Latest News

Physician shortage deepens across state

New physician workforce report finds primary care docs in high demand

November 10 (Madison)—The wait to see a doctor could get longer if projections on the supply of and demand for physicians are accurate. According to a report released today by the Wisconsin Council on Medical Education and Workforce (WCMEW), recruiting physicians is more difficult than ever before, and the situation is expected to worsen.

One of its most alarming findings in the report titled “Who Will Care For Our Patients?” is that Wisconsin is short nearly 374 primary care physicians across 31 counties. Milwaukee alone currently needs 20 additional primary care physicians to meet inner city demands. Experts say this shortage can create a bottleneck in the health care system.

"This is a concerning and sobering report. The health of our citizens is tied in part to our ability to access health care, plain and simple,” said Tim Bartholow, MD, Wisconsin Medical Society senior vice president of Member Services, Policy Planning and Physician Professional Development. “The data in this report makes it clear that if we don’t take action to address the physician workforce shortage now, particularly in rural and inner city areas, the health of our children, our parents and our own health is at risk.”

The greatest increase in the demand for physicians centers on three specialties: family practice, internal medicine and the hospitalist—an expert in providing hospital-based care.

“Primary care doctors have several key roles in health care: They are the point of contact for people with undiagnosed health concerns, and they help patients navigate the health care system when they need on-going care or a referral to a specialist,” said WCMEW Chair Carl Getto, MD, senior vice president of medical affairs and associate dean for hospital affairs at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. “When patients are sick and can’t get in to a physician, they enter the health care system through the hospital emergency room.”

The report recommends a number of actions to address the workforce shortage and avoid a health care access crisis including:

Greatly expand existing tuition reimbursement programs to target primary care physicians and specialists who stay and practice in Wisconsin.
Lobby Congress to increase the number of Wisconsin residency programs that receive Medicare reimbursement.
Increase the number of slots at schools producing Advanced Practice Provider (APP) graduates. Recruit, train and mentor APP candidates who will practice in the inner-city areas of Wisconsin’s urban areas; in particular, Milwaukee. Break down barriers between medical schools and allied health schools to maximize resources and to eliminate duplicative programs.
Sponsor or fund research on the medical home model.
Attract physician to Wisconsin and keep them here. WCMEW recently launched a physician recruitment Web site: www.WisconsinPhysicianCareers.org aimed at attracting physicians to Wisconsin. The report also recommends establishing an inner-city version of the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine (WARM) program, aimed at recruiting and training individuals who are likely to practice in inner-city Milwaukee.
Increase Medicaid payment for physician specialist services provided in the inner-city areas of Milwaukee.
Preserve Wisconsin’s favorable malpractice climate.

The report was authored for WCMEW by George Quinn, senior vice president of the Wisconsin Hospital Association. WCMEW’s members include the Wisconsin Medical Society, the Wisconsin Hospital Association, the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, the Wisconsin Academy of Family Physicians, and the Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants.

Press conferences were held today in Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau to announce the release of the report. Speakers in Madison included Society members Doctors Bartholow and Getto. In Milwaukee, speakers included Society members Jonathan Ravdin, MD, dean of the Medical College of Wisconsin and George Schneider, MD, an assistant clinical professor of internal medicine with the Medical College of Wisconsin. He practices with the College’s Primary Care Clinic. Speakers in Wausau included Society members Charles Shabino, MD, Wisconsin Hospital Association Senior Medical Advisor and Thomas Stoffel, MD, a family physician who practices in Edgar, Wis. Click here to read a press release announcing the report. Click here for an executive summary of the report.

New Web site posts over 500 Wisconsin physician vacancies

October 14 (Madison)—For physicians seeking career opportunities in Wisconsin, the search just got easier. A new Web site, www.wisconsinphysiciancareers.org, offers a comprehensive resource that features career opportunities available to physicians in Wisconsin’s clinics, hospitals, and in academic medicine. The Web site is exclusive to Wisconsin and lists only physician career opportunities.

The site, which is sponsored by the Wisconsin Council for Medical Education and Workforce (WCMEW), is a cornerstone of an aggressive physician recruitment campaign geared at alleviating the physician workforce shortage by attracting physicians back to Wisconsin and retaining those already practicing here. WCMEW’s members include the Wisconsin Medical Society, the Wisconsin Hospital Association, the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, and the Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants. (Click here to read WCMEW’s press release.)

