Baystate Health's Dr. Amir Lotfi takes a team approach to helping his patients stay healthy.

Baystate Health cardiologist Amir S. Lotfi believes in exercise both for his patients and himself. A married father of two young children, he is up mornings at 5:30 exercising on his elliptical in his Westfield home before heading to the Davis Family Heart & Vascular Center at Baystate Medical Center.

Lotfi is medical director for the inpatient heart and vascular program as well as the Baystate Regional Heart Attack Program.

The 47-year old physician became an interventional cardiologist out of a passion for the science of medicine and the hands-on satisfaction of unblocking patients' clogged arteries through such procedures as insertion of coronary stents. His interest in the science began to meld along the way with a deeper understanding of the emotional and situational challenges patients face after a cardiac event and in staying healthy long-term.

He likes to build what he calls 'partnerships' with patients to help them on their way to healthier lifestyles. It is a collaborative approach where he tries to get to know his patient beyond the cardiac event that initiated treatment, so they can address obstacles to changing unhealthy habits together and what support is needed to overcome them.

"You can't just say, Amir, you had a heart attack. Here are five pills, go home. That does not really address the bigger question. We don't just want people to survive a heart attack. We want them to go back and live a full functional life with their family," said Lotfi, who will give a free talk on "The Science and Art of Medicine" today, Feb. 19, from noon to 2 p.m., at the Baystate Health Education Center, 361 Whitney Ave., Holyoke.

In addressing lifestyle changes, Lotfi said he tries "to connect with patients on what is the most important thing, and usually what is most important to people is their family."

"Their partner, if they have children, their children. I say to them, when you do all this hard work and it is so stressful and you are finally ready to retire, do you want to be a person who sees 10 different doctors because that is what you have to do," Lotfi said.

"Do you want to be someone who goes in and out of the hospital. Or, do you want to be spending time with the grand kids and taking your partner on vacation. That is an easy choice."

For many patients who need to lose weight, he says, "Here is the question."

"You and I spend 20 minutes with each other. You have the rest of your life. If we don't figure out a way for you to lose weight, you increase your chances for diabetes. With diabetes, you increase your chances of being on dialysis, blockages in your legs and heart. With a high-salt diet, you end up with a high likelihood of high blood pressure. Combine that together and you are setting yourself up to be on 10 different medications and multiple physician visits," Lotfi said.

"The ball now is in your court. It took you 20 years to get to this point, but if you are willing to work together, let's try in five years to get you to where you want to be. That is how I work with people. What I say is this is our partnership. It is not 'I will see you two times and I won't see you again.' Our partnership is we build our partnership together until we reach our goals."

Lotfi said he picked the topic of his talk, part of Baystate Health's Heart & Vascular Lecture Series, to explain what "changes occur when you have a heart attack," as well as "when people have heart attacks or heart problems, it affects them in a psychological way."

"Their body, their mind goes through a trauma and it has this effect of how they relate to others, how they relate or see themselves and how that can have an impact on their future health and their future needs," Lotfi said.

"Think about being in an environment where every time you have a twinge you think 'I could die.' How that works everyday. That is not a good quality of life, especially for younger people who have heart attacks. You notice that the anxiety level goes up because they are always in constant fear of their health. The other thing that happens is that because it is sometimes so fearful to think about it, sometimes people go into denial. They say, 'I don't have any problems.' They don't take their medications."

In talking to his patients, Lotfi said he "explains what is going on with the heart from a scientific point of view and why you are on these medications," but also stresses the goal of getting back to a "functional life."

"I am a true believer in cardiac rehabilitation. In a controlled environment, people get to exercise and see how well they are doing. They talk about their medication, their lifestyle and it is immediately after the heart attack, so they are around people who have had heart attacks 10 years ago and they still enjoy going there," said Lotfi of the benefits of participating in a medically supervised work-out program after a cardiac event.

"One thing I hear commonly from patients in the program is, 'I see this guy who had bypass surgery and he is doing fantastically.' Suddenly, they realize, 'I am OK. This is not the end of the world.' They also see people are taking their medications and doing well."

This acknowledgement of a patient's psychological states helps, Lotfi said, "set up the doctor-patient relationship of trust, where it does not become a uni-directional partnership where I just give you information, but really understand the fears of what happens."

Lotfi said such a relationship can help a doctor help a patient not return to habits that contributed to the cardiac event. He said he has seen patients regain weight and return to smoking in the aftermath of a near fatal cardiac event as a result of going "back to the same environment."

"It is something that happens to all of us. Something bad happens to someone and you say we need to slow down and spend more time with our families. This may last anywhere from 24 hours to a week, depending on how close that person was to us, and then we get back to our own routine," Lotfi said.

"We go back to the same environment. We forget what happened to us."

