists of the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, including M. Charles Liberman, Ph.D., Jennifer Melcher, Ph.D., Daniel Polley, Ph.D., and Konstantina Stankovics, M.D., Ph.D, FACS. Through the generosity of a grateful patient donor, Mass. Eye and Ear has endowed the annual Saumil N. Merchant, M.D., Lecture in Otolaryngology, to be held every year at the American Otological Society meeting. New Textbook: Christopher J. Hartnick, M.D., authored a new textbook, Surgical Correction of Pediatric Velopharyngeal Insufficiency, with first author Nikhila Raol, M.D., a clinical fellow in Pediatric Otolaryngology at Mass. Eye and Ear. The book was published by Karger Publishers. FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4C: Clinical Care Ophthalmology -Mass. Eye and Ear is one of the first hospitals in New England to offer the most advanced technology available for cataracts - femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery. Originating in Europe and approved by the FDA in 2010, this computer-aided method offers patients a less invasive, more precise approach than traditional cataract surgery. The advanced technology also enables a level of precision not attainable with traditional surgical methods and, for example, can be used to perform capsulotomy, one of the more challenging steps in cataract surgery. Mass. Eye and Ear surgeons, Roberto Pineda II, MD, Sherleen Chen, MD, Kathryn Hatch, MD, and Christian Song, MD, are among a handful of surgeons in the Boston area certified to offer patients this procedure. -Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) is a new procedure used to manage glaucoma. Considered generally safer than traditional glaucoma surgery, MIGS lowers intraocular pressure while limiting surgical manipulation of both the sclera and conjunctiva. As a result, patients undergoing MIGS often recover more quickly. Ambika Hoguet, MD, of Mass. Eye and Ear conducts MIGS on adults with glaucoma, especially those who also need cataract surgery. -Janey Wiggs, MD, PhD, directs the OGI's Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certified service, which offers comprehensive genetic diagnostic testing for inherited eye diseases, including inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs), optic atrophy, strabismus, and glaucoma via the Genetic Eye Disease (GEDi) test. The GEDi test provides a more accurate diagnoses than other testing methods, such as whole-exome sequencing. It has been used to analyze more than 300 samples, including those submitted by investigators at Mass. Eye and Ear and from outside institutions. The enhanced diagnostic capability of the GEDi test may help improve genetic counseling and facilitate the use of focal ocular treatments and therapies, including gene therapies. -Gang Luo, PhD, created the SuperVision+ Goggles app to provide a low cost solution for head mounted vision enhancement devices for the visually impaired. The free app for iPhones (iOS) is designed to be used together with 3D virtual reality glasses, widely available off-the -shelf products. The app features include 10x zoom, a flashlight, enhanced image contrast, autofocus, head movement control, and image stabilization. When used with an iPhone and Google cardboard glasses, this app can be used to make an inexpensive, hands-free device. New Equipment and Technology Ophthalmology Clinical Cirrus OCT 5000 (3) Zeiss with Visupac Image Processing (2) Cirrus OCT 4000 Excimer 500 Laser & Topography Hopkins O'Telescope & Portable LED Brite Lite Source VuMax Ultrasound System, Transducer, Scan Cap Kit, Probe Marco BAT Brightness Acuity Tester (9) Octopus 900 Pro System & Reliance Stool Konan Specular Microscope Cell Chek XL Touch System Coherent Opal Photo Activation PDT Laser w/ Haag Streit Laser Link & Carry case Research 58`PR Centrifuge with 5 x 500 RTR FemtoJet 4x Microinjector Leica SP8 Confocal Microscope Thermo backup core freezer Dionex HPLC Life Tech StepOne PCR Eppendorf 170S Incubator Swept source OCT COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES Local/Regional Community Forums, Lectures and Special Events Yewlin Chee, MD, spoke at a Public Safety Committee hearing regarding firework laws. She shared her perspective having seen firsthand the devastation that fireworks eye injuries can cause to patients and their families. Dr. Chee, who is a former Chief Resident at Mass. Eye and Ear, saw two patients with open globe injuries caused by fireworks, and was responsible for caring for patients in the emergency room over the July 4th weekend during her tenure. Support Groups The Mass. Eye and Ear