“With the looming medical workforce shortage, this Web site provides one-stop shopping for physicians looking for available career opportunities in Wisconsin, particularly physicians who graduate from the state’s medical schools and those who complete their residencies here,” said Wisconsin Medical Society President Steven C. Bergin, an OB/GYN from Stevens Point. “The site’s high visibility and collaborative support by the WCMEW organizations will allow for competitive physician recruitment nationally and in Wisconsin; and we hope that will enhance our physician retention rate and our ability to increase access to health care for patients in Wisconsin.”

To date, Wisconsin clinics, hospitals, and academic medical centers have posted more than 500 positions across 61 specialties for physicians. Family medicine topped the list for the number of positions posted with 100, followed by 60 positions in internal medicine. Psychiatry, a specialty that has been identified as severely short, had nearly 30 positions posted at press time and 20 hospitalist positions were listed on the site.

“It’s extremely difficult to recruit physicians to rural areas,” said Society Past President Mark Belknap, MD, an internal medicine specialist who practices in Ashland. “This Web site will be a valuable tool to make potential candidates in all specialties aware of practice positions available throughout Wisconsin.”

The Society links to WisconsinPhysicianCareers.org through its own on-line Career Center, which also features “HealthE Careers”—a resource that includes postings for allied health and administrative positions.

If you have questions or would like more information, please e-mail kendi.parvin@wismed.org.

Society, nurses, WPS partner with domestic violence and sexual assault advocates for ‘Health Cares About Violence Against Women Day 2008’

October 7 (Madison)—The Wisconsin Medical Society teamed up with state coalitions against domestic violence and sexual assault along with other health care and women’s organizations today in announcing activities in recognition of the 12th annual “Health Cares About Violence Against Women Day.”

The Society was joined by WPS Health Insurance, Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Wisconsin Nurses Association and Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation for a press conference at WPS that urged increased screening by health care professionals for signs of domestic violence in their patients.

“Health care professionals routinely screen for tobacco use, high blood pressure and high cholesterol in their patients, but many miss the opportunity to screen for domestic violence. That doesn’t have to be the case,” said Wisconsin Medical Society Past President Paul Wertsch, MD. “By taking a few moments to ask patients some simple questions, physicians can emphasize to them that domestic violence is intolerable, and if it is happening to them, it’s not their fault. Physicians can also refer patients to community resources and make suggestions regarding their safety. We can let them know they are not alone and help is available.”

Domestic violence survivor Bonnie Hill said she saw health care professionals throughout the decades she was married to her abusive ex-husband, yet at that time, they did not offer helpful interventions. “It’s critical that health care providers screen for abuse,” she said. “They can plant the seed that abuse is wrong.”

The coalition has developed a pocket screening card, which will be distributed to health care professionals statewide by the different organizations, including the Society. Posters and other resources will also be available to help increase awareness.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to work with health care leaders to develop appropriate protocols and responses to this enormous public health problem. Health care providers can do a tremendous amount to help victims of domestic violence who seek care,” said Patti Seger, executive director of the Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Together we can continue to improve the health care system’s response to domestic violence by giving doctors and nurses the information and support they need to help victims and their children.”

If you would like copies of the domestic violence pocket screening card or more information, please e-mail communications@wismed.org.

Congress overrides Medicare veto

July 16 (Madison)—Congress moved swiftly Tuesday to override President Bush’s veto of H.R. 6331—the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008—which eliminates a 10.6 percent physician Medicare reimbursement cut and instead holds reimbursement steady this year and provides a 1.1 percent increase for 2009. Read highlights of the bill in this AMA-prepared memo.

The House voted 383-41 to override the veto Tuesday afternoon, and the Senate voted 70-26 in the early evening to make it official: H.R. 6331 becomes law, notwithstanding the President’s veto. This action shows what physicians can accomplish when they organize and take the time to contact policymakers. To those who responded to yesterday’s Medigram Alert and called your members of Congress—you were part of a historic moment.

The Wisconsin Delegation’s votes:

Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Milwaukee)—override
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Middleton)—override
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville)—override
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Madison)—override
Rep. Ron Kind (D-La Crosse)—override
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee)—override
Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Menomonee Falls)—sustain
Rep. Tom Petri (R-Fond du Lac)—override
Rep. Dave Obey (D-Wausau)—override
Rep. Steve Kagen, MD (D-Appleton)—override

Please take the time this week to call Senators Kohl and Feingold and your Representative in the House (unless you live in Rep. Sensenbrenner's district) and thank them for their vote for physicians and Medicare patients. A thank you call or note is often unexpected; it is often received as a rare moment of graciousness. To find office numbers, click here.