As a physician, Lotfi said he "realized that there is that short-term event when you fix a valve. You put in stent. But, if you really want to have a long-term impact, you have to change behavior and that takes building relationships and confidence with each other."

"You can't ever predict the future, but you make the trauma that happened less likely to happen," said Lotfi, adding that a key approach is finding one that a patient will be able to sustain or commit to over time for permanent results.

Besides talking to his patients about cardiac rehab, Lotfi said he encourages them to "work with their family, talk with their peers."

"'I don't want to tell my wife I am anxious about this because I don't want to worry her,'" Lotfi said of what he hears from patients.

"That doesn't help. Talk to your wife. Talk to your husband. Talk to your partner and let them know what your fears are. If you are going to stop smoking, but your partner still smokes, the chances of you stopping smoking are almost zero. Go to your partner and say, 'I am really worried about my health, I want to stop smoking and I want you to help me. Can we do it together?'"

Lotfi said some of his patient success stories have involved a creative approach on his part.

"I had a mother and daughter who smoked about two packs a day each. I said, 'I just want you to do this for three months, if you can, cut it down to a pack a day and after you buy a pack at the store, put the other money in a jar and come back to me in three months and tell me how much you have in that jar.' They were shocked. Now both of them have stopped smoking and they are planning their cruise with the money they saved," Lotfi said.

Lotfi said he had another patient, in his 30s, who came to see him for shortness of breath and being grossly overweight.

"The 45-minute visit turned into an hour and 20 minutes," Lotfi said.

"We examined his life and why he gained weight. He had two daughters and I said if you really want to see your daughters graduate from high school, go to college and walk them down the aisle if they decide to get married, you know what you have to do. There is nothing that is going to alter that. In three years, he lost 250 pounds," Lotfi said.

"At the age of 39, he has another 50 years of life in front of him. I know that made him feel good, and it made me feel good."

Lotfi added, "It is these stories that motivate me and make me want to not only want to do the mechanical part -- putting in stents, talking about the physiology and all that -- but also the part that these are real human beings with real human lives and the heart is just one organ."

For the second time in three months, Everett police have had to respond to reports of fighting at the pizza joint.

Chuck E. Cheese is known as the place where a kid can be a kid, but a local franchise in Everett is beginning to develop a different reputation. 

For the second time in three months, Everett police responded to reports of fighting at the pizza joint. 

According to the WCVB.com, a fight broke out between two couples at the restaurant Monday night. 

Punches were thrown, and a woman and her child were injured. An employee of the restaurant told FOX25 that the woman was pregnant. 

Both victims were sent to the hospital. It is unclear how severe their injuries are, although one employee said that a victim's eyebrow was split open from a thrown object. 

According to the Boston Globe, the Everett Police Department is currently investigating the incident. 

"Thankfully, there were no serious injuries beyond what was determined to be a minor cut from an object thrown inside the restaurant," a Chuck E. Cheese's spokesperson said in a statement to FOX25. "We pride ourselves on providing wholesome entertainment to families with young children and maintaining a safe experience for our guests and staff is a primary concern for us, just as it is top-of-mind for the families and parents who visit us."

In December, five people were arrested at the same Chuck E. Cheese after a group of drunken patrons allegedly attacked a police officer, who was arresting another belligerent individual. 

Multiple police departments had to be called in to assist the officer and calm the crowd. 

"It's extremely disappointing to see adults behave in this manner in an establishment that is designed for young family fun," Everett Police Chief Steven Mazzie said of the incident in December. 

The new zones would lower speed limits near three private schools at designated hours.

NORTHAMPTON -- At-large City Councilor Ryan O'Donnell would like to create three new "school zones" near private schools, and enlarge a fourth, near a public school, in an effort to calm traffic.

"I believe these new school zones will not only benefit the individual schools, but serve broader traffic calming needs at key points in the city," wrote O'Donnell in an email. "We have the responsibility to ensure we do all we can for the schools in our community."

In designated school zones, the speed limit is generally 20 miles per hour between 8:45 and 9:45 a.m., and between 3:15 and 4:15 a.m., Monday through Friday. The zones may be established by local government.

O'Donnell's proposed ordinance is on the agenda for discussion by the Transportation and Parking Commission on Tuesday, February 21 at 4 p.m.

Under the proposal, one school zone would be established on Industrial Drive and Bates Street near the Montessori School.

"This location has multiple crosswalks as well as a crossing for the bike path. The school is also in the process of expanding to the other side of the street with a new building," O'Donnell wrote.

A second would be established on Prospect Street and State Street near the Smith College Campus School. 

"The State Street speed limit is 25 miles per hour, so the reduction will not be burdensome for drivers, and will help calm traffic in an important downtown location. The Prospect St side is already 20 miles per hour," according to O'Donnell. 

The third would be established on Prospect Street near the Lander-Grinspoon Academy.

