The current rise in COVID-19 cases has shown that a significant portion of the general public remains unsure about activities that put them more at risk for catching the underlying virus despite widespread information about COVID-19. To help inform your patients, the Wisconsin Medical Society’s (Society) COVID-19 Task Force has created this downloadable display that you can use when talking with your patients, have on display in your examining rooms, lobby or other areas where patients may see it or give to your patients at discharge.
The Society’s COVID-19 Task Force meets every other week to discuss the latest issues related to the pandemic and strategize on ways to support physicians and better educate the public. Contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD with any questions or suggestions.
Nominations are now being accepted for several Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) offices, and all nomination materials are due to the Society’s Nominating Committee by Monday, January 4, 2021.
Candidates are sought for the following offices:
All candidates must submit a curriculum vitae not to exceed three pages, a cover letter no longer than one page, a completed candidate questionnaire for the office the candidate is seeking and a completed Disclosure of Significant Affiliations (conflict of interest) form. The candidate questionnaire forms are available here.*
The Nominating Committee will meet Friday, Jan. 22, 2021, at 4 p.m. via Zoom. The Committee will interview and evaluate the candidates for Society offices and prepare a slate of nominees for presentation to the membership.
Those serving on 2020-2021 Nominating Committee are:
Communications to the Nominating Committee should be addressed to Clyde “Bud” Chumbley, MD, MBA, CEO, Wisconsin Medical Society, PO Box 1109, Madison, WI 53701. Communications also can be emailed to Noreen Krueger. Click here to learn more about the nominating process and to download the candidate questionnaires and the conflict of interest form.*
Note: The Society will post the completed candidate questionnaire and cover letter on WisMed Community upon submission. The Society will post the conflict of interest form of all candidates selected by the Nominating Committee as nominees on WisMed Community after nomination by the Committee.
For questions or more information, email Noreen Krueger.
*WisMed Community is a members-only resource and will require you to log in. For questions or assistance please contact Anne Hauer.
Put the major financial pieces in place for your future by joining one or all of the lunch and learn classes hosted by WisMed Financial. The Retirement Readiness series is focused on decisions for those near or in retirement. Financial Planning 101 provides a good knowledge base for anyone. All of the sessions start at noon. To register please visit wismedfinancial.org/lunch-learn.
Retirement Readiness 11/19 Have you saved enough and Social Security 12/3 Wills, estate documents and charitable giving 12/10 Replacing the paycheck with investments and smart tax planning 12/17 Health insurance, Medicare and long-term care
Financial Planning 101 11/17 Cash flow and eliminating debt including student loans 11/24 Charitable giving, wills and other estate documents 12/1 Saving for retirement and kids’ college 12/8 Building an investment portfolio 12/15 Smart tax strategies, life and disability insurance
To learn more or for questions, please contact Mark Ziety, CFP®, AIF® of WisMed Financial, Inc.
Mark Ziety, CFP®, AIF® WisMed Financial, Inc. part of the Wisconsin Medical Society
Building off of Governor Tony Evers’s November 18 announcement that he will declare another public health emergency and extend the face coverings order through mid-January 2021, the Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) called on the state to help protect physicians and other health care staff in the face of a growing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Every day, more Wisconsin physicians... are personally affected by the pandemic, and that means hospital capacities are even more strained,” Society President Erik Gundersen, MD, said in a press statement provided to the state’s media outlets. “Everyone in Wisconsin needs to rally around what can attack this pandemic.
“If we all do this, we can save lives,” Gundersen said.
As various gubernatorial orders have been challenged in the state’s courts as an overreach of executive branch power, Wisconsin’s COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise – dragging hospitalizations and ICU bed usage numbers along with them. Combined with more health care staff succumbing to the virus itself or quarantining due to exposure, dramatic action is needed to help stave off even worse overall outcomes.
“The Society is continuing to call for all private and public entities to help fight the pandemic and protect our heroic health care workforce,” Society CEO Bud Chumbley, MD, MBA, said. “Physicians can lead the way in urging our communities to put politics aside and do the things that we know make a difference: wash hands, wear masks and stay home.
“The Society will continue to use all of its means to help physicians during the pandemic,” Dr. Chumbley said. “And that includes urging the public to step up for their physicians and the communities they serve.”
As the holiday season approaches – and as COVID-19 cases continue to rise at alarming rates – the Society’s COVID-19 Task Force created this downloadable display that can be used when talking with patients, as a display in examining rooms, lobbies or other areas where patients may see it or give to patients at discharge. Additionally, Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) produced an informational piece about how to celebrate the holidays safely.
Physicians can access the Society’s COVID-19 Resources page for additional tools that can help them educate the public about smart COVID-19 behaviors and other information.
Contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD for more information.
Financial planning now available to WisMed members
In order to help Wisconsin Medical Society members be secure, the Society has launched WisMed Financial, Inc. “Helping members with their finances can change the direction of a family and is a tremendous responsibility. WisMed Financial will have a meaningful and positive influence for our members,” said Mark Ziety, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. And the data supports it. Fifty percent of physicians under age 40 who use a professional financial advisor are ahead in savings, emergency funds and retirement tools according to a report.
To ensure the client’s interest always comes first, the company follows a no commission, fee-only model and is held to the fiduciary legal standard. According to The White Coat Investor®, it is estimated that 80% of doctors need, want and should use a financial planner and/or an investment manager. So it was important to put these high standards in place at the company’s creation.
Providing top-notch service and products is critical, too. The firm is partnering with TD Ameritrade, RightCapital and other industry leaders. In addition, Mark Ziety brings more than 15 years of experience, he is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Accredited Investment Fiduciary®.
The company helps members invest and plan for retirement, eliminate student loans, reduce taxes, plan for their family (wills and trust), charitable strategies, college funding and other personal financial matters. Mark can be reached at mark.ziety@wismedfinancial.org or 608.442.3750.