The Society worked hard to amplify the Wisconsin physician’s voice for Tuesday’s votes. A Medigram Alert was sent out even before President Bush officially vetoed the bill, asking Society members to contact their members of Congress on the override. Once the veto was official, the Society immediately faxed this letter requesting the override, and sent media this press release.

It’s important to realize that the override win is only a short-term fix to a long-term problem: the fatally-flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula is still the law of the land. Under the SGR, physicians face a 20 percent reimbursement cut in 2010. Floor speeches from both sides of the aisle in both houses centered on the need for a different Medicare payment scheme: that will be the ongoing struggle facing the next Congress, and the Society will team with others to find a viable solution.

For more information, contact Mark Grapentine.

Savant Kim Peek charms, mesmerizes Wisconsin audiences

April 15 (Madison)—Anybody who was fortunate enough to witness the wondrousness of savant Kim Peek last week in Wisconsin likely will never forget the experience. The 55-year-old developmentally disabled Utah resident with extraordinary memory skills, not only displayed his remarkable feats, but reminded everybody of the value and uniqueness of each individual, disabled or not.

Kim, along with his father, Fran Peek, also spoke to grade school children in Madison, college students in Fond du Lac, students and faculty at UW Madison Medical School, in addition to highlighting the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation’s annual fundraising event April 10. For the latter, Kim drew a capacity crowd, wowing the audience with his ability to field questions that covered history, geography, movies and much more.

For more information about Kim Peek, click here. For media coverage of Peek's visit, click here.

Wisconsin Division of Public Health issues measles alert

Madison (April 7)—The following alert was issued today by the Wisconsin Division of Public Health (DPH):

A positive case of measles has been reported in an unimmunized 23-month-old child from Milwaukee County. The symptom onset was on March 26, 2008 with rash onset on March 27, 2008. The Measles IgM was positive on a serology specimen drawn on April 3, 2008. No known source has been identified and there had been no out-of-state travel during the probable source period. Day care and other close contacts are being followed. There was no known travel of the case outside of Milwaukee County during the child's infectious period. The next generation of cases would be expected to occur in the period of April 7-April 13, 2008.

As this child has had no out-of-state travel, has no known source of infection and the fact that cases of measles are occurring in other parts of the United States, health care professionals are asked to maintain a high index of suspicion of measles in patients presenting with rash/fever illnesses. Patients that present with such symptoms should be taken immediately to negative pressure isolation rooms for diagnosis. If phone contact is made ahead of any visit, steps should be taken to isolate the patient upon arrival to the health care facility. On any suspect case seen please submit an acute blood specimen for confirmation. In addition, NP and throat swabs and a urine sample (in that order of importance) should be submitted to the State Laboratory of Hygiene for genotyping. The immunization status of any accompanying family member should be reviewed and MMR vaccine offered when applicable. Health care providers should inform the local health department immediately of any suspect cases, do not wait for laboratory confirmation.

DPH encourages health care professionals to take this opportunity to review the immunization/immune status for measles for all staff that may have patient contact (click here). A synopsis of the immunization recommendations for the general population will be detailed by DPH in a later communication.

If you have questions, please contact Immunization Program Manager Daniel Hopfensperger at 608.266.1339.

AHRQ ranks Wisconsin no. 2 in health care quality

Madison (March 27)—Wisconsin ranks second in the nation in overall health care quality, according to the 2007 “State Snapshots” released yesterday by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Minnesota claimed the number 1 spot with an overall score of 66.96, while Wisconsin, which held the top spot last year, scored 66.04 this year. North Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska round out the top five.

“Of course it’s a little disappointing that Wisconsin was edged out by Minnesota for the top spot, but it’s obvious from the results of these quality measures that health care professionals in Wisconsin have a lot to be proud of,” said Society President Clarence Chou, MD. “It takes a lot of effort to maintain high rankings. At the same time, this report points out some areas where we could improve, such as cancer care, home health care, and the fact that 63 percent of patients in Wisconsin are overweight or obese.”

AHRQ tracks roughly 200 measures of health care quality for different types of care, settings and clinical areas. The report includes information on more than 100 measures for Wisconsin. According to the results, the state’s strengths include preventive care, acute care and chronic care, along with hospital, ambulatory and nursing home care. Wisconsin also ranks very strong in respiratory care and strong in diabetes care.

