December 22, 2020
Open Letter to Governor Baker and Massachusetts Legislators Demanding a Comprehensive Response to the Second Surge
Massachusetts COVID cases are at alarming and unprecedented levels, 70% higher than their peak last April. But Governor Baker refuses to take the substantive steps needed to curb infection rates, despite repeated warnings of the Center for Disease Control, public health experts, and elected officials.
While many set hopes on the COVID-19 vaccine to return to normalcy, experts warn that control of the COVID-19 infection rates and increased testing remain essential to ending the pandemic. Meanwhile, ten months into the pandemic, availability and accessibility of testing is insufficient, workplace protections are lacking, 100,000 households face risk of eviction, and local public health departments are egregiously underfunded.
The most recent action from the administration is grossly insufficient, allowing high-risk activities such as indoor dining to continue even as the state opens field hospitals and tells sick residents to delay needed medical treatments. The governor and the legislature have also failed to take steps to ensure all residents are able to follow the state's public health guidance, such as passing comprehensive housing stability legislation, paid emergency sick leave, and providing support to small businesses and employees impacted by COVID-19 related closures.
Massachusetts residents, on the other hand, overwhelmingly support pandemic restrictions. We, the undersigned, call on Governor Baker, Secretary Sudders, and the Legislature to take immediate action to prevent more avoidable loss of life and illness.
Organizational Signatories:
The Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity
Massachusetts Nurses Association
Massachusetts Public Health Association
Massachusetts Teachers Association
Mass Families Organizing For Change
Center for Public Representation
Dingman Allison Architects
MA Councils on Aging
COVID Action Group
Radius Event Design
Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath)
Community Action Agency of Somerville
Brazilian Women's Group
Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless
Art of the Event
Health and Law Immigrant Solidarity Network
Greater Boston Chapter of United Spinal Association
Disability Policy Consortium
Our Revolution - Massachusetts
Rian Immigrant Center
Massachusetts Peace Action
National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts Chapter
City Mission - Boston
Individual Signatories:
Lara Jirmanus, MD, Primary Care Physician, Cambridge Health Alliance
Jessica Landau-Taylor, Medical Student, BUSM, Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity
Vanessa Urhiafe, MPH, Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity
Noel Sanders, Project Organizer, Boston Community Health Initiative
Cathy Costanzo, Executive Director, Center for Public Representation
Alex Schwartz, Litigation Fellow, Center for Public Representation
Ellen Leigh, Disability Rights Advocate, Greater Boston Chapter of United Spinal Association
Mary Jirmanus, Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity
Julia Koehler, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity
Michael Mina, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Representative Mike Connolly, of Somerville and Cambridge
Katie Murphy, MSN, RN, President, Massachusetts Nurses Association
Regina LaRocque, MD MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Avik Chatterjee, MD, Boston University School of Medicine
A. Mansa Semenya, MD MPH, Clinical Instructor, Boston University School of Medicine, Dept. Of Family Medicine
Lana Habash, MD, Family Physician, Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity
Kathe Miller, MD, Harvard Medical School
Rose Molina, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Caren Solomon, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Sunny Kung, MD, Internal Medicine Resident Physician, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Rebekah Rollston, MD, MPH, Family Medicine Physician, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School
Betsy Katz MPH, Project Coordinator, Harvard Chan School of Public Health
Andrew Glick, MD MPH,Resident Physician, Cambridge Health Alliance
Sarah Swettberg, EdM, FNP-BC, Family Nurse Practitioner, Cambridge Health Alliance
Ellen Forman, LICSW, Social Worker, Mass General Hospital (for identification purposes only)
