News

Wisconsin Medical Society | Medigram

John Hartman, MD, is a board-certified nephrologist with an extensive background in technology. He is the chief executive officer of Visonex, LLC, former Vice Chair of the Wisconsin Medical Society Board of Directors, Treasurer of Brown County Medical Society and Chair of WisMedPAC. Dr. Hartman shared some thoughts about being politically active.

Read more.

The Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) task force is currently collecting survey data from physicians and medical students in the state. Data is so important to understanding the environment facing physicians in the state and all Wisconsin physicians and medical students are encouraged to fill out the survey and share it with colleagues and other medical groups in the state. The task force will convene again at the end of September and hopes to use this information to inform an equity plan for the Wisconsin Medical Society.

Please contact Marje Murray with any questions.

Medigram | Wisconsin Medical Society

Every year, we rely on Wisconsin physicians to tell us what you are seeing in your clinics and communities as the most pressing population health and workforce issues. We take actions based directly on the input we receive, and if you haven't completed our Physician County Survey yet, we'd love for you to take a few moments to do so. Thank you!

Visit the Foundation website to learn more about our community grants and Future Superhero of Medicine Fund. Thank you for all you do to support the health of Wisconsin!

Please contact Marje at 608.442.3722 with questions or for other ways you can get involved.

Wisconsin Medical Society | Medigram

Improving personal financial health and knowledge among physicians is a core mission of both WisMed Assure and WisMed Financial, both part of the Wisconsin Medical Society. To provide a solid foundation before even entering practice, we have developed personal finance classes specifically for residents.

Here is an outline of the curriculum.

• Overwhelmed by where to start – prioritizing what to do and when

• Student loan repayment options and forgiveness programs

• Insurance 101 personal lines and medical malpractice

• Employment contracts

• Investing foundation

There is no cost for members of the Wisconsin Medical Society. If you are interested in joining the seven other programs across the state that are already providing personal financial education for their residents, please contact Tom or Mark.

Tom Strangstalien
tom.strangstalien@wismedassure.org
608.304.1579
Mark Ziety, CFP(R), AIF(R)
mark.ziety@wismedfinancial.org
608.442.3750

Wisconsin Medical Society 

There are many ways that you can help advance the health of the people of Wisconsin through the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation. From enjoying a glass of wine to getting outdoors to connecting with a medical student through their first white coat, supporting the health of Wisconsin has never been easier (or more fun)!

A Taste of the Foundation Enjoy wine and cheese with the Foundation while supporting grants. The next Tasting and online auction will be held June 24 from 7-8 p.m. Hurry! Be sure to register by June 9 to ensure tasting kits are delivered on time.

Run for a Heathier Wisconsin
Virtually travel across Wisconsin and learn about the different organizations we supported through grants in 2020. The Run (or walk) is a fun challenge to showcase ways the Foundation has supported the health of Wisconsin and to raise funds for new initiatives.

White Coat Campaign
The Foundation provides a white coat and personal message to every first-year Wisconsin medical student. Help ensure that every student gets a white coat this year and share your own note with a student.

Brighter Future Club Join the Brighter Future Club, our monthly giving campaign. Support the education of the next generation of medical professionals and the future of health care in Wisconsin by making a recurring monthly tax-deductible gift to the Foundation.

Visit the Foundation website to learn more about our community grants and white coat campaign.

Please contact Marje at 608.442.3722 with questions or for other ways to support the health of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation
Marje Murray, Executive Director

Wisconsin Medical Society | Medigram

Doctor Day 2021 is just weeks away and there are two issues that seem to be emerging as hot topics, but other topics are on the menu for discussion with your legislator visits as well.

Two significant topics that can be part of Doctor Day advocacy include Telehealth and strengthening our state’s Medicaid program through more reasonable physician reimbursement.

Telehealth
As we continue to explore lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, one health care practice that stands out is the increased use of telehealth technology. Already on the increase before the pandemic, patients and physicians both embraced the opportunity to hold meaningful interactions virtually. While these kinds of encounters are not necessarily a substitute for important face-to-face appointments, some of the flexibilities established to allow for greater telehealth use during COVID-19 should be made permanent, and Doctor Day will provide the opportunity to share real examples of how properly-reimbursed telehealth opportunities can be another important tool for our health care system.

Medicaid
Doctor Day is also well-timed to coincide with the state legislature’s deliberations over the next biennial budget. A major issue is funding our state’s Medicaid program, allowing our poorest and sickest citizens to access high quality health care. Physician reimbursement for services provided to Medicaid patients often does not cover the basic costs of providing that care, which means private insurance costs are artificially higher due to government under-reimbursement – and especially so for primary care and emergency care physicians. Doctor Day gives physicians an opportunity to ask policymakers to prioritize proper funding for our Medicaid program, including exploring how to access additional federal Medicaid funding via the incentives recently provided in the American Rescue Plan Act.  