"Since this zone will be right next to the existing four-way stop at Jackson Street and Woodlawn Avenue, cars will already be either reducing their speed or proceeding from a full stop," O"Donnell wrote. "The zone would also include a crosswalk near the YMCA. The location also serves as a crossing for students going to Jackson Street School."

An existing school zone for the city's Bridge Street School would be expanded to include Bridge Street itself, extending along Lampron Park.

"This would allow the addition of a flashing light of the type all other Northampton elementary schools currently have," O'Donnell wrote. 

In Massachusetts, a driver is fined $100 for traveling up to 10 miles above the posted limit. The fine increases by $10 for each additional mile. For example, if you are pulled over for driving 16 miles above the speed limit, the fine will be $160. 

Three speeding tickets in one year leads to a 30-day license suspension. Even one speeding ticket leads to higher automobile insurance premiums for five to six years.

The Ordinance Subcommittee begins its deliberations following a heated public hearing.

EASTHAMPTON -- The public debate over whether Easthampton should, in some way, declare itself a safe place for undocumented immigrants will continue Wednesday night.

The City Council's Ordinance Subcommittee will discuss the controversial "sanctuary city" question on Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. in the second floor meeting area of 50 Payson Ave., according to a posted agenda. 

The matter was referred to the subcommittee in December after city councilors Jennifer Hayes and Tamara Smith asked for an examination of whether Easthampton should declare sanctuary status. 

A public forum in January drew a large crowd, with people on both sides stepping to the microphone to express their opinions.

The subcommittee could craft language for an ordinance or resolution to be sent to the full council for a vote. It's unclear whether any action by the City Council would have any teeth, since the Mayor's Office has jurisdiction over the Police Department.

Mayor Karen Cadieux, who in December said she would favor issuing an executive order to codify and reflect immigration-related policies within the Easthampton Police Department, recently declined to provide reporters with an update, and referred all questions to the subcommittee, chaired by District 4 Councilor Salem Derby. 

'Sanctuary City' debate divides Easthampton

Police Chief Robert Alberti has publicly said his officers do not, as a matter of practice, seek the immigration status of individuals, unless they are the subject of a criminal investigation. However, it's not known whether the department has a formal policy to that effect. The Republican has asked the police department for copies of its written policies relevant to undocumented immigrants.

Alberti has also said the department has a "U-visa" program in place where victims or witnesses of crime may step forward without fear of deportation. Such undocumented immigrants who cooperate with police may also qualify for temporary green cards. 

"If you see something, say something; I don't care where you are from," said Alberti in December. "We already have safety valves in place to protect immigrants. Our job is extremely difficult, and gaining the cooperation of the community is one of our biggest challenges."

Alberti said there are no officers from the Easthampton Police Department serving on any U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) task force.

While there is no clear definition of "sanctuary city," a group of of residents are proposing language that would "maintain and codify the separation of local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement, so police resources are used to fight crime, not separate families."

The proposal, which has been posted to Facebook but not entered into the public record, would direct police not to inquire about an individual's immigration status unless it is related to a criminal matter.

It would further prohibit police from detaining a person on behalf of ICE, unless ICE has a criminal warrant. It would ban the city from entering into voluntary agreements with the Department of Homeland Security to deputize local police to act as federal immigration enforcers. 

In the meantime, dueling petitions, both pro-and-con, have been circulating within the community.

President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order Jan. 25 which seeks to ensure that "sanctuary jurisdictions" do not receive federal grants, "except as deemed necessary for law enforcement purposes." It further seeks to to authorize state and local police to act as immigration officers.

According to Trump, sanctuary cities are out of compliance with U.S. Code 1373, a law enacted as part of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.

City Auditor Valerie Bernier has provided information showing that Easthampton received more than $1.9 million in federal revenue in the year ending June 30, 2016, plus a one-time Community Development Block Grant in the amount of $800,000. In fiscal 2017, the city and schools received $590,430 in federal revenue and reimbursements, and $996,648 in grants, for a grand total of nearly $1.6 million.

Major cities, including New York, Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Denver, and Los Angeles have declared sanctuary protections for undocumented immigrants. Locally, Holyoke and Northampton have declared that their police departments will not work with ICE to detain non-criminal individuals. 

Greenfield and Amherst are considering sanctuary status. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno has said he opposes the idea. 

Mary Serreze can be reached at mserreze@gmail.com

A Jeep that has been stuck inside a Massachusetts sand dune for 40 years is set to be removed.

TRURO, Mass. (AP) -- A Jeep that has been stuck inside a Massachusetts sand dune for 40 years is set to be removed.

The Cape Cod Times reports the Jeep Wagoneer is entombed in a garage in Truro that became overtaken by the dune decades ago.