Jaclyn French LICSW, Clinical social worker, BIDMC
Martha C. Sola-Visner, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School
Jaime Lederer, MSW, MPH, Cambridge Health Alliance
Dra. Elisa Tristan-Cheever, MPH, Clinical Liaison, Cambridge Health Alliance
Laura McNulty, MPH, MSW, Community & Population Health Epidemiologist, Cambridge Health Alliance
Persephone Crittenden, PsyD, Neuropsychology fellow, Cambridge Health Alliance/HMS
Melanie J Brunt MD, MPH, physician, Chief of Endocrinology, Cambridge Health Alliance
Mary Lou Crimmins, Concerned Citizen
Cindy Chen, MD, Physician, Primary Care, Cambridge Health Alliance
Karen Klein MD, Chief, Copley Pediatrics, Atrius Health, Atrius Health
Jaclyn French, LICSW, Clinical social worker, BIDMC
Rebecca Hillel, PsyD, Psychology postdoctoral fellow, Cambridge Health Alliance
Christa Sharma, LICSW, Social Worker
Sarah Matathia MD MPH, Physician / Assistant Medical Director Medicaid ACO Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts General Brigham
Katherine Cicolello, MD, Psychiatry Resident, Cambridge Health Alliance
Jack Beinashowitz, PhD, Psychologist, Cambridge Health Alliance
Orest Hurko, M.D., Physician, Self-employed
Christa Sharma, LICSW, Social worker
Eduardo Siqueira, Associate Professor, UMass Boston
Emily Unger, MD/PhD candidate in social epidemiology, Harvard Medical School/Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Rebecca Rogers, MD, Primary Care Physician, Cambridge Health Alliance
Juliana E. Morris, MD, EdM, Massachusetts General Hospital - Chelsea
Radhika Jain MD, Resident Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital
Susan Yanow LICSW, Consultant, SY Consulting
Cecilia G Hampson, PA-S, Physician Assistant student, Northeastern University
Aiham Korbage, MD, Radiologist, Lowell General Hospital
Jim Recht, MD, Assistant Prof. of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance - Harvard Medical School
Rachael Hazen, EMT
Aiham Korbage, MD, Radiologist, Lowell General Hospital
Sarah Feldman MD MPH
Swapna Chatterjee
Sonia Lipson FNP, Family Nurse Practitioner, Neponset Health Center
Elizabeth W. Patton MD, Physician, Boston Medical Center
Karen Jacobson, MD, MPH, Assoc Prof of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston Medical Center
Hugo Aparicio, MD, MPH
Jenny Siegel, MD, Attending Physician, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston Medical Center/Boston University School of Medicine
Joshua Barocas, MD, Infectious Diseases Physician, Boston Medical Center
Carolyn Arnold, Resident Physician, Boston Medical Center
Nabil A. Khan, CRAA, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Stephanie Aines, Director of Organizing, Lown Institute
Mary Ann Kopydlowski RN, RN homeless health care
Phoebe Olhava, M.D., Radiologist
Linda Swain
Ellen Resnik M.A., LMHC, Clinician, Brookline Counseling & Mediation
Marilyn Augustyn MD, Pediatrician
Wesley Chou, Medical student, Harvard Medical School
Brita Lundberg, M.D., Core lead, Detect and Protect, COVID-19 Action Coalition
Koushik Chatterjee
Amy Mah Sangiolo, Former Newton City Councilor, Ward 4 At-Large, City of Newton
Susan Mirsky, MAPA
Kirstin Beal, Massachusetts Resident, Unemployeed since March due to COVID
Judy Wolberg, Retired Nurse Midwife and volunteer immigrant advocate
Sarah Allen DVM, DACVECC, Veterinary Critical Care Specialist
Lael Greenstein MD, Physician, Cambridge Health Alliance
Kevin Dickert
Alexandra Richardson
Alex Pirie, Coordinator, Immigrant Service Providers Group/Health
Emily Hanson, PA-C, primary care Physician Assistant, Cambridge Health Alliance
Shannon Hogan, MD, MPH, Family Medicine Resident, Cambridge Health Alliance
Catherine A Rich, MD
Swapna Chatterjee
Bari Brodsky MD, Primary care physician, Cambridge Health Alliance
Dorothy Anderson
Jaclyn French LICSW, Clinical social worker, BIDMC
Kathryn Boger, PhD, ABPP, Clinical Psychologist
Sarah Koolsbergen
Yannick Monteiro
Mandy Belfort, MD MPH, Neonatologist, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Zoe Weinstein, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University/Boston Medical Center
Ryan Hazen, EMT
Sara Meibom, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Radiology, Boston University
Sarah Bayer, LICSW
Brendan Hart, intern, Boston Community Health Initiative
Professor Yaneer Bar-Yam, Founder and President, New England Complex Systems Institute