More detailed information about Wisconsin’s results, including scores on specific measures is available on the AHRQ Web site. For Wisconsin’s “Dashboard on Health Care Quality” compared to other states, click here.

Click here for a statement from Society President Clarence Chou, MD.

Explore your Hidden Potential

Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation
Fundraising Dinner, Silent Auction and Raffle
April 10, 2008, 5:30 p.m.
Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison

There’s still time to register to attend the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation’s 2008 fundraising event featuring the unique opportunity to meet one of the world’s few identified prodigious savants, Kim Peek. Peek was the inspiration for the movie Rain Man. He has read over 7,600 books and has 98 percent recall of each one—not to mention a storehouse of facts on subjects ranging from music to history to sports. He’s also developmentally disabled.

Kim Peek with Barry Morrow, screenwriter for Rain Man, holding one of the Oscar's awarded for the film. Photo by Richard Green, Salinas, CA.

Joining Kim will be his father, Fran, and Wisconsin Medical Society Past President, Darold Treffert, MD, an internationally recognized expert on Savant Syndrome.

“We are very fortunate to have Fran and Kim Peek and Doctor Darold Treffert join us this year. Each of these accomplished speakers brings his own unique message to the stage as they also encourage us to look beyond individual differences and search for ‘islands of genius,’” noted Foundation President, Doctor Ayaz Samadani.

The evening will begin with a large silent auction, hors d’ouevres and a cash bar at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 and the program at 8. Kim will encourage audience members to “stump” him in one of his areas of knowledge.

The success of this event is critical to providing funding for our scholarship and grants programs. Tickets are $100 each and may be purchased by contacting Renee at 608.442.3720 or e-mail reneer@wismed.org.

Raffle Prizes are Diamonds and Travel

Even if you can’t join us at the Fundraising Dinner, don’t miss your chance to win 2.48 carat diamond earrings or $1,500 toward the vacation of your choice! Tickets are $20 each or 6 for $100 and may be purchased from Foundation staff or any Society Membership Representative. A limit of 1,000 tickets will be sold and you do not need to be present to win.

To view the beautiful diamond earrings or for more details click here.

Webcast features strategies to help patients quit smoking

Madison (January 4)—Wisconsin’s cigarette tax increased to $1.77 per pack on January 1. That $1 per pack increase is the first in Wisconsin in six years, and it may provide the financial incentive many smokers need to quit.

Because physicians and other health care professionals have a unique opportunity to intervene with patients who use tobacco, Society member Michael Fiore, MD, presented this web-based training program for health care professionals. Doctor Fiore is a practicing internist, founder and 15-year director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention (UW-CTRI).

The webcast, which features information about new medications, leading-edge methods and new patient resources, was designed to help health care professionals help their patients quit smoking. It was sponsored by the Wisconsin Medical Society, Smokefree Wisconsin and UW-CTRI.

Related links:
http://www.ctri.wisc.edu/
http://www.smokefreewi.org/

Congress postpones Medicare payment puts for 6 months

Madison (December 21)—This week Congress passed a Medicare bill that postpones the 10.1 percent physician payment cut and instead provides a 0.5 percent increase for six months. The President is expected to sign it immediately.

The bill also:

Extends the current State Children’s Health Insurance Program through March 2009.
Continues the 1.5 percent bonus payment for physicians who participate in the voluntary quality-reporting system.
Extends the 5 percent bonus for physicians practicing in federally-designated health professional shortage areas.
Does NOT cut reimbursement for outpatient imaging services.
Does NOT include a ban on physician-owned specialty hospitals.

Click here for a summary of the bill.

Despite this temporary reprieve, the long-term problems of the SGR formula remain; after June 30, 2007 the proposed extensions will expire, meaning the potential for double-digit cuts starting in July. The Wisconsin Medical Society and the AMA will continue to work for a long-term solution to this ongoing issue.

IPFCF Board votes to not increase fees for Fiscal Year 2008

Madison (December 13)—The Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund Board (IPFCF) of Governors voted Wednesday, Dec 19 to not raise Fund fees for the state’s 2008 fiscal year (July 2008-June 2009). The Fund's Actuarial and Underwriting Committee had recommended a 25 percent fee increase, but Society-led efforts at the Board prevented approval of this recommendation.

Increasing Fund fees to essentially backfill the Governor’s $200 million raid was questionable, especially considering that the legality of raiding the Fund is now in the courts; a fee increase could also be used to finance future raids. With those factors discussed in open session at Wednesday’s board meeting, a motion was made that there be no Fund fee increase at this time. That motion prevailed on a 7-5 vote, with all three physician Board members (Robert Jaeger, MD, Society CEO Susan Turney, MD, and Reid Olson, MD, public member) voting for no increase.