Basil Musnuff's mother owns the property. He says he began visiting in the 1970s and has never seen the Jeep driven.

Musnuff says the family has wanted to get the Jeep out of the collapsing garage for years but the town wouldn't let them move the sand due to concerns about the dune system. 

Town officials recently changed their approach to the shifting sands and asked the family to remove the vehicle.

The removal is scheduled for Friday, weather permitting. 

Jeep entombed in sand-filled garage for 40 years to emerge this week https://t.co/p347w2iS9R #capecod

-- Mary Ann Bragg (@MaryAnnBraggCCT) February 20, 2017

An Australian pilot and four American tourists on a golfing vacation were killed when a light plane crashed in flames into a shopping mall on Tuesday shortly after takeoff in the Australian city of Melbourne.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- An Australian pilot and four American tourists on a golfing vacation were killed when a light plane crashed in flames into a shopping mall on Tuesday shortly after takeoff in the Australian city of Melbourne, officials said.

The five were on a twin-engine Beechcraft Super King Air that crashed about 45 minutes before the Direct Factory Outlet mall in suburban Essendon was to open, Police Minister Lisa Neville said.

The U.S. Embassy in Canberra confirmed that four victims were U.S. citizens. Texans Greg Reynolds De Haven and Russell Munsch have been identified by their families on social media as two of the victims.

De Haven's sister Denelle Wicht posted on Facebook that her 70-year-old brother had been killed "on a once in a lifetime trip to Australia" with friends.

The pilot was Max Quartermain, owner of the charter company Corporate and Leisure Travel.

The plane had taken off from Melbourne's second-biggest airport at Essendon for a golfing trip to King Island, 255 kilometers (160 miles) to the south, officials said.

The mall adjoins the airport.

Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Leane said no one outside the plane was injured.

"Looking at the fireball, it is incredibly lucky that no one was at the back of those stores or in the car park of the stores, that no one was even hurt," Leane said.

The pilot reported a "catastrophic engine failure" moments before the plane crashed into a storage area at the rear of the mall, police said.

Police and paramedics rushed to the crash site, where firefighters doused the flames.

A witness who gave his name as Jason told Australian Broadcasting Corp. he was passing the mall in a taxi when the plane crashed.

"I saw this plane coming in really low and fast. I couldn't see the impact but when it hit the building there was a massive fireball," he said.

"I could feel the heat through the window of the taxi, and then a wheel -- it looked like a plane wheel -- bounced on the road and hit the front of the taxi as we were driving along," he said.

Smith College's "Women of the World" fundraising campaign set a record by pulling down more than $486 million, according to school officials.

Smith College's "Women of the World" fundraising campaign set a record by pulling down more than $486 million this year, according to school officials. 

Launched in October 2012, the school's campaign handily topped its goal of $450 million and ousted an earlier, $472 million campaign by Wellesley College to become the most successful fundraising campaign ever held by a women's college, according to an email to the school community from President Kathleen McCartney.

"Smith is a stronger, better institution because of what we have accomplished, and the world is forever going to benefit from the leadership, creativity and entrepreneurship of the women we graduate," McCartney wrote in the message. 

She added, "This campaign is truly a historic moment for Smith and for women."

More than 37,000 people donated to the private Northampton school's campaign, according to McCartney. 

Most of the $486 million, McCartney said, will be spent on bolstering curriculum, staff and building new or upgrading existing facilities. 

Others of the funds will go towards operating costs, financial aid and other initiatives, according to the message.

Police are warning town residents to be on the lookout for various illegal moneymaking schemes aimed at duping people into making payments over the phone or through the mail.

LUDLOW -- The Ludlow Police Department is warning town residents about a spike in suspected illegal solicitations for money through various suspicious methods.

One such bogus telephone scam involves an alleged Internal Revenue Service representative who reportedly requests people to pay their overdue taxes over the phone. "These solicitations are not from the IRS," Ludlow police said Monday.

Another phony phone call demands payment for overdue utility payments, police said.

Yet another common phone scam involves calls regarding relatives who need immediate financial help, usually for traffic accidents or medical services. "These are most likely false requests and should be verified through any means possible before payments are forwarded to the caller," police warned.

When it comes to mail solicitations, police said, residents should be suspicious if they receive requests to deposit seemingly real checks, which are actually invalid and processed for administrative fees.

"The police department recommends that all town residents be very careful (with) monetary transactions over the telephone or online without complete assurance that they are conducting legitimate transactions for goods or services," Ludlow police said on the department's Facebook page.

Authorities also recommends "diligent oversight of financial records" to avoid falling victim to scam artists.

Scam victims may call the Ludlow Police Department's non-emergency line at 413-583-8305.

Springfield, Agawam and Northampton also received funding to make repairs to schools.