Charles J. Homer, MD, MPH, Case Investigator, Partners in Health
Chrystel Murrieta Ruiz, MPH, Mijente
Laboni Hoque, BA, M1 at Harvard Medical School
Hannah Mason, MSW, LCSW, Clinical social worker, Cambridge Health Alliance
Greta Fox, FNP-BC, Nurse Practitioner, Health Advisor
Helen Gibbons
Audrey Li, MD, Clinical Fellow in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Medical School / Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Eirini Iliaki, MD, Cambridge Health Alliance
Claire Paduano MD, Primary Care Physician, Manet Community Health Center
My Ngoc To, Clinical research coordinator, Cambridge health alliance
Heather Carroll, LICSW, Social Work Supervisor, Cambridge Health Alliance
Susan Mirsky, Massachusetts Peace Action
Derrick VanGennep, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, New England Complex Systems Institute
Carolyn Koulouris MD, Primary Care Doctor
Mark Eisenberg MD, Asst Prof of Medicine, Harvard Medical school, MGH
Julia Koehler, MD, Pediatric Infectious Disease specialist, MCHE
Elizabeth Egan, MPH, LICSW, Clinical Social Worker, Boston Medical Center
Lara Versari
Karl Tetsuya Koessel
Sarah Primeau, MSW, MPH
Anna Leslie, MPH
Lorky Libaridian, MD, Physician, Instructor, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge Health Alliance
Susan Massad, Professor, Food & Nutrition, Framingham State University
Eirini Iliaki, MD, Cambridge Health Alliance
Julio Mazul, Physician/Medical Director OB/GYN, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center
Lena Papadakis, Clinical Research Intern, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Jo Henderson-Frost, MD, Physician, MGH
Monik Jimenez, ScD, Associate Epidemiologist/Assistant Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Jame Mobius, Handyman, son of an MD, sibling of an RNP
Rachel Mott Keis MD, Physician/Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at BUMC, Boston Medical Center
Pablo Buitron de la Vega, MD, MSc, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston Medical Center
Jean Hangarter
Tejumola Adegoke MD MPH, Assistant Professor, OB/GYN, Boston University School of Medicine/ Boston Medical Center
Lisa Dobberteen MD, pediatrician, Cambridge Health Alliance
Maria Muti
Erin Syverson, MD
Laura Hagopian, MD, Emergency Physician
Lauren LaGreg, MD, Pediatrician, Atrius Health
Alan Papscun
Leigh Simmons, Primary Care Physician, Mass General Hospital
Adam Haber, Assistant Professor, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Sonia Lipson, Family Nurse Practitioner, Neponset Health Center
Beth Rosenberg ScD, MPH, Associate Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
Heather Finlay-Morreale, MD, Asst Prof Pediatrics
Bram Wispelwey, MD MS MPH, Instructor in Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Suzanne Bertisch, MD MPH, Physician, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Vanpat Pensuwan, MD, Family Medicine Resident Physician, Cambridge Health Alliance
Allison Mariani, MD, Pediatric hospitalist
Ruth Economou, Social Worker LICSW, Boston Childrens Hospital
Chas Griffin
Simona Kaplan, PhD, Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow, Cambridge Health Alliance
Lisa Kim, Associate Director, Programs and Engagement, Cambridge Health Alliance
Jodi Dana Hoffman, Medical Geneticist, Boston Medical Center
Karin Leschly, MD, Boston Medical Center
Tania Erlij, MSW
Sara Rourke, MD, Director of Medicine/Faculty, Northfield Mount Hermon, Northfield, MA
Ellen Golub, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Salem State University
Alan Papscun
Andee Krasner, MPH, Program Manager, Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
Pamela Adelstein MD, Physician, Codman Square Health Center
Kate Byrne, MS,RN
Austin Wertheimer, MD,Planning Committee, Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
Anne Wheelock, MSW
Nancy B Finn, President, Communication Resources
Talia Grossman, Speech therapist, Lexington Public Schools
Rachel Berkowitz, Optometrist
Danielle Smith
Omar Wahid, MD,Physician, Cambridge Health Alliance
Naomi Shira Bilmes, High school teacher
Sally Graham
Sally Swihart
Rebecca Gilbert
Amy Hien
Aaron Glieberman, PhD
Kara Hurvitz, JD, MSW
Liz Brenner, Director, Therapy Training Boston
Karen Sheffler, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-S - Speech-Language Pathologist /Dysphagia Specialist, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Roberta Leviton, Ph.D.