Proposed Fund Raid: $300M?

Madison (September 28)--Thursday afternoon there were some troubling rumors coming out of state budget negotiations. According to Capitol news services, Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) is saying that during today's negotiations Senate Democrats offered to take $300 million from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund (Fund) in exchange for reductions in other taxes Senate Democrats have proposed. WisPolitics later reported that Speaker Huebsch had offered a combination of the $1.25 increase in the cigarette tax and an "unspecified amount" from the Fund, which was also rejected.

It's unclear how serious these offers were - many offers and counter-offers are given with the full knowledge that the other side will reject them. However, the Fund should not be a political football.

Call your legislators and let them know that the Fund shouldn't be a part of political game-playing, and should be taken off the table in future budget negotiations. To find out who your legislators are, click here.

If you have any questions, please contact Mark Grapentine.

State Budget: Healthy Wisconsin off the Table?

Madison (September 21)--Senate Democrats offered to remove their $15.2 billion universal health care proposal, "Healthy Wisconsin," from the state budget if Assembly Republicans would agree to a health care spending package that includes the $175 million IPFCF raid, a hospital tax and increases to the cigarette and nursing home bed taxes. Republicans expressed their belief that Healthy Wisconsin never belonged in the state budget in the first place and that the list of tax increases and the raid were too steep a price. Governor Doyle also announced that he has invited Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem) and Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson (D-Beloit) to the Executive Mansion in an attempt to reach a budget deal. See statements from Speaker Huebsch and Senator Robert Jauch (D-Poplar) on today's developments.

Rep. Sheldon Wasserman, MD (D-Milwaukee) released a statement decrying that the raid proposal remains in the budget.

Contact Mark Grapentine or Jeremy Levin with any questions.

CMS issues FAQ on new tamper-resistant Rx pads law

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued a frequently asked questions guide for physicians and others as they prepare for the October 1 implementation of the new tamper-resistant prescription pads requirements (Society Members: See the Sept. 14 Insider for more information). While not particularly exhaustive, the FAQ does give some compliance guidance, as well as better explanation of what will make the special paper tamper-resistant. The FAQ references guidance CMS issued in August, which left many questions unanswered.

House of Delegates solicits nominees

The House of Delegates Nominating Committee is requesting nominations for the following Society offices:

President-Elect for 2008-2009
Vice Speaker for 2009 and 2010 – Charles Rainey, MD, JD of River Hills (incumbent)
AMA Delegates for calendar years 2009 and 2010 – Clarence P. Chou, MD of Milwaukee (incumbent); Kevin T. Flaherty, MD of Wausau (incumbent); Robert J. Jaeger, MD of Mosinee (incumbent)
AMA Alternate Delegate for calendar years 2009 and 2010 – Mahendr S. Kochar, MD of Brookfield (incumbent)

The House of Delegates Nominating Committee will meet, Saturday, October 13 at Society Headquarters in Madison. The meeting will include an open session to allow for the individual nomination of candidates. The committee will present a proposed slate of nominees on Friday, April 11, 2008 at the annual meeting in Madison.

Members of the 2007-2008 House of Delegates Nominating Committee are as follows:

District 1— Amtul Ahmad, MD, of Kenosha; Barbara Hummel, MD, of West Allis; Lowell Keppel, MD, of Brookfield; Mahendr Kochar, MD, of Brookfield; Thomas Luetzow, MD, of Lake Mills; Edith McFadden, MD, of Milwaukee; Charles Rainey, MD, of River Hills; John Riesch, MD, of Menomonee Falls; Sridhar Vasudevan, MD, of Belgium

District 2— Susan Kinast-Porter, MD, of Albany; Michael Miller, MD, of Madison; Sandra Osborn, MD, of Verona; Molli Rolli, MD, of Madison; Tosha Wetterneck, MD, of Madison

District 3— Erik Gundersen, MD, of Onalaska

District 4— Andrew Braun, MD, of Stevens Point; Mary Jo Freeman, MD, of Wausau

District 5— Kevin Jessen, MD, of Fond du Lac; Valerie Zapolsky, MD, of Oshkosh

District 6— John Hartman, MD, of Green Bay; Jennifer Philbin, MD, of Oconto

District 7— Andrea Hillerud, MD, of Eau Claire

District 8— David Saarinen, MD of Ashland

Specialty Sections— Maja Jurisic, MD, of Brookfield

Communications to the Nominating Committee should be addressed to: Susan L. Turney, MD, Executive Vice President/CEO, Wisconsin Medical Society, PO Box 1109, Madison, WI 53701. Communications can also be sent via e-mail to noreenk@wismed.org. All candidates must submit a curriculum vitae with a cover letter by Friday, September 28, so that an agenda can be mailed to committee members. For more information, e-mail Noreen Krueger.