No matter which topics are part of the Doctor Day discussions, the event allows for important relationship-building with your elected officials, which is critical to help educate lawmakers on health care policy that matters to physicians and patients. Your interaction with legislators and their staffs can be powerful and help guide better policy throughout the legislative session.

Visit widoctorday.org to register or learn more about the day. It’s a day of advocating for your profession that you don’t want to miss!

April 6, Wisconsin Health News

The premium holiday for Wisconsin’s medical malpractice fund will continue until mid-2022 to help offset impacts on providers from COVID-19. 

Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable notified the Joint Finance Committee last week that he’s requesting that fiscal year 2022 rates for healthcare providers participating in the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund remain the same as the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. 

The committee has until April 15 to approve the request. Currently, the fund is waiving fees for participating healthcare professionals and providers, per a request from the Wisconsin Medical Society. The premium holiday is set to last until June 30, 2022. 

OCI spokeswoman Sarah Smith said that the rates will remain the same because the fund won’t be charging due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Mark Grapentine, chief policy and advocacy officer at the Wisconsin Medical Society, said independent clinics are still fighting COVID-19 related costs and lost revenue and keeping the status quo for now makes sense. 

“We’re doing all we can to advocate for those independent clinics who provide such important care to their communities while being on the front lines of the pandemic,” he said in an email. “We’re very fortunate to have a fund that’s run prudently and is in a stable financial condition so that it can provide a little fiscal relief for physicians.” 

The Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund covers claims beyond state-mandated insurance limits, which are set at $1 million by occurrence and $3 million by aggregate annually.

Wisconsin Medical Society | Medigram

Join your colleagues (virtually) for Doctor Day on May 5, 2021 to fight for your patients, profession and sound health care policy. Doctor Day 2021 will include morning breakout sessions on health equity, public health and the latest legal issues facing physicians so you can customize the day to your interests. Organizers are once again lining up presentations from premier experts and policymakers.

The schedule features three breakout sessions:

Health Equity

What are we doing to achieve long-lasting and equitable health outcomes for ALL Wisconsinites? The State of Wisconsin has an overall health disparities grade of “D” according to a recent University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute Health of Wisconsin Report Card. The Report Card notes that while Wisconsin's grade for overall health has remained the same since 2007, the health disparities grade has worsened since 2010. What are we doing to change this?
Join us for an outbreak session on local public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. City of Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson will provide an overview of the challenges and successes Wisconsin's local public health departments faced throughout the last 12 months. As fellow frontline workers, local public health officers have experienced this crisis through the lens of both health care and governmental response to public health crises. 
The always popular and pertinent legal update will explore the latest “hot topics” physicians need to know about. Axley attorneys Guy DuBeau and Aneet Kaur will walk us through the landscape of litigation trends, scope of practice developments and more.

Public Health
Join us for an outbreak session on local public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. City of Milwaukee Health Commissioner Kirsten Johnson will provide an overview of the challenges and successes Wisconsin's local public health departments faced throughout the last 12 months. As fellow frontline workers, local public health officers have experienced this crisis through the lens of both health care and governmental response to public health crises. 

Legal Update
The always popular and pertinent legal update will explore the latest “hot topics” physicians need to know about. Axley attorneys Guy DuBeau and Aneet Kaur will walk us through the landscape of litigation trends, scope of practice developments and more.

To learn more about this virtual day of advocacy, go to widoctorday.org to register (it’s free) and see the day’s agenda. Please contact Heidi Green with any questions.

Wisconsin Doctor Day - May 5, 2021

Opening Keynote Address Featuring AMA President, Susan R. Bailey MD
Dr. Susan R. Bailey, a distinguished allergist/immunologist from Fort Worth, Texas, is the 175th president of the American Medical Association. Doctor Bailey's presentation, What Will Healthcare Look Like Post COVID-19?, will touch on delivery of care, rebounding from physician stress, and the impact of the pandemic on the physician workforce. 

Click here for more information

BCMS Opens Nominations for Heroes of COVID-19 Campaign
BCMS Will Highlight Local Heroes Both Behind the Scenes and on the Front Lines

Brown County, Wis. – February 23, 2021 – With a year of the pandemic now in the rearview, Brown County Medical Society (BMCS) wants to show support for all of the local COVID heroes who live or work in the Brown County community.

Through the “Heroes of COVID Campaign,” BCMS intends to raise awareness of the many heroes among us and the tireless work they’ve done over this past year to make sure the residents of our community are cared for during the pandemic. There are heroes in all aspects of our lives and our community, and by spotlighting the positive contributions that have been made—and continue to be made—will not only show our gratitude but will strengthen our resilience to us keep moving forward.

Click here for full press release.