Lisa Barondes, MSW, LICSW
Daniel Willis
Judith Goldberger, RN, Staff nurse, Boston Medical Center (for identification purposes only)
Shela Sridhar, MD, MPH , Physician
Jonathan Bressler, MS, Epidemiologist
Shadaab Kazi, Medical Student, Harvard Medical School
Josephine Fisher, MD MPP,Resident Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital
Genevieve Daftary, MD MPH, Pediatric Medical Director, Codman Square Health Center Yelizaveta Dimant,, LICSW, Complex Care Manager, Cambridge Health Alliance
Desiree Hartman, Program Coordinator, Boston Medical Center
Katherine Boyle, MD, Attending physician, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Ciara Wels, Family Care Partner, Cambridge Health Alliance
Naomi Bar-Yam MSW, Ph.D. , Executive Director, Mothers' Milk Bank Northeast
Lisa Kim, Cambridge Health Alliance,
Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Communications, Covid-19 Action Coalition
Kathleen O'Brien, MA, Manager of Population Health Initiatives, Cambridge Health Alliance Samuel D Slavin, Cardiology Fellow, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Henry H. Wortis, MD, Co-Chair, Our Revolution, Massachusetts
Marissa Jeanne Smit,
Jennifer Brody, MD, MPH, AAHIVS, Instructor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School
Rebecca Rogers, MD, Primary Care Physician, Cambridge Health Alliance
Ronnie Millar, Executive Director, Rian Immigrant Center
Noah Beit-Aharon
Jasleen Kaur, MD, Primary Care Physician, Cambridge Health Alliance
Kevin Heaton
Gabrielle Kis Bromberg, MD, Hospital Medicine Attending, Massachusetts General Hospital John Sanbonmatsu, PhD, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Worcester Polytechnic Institute,
Robin Bergman/ Robin Originals, Sole Proprietor of small business, Concord and Arlington
Denise Zwahlen, PA, MPH, Physician Assistant, Doctors for Global Health, Codman Square Health Center
Radhika Jain, MD, Resident Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital
Sarah Keyes, LICSW, Cambridge Health Alliance
Phoebe Olhava, MD, rapidtests.org
Alan Matthews, CRNA
Teresa Marzilli, Graduate Student, Boston College
Russell Selvitella
Tracy Mack
Jake Fox, MD, MPH, Resident Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital
Louise B. Popkin, Retired professor of Spanish, Literary Translator
Leah Netsky, Freelance & Fine Art Photographer
Cole Harrison, Executive Director, Massachusetts Peace Action
Lily Gage, MD, Resident Physician, Cambridge Health Alliance
Noël Schutz, LCSW, Membership and Advocacy Manager, National Association of Social Workers Massachusetts Chapter
Eliza Colpak
Amy Goldstein, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Nathan Persampieri Disabillity Rights Advocate, Student at MassBay Community College
Andrea Papa
June Cooper, Executive Director, City Mission - Boston
Faisal Halabeya, Student, Boston University
Valerie O'Brien, RN, Preschool and Special Education School Nurse
Melanie Brown, TMM Arlington Precinct 19, Arlington Human Rights Commission
Craig Jackson, retired teacher, AFT
Julie Chan, Student, Northeastern University