2024

Heller Researchers Publish Paper, “Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder,” in Journal of General Internal Medicine

Heller News Release
September 24, 2024

A study by Heller professors Dominic Hodgkin and Constance Horgan and co-authors indicates a low rate of physician prescription of medications to treat alcohol use disorders.

AG’s settlement with Uber and Lyft leaves big worker protection issues unresolved

Heller in the News
September 17, 2024

In CommonWealth, David Weil comments on the lawsuit, for which he served as an expert witness for the Massachusetts Attorney General's office.

In the U.S., opioid-maker Purdue is bankrupt. Its global counterparts make millions.

Heller in the News
September 17, 2024

In the Washington Post, Andrew Kolodny is quoted about Mundipharma's promotion of opioids abroad.

Lower Neighborhood Opportunity May Increase Risk for Preterm Birth

Heller in the News
September 13, 2024

Boston University School of Public Health covers a study co-authored by Dolores Acevedo-Garcia.

Heller Students Awarded APPAM Equity & Inclusion Fellowships

Heller News Release
September 10, 2024

PhD students Milagros Ramirez and Manning Zhang have been selected as recipients of the 2024 Equity & Inclusion Fellowship.

Severe maternal morbidity risk high for women with vision, physical disabilities

Heller in the News
September 09, 2024

Healio covers a study conducted by Ilhom Akobirshoev, PhD'15, and colleagues at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy.

Beyond the Minimum: How Social Housing Can Fully Include Disabled People

Heller in the News
September 06, 2024

Sydney Pickern of the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy co-authors an issue brief for the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.

How Much Money Do You Need?

Heller in the News
September 02, 2024

In the American Prospect, Robert Kuttner writes about donors' complaints about Kamala Harris' plan to tax the ultra-rich.

A dual approach to human aggression

Heller in the News
August 28, 2024

Professor emerita reviews Adrian Perkel’s book, "Unlocking the Nature of Human Aggression: A Psychoanalytic and Neuroscientific Approach."

Separating anti-Zionists from antisemites on campus

Heller in the News
August 27, 2024

The Forward quotes Len Saxe, Klutznick Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies and lead researcher on a new study on antisemitism on campus.

Trump drastically inflates annual fentanyl death numbers

Heller in the News
August 23, 2024

Andrew Kolodny speaks to KFF Health News about the annual number of overdose deaths in the U.S.

Project 2025 Would Make Workplace Discrimination a Lot Easier

Heller in the News
August 19, 2024

In Mother Jones, Robyn Powell, PhD'20, is quoted about discrimination against people with disabilities in employment.

How the failure of America's Iran deal is now affecting Middle East

Heller in the News
August 18, 2024

On his weekly CNN show, Fareed Zakaria features research by Hadi Kahalzadeh, PhD'23.

Economics According to Harris

Heller in the News
August 16, 2024

In the American Prospect, Robert Kuttner calls Kamala Harris addressing corporate price-gouging, building housing, and helping families "good stuff and smart politics."

Worcester health workers detect powerful animal tranquilizer mixed with opioids

Heller in the News
August 16, 2024

On WGBH, Traci Green comments on the harmful effects of medetomidine.

America’s failed approach to Iran can’t really be called a strategy

Heller in the News
August 16, 2024

In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Fareed Zakaria cites research by Hadi Kahalzadeh, PhD'23.

Who is to blame for the Wall Street panic attack? The Federal Reserve.

Heller in the News
August 08, 2024

In a Boston Globe opinion piece, Robert Kuttner argues that the Federal Reserve waited too long to cut interest rates.

Who’s really at the wheel for Uber and Lyft? In many ways, AI.

Heller in the News
August 03, 2024

In the Boston Globe, David Weil discusses his review of information from a recent lawsuit against the ride-hailing companies, which revealed the artificial intelligence behind the algorithms they use was far more sophisticated than he imagined.

Kamala Harris Should Not Pick Mark Kelly for Veep

Heller in the News
July 30, 2024

The New Republic comments about Kelly's record on labor, which includes voting against the Labor Department nomination of David Weil for wage and hour administrator in 2022.

Nitazenes, opioids often more potent than fentanyl, emerge as new overdose threat in Mass.