CHICOPEE - The city has received final state funding to replace aging windows and doors at Patrick E. Bowe School and put a new roof on half of the James C. Selser School building.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority agreed to grant $3,253,900 toward the project. The city will have to pick up the remaining $1,628,000 that it will cost for the two projects, state officials said.

The approval was part of a $54.3 million allocation granted to school districts across the state to help them make repairs to schools. The money under the accelerated repair program mainly is spend to replace roofs, windows, doors and heating systems, state officials said.

Some of the other local communities which applied and received money in this round include Springfield, which received a total of $12.3 million to replace windows and roofs at four different schools; Northampton which received $1.6 million to replace partial roofs at two schools and Agawam, which received $477,000 to replace a school boiler, state officials said.

"The Accelerated Repair Program allows us to make critical repairs to more schools in less time," said Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. "By improving the learning environment for our children, the program also makes schools more energy efficient and generates significant cost savings."

A year ago the City Council agreed to provide the full amount of the money needed to make the repairs as part of the application process to receive the grant money. The state currently provides nearly 79 percent of the costs of making repairs to schools in Chicopee under a funding formula which takes into account the city's poverty rate.

The city must approve all the money for the projects, but is quickly reimbursed once construction begins.

Superintendent Richard W. Rege Jr. said he was happy to receive the approvals, especially because the windows at the 91-year-old Bowe School are ill-fitting and drafty.

Because construction at Bowe School will be best done over summer vacation, he said the city will likely wait until June 2018 to ensure everything is in place so construction can be done in two months.

"We want to start the day the school gets out so the school will be ready when kids return," he said.

The Selser School roof, which was partly replaced earlier, will likely be done during the same summer. Selser School now houses Chicopee Academy for students in middle and high school, he said.

This is the second time in recent years Chicopee schools have received funding under the Accelerated Repair Program in recent years. In 2016 it received about $3 million in state grant funding and spent an additional about $700,000 to replace the roofs at Fairview Veterans Elementary and Belcher schools.

It can be difficult to find a place to live in Boston but a cat has a new home in the city, featuring an open space layout and large deck for outdoor dining.

It can be difficult to find a place to live in Boston but a cat has a new home in the city, a condo featuring an open space layout and large deck for outdoor dining.

Boston Police officers set up a cat condo at the Boston police SWAT base in Roxbury this month for the department's adopted mascot, SWAT cat.

The stray Calico began prowling around the BPD Special Weapons and Tactics base four years ago and soon officers became to care for her.

Deciding to make her residency more permanent, Officer Jamie Pietroski built SWAT cat a home.

The cat condo features a sliding glass door, shingled roof and hardwood interior.

Homeward bound: Boston Police's missing 'SWAT Cat' comes home

The hikers ultimately made it to the Summit House on their own and were given a ride down, police said.

George Graham | ggraham@repub.com 

HADLEY -- A pair of hikers, who sought help Monday afternoon after encountering icy conditions about three-quarters of the way up Mt. Holyoke in Skinner State Park, ultimately made it to the top on their own and were given a ride down the access road.

The incident began about 2:30 p.m. when a middle-aged hiker and his son initially called on their cell phone for help.

"The trail was iced over and difficult to pass," said Police Officer Michael Romano.

Emergency personnel staged at the Halfway House near the head of what is known as the Blue Trail, Romano said.

That included firefighters from Hadley and South Hadley who brought climbing gear and related equipment to the staging area.

The hikers, who were in constant cell phone contact with their would-be rescuers, somehow managed, however, to make their way to the Summit House, Romano said.

Once there, a state Division of Conservation and Resources employee met the pair in a 'side-by-side' all-terrain vehicle at about 4 p.m. and brought them down the access road.

No injuries were reported.

The family of Patricia (Patsy) Prest has reported her missing, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

GREENFIELD -- Police are seeking the public's help as they work to locate a missing 62-year-old woman.

The family of Patricia (Patsy) Prest has reported her missing, according to a post on the department's Facebook page.

"They are very concerned for her well being." The post states.

Those with information are asked to call detective Todd Clark at 413-773-5411, Ext. 1316. Or. Email him at clarkt@greenfieldpd.org.

Katie Stebbins, Gov. Charlie Baker's innovation chief, sat down with MassLive.com to talk digital healthcare and the moves of a new group looking to ensure Massachusetts is a leader in that sector.

BOSTON - You get an email telling you to log on and see your lab results online.

During visits to your doctor's office, you notice there are fewer filing cabinets.

And when the doctor is standing in front of you, he or she is using a tablet instead of writing things down.

The future is here and more is on the way: Sensors, which if installed into pill bottles would be able to register when the bottle is lighter and what time it occurred.

"If you have a senior citizen you're caring for, you might be able to monitor remotely through your smartphone, 'has my aging parent taken their medicine or have they not,'" says Katie Stebbins, who previously held jobs with the city of Springfield and the Holyoke Innovation District.