What Do Women Doctors Want?

Key question for rural communities as more women enter medicine

It’s already a challenge for rural areas to attract physicians, but demographic changes in the physician workforce may make it even more difficult in the years to come. Women comprise a majority of medical school classes, while male physicians are the ones who tend to practice in rural areas now. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health surveyed 10 women physicians who practice in Wisconsin rural areas with populations of fewer than 16,000 residents to find out which factors most influenced their decision to enter a rural practice. The results are published in the latest issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal (Volume 106, No. 5).

“The most common reason stated motivating the physicians to enter rural practice was a rural background (70%),” the study reports. Having a personal connection to the area or family nearby was also a key reason given (60%). Half the women doctors surveyed predicted the number of women physicians in rural communities would decrease because of long hours, low compensation and a declining number of students pursuing family practice. The other half said more women would pursue rural practices because of the opportunity to practice obstetrics, the ability of spouses to work at home and a good environment to raise children.

“Predictors of rural practice include rural background, positive experiences during medical school and/or residency in rural communities, and practice settings that are supportive of unique arrangements to provide the desired balance between personal and professional activities,” the authors conclude.

Wisconsin Medical Society Launches Innovative Health Insurance Pilot for Fox Valley Physicians

Physician groups in Wisconsin are banding together in a cooperative to provide more cost-effective health insurance options for doctors, their families and office staff.

On August 15, the Wisconsin Medical Society launched the Physicians Health Cooperative (PHC), a new health insurance plan that offers long-term solutions to high health care costs. The new plan is being introduced initially in the Fox Valley for Society members, and is presented by Fitzgerald, Clayton, James & Kasten, Inc. as representatives for Wisconsin Medical Society Insurance & Financial Services, Inc. (WMSI).

“We hope the Fox Valley pilot project eventually will turn into a statewide advantage for all physicians in Wisconsin,” said Ellie Rohrdanz, WMSI President. The plan is endorsed by the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives and the geographic region covered by the Cooperative has been approved by the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. This allows many Society member clinics to join under one large group for health insurance purposes. A separate Board of Directors will own and control the PHC.

WPS Health Insurance, a long-term partner of the Society, is the company providing the health insurance plans and is offering special benefits under the program for the physicians in the Physician Health Cooperative participating groups. WPS is offering a 15-month initial rate guarantee for founding members, enrolling by January 1, 2008.

To participate in the new plan, all physicians in the group must be members of the Society. Each clinic can choose up to four health insurance plans to offer to their staff and employees, so people with different needs can be accommodated under the program.

Under Wisconsin law, the Cooperative requires a three-year commitment by member groups, and each member of the PHC pays a membership fee of one month’s premium to be held in trust and applied to the 36th month’s health insurance premium. The commitment provides time for the program to get off the ground and determine the health insurance plans most appropriate for the members.

Wisconsin Medical Society Insurance & Financial Services, Inc. is a full service insurance agency that provides insurance products and insurance advice to the Wisconsin medical community. Wisconsin Medical Society Insurance & Financial Services, Inc. is a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Medical Society.

Wisconsin Medical Society launches DRconnection: a new on-line tool to help patients, physicians

release date: Monday, July 16, 2007

Patients throughout Wisconsin searching for a physician, or for information about a physician, have a new resource today. DRconnection, developed by the Wisconsin Medical Society, allows patients to search a database of all practicing physicians in Wisconsin by name, specialty, city, clinic or ZIP code.

But that search function is really just the beginning of the Society’s efforts to improve health care quality in Wisconsin. “We are extremely pleased with the launch of DRconnection,” said Society President Clarence Chou, MD. “It marks the completion of a key first step in the Wisconsin Medical Society’s critically important initiative to promote practice-level quality improvement that will ultimately lead to real change in our health care system.”

Because DRconnection is a data repository that brings together complete physician demographic information such as specialty, education, license number, practice information, hospital affiliations and more, its uses promise to extend far beyond a directory.