Heller in the News
July 16, 2024

Traci Green, director of Heller's Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, is quoted in a WBUR story.

‘Data gaps’ limit understanding of how racial wealth gap affects generations differently

Heller in the News
July 10, 2024

In the Boston Globe, Tatjana Meschede comments on the difficulty of obtaining data on wealth indicators.

Six things to know about the state’s deal with Uber and Lyft

Heller in the News
June 30, 2024

In the Boston Globe, David Weil comments on Massachusetts' deal to improve pay and benefits for Uber and Lyft drivers.

Fantasyland General

Heller in the News
June 13, 2024

In the American Prospect, Robert Kuttner writes about the lack of transparency in hospital pricing.

Anarchy rules on Boston streets. Here’s one way to stop it.

Heller in the News
June 05, 2024

In a Boston Globe op-ed, Robert Kuttner discusses the use of automated video traffic cameras.

Research Supports the Need to Recognize the Right to Free Early Childhood Education and Free Secondary Education

Heller in the News
June 05, 2024

Dolores Acevedo-Garcia is among the scholars, experts, and researchers on the education, development, wellbeing, and rights of children and adolescents who signed a letter expressing their support for a new optional protocol to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child focused on the right to free education.

Geeking Out With...Manning Zhang

Heller in the News
June 03, 2024

Brandeis' Graduate School of Arts and Sciences speaks with PhD student Manning Zhang about her research.

The Support Our Public Services Briefly Had—and Still Need

Heller in the News
May 28, 2024

In the American Prospect, Robert Kuttner writes that President Biden can make better ongoing support for popular public services a theme of his re-election campaign.

Anita Hill-led Hollywood Commission wants to change how workers report sexual harassment

Heller in the News
May 23, 2024

The nonprofit organization has launched MyConnext, an online resource and reporting tool that will allow workers at five major entertainment business organizations to get help with reporting incidents of harassment, discrimination, and abuse.

Seven Heller Students Awarded Prestigious Fellowship Programs

Heller News Release
May 22, 2024

The Harvard Kennedy School Rappaport Public Policy Fellowship, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and the Eli J. & Phyllis N. Segal Citizen Leadership Program will all welcome Heller students for their 2024 fellowship cohorts.

Brandeis StreetCheck Project Keeps Close Eye On Street Drug Supply

Heller in the News
May 22, 2024

Traci Green, director of the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, discusses OPRC's StreetCheck Project on WBZ Radio.

Heller Congratulates the Class of 2024

Heller News Release
May 20, 2024

Heller graduates were celebrated during a joint Brandeis University Graduate Commencement Ceremony on Sunday, May 19. The group included 19 doctoral graduates from the classes of 2023 and 2024, and 210 master’s graduates from the classes of 2023 and 2024.

PhD Commencement Speaker: Thuong Nong, PhD'24

Heller News Release
May 20, 2024

Representing the PhD in Social Policy program, Thuong Nong, PhD’24, talked of the adversity she and other Heller graduates overcame, which eventually laid the foundation for coming to Heller.

MBA Commencement Speaker: Ashley Robinson, MBA/MA SID’24

Heller News Release
May 20, 2024

Representing the Social Impact MBA program, Ashley Robinson, MBA/ MASID’24, described how Heller gave her a more nuanced understanding of the phrase “it’s all about who you know.”

SID Commencement Speaker: Fabiola Mejia Rodriguez, MA SID/COEX'24

Heller News Release
May 20, 2024

Representing the MA in Sustainable International Development program, Fabiola Mejia Rodriguez, MA COEX/SID’24, expressed gratitude for her family – her mother, sister, grandmother, and great aunts - and to all of the supports in the graduates’ lives.

MS Commencement Speaker: Sandra Adams Sallar, MS GHPM’24

Heller News Release
May 20, 2024

Representing the MS in Global Health Policy and Management program, Sandra Adams Sallar, MS GHPM’24, discussed her cohort’s strength, resilience, and bond with pride.

MPP Commencement Speaker: Katherine Nace, MPP’24

Heller News Release
May 20, 2024

Representing the Master of Public Policy program, Katherine Nace, MPP’24, talked about the she insights gained from talking with her colleagues about the MPP program.