Stebbins now works as Gov. Charlie Baker's assistant secretary for innovation, technology and entrepreneurship.

Baker's office recently announced she's been tapped as co-chairman of a new 33-member Digital Healthcare Council. Dr. Jeffrey Leiden, president and CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, is also a co-chairman. Joel Vengco, vice president and chief information officer at Baystate Health, and Laurie Leshin, president of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute are also among the members.

UMass Medical School will monitor patients in real time with technology

One of the goals of the council is to ensure the economic development brought about by digital health care extends to all corners of the state. According to Stebbins, the Bay State is "well-positioned" to be a leader in digital health due to its education and healthcare sectors, as well as a "strong cyber security ecosystem."

"In this enormously fast-paced world of digitizing health care, the fear of a digitized health care is that my record won't be private, that privatization is going to be tricky and how do we keep records secure and how do we keep devices secure and not hackable," she said.

MassLive.com sat down with Stebbins in her Ashburton Place office, across the street from the Massachusetts State House. The following interview has been edited and condensed.

MASSLIVE.COM: What is digital healthcare?

STEBBINS: It's easiest to think about digital healthcare if you think about your own health experience. You suddenly realize that your health record is becoming a digital document. You also see things like for people who are aging, there's really interesting technology [like sensors] making sure you've taken your meds.

It's not so much thinking about what specifically is digital health care, it's about recognizing that health care is simply becoming more digitized in many facets of our life.

Is it going to create efficiencies?

Yes, the ultimate outcome is that you are on that sort of ratio, costs are going down and outcomes are going up. Your value proposition is improved. Ultimately that is what we want to see happening. And where you can pull efficiencies out of the system and at the same time improve outcomes for patients, that's the nexus that you want to try to achieve and there's a lot of different ways that we're going about that.

Are there any specific partnerships happening we should keep an eye on?

If you look at what UMass Medical is doing partnering with WPI in Worcester, they do some really great things with private sector companies. We have so many big companies. You have not only our hospitals but you have Athena, Optum, Vertex. You have hospitals, you have the payers, you have Harvard Pilgrim, Blue Cross Blue Shield. Then you have all the technologists and the engineers. And then you have all the scientists. All of the major research institutions right now are working on different forms of this.

As digital health care is gaining momentum, the technology of the sensor itself will also evolve rapidly. So there's an edge in how do you develop and invent and scale models for new technologies. And then how do you manufacture it here? How do we make sure we're not just inventing the next wearable here but also how are we manufacturing it here?

Rather than shipping the jobs out to another countries.

Yes. There are so many different aspects of this. For instance, UMass Amherst is looking at how do you mass-produce flexible electronic sensors which would go into soft robotics, in wearable devices and different things where you need a flexible sensor, and how do you mass manufacture in Massachusetts. Northeastern University is looking at how you produce nano-sensors at scale. And how would we manufacture those. It's not just - it's so many things.

Ultimately, do we think digital health care will allow us to deliver better health care to more people more efficiently at a lower cost, yes, that's the goal. And we're in a digital revolution, right? So financial services, and shopping and all sorts of things - we're going through this digital revolution, it's happening in our world.

Electronic tolling!

[Laughs.] Electronic tolling, gantries, right? You could be able to drive under a gantry and suddenly know what your heart rate is, your blood pressure, and whether you need to go to the doctor, as well as you're late paying your toll bill. You know, who knows? And so like any digital revolution that's happening in any sector, health care's no different.

It's got a lot of opportunity on a population level. If you just think about people being served for behavioral health and acute care, and their medical records not being all in the same place, and they may have prescriptions that are in five different places, and you don't have a doctor sitting in front of a patient with all the information they need to properly treat them. That alone, that alone if it's something we can fix, we can help the lead the way on, I think is incredibly important.

Could something like the state's life sciences initiative, a billion dollars over ten years, be in the offing?

This is what I would say: The digital health care council has only met once. It is charged with coming up with a strategy that will be done in August 2017. And we will be working on a consensus-based strategy that is with the stakeholders, that is with the governor, to make sure we get to something in August that we feel can allow us to continue to be very competitive and lead the country and even the world in this digital health care space. We don't know what that's going to look like yet. But if we can create a coalition approach that really squeezes out a bigger sum than the individual parts, I think we're going to be way ahead of the game.

Baystate Health using TechSpring to bring digital revolution to health care in Western Mass.

A live studio audience will be encouraged to offer thoughts and ask questions, and viewers can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

SPRINGFIELD -- Instead of offering its viewers prepared speeches or lectures about racism and how it affects the Pioneer Valley, WGBY is taking a different approach this Thursday night.

The public television station has teamed up with the Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley to engage a live studio audience as well as viewers at home in a town hall format discussion about racism.