Ocular Plastic Surgery Service hosted a quarterly Thyroid Eye Disease support group, which is led by Suzanne Freitag, MD. This support group is run in collaboration with the Graves Disease and Thyroid Foundation along with MGH endocrinology and Dr. Greg Randolph of Mass. Eye and Ear ENT. Participating faculty include Drs. Michael Yoon, Daniel Lefebvre, Grace Lee, and Dean Cestari of Mass. Eye and Ear; and Benjamin Bleier of Mass. Eye and Ear ENT. Mass. Eye and Ear Vision Rehabilitation Support Group runs weekly for 8 weeks in the Vision Rehabilitation Clinic, and is led by a Mass. Eye and Ear social worker and a social worker who has low vision. Screenings Mass. Eye and Ear's Yan Jiang, OD, led a free vision clinic for students taking part in the Year Up Boston Program, which gives young adults from underserved communities the tools required to plan their careers and to thrive in a business environment. The MEE Longwood office team held another screening in May. Each year, a team from Mass. Eye and Ear and Children's Hospital Ophthalmology Foundation conduct vision screenings for middle-school students at Camp Harbor View. In 2015 - the event's 9th year running - staff screened 246 children in total. During the July effort, Drs. Kimberley Chan, Miin Roh, Scott Barb, and Matt Goodman, worked closely with ophthalmic technicians and Mass. Eye and Ear volunteers to administer screenings to 137 campers. In August, 109 campers were screened, of whom 21 will be seeing their primary care providers for follow-up and 12 were referred for specialty care. National Drs. Jason Comander and Leo Kim participated in the Alliance for Eye and Vision Research (AEVR) Emerging Vision Scientists Program. This program allows scientists to meet with members of Congress to discuss the importance of vision research in the continuing fight to prevent blindness. Otolaryngology Expansions The Department of Otolaryngology opened an ORL Clinic at the Mass. Eye and Ear Longwood satellite office in July 2015. Noah Siegel, M.D., is serving as Medical Director of the practice. This ambulatory clinic has an allergy room, audiology services, and vestibular rehab services, among other services. Renovations Eaton-Peabody Laboratory at Mass. Eye and Ear went under some renovations this fiscal year, which included: infrastructure improvements to the C400 suite to increase access to air, vacuum, electrical and data ports, and renovations in C454J to accommodate desks and storage solutions for four pre-doctoral and postdoctoral trainees. The adjacent room was refurbished to accommodate six small sound chambers and computer workstations. Community Service Activities Faculty and staff in the Otolaryngology Department engage in a variety of community service activities throughout the year. From free, public cancer screenings for skin cancer and head and neck cancer to public seminars on hearing loss, sinus disease and thyroid cancer, our team is dedicated to promoting public health through prevention and raising awareness in the community. -Onsite Head and Neck Cancer Screening at main campus -Expanded Public Forums, including "Sinusitis Seminar" and "Thyroid Conference" Radiology New Equipment and Technology -A 3D Accuitomo cone beam CT system was purchased in 2015 after completion of a trial period. This system is located at the main hospital Radiology department. This non-contrast CT system offers superb image quality of the temporal bone. -The siting and evaluation process for a 2nd MRI system is near complete. Findings will be presented to the executive leadership for hopeful approval. FORM 990, PART VI, LINE 1A: THE INFIRMARY'S BYLAWS STATE THE FOLLOWING: THERE SHALL BE AN EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SERVING AS MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE MEMBER. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SHALL HAVE THE POWER TO TRANSACT ALL EMERGENCY BUSINESS OF THE CORPORATION DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE MEETINGS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SHALL ALSO TRANSACT SUCH BUSINESS, PERFORM SUCH DUTIES, AND EXERCISE SUCH POWERS AS MAY BE DIRECTED OR DELEGATED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FROM TIME TO TIME. THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SHALL KEEP A RECORD OF ITS PROCEEDINGS. ALL ACTIONS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE SHALL BE REPORTED TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT ITS NEXT REGULAR MEETING. FORM 990, PART VI, LINE 7A: THE GOVERNOR OF THE COMMONWEALTH HAS THE AUTHORITY TO APPOINT TWO DIRECTORS. THE BYLAWS OF THE