COEX Commencement Speaker: Liz Peterson, MA COEX/ILHR’24

Heller News Release
May 20, 2024

Representing the MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence program, Liz Peterson, MA COEX/ILHR’24, reflected on her "to-do" list over the course of her studies.

EMBA Commencement Speaker: Dr. Simone Wildes, EMBA’24

Heller News Release
May 20, 2024

Representing the Executive MBA for Physicians program, Dr. Simone Wildes, EMBA’24, talked of her astonishment at how far her cohort has come and also took a moment to recognize Dr. Jon Chilingerian.

70 years after Brown ruling, Boston schools are increasingly segregated

Heller in the News
May 16, 2024

Axios cites diversitydatakids.org's recent Child Opportunity Index 3.0 report.

California’s strong labor laws aren’t enough to protect workers, report says

Heller in the News
May 15, 2024

David Weil is among the authors of a new study that found that 91% of California service sector workers surveyed experienced at least one labor violation in the last year at work.

Health Disparities Institute Leader on a Community Mission to Make Change

Heller in the News
May 08, 2024

Linda Sprague Martinez, PhD'09, spoke with UConn Today about her new position as director of the Health Disparities Institute at UConn Health.

Why is Healey pretending everything at Steward will be OK?

Heller in the News
May 08, 2024

In an opinion piece for the Boston Globe, Robert Kuttner comments on Mass. Gov. Maura Healey's reassurances about Steward Health Care hospitals.

An Untested Clause Could Fortify DOL's Overtime Rule

Heller in the News
May 08, 2024

David Weil comments to Law360 about the U.S. Department of Labor's rule expanding workers' overtime protection. As former Administrator of the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division under President Obama, Weil was a principal architect of the 2016 rule.

Researchers Publish Commentary, “Evolution of the International Classification of Diseases,” in JAMA Network Open

Heller News Release
May 07, 2024

Christopher Tompkins, MMHS’82, PhD’91, and Michael Pine ’62 co-authored the article, which was published on April 18, 2024.

Anita Hill discusses overturn of Weinstein's rape conviction

Heller in the News
May 07, 2024

On PBS NewsHour, Hill discusses concerns about justice for sexual assault survivors in the wake of the New York ruling.

Volume 133’s Emerging Scholar of the Year: Robyn Powell

Heller in the News
May 06, 2024

The Yale Law Journal has named Robyn Powell, PhD'20, its Emerging Scholar of the Year.

Tara Opalinski, MBA/MA COEX’24, Earns Second Place at Brandeis’ Premiere Start-Up Event

Heller News Release
May 03, 2024

The annual SparkTank pitch competition awarded Opalinski second place for her proposed anti-bullying video game.

Anita Hill on Harvey Weinstein Reversal: “Our Movement Will Persist”

Heller in the News
April 29, 2024

In a guest column for the Hollywood Reporter, Anita Hill writes on what the court’s ruling reveals about misconceptions around sexual violence and how victims and survivors can keep moving forward.

Boston kids face opportunity gaps based on where they live

Heller in the News
April 24, 2024

Axios Boston reports on diversitydatakids.org's Child Opportunity Index 3.0, which indicates that the city has one of the highest overall "Opportunity Scores" among the 100 country's biggest metros.

Emergency Abortion Care at SCOTUS

Heller in the News
April 24, 2024

Robyn Powell, PhD'20, appears on the ACLU's At Liberty Podcast to discuss a case currently before the Supreme Court that will determine the future of emergency abortion care.

Child Labor Violators’ Profits in Labor Solicitor’s Crosshairs

Heller in the News
April 19, 2024

In Bloomberg Law, David Weil comments on the U.S. Department of Labor's efforts to penalize companies that profit from child labor.

Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey Conference Tackles Opioid Misuse in Youth Sports

Heller in the News
April 19, 2024

Dr. Andrew Kolodny was featured at the April 19 event and discussed the opioid epidemic that is impacting families and communities across the country.

Robert Hawkins, PhD'02, named new vice dean of University of North Carolina Chapel Hill's School of Social Work

Heller in the News
April 18, 2024

A previous recipient of the Sol Chick and Rosalind B. Chaikin Endowed Fellowship while at Heller, Hawkins will take on his role at the UNC School of Social Work on July 1.