"As we lined up all of our Black History Month programming, this opportunity unfolded," said WGBY's interim General Manager Lynn Page. "The Institute really does a fine job of facilitating what can be a personal and difficult topic."

Panelists will include Lisa Bakowski, principal of Boland Elementary School in Springfield, Heshima Moja, co-facilitator of Healing Racism Institute of Pioneer Valley's two-day seminars, Bishop Talbert Swan, president of the Greater Springfield NAACP, and David Woods, principle of Springfield-based Woods Financial Group.

"This is an opportunity to have candid and productive dialogue because I think that's what is really missing in the conversation," said Swan.

He said oftentimes people with opposing views do not listen to each other.

"People start yelling and screaming and try to disprove each other's points of view. They are not listening or trying to understand each other," Swan said. "This is a constructive and worthwhile method of having the conversation, and I think it's needed."

The forum will air live on Thursday at 8 p.m. Moderated by WGBH news reporter Tina Martin, the panel will engage in a conversation about the institutional nature of racism and various manifestations of racism.

"Our goal is really to elevate people's consciousness about race and help them to understand systemic inequities within that," said Waleska Lugo-DeJesus, director of the Healing Racism Institute.

A live studio audience will be encouraged to offer thoughts and ask questions. Viewers are also encouraged to join the conversation using the hashtag #wgbydialgue on Facebook and Twitter. They can follow WGBY at facebook.com/wgbytv and @wgby on twitter.com/wgby.

"I'm especially eager to hear from the audience and read the live tweets and Facebook posts," Martin adds. "I would love to get some real engagement going from viewers."

Editor's note: Social media participation during the program will be led by The Republican's Elizabeth Roman as part of a collaboration between WGBY, The Republican, MassLive and El Pueblo Latino.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday denounced the recent series of anti-Semitic vandalism, online attacks and threats targeting Jewish Community Centers, contending that they suggest more must be done to address "prejudice and evil."

President Donald Trump on Tuesday denounced the recent series of anti-Semitic vandalism, online attacks and threats targeting Jewish Community Centers, contending that they suggest more must be done to address "prejudice and evil."

Trump, during at event at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, condemned the bomb threats directed at 11 Jewish Community Centers in several states on Monday -- the fourth series of such threats in 2017, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

"The anti-Semitic threats targeting our Jewish community and community centers are horrible and are painful and a very sad reminder of the work that still must be done to root out hate and prejudice and evil," he said.

In addition to the bomb threats, at least 200 Jewish headstones were reportedly found overturned at a St. Louis-area cemetery this week.

Trump's comments came just over an hour after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, his Democratic opponent in the 2016 election, called on the president to speak out against the threats and vandalism.

Contending that the recent events are "so troubling and they need to be stopped, the former first lady stressed that everyone must speak out against them, particularly her former Republican rival.

"JCC threats, cemetery desecration & online attacks are so troubling & they need to be stopped," she posted on Twitter Tuesday morning. "Everyone must speak out, starting w/ @POTUS."

JCC threats, cemetery desecration & online attacks are so troubling & they need to be stopped. Everyone must speak out, starting w/ @POTUS.

-- Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) February 21, 2017

Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and a convert to Judaism, meanwhile, called for "religious tolerance" in a Monday evening Twitter post responding to the reported threats and vandalism.

"America is a nation built on the principle of religious tolerance," she tweeted. "We must protect our houses of worship & religious centers. #JCC"

America is a nation built on the principle of religious tolerance. We must protect our houses of worship & religious centers. #JCC

-- Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) February 20, 2017

All 69 incidents, which have occurred at 54 Jewish Community Centers in 27 states and one Canadian province since Jan 1, have been "hoaxes," according to the JCC Association of North America said in a statement.

More than 50 students attend the homework program dailyl

CHICOPEE - PeoplesBank has awarded the Boys & Girls Club a $4,000 grant to support its Power Hour homework help program.

The Power Hour is an after-school program that helps students focus on completing their homework, a critical component of students' academic success. About 50 children, from elementary through high school, participate in the daily hour that encourages them to spend time doing homework or other academic pursuits.

The Club's goal is to help young people develop academic, behavioral and social skills through homework completion, high-yield learning activities and tutoring, said Jason Reed, interim executive director.

"When the Club offers extended learning opportunities and educational enrichment programming during non-school hours, they help improve young people's academic performance and encourage them to graduate from high school, pursue a post-secondary education and develop a lifelong love of learning," he said.

"PeoplesBank is proud to support the work of the Boys & Girls Club of Chicopee, as they are making such a difference in their community. Power Hour helps students build the skills needed to be successful, in an environment that is supportive and safe," said Matthew Bannister, First Vice President, Marketing and Innovation for PeoplesBank.

Due to changing mission requirements the Massachusetts Army National Guard has postponed its Guardex information session until further notice.

