Wisconsin Medical Society | August 2020

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) is very pleased to announce that effective immediately Society Members will receive a 5% discount on all PPE orders! For orders placed without a Society Membership ID, the Society will receive in-kind product that the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation will distribute to Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers.

To receive the 5% discount:

• Visit our website 
• In the Coupon Code section, enter WMS and your Member ID
• For your Member ID, please contact the Society at 800.762.8975 or membership@wismed.org or log in to the Society's website and click 'my account' 

If you are not a member of the Society and would like to join and qualify for the discount, please contact membership@wismed.org or 800.762.8975.

Please continue to order PPE via our website for continued updates on what the Wisconsin Medical Society offers. The Society is not profiting from these sales.

Thank you for all that you do for the people of Wisconsin!

Wisconsin Medical Society | August 2020

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) and the Wisconsin Nurses Association (WNA) have partnered to produce a public service announcement (PSA) campaign, “Stay healthy, Wisconsin,” with the primary goal of getting Wisconsinites who have delayed care to see their health care team. The Society and WNA produced digital, print and—with the help of WMSN FOX 47 News, Madison—video announcements.

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wisconsin clinics and hospitals saw a dramatic decrease in patient visits, which consequently, created an increase in patients missing routine wellness visits, preventive screenings and visits to monitor chronic conditions. 

Click here to view the PSA.

Wisconsin Medical Society | August 13, 2020

The Society will host an informational meeting on the proposed constitutional amendment. Open to all members, this meeting will include pre-recorded video presentations from the leadership of state medical societies who have passed similar amendments including Colorado, New Mexico and Minnesota. They share their experiences with governance before and after the House of Delegates. This meeting also will include the opportunity for an open question and answer session.

There are two time options for the meeting on August 19 from 5:00 – 5:50 p.m. and from 6:00 – 6:50 p.m. Click here to register.

Please reach out to Noreen Krueger with any questions.

Wisconsin Health News | July 30, 2020

Gov. Tony Evers issued an emergency order on Thursday mandating that Wisconsinites wear masks when indoors starting Saturday.

Evers issued the order by declaring a public health emergency. It’s the second public health emergency he’s declared during the pandemic.

Under the order, which expires Sept. 28, Wisconsinites over the age of 5 will have to wear a face covering when indoors or in an enclosed space if they’re around people who aren’t members of their household or living unit. The order doesn’t apply to private residences.

Face coverings will be recommended when outdoors.

Evers said that local health departments “have been doing a heck of a job” responding to the pandemic, but there needs to be a statewide approach to fighting the virus.

“While I know emotions are high when it comes to wearing face coverings in public, my job as governor is to put people first and to do what’s best for the people of our state, so that’s what I am going to do,” Evers said.

View full article here.

As states reopen, many small and medium-sized healthcare and other businesses are struggling to sift through all the evolving guidance to create comprehensive, user-friendly return-to-work plans. Yet, having a thoughtful plan in place is critical to controlling the spread of COVID-19 as you increase activity in your workplace and mitigating liability should employee complaints arise.

Badger Bay is pleased to announce that we have partnered with premier law firm Husch Blackwell LLP to offer members a special discount on an easy, quick, and affordable tool that your members can use to create customized Return-to-Work policies. Husch Blackwell’s new Return-to-Work Policy Generator enables businesses of all sizes to quickly create return-to-work plans, customized to their operations, without starting from scratch. Built-in are Husch Blackwell’s knowledge of health, safety and employment issues, and extensive experience helping clients navigate the COVID-19 crisis.

The tool involves a 15-minute secure online questionnaire to learn about each company’s operations and policy needs. It generates a customized policy, which an attorney works to finalize directly with the company through an included consultation. Most policies are ready within a few business days.

Through the tool, Husch Blackwell offers each policy for a flat-fee price quoted up-front based on the complexity of each company’s operations and needs. Members of your associations can enter a referral code (“BadgerBay”) while completing the questionnaire to obtain an additional 10% discount.

To learn more, see a demo, and try the tool, visit the Return-to-Work Policy Generator here.

What does it involve?