Where kids have the most — and least — opportunity

Heller in the News
April 17, 2024

Axios reports on the findings of diversitydatakids.org's Child Opportunity Index 3.0.

2024 Heller Awards Honor and Celebrate Excellence in the Community

Heller News Release
April 10, 2024

Each spring, the Heller School recognizes outstanding service in teaching, mentoring, teaching assistance, staff service, research, and equity, inclusion and diversity.

The Heller School Recognized as a Top 10 Graduate School

Heller News Release
April 09, 2024

U.S. News & World Report ranks Heller #9 for social policy, and #13 for health policy and management: “Brandeis University graduate program earned ‘Best’ status as a result of its high ranking.”

Anita Hill on Affirmative Action and the future of education

Heller in the News
April 08, 2024

During Brandeis' annual Joshua A. Guberman lecture, Hill explained what the end of affirmative action represents for the past and future of American education.

The RJxTP Program Joins the Public Interest Technology University Network

Heller News Release
April 05, 2024

The Public Interest Technology University Network provides programming and funding for members to grow public interest technology on their campuses and in their communities.

Scientists blast FDA approval of genetic test for opioid addiction

Heller in the News
April 04, 2024

Dr. Andrew Kolodny is among a group of scientists who sent a letter to the FDA asking the agency to rescind its approval of the test.

Promoting Equity in Retirement, Disability and Health, a Research Consortium, Receives 5-Year Cooperative Agreement from the Social Security Administration

Heller News Release
April 03, 2024

The project is funded by the Social Security Administration's Retirement and Disability Research Consortium, an interdisciplinary extramural policy research program.

Georgia’s Latest Attack on the Right to Vote

Heller in the News
April 01, 2024

In a column for the American Prospect, Robert Kuttner discusses the Georgia legislature's efforts to disqualify registered voters.

Three decades after she testified, Anita Hill reflects on sexual harassment in the workplace

Heller in the News
March 30, 2024

In an interview for the Today Show, Anita Hill talks about change and her hope for the future.

DNA test says it can predict opioid addiction risk. Skeptics aren’t so sure.

Heller in the News
March 25, 2024

In the Washington Post, Dr. Andrew Kolodny comments on the test, which is due to be rolled out in the coming months.

Access to water is a crisis for the powerless

Heller in the News
March 22, 2024

Socioeconomic status determines access to water in India, Prakash Kashwan, associate professor, writes in the Nagaland Tribune.

Child Opportunity Index shows “staggering” racial, ethnic inequality in cities

Heller in the News
March 22, 2024

On WAMC Northeast Public Radio (Albany, NY), Dolores Acevedo-Garcia discusses the latest Child Opportunity Index and its findings for Albany.

C-Change Mentoring and Leadership Institute study: Evidence to support effective mentoring for midcareer researchers

Heller News Release
March 18, 2024

C-Change’s latest NIH-supported study, by Linda Pololi and co-authors, provides evidence that the C-Change model is efficacious across demographic groups.

Man of Steel

Heller in the News
March 18, 2024

In the American Prospect, Robert Kuttner says President Biden’s blockage of the proposed purchase of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel is unprecedented and magnificently pro-union.

New Data Show Severe Racial and Ethnic Inequities in Child Opportunity In and Between U.S. Metros

Heller News Release
March 14, 2024

Brandeis University’s Child Opportunity Index 3.0 reveals connections between race/ethnicity, neighborhood opportunity, and life outcomes for children.

'A world apart': How racial segregation continues to determine opportunity for American kids

Heller in the News
March 14, 2024

USA Today covers the findings from the latest Child Opportunity Index, newly released by diversitydatakids.org.

A Trump judge eviscerates a pro-worker regulation at the request of big employers

Heller in the News
March 13, 2024

An LA Times opinion column quotes David Weil's book, "The Fissured Workplace."

Robin Wilson-Beattie awarded Carrie Buck Fellowship Award

Heller in the News
March 12, 2024

The Justice covers the reception for the fellowship, which is sponsored by Heller's Lurie Institute for Disability Policy.

Are Jews Safe in America?