“By utilizing the data in DRconnection for quality improvement efforts like those of the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality, the Wisconsin Health Information Organization and the Wisconsin Hospital Association, individual physicians will be able to get feedback on how their performance measures up against their peers,” said Society CEO Susan L. Turney, MD. “And that, along with tools being developed by the Society, will help them in their efforts to improve patient care."

Dr. Turney added that in addition to its quality improvement role, DRconnection information will also be used for health care workforce planning and has the potential to lead to significant administrative cost savings. Every physician in Wisconsin has the ability to update and verify personal data at any time, and a certified verification organization will authenticate the information on a regular basis.

“DRconnection will give physicians the ability to maintain and transfer their own information to hospitals, clinics, state government, health plan and other relevant entities on an ongoing basis,” Turney said. “With one centralized, easy-to-use, convenient resource, the need to update and maintain information in multiple databases across different health systems, hospitals and regulatory offices is eliminated.”

The Society is hoping to work with state government to provide all physician-related information currently available to the public. This would include any discipline action the Medical Examining Board has taken to limit physicians’ license to practice medicine.

DRconnection can be accessed by clicking on the DRconnection logo at www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org. With more than 11,000 members dedicated to the best interests of their patients, the Wisconsin Medical Society is the largest association of medical doctors in the state and a trusted source for health policy leadership since 1841. Your Doctor. Your Health.

Click here to go directly to the DRconnection site.

Wisconsin mosquitoes much more than annoying
Study authors urge mosquito bite prevention efforts to avoid serious health threats

release date: Monday, July 16, 2007

A study summarizing the occurrence of common mosquito borne illnesses in Wisconsin finds 82 percent of statewide West Nile virus cases from 2002 through 2006 occurred during August and September. The study, published in the Wisconsin Medical Journal (Volume 106, No. 4), identified 114 confirmed cases, which included seven fatalities.

“Protection and prevention measures are important statewide, especially during July through September when the risk is greatest,” advise the authors, who are from the Wisconsin Division of Public Health, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene and La Crosse County Health Department.

Residents of 42 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties were stricken with illnesses caused by West Nile virus infections during the study period, with a majority (54%) of the cases occurring in the state’s 10 most populous counties. However, the reported incidence rates of illness occurrence were similar statewide, regardless of the population densities of the counties.

“Fever, headache and fatigue were the most prominent symptoms,” the authors write. Nearly three out of four patients reported receiving mosquito bites within two weeks prior to the illness. “Alarmingly, reported mosquito repellent use by West Nile virus patients during that same period was low; 49 percent of case patients reported never using repellants,” the study finds.

In addition to West Nile virus, Wisconsin residents are also at risk of illnesses caused by La Crosse virus. “Human La Crosse virus cases exhibit a geographic pattern of clustering with greatest risk in Western Wisconsin, particularly the southwestern corner of the state, which is an area traditionally rich in hardwood forests,” write the authors. The most common symptoms of La Crosse virus were fever, headache, fatigue and vomiting.

“Because both viruses remain endemic in wildlife and mosquito populations within the state, humans are at risk of infections during mosquito seasons,” write the authors. What’s more, they warn that Wisconsin residents may well be subject to other mosquito borne diseases in the future, which have not yet shown up in the state.

The Wisconsin Medical Journal is the official publication of the Wisconsin Medical Society—the largest association of medical doctors in the state with 11,500 members dedicated to the best interests of their patients. With that in mind, wisconsinmedicalsociety.org offers patients a unique source for reliable, physician-reviewed medical information. The Wisconsin Medical Society, a trusted source for health policy leadership since 1841. Your Doctor. Your Health.

Click here to read the entire article.

State budget: Conference Committee members named; IPFCF raid in playy

release date: Thursday, July 12, 2007

State Legislative leadership named the eight members who will serve on a special conference committee tasked with rectifying different versions of the 2007-2009 biennial state budget. Committee membership will be Senators Judy Robson (D-Beloit), Russ Decker (D-Weston), Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) and Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) and Assembly Representatives Mike Huebsch (R-West Salem), Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon), Kitty Rhoades (R-Hudson) and Jim Kreuser (D-Kenosha). This follows Tuesday night’s action, when the Republican-controlled State Assembly passed its version of the budget, dramatically altering the version passed June 26 in the Democratic-run State Senate.

The Assembly version of the budget removes the $175 million transfer from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund as well as the gross receipts tax on hospitals. That version also removed the proposed $1.25 per-pack increase in the cigarette tax - an increase the Society strongly supports. Another major difference in the Assembly budget is removal of the Senate Democratic "Healthy Wisconsin" health care reform proposal.