INFIRMARY STATE THAT THE REMAINING DIRECTORS ARE THOSE INDIVIDUALS SERVING AS DIRECTORS OF ITS SOLE MEMBER, THE FOUNDATION OF THE MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY, INC. ("THE FOUNDATION"). FORM 990, PART VI, LINE 7B: THE FOUNDATION IS THE SOLE MEMBER OF THE INFIRMARY AND RETAINS THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE DECISIONS REGARDING THE INFIRMARY. FORM 990, PART VI, LINE 11B: THE INFIRMARY'S FORM 990 IS PREPARED BY PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS, LLP USING INFORMATION PREPARED BY MANAGEMENT. AFTER THE FORM 990 IS COMPLETED, IT IS REVIEWED BY THE MANAGER OF INVESTMENTS AND FOUNDATION ACCOUNTING. THE FORM 990 IS THEN PRESENTED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL AS AUTHORIZED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE ALSO GIVEN THE FORM 990 FOR REVIEW WITH TIME TO SUBMIT COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS BEFORE FINAL FILING. FORM 990, PART VI, LINE 12C: MEMBERS OF THE STAFF ARE REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE CONFLICTS OF INTEREST TO THEIR CHIEF OF SERVICE OR DEPARTMENT AND DIRECTOR OF LABORATORY/UNIT. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE ANNUALLLY, IN WRITING, ANY INTERESTS THAT COULD GIVE RISE TO CONFLICTS. THE OFFICE OF THE INTERNAL LEGAL COUNSEL OBTAINS AND REVIEWS THE ANNUAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST STATEMENTS SUBMITTED BY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND REPORTS ON THE SAME TO THE AUDIT AND COMPLIANCE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD. WITH RESPECT TO INTERESTS DISCLOSED BY BOARD MEMBERS THAT COULD GIVE RISE TO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, THE INTERNAL LEGAL COUNSEL REVIEWS ALL TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN SUCH INTERESTS AND AFFILIATES OF THE INFIRMARY, TO DETERMINE WHETHER THESE TRANSACTIONS WERE CONDUCTED AT ARM'S LENGTH. FORM 990, PART VI, LINE 15: THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD OF THE INFIRMARY PRESENTS A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE WHO HAVE FINAL APPROVAL OF THE CEO'S BASE SALARY AND BONUS AMOUNT. THE CEO RECOMMENDS EXECUTIVE SALARIES TO THE COMPENSATION COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD WHO HAS FINAL AUTHORIZATION TO APPROVE IT. TOTAL COMPENSATION FOR THE CEO, CHIEFS AND VICE PRESIDENTS, INCLUDING BONUS PAYMENTS, INCLUDING COMPARABILITY DATA, IS ANALYZED BY INDEPENDENT COMPENSATION CONSULTANTS AND IS DETERMINED TO BE REASONABLE. FORM 990, PART VI, LINE 19: SUMMARIZED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE INFIRMARY'S WEBSITE: WWW.MASSEYEANDEAR.ORG. AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. THE INFIRMARY'S GOVERNING DOCUMENTS AND FORM 990 ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY IS ALSO AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. FORM 990, PART XI, LINE 9: PERIODIC PENSION PLAN COST $(13,075,540) TEMPORARY FUND BALANCE TRANSFER (360,000) TOTAL (13,435,540) FDN OF THE MASS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY INC 243 CHARLES STREET BOSTON MA 02114 042785453 PARENT MA 501(C)(3) 9 NA false MASSACHUSETTS EYE & EAR ASSOCIATES INC 243 CHARLES STREET BOSTON MA 02114 222658209 PATIENT CARE MA 501(C)(3) 9 FOUNDATION true CIRCLE COMPANY INC 243 CHARLES STREET BOSTON MA 02114 042801791 TITLE HOLDING MA 501(C)(25) N/A FOUNDATION true EMBANKMENT SERVICES INC 14 DAVID G MUGAR WAY BOSTON MA 02114 043272865 SUPPORTNG ORG MA 501(C)(3) 11 - TYPE 1 FOUNDATION true MASS EYE & EAR INFIRMARY PENSION PLAN 243 CHARLES STREET BOSTON MA 02114 046067238 PENSION PLAN MA 401(A) N/A NA false SCHEPENS EYE RESEARCH INSTITUTE INC 20 STANIFORD STREET BOSTON MA 02114 042129889 RESEARCH MA 501(C)(3) 7 FOUNDATION true false true true false false false false false false false false false false false true true true true false Embankment Services Q 865000 CASH Embankment Services O 1411470 CASH Circle Company Q 137000 CASH Circle Company O 126543 CASH Mass Eye & Ear Pension Plan R 8669337 CASH Mass Eye & Ear Associates Q 32676078 CASH Mass Eye & Ear Associates B 12493958 CASH Mass Eye & Ear Associates C 587478 CASH Mass Eye & Ear Associates O 9725997 CASH Schepens Eye Research Inst B 266341 CASH Schepens Eye Research Inst Q 1475241 CASH Schepens Eye Research Inst P 782557 CASH Schepens Eye Research Inst B 457169 CASH Schepens Eye Research Inst C 558480 CASH SCHEDULE R, PART V, LINE 15: CONTRIBUTIONS REPRESENT AMOUNTS CONTRIBUTED BY THE INFIRMARY FOR EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT BENEFITS AS REQUIRED BY THE PENSION PLAN'S FUNDING POLICY.