Heller in the News
March 12, 2024

In a column for the American Prospect, Robert Kuttner argues that Jews are safer in America than they are anywhere else.

Coming Together Across Difference

Heller in the News
March 12, 2024

Watch the recording of Alexandra Piñeros-Shields, PhD’07, presenting at the second event in the "Dialogue and Action in an Age of Divides" series.

With Texas births rising post-Roe, disability advocates say child services need bolstering

Heller in the News
March 11, 2024

In the Texas Tribune, Robyn Powell, PhD'20, says the rising birth rate could lead to disabled parents' rights being threatened by the child welfare system.

EVs, Labor Relations, China, and Affordability Take Spotlight at 2024 Chicago Fed Auto Conference

Heller in the News
March 09, 2024

Chicago Fed Insights covers its Automotive Insights Symposium, in which Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld was a panelist.

Southcoast Health emerges as possible buyer for Steward’s Fall River hospital

Heller in the News
March 08, 2024

In the Boston Globe, Stuart Altman argues that Steward should not profit financially from any deal it makes to sell its hospitals.

‘Dialogue & Action in an Age of Divides’: Beyond our differences

Heller in the News
March 05, 2024

The Justice covers associate professor of the practice Alexandra Piñeros-Shields, PhD’07, and her presentation at the second session of the discussion series, entitled "Coming Together Across Difference."

Steward hospital system receives higher insurance payments than many in Mass.

Heller in the News
March 01, 2024

In the Boston Globe, Stuart Altman comments on the financial crisis facing Steward Health Care.

Steward Health Care should face a full-scale criminal investigation

Heller in the News
February 29, 2024

In a Boston Globe opinion piece, Robert Kuttner argues for an investigation of Steward, which owns nine hospitals in Massachusetts.

Liora Norwich, MBA'17, appointed as the next Leon A. Jick Director of the Hornstein Jewish Professional Leadership Program

Heller in the News
February 29, 2024

Norwich will join Brandeis' Hornstein Program on a part-time basis in March before assuming the full time role in July.

Roxbury Community College celebrates 50th anniversary, legacy of community activism

Heller in the News
February 25, 2024

Anita Hill was an honoree and a speaker at the institution's Golden Jubilee Gala, held Feb. 24, 2024.

‘Tranq’ and other drugs are causing harder-to-revive overdoses across Mass.

Heller in the News
February 24, 2024

The Boston Globe quotes Traci Green and cites the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative's work on drug-checking.

Post-Pandemic Recovery in the U.S. Registered Nurse Workforce

Heller News Release
February 16, 2024

David Auerbach, PhD, Visiting Scholar, and Karen Donelan, ScD, the Stuart H. Altman Chair in U.S. Health Policy, co-authored a study reporting on recent trends in RN employment through 2023 and forecasting the growth of the RN workforce through 2035.

Smoking replaces injection as the primary method of use in overdose deaths

Heller in the News
February 16, 2024

On WGBH News, Andrew Kolodny comments on the potential risks of smoking illicit substances like fentanyl, cocaine and heroin versus injection.

IATSE, Low Budget Film Producers Form Working Group to Combat Harassment and Abuse on Set

Heller in the News
February 15, 2024

The Hollywood Reporter quotes Anita Hill, chair of the Hollywood Commission, on this action, which arose from the commission's recent survey.

The Heller School Establishes Academic Exchange Partnership with the Graduate School of International Development at Nagoya University

Heller News Release
February 14, 2024

Beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year, Heller and Nagoya GSID will exchange faculty, administrative staff, researchers, and graduate students.

Book bans are bad for democracy

Heller in the News
February 09, 2024

In CommonWealth Beacon, Larry Bailis, associate professor at Heller and chair of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, and Cindy Rowe, president and CEO of JALSA, discuss the need to combat book banning in Massachusetts.

How are companies like GoodRx able to provide drug discounts?

Heller in the News
February 02, 2024

In Marketplace, Cindy Parks Thomas, PhD'00, explains that pharmacy benefit managers, which act as middlemen between drug manufacturers and consumers or insurers, add another layer of complexity to an already opaque market.

Shovels out for secretive Steward

Heller in the News
January 30, 2024

In CommonWealth Beacon, Stuart Altman, chair of the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission board from 2012 to 2022, comments on the issues facing Steward Health Care.