1. Your member fills out a quick online questionnaire (approx. 15 minutes)
2. After determining the scope of the policy, the company will receive a low, flat price (starting at $1,500)
3. An attorney works with the company to finalize a customized draft

This is great for lots of companies…

• Especially small, mid-sized, and regional firms (DIY is overwhelming!)
• Even those with essential workers (non-essential workers may be returning to work)
• Especially those in multiple states (the policy pulls in relevant state requirements)
• Even those that already returned to work (many reopened quickly but still need a policy)

What’s special here?

• Quick and easy guided online questionnaire
• State-specific and federal guidance
• Industry-specific provisions where applicable
• Customized to each company’s operations/workplaces
• Optional forms and links to CDC/OSHA posters
• Upfront pricing with low, flat fee
• Included one-on-one attorney review and client consult
• Saves hours of time and lots of money

GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- Masks will soon be required in public spaces around Green Bay.

The city council voted 7-5 on Tuesday to create an ordinance mandating masks inside buildings the public has common access to. Those would include city buildings and many businesses.

Public comment on the proposal lasted almost three hours. The debate touched on the science behind masks, civil liberties, and enforcement ability.

Read more.

(by Katrina Nickell, FOX 11 News)

Wisconsin Health News | July 7

The mayors of Wisconsin’s five largest cities said Monday they'll receive $6.3 million from the nonpartisan Center for Tech and Civic Life to help with elections in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The funding will help support an adequate number of voting sites, set up drive-thru and dropbox locations, provide personal protective equipment for poll workers and recruit and train a sufficient number of workers. 

The cities applied for the funding, which has been approved in full by the center but may still require approval from city councils. 

 Cities set to receive funding and the amount of money are:

• Milwaukee: $2,154,500
• Madison: $1,271,788
• Green Bay: $1,093,400
• Racine: $942,100
• Kenosha: $862,779

Wisconsin Medical Society Medigram | July 2

Save the Date for the Wisconsin Medical Society’s Reference Committees, scheduled for 9 a.m. on August 8 via GoToWebinar. Virtual reference committees and the House of Delegates handbook are still available via WisMed Community. If you need login assistance, please contact membership@wismed.org.

District 1, 2 and 8 caucuses were not held due to the pandemic declaration but are now being scheduled virtually. To see details on these events, view more information or register, click here.

The House of Delegates has been scheduled virtually for August 22. Additional information—including registration details—will be coming soon.

Watch for upcoming emails and future issues of Medigram for registration information and updates on these and other Society events.

June 18 | Wisconsin Health News

The state’s medical malpractice fund is waiving premiums for the next fiscal year for participating healthcare professionals and providers. 

The Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund’s Board of Governors approved the premium holiday on Wednesday.

The holiday, originally requested by the Wisconsin Medical Society, will run from July 1 to June 30, 2021. 

Dr. Bud Chumbley, CEO of the Wisconsin Medical Society and a board member, said the action will “provide some financial relief to many of the Wisconsin medical professionals and providers who have been affected by the pandemic and who face ongoing challenges.”

The fund covers claims beyond state-mandated insurance limits, which are set at $1 million by occurrence and $3 million by aggregate per year. 

June 17 | Wisconsin Medical Society

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) thanks the Board of Governors of the Wisconsin Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund (the Fund) for declaring a premium holiday for the health care professionals and providers, enrolled in the fund, in effect from July 1, 2020, until June 30, 2021.

The Society has been working hard to find ways to assist its membership during these unprecedented times. The Society requested the holiday on behalf of all health care professionals and providers in Wisconsin, to help ease the economic hardships placed on them because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 has posed unprecedented health and economic challenges to our state, and the health care industry is no exception,” said Bud Chumbley, MD., a Board member and the CEO of the Wisconsin Medical Society. “The premium holiday approved today by the Board will provide some financial relief to many of the Wisconsin medical professionals and providers who have been affected by the pandemic and who face ongoing challenges.”

This action will help those covered by the Fund who have experienced a significant decline in revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly physicians in solo and small group practices.

The Fund is an essential element in maintaining medical liability insurance premiums at a manageable rate for those covered by the Fund. The favorable medical liability environment in Wisconsin helps recruit physicians to Wisconsin and retain physicians in Wisconsin.

For more information about the Wisconsin Medical Society, visit www.wismed.org.