Packers, other state pro teams join WisMed in COVID coalition
The Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks have joined the ever-growing coalition of health care, business and government advocacy organizations urging the public to help control the spread of COVID-19. The Stop the COVID Spread! coalition also released another public service announcement statewide on October 26 featuring the Packers’ Adrian Amos, Kenny Clark and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. This new message follows on the heels of another PSA featuring former Wisconsin Governor and current UW System President Tommy Thompson.
The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) is a founding member of the coalition, helping to launch the campaign earlier this month.
“The Packers playing in an empty Lambeau Field really drives home the point of what can happen when a pandemic hits our state,” Society CEO Bud Chumbley, MD, MBA, said. “I know we all miss getting together with our family and friends to do things like watch the Packers play, so we hope the message of masking, hand washing and social distancing coming from some of Green Bay’s finest themselves will grab people’s attention.”
The Society is also using its social media accounts to help share these safe behavior messages; Society members are encouraged to share, retweet and post those messages on their own personal accounts.
SARS-CoV-2 CME series begins next week with Virus Biology and Vaccine Development
Scott S. Terhune, PhD, Professor of Microbiology & Immunology and Biomedical Engineering at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), kicks off the first of five sessions in the Wisconsin Medical Society’s SARS-CoV-2 CME Town Hall Series* with the presentation Virus Biology and Vaccine Development.
Terhune received his PhD from Northwestern University and his postdoctoral training at Princeton University. He participates in both graduate student and medical student education at MCW focusing on virus replication and infection. Research in the Terhune laboratory focuses on defining how human cytomegalovirus manipulates human cells and alters networks of interactions to support infection.
This webinar is free for Wisconsin Medical Society members, but registration is required to attend.
Session topics and schedule for the entire series are listed below. All live presentations will be held from 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. To view the sessions and to register click here.
November 4, 2020: SARS-CoV-2 Virus Biology and Vaccine Development November 11, 2020: The Current State of Therapeutics November 18, 2020: Communicability and Public Health Response November 25, 2020: The Convergence of Seasonal Flu and SARS-CoV-2 December 2, 2020: Combating COVID-19 Challenges in Disadvantaged Populations – a Case Study
Please email education@wismed.org with any questions.
*This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 credit™.
Governor’s prescription costs task force releases final recommendations
Governor Tony Evers’s Task Force on Reducing Prescription Drug Prices released its final recommendations October 21 on potential future state law and policies that could improve prescription drug accessibility and affordability. The task force membership included 21 people from diverse backgrounds, including members from the state executive and legislative branches and private citizens with health care, insurance and consumer experience. Wisconsin Medical Society member Michael Goldrosen, MD, was a task force member.
The task force divided their recommendations into separate tiers: those with support from a majority of the task force, issues for further consideration and issues that came up but weren’t discussed thoroughly. Among the top-tier items:
The entire 156-page report is available here, along with information about the task force’s activities and membership. An executive summary is here. It is likely that some items in the report could be included in Governor Evers’s next biennial budget proposal, which will be unveiled in the winter of 2021.
Wisconsin Medical Society
As Governor Tony Evers declared a new public health emergency and issued a new face covering mandate on September 22 due to increases in the state’s COVID-19 case rate, the Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) took the opportunity to remind the public how they can take proactive measures to help reduce the spread of the virus, regardless of any government action related to the pandemic.
In a media statement sent statewide the afternoon of the Governor’s announcement, Society CEO Bud Chumbley, MD, MBA, emphasized how mask wearing, physical distancing and regular hand washing are proven effective strategies to reduce the spread of COVID-19. “If we all agree to take simple steps, we can reduce the spread of the pandemic and protect our state’s physical and economic health,” Dr. Chumbley said in the statement. “We strongly urge everyone to wear masks, maintain social distancing and continue to wash hands often and thoroughly,” Dr. Chumbley said. The statement also emphasized that with seasonal influenza season looming, getting a flu vaccination is another action individuals can take that helps protect themselves and the public.
The statement is the latest in a series of actions the Society has taken to help remind the public of their important role in helping stem community spread, including three public service announcements that have been aired on statewide television and on the Society’s various social media channels.
Contact Mark Grapentine, JD for more information.
Wisconsin Health News
Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday declared a new public health emergency in response to rising cases of COVID-19 among young people, issuing a new indoor face coverings mandate that goes through Nov. 21.
It's the third COVID-19-related public health emergency he’s declared. The current public health emergency, declared in July and expiring Sept. 28, remains in effect.
Evers said in a statement that they saw a slow down in new COVID-19 cases last month as a result of the mandate, but the reopening of college campuses has caused cases to surge.
Under the order, Wisconsinites five and older have to wear a face mask when indoors or in an enclosed space with anyone outside their household.
“We continue to learn more about this virus, but what we do know is that we are facing a new and dangerous phase of the COVID-19 pandemic here in Wisconsin,” Evers said in a statement. “We are seeing an alarming increase in cases across our state, especially on campus. We need folks to start taking this seriously, and young people especially—please stay home as much as you are able, skip heading to the bars, and wear a mask whenever you go out.”
Evers’ second order faces a challenge from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, which says that the governor can’t declare multiple public health emergencies for the same crisis. Evers’ first public health emergency related to COVID-19 ran from March 12 through May 11.
"Gov. Evers and his team believe the presence of COVID-19 supersedes the rule of law and our state constitution," WILL President Rick Esenberg said in a Tuesday statement. "They are wrong. Letting this gross abuse of power stand is not an option."
Spokespeople for Republican legislative leaders, who have previously said local governments should be taking measures to fight COVID-19 rather than the state, did not immediately return requests for comment Tuesday morning.
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:
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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