New ICER boss Sarah Emond keeps an eye on the bottom line

Heller in the News
January 29, 2024

The Boston Globe profiles Sarah Emond, MPP'09, the new president of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review.

“Not a Sprint, but a Relay Race:” Anita Hill’s Politics of Hope

Heller in the News
January 29, 2024

Anita Hill presents Stanford University's Clayman Institute for Gender Research's annual Jing Lyman lecture.

In Healey’s child-care push, advocates have made their voices heard

Heller in the News
January 28, 2024

In a letter to the Boston Globe, Anne Douglass, PhD'09, writes in support of Mass. governor Maura Healey's proposed child-care plan for the state.

Saving Local Retail

Heller in the News
January 19, 2024

In the American Prospect, Robert Kuttner writes about Justice Louis Brandeis' arguments against economic concentration and how they are applicable today, particularly to the issues facing drugstores.

National Collaborative for Health Equity Launches Landmark Activities to Honor the 8th Annual National Day of Racial Healing

Heller in the News
January 19, 2024

The activities commemorating the day included the release of Susan Eaton's new article, "Segregation Yesterday and Today: Exploring Possibilities for Systemic Change."

Narcan saves lives — but finding it can be onerous in Massachusetts

Heller in the News
January 18, 2024

In the Boston Globe, Traci Green comments on the difficulties facing people hoping to purchase the overdose-reversal drug Narcan over the counter.

Dysfunctional Democracy

Heller in the News
January 17, 2024

In an opinion piece in the Provincetown Independent, Robert Kuttner discusses what happens when not enough people pay attention and get involved in local democracy.

Researchers discuss unity and the power of racial healing

Heller in the News
January 16, 2024

In a panel discussion in the journal Health Equity, Professor Susan Eaton provided examples of how the separation and inequalities we see in contemporary society are direct outgrowths of racial hierarchy ideology in the distant past, the recent past and today.

Black Investors Are the Biggest New Group of Stock Buyers

Heller in the News
January 15, 2024

In the Wall Street Journal, Tatjana Meschede says young Black investors today have much more access to financial information than those in prior decades.

Connecting Civil Rights to Economic Rights

Heller in the News
January 15, 2024

In the American Prospect, Robert Kuttner writes about what Pres. Joe Biden can learn from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Fast-food giants overwork teenagers, driving America’s child labor crisis

Heller in the News
January 14, 2024

In the Washington Post, David Weil comments on violations of child labor laws in the fast-food industry.

“Lack Of Trust”: Dr. Anita Hill On Hollywood Workers’ Skepticism That Reporting Sexual Harassment & Discrimination Will Change Anything

Heller in the News
January 11, 2024

Anita Hill comments on the recently-released survey from the Hollywood Commission, which she chairs.

Florida bill weakening child labor law gets OK from Republican-dominated House panel

Heller in the News
January 11, 2024

In Orlando Weekly, David Weil comments on efforts to loosen restrictions on child labor in Florida.

Millions of gig workers could qualify as employees under new Biden-era rule

Heller in the News
January 09, 2024

In the Washington Post, professor David Weil is quoted on a new Labor Department rule that aims to make it easier for millions of low-wage workers to get employee benefits and other protections.

Robyn Powell, PhD'20, receives national award

Heller in the News
January 07, 2024

Powell, an associate professor of law at the University of Oklahoma, received the Chai Feldblum Award at the American Association of Law Schools annual meeting, held Jan. 4.

June Jackson Christmas, Pioneering Psychiatrist, Dies at 99

Heller in the News
January 04, 2024

Among her many achievements, Dr. Christmas was a resident professor of mental health policy at the Heller School.

Carrying fentanyl test strips could lead to arrest. Now, Mass. lawmakers could legalize them.

Heller in the News
January 04, 2024

In the Boston Globe, Traci Green comments on fentanyl test strip laws in Massachusetts.

Gardner hospital reopens mental health unit after years-long struggle to hire clinicians

Heller in the News
January 03, 2024

On WGBH News, associate professor Michael Doonan, PhD'02, comments about mental health workforce shortages in Massachusetts.