Due to changing mission requirements, the Massachusetts Army National Guard has postponed its Guardex information session until further notice.

Originally scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Agawam Armory, located at 140 Maynard St., Captain Mustafa Thompson has said that Army National Guard is currently looking for a new date for the informal information session, hoping for some time in March.

The session will still be free and open to the public, and will provide attendees with information on the various benefits, jobs, and educational opportunities offered to men and women who enlist.

The event will give people a chance to see the equipment and vehicles members of the military branch use on the daily basis, and will be provide information on the enlistment process.

According to the Army National Guard, those who enlist will have access to training in a variety of job skills and will be able to use the military branch's 100 percent tuition and fee waiver benefits at one of 29 higher education institutions in Massachusetts. 

A post on the state police Facebook page states that Trooper Stephen Hazelton pulled the Honda Civic over for motor vehicle violations.

STURBRIDGE -- Massachusetts State Police arrested two suspects Saturday after pulling over a vehicle on Interstate 84 and discovering a credit car skimmer and more than 50 fraudulent credit cards.

A post on the state police Facebook page states that Trooper Stephen Hazelton pulled the Honda Civic over for motor vehicle violations.

The driver and his passenger were booked at the state police barracks in Sturbridge for numerous credit card fraud-related charges. They were held in lieu of $1,000 and $2,000 cash bail, respectively, and are slated to be arraigned today in Dudley District Court.

The names of the two suspects were not included in the post and were not immediately available.

Troopers also recovered items believed to have been purchased with the fraudulent cards,

Brian. P. Odiorne, 21, died in Al Anbar province while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the military's name for its campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

A U.S. Army soldier from Ware was killed in Iraq during a non-combat incident on Monday, the Department of Defense said in a press release.

Brian. P. Odiorne, 21, died in Al Anbar province while supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the military's name for its campaign against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

Odiorne was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood,Texas.

Spokespersons from Fort Hood and the Department of Defense could not immediately provide additional information on the cause of Odiorne's death, which remains under investigation.

Odiorne was a 2014 graduate of Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School in Palmer, the school confirmed Tuesday.

This is a developing story.

The idea to curate "Direct Action Comics: Politically Engaged Graphic Novels" came well before the election of Donald Trump and the numerous actions that have occurred in response to his policies. Watch video

AMHERST -  The idea to curate "Direct Action Comics: Politically Engaged Graphic Novels" came well before the election of President Donald Trump and the numerous actions that have occurred in response to his policies.

The University of Massachusetts art department asked N.C. Christopher Couch,
who teaches a class on the history of comics in the comparative literature department, to curate it.

The idea was to recognize the form and "elevate it to art," he said.

The exhibit in three rooms at the Herter Art Gallery focuses on activist, radical and socially-aware works in the graphic novel and comic art and features the work of artists such as Will Eisner, called the father of the graphic novel, to current activists such as Sarah Glidden creator of "Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq."

Couch said the exhibit is very relevant to the times when people are routinely engaging in direct actions against the current president's administration.

"Comics offer (a way to explore) complex issues." He said "comics are complicated."

The work is "about direct action. It's not electoral but (taking) direct action like the women's march," he said, referring to the march on Washington and others throughout the country the day after the Trump inauguration. 

People think of comics as "super heroes beating each other up," he said. But they wanted to show "how complex the political themes (of them) could be.  

The exhibition explores the Civil Rights Movement through Congressman John Lewis's autobiographical series "March," as well as the Holocaust, gender and feminist issues.

Couch said it's also about disability and the Native American movement.

The title is also a play on the original Superman comic created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who appeared in the first issue of Action Comics in 1938. Superman was a friend to voiceless exploited workers.

The exhibit, co-curated by recent graduate Alex Chautin, includes about 100 pieces of art as well as the books in which the art work is depicted.   

Programs accompany the exhibit.

Tuesday at 4 p.m., four female graphic novelists speak in UMass's Herter Hall, room 227.

Artists include Sophie Yanow, who has explored urbanism and student protest in "The War of Streets and Houses;" Hazel Reed Newlevant has addressed gender and women in gaming in "If This Be Sin" and "Chainmail Bikini;" Anne Thalheimer looks at post-traumatic stress in "What You Don't Get" and Lior Zaltzman, graphic novelist and former editorial cartoonist for New York's storied Jewish newspaper The Forward.

On Wednesday at 7 p.m. graphic novelist Seth Tobocman will speak in a program called "CIA Off UMass Campus."  

Tobocman will present his work, including the chapter of his historical biographical novel "Leonard Weinglass," activist lawyer who represented the Chicago 7.

On Thursday at 4 p.m., Joel Christian Gill will talk about African American Graphic Novels.

The location for Wednesday and Thursday's programs have not been announced.