Page 22 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, NOVEmbER 4, 2022 Michael DeLeo, MD, MBA, CPE, Named Chief Medical Officer at MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lawrence Memorial Hospital An experienced physician leader focused on safety, quality and patient experience Melrose, Massachusetts – Michael DeLeo, III, M.D., M.B.A., C.P.E., has been named Chief Medical Officer for MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lawrence Memorial Hospital. Dr. DeLeo is a board-certified diagnostic radiologist fellowship trained in breast and oncologic imaging. He is an experienced clinical leader who most recently served as Chief Medical Officer for Foundation Medical Partners of Southern New Hampshire Health. He brings particular experience in programmatic growth and academic medicine clinical partnerships, and he will lead growth initiatives at MelroseWakefield focused on expanding access to community services. He will be working closely with his clinical peers across Tufts Medicine, including Tufts Medical Center. “Dr. DeLeo is a collaborative, authentic and respected leader who will be an impactful addition to the MelroseWakefield family,” said Kelly Corbi, President of MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lawrence MemoBetter Business Bureau Scam Alert: Con artists have your FAFSA details in this convincing student loan forgiveness scam twist S tudent loan holders, be wary of out-of-theblue calls. The rollout of the Biden Administration’s plan to cancel some federal student loan debt has begun, and scammers are finding convincing ways to take advantage of any confusion. Victims are telling the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Scam Tracker about a loan forgiveness scam where the caller has their Social Security number, graduation date and even federal student aid information. How the scam works: You receive a call or voicemail from someone claiming to represent the new student loan forgiveness program. The scammer insists they can help you secure tens of thousands of dollars in loan forgiveness. According to one recent BBB Scam Tracker report, the con artist promised to erase $60K of the victim’s student loan – an amount well beyond the Biden Administration plan. These callers have a convincing amount of information as well as “all kinds of numbers and figures to tell you what you’re going to save,” according to recent BBB Scam Tracker reports. One report said the caller “not only had my email address but also the name of the school I attended and the last 4 digits of my social security number.” Another victim reported that the scammers “somehow knew my FAFSA account info and made me believe they work in conjunction with the loan forgiveness program.” In most versions of this scam, the caller insists you need to pay them an initial fee – typically several hundred dollars spread over a couple of months – followed by smaller monthly payments. Then, when the current pause on the loan forgiveness program ends, your loan will be forgiven. Unfortunately, these con artists have no association with the official student debt relief plan. Anything you pay will go into the scammers’ pockets and will do nothing to help relieve your student loans. How to avoid student loan forgiveness scams: • When in doubt, contact the government agency directly. If you receive a message that seems legitimate, but you aren’t sure, stop communicating with the person who contacted you. Then verify their claims by contacting the government agency they say they represent. For details on the student loan forgiveness program, visit ED.gov or StudentAid.gov. • Never pay fees for a free government program. Government agencies will never ask you to pay a fee to benefit from a free government program. Don’t let scammers persuade you otherwise. Con artists might say the fee will get you relief faster or will unlock additional benefits, but that is all part of the scam. • Think twice about unsolicited calls, emails or text messages. Usually, government agencies won’t reach out to you unless you request it. Out-of-the-blue communications are a red flag. • Don’t give in to scare tactics. If someone claims you’ll miss out if you don’t act immediately, be wary. This urgency is an all-too-common tactic scammers use on their victims. Instead of responding, stop communications until you can verify what they say is true. For more information: Get more solid advice by reading “BBB Tip: Student loan forgiveness is here. Here’s how to avoid scams” – https://www.bbb.org/article/news-releases/27471bbb-tip-student-loan-forgiveness-is-here-heres-howto-avoid-scams. You can also read up on government impostor scams in this BBB study and learn how to spot a scam. For information on federal student loan repayment options, visit the official government website, StudentAid.gov – this is the best way to determine if you qualify for loan forgiveness and how to receive it. If you spot a student loan forgiveness scam, report it. Sharing your experience on BBB.org/ScamTracker can help other consumers spot the scam faster. rial Hospital. “He brings extensive clinical leadership experience, particularly in the areas of safety, quality and patient experience.” “The outstanding reputation of the medical staff and the recognized excellent quality of care at MelroseWakefield Hospital and Lawrence Memorial Hospital drew me to this role,” said Dr. DeLeo. “Tufts Medicine and its local hospitals are having a tremendous impact on community healthcare in the region, and I am excited to join at such an important time.” Dr. DeLeo earned his medical degree from UMass Chan Medical School as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He is fellowship-trained in Breast and Oncologic Imaging from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Medicine, where he also completed residency training and served as Chief Resident. He completed his internship training in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Latest Seasonally Unadjusted Unemployment and Job Estimates for Local Labor Markets in Massachusetts BOSTON, MA — October 25, 2022 — Local unemployment rates increased in two labor market areas, decreased in twenty-one areas and remained unchanged in one area in the state during the month of September compared to August, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported. Compared to September 2021, the rates were down in twenty-four labor market areas. Of the fifteen areas for which estimates are published, six NECTA areas gained jobs compared to the previous month. The largest percentage increases occurred in the Springfield MA-CT (+1.2%), Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford MA-NH (+0.9%), and Leominster-Gardner (+0.8%) areas. From September 2021 to September 2022, fourteen areas gained jobs with the largest percentage increases seen in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton (+5.3%), Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford MA-NH (+5.2%), and Framingham (+4.1%) areas. The statewide seasonally adjusted preliminary jobs estimate showed an increase of 13,800 jobs in September, and an over-the-year gain of 151,700 jobs. In order to compare the statewide rate to local unemployment rates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the statewide unadjusted unemployment rate for September 2022 was 3.1 percent, down fourtenths of a percentage point from the revised August estimate and two-tenths of a percentage point below the nation’s unadjusted unemployment rate of 3.3 percent. Last week, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported the statewide seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the month of September 2022 was 3.4 percent, down two-tenths of a percentage point from the revised August 2022 estimate of 3.6 percent. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the nation’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for September 2022 was 3.5 percent. The unadjusted unemployment rates and job estimates for the labor market areas reflect seasonal fluctuations and therefore may show different levels and trends than the statewide seasonally adjusted estimates. The estimates for labor force, unemployment rates, and jobs for Massachusetts are based on different statistical methodology specified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. NOTES: The preliminary October 2022 and the revised September 2022 unemployment rates, labor force data and jobs estimates for Massachusetts will be released on Friday, November 18, 2022; local unemployment statistics will be released on Tuesday, November 22, 2022. Detailed labor market information is available at http://www.mass. gov/EconomicResearch. See the 2022 Media Advisory for complete list of release dates.
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