The committee will meet until it agrees on a final version of the budget, which would then go to each house for approval. Elements from both budget versions will likely constitute the final product. This means that even with the Assembly's action, the Fund could still be at risk.

Act now to protect the Fund!

Even if your senator and representative are not on the conference committee, all of the legislature’s caucuses will be meeting to prioritize items in the budget, and all 132 legislators need to hear from physicians and patients:

The Fund is for injured patients and their families, helping pay for costs due to a medical injury. The Fund’s actuaries predict that suddenly taking $175 million would jeopardize the Fund’s stability.
The Fund is a major pillar supporting Wisconsin's relatively stable medical liability climate.
There are no general tax dollars in the Fund. It is fully funded through annual fees physicians, hospitals and certain nurses are required to pay for this “umbrella” insurance.
Taking money from this Fund outside of its purpose may be illegal.
Keeping the Fund whole is a health care priority, and they should tell their leadership to prevent a raid.

Find who represents you here. For more information, contact Mark Grapentine, Jeremy Levin or a Membership Field Director.

State budget goes to conference committee

release date: Thursday, July 12, 2007

The Republican-controlled State Assembly passed its version of the 2007-2009 biennial state budget late Tuesday night, making dramatic changes to the version passed in June 26 in the Democratic-run State Senate. The vote was primarily party-line, with 51 Republicans voting for the budget and 44 Democrats and one Republican voting against (Four Democratic members were absent). This was similar to the State Senate action, which was 18-15 along party lines.

The Assembly version of the budget removes the $175 million transfer from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund as well as the gross receipts tax on hospitals. Fulfilling its pledge to pass a budget free of tax increases, the budget also removed the proposed $1.25 per-pack increase in the cigarette tax—something the Society strongly supports.

This now sets up a situation where a conference committee will need to be formed to rectify the differences between the two versions of the budget. This conference committee will include leaders from the majority and minority leadership in each house. Over the next few months this committee will negotiate a final budget that will likely include elements from both budget versions. This means that even with the Assembly's action, the Fund could still be in play and at risk. All 132 legislators need to hear from physicians and patients:

The Fund is for injured patients and their families, helping pay for costs due to a medical injury. The Fund's actuaries predict that a sudden $175 million taking would jeopardize the Fund's stability.
There are no general tax dollars in the Fund. It is fully funded through annual fees physicians, hospitals and certain nurses are required to pay for this "umbrella" insurance.
Taking money from this Fund outside of its purpose could very well be illegal.

Even if your senator and representative may not be on the conference committee, all of the legislature's caucuses will be meeting to prioritize items in the budget. Your legislators need to hear that keeping the IPFCF whole is a health care priority, and they should tell their leadership to prevent a raid. You can find who represents you here. For more information, contact Mark Grapentine (markg@wismed.org), Jeremy Levin (jeremyl@wismed.org) or your Membership Field Director.

State Senate passes budget; IPFCF raid remains

release date: Thursday, June 28, 2007

Late Tuesday afternoon the State Senate voted 18-15 along party lines to approve Senate Bill 40, the 2007-2009 Biennial Budget. Minority Republicans offered many amendments to the bill, including one that would have removed the $175 million taking from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund. Senators Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse), Carol Roessler (R-Oshkosh) and Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) all spoke in strong support of the amendment, citing the fiscal irresponsibility and potential illegality of the raid. Senate Democrats voted 18-15 to table the amendment, however, ending the possibility that the raid would be removed by the Senate.

Senate Democrats also inserted their universal health care plan into the budget after introducing the proposal on Monday, June 25. The Society is still examining the many provisions of the proposal, dubbed Healthy Wisconsin.

The budget now moves to the Republican-controlled State Assembly, which may vote on the bill as soon as next week. It is expected that the budget bill emerging from that house will look dramatically different than the version that passed Tuesday. For more information about the state budget, contact Mark Grapentine, Jeremy Levin or your Society Membership Field Director.

Capitol policymakers debate smoking proposals

release date: Friday, June 15, 2007

Two major tobacco-related issues are currently hot topics in the Capitol. A $1.25 per-pack increase in the cigarette tax would help combat youth smoking rates, while also raising more than $506 million for the state's Medicaid program. The second proposal is Senate Bill 150, the "Breathe Free Wisconsin Act," which would enact a statewide ban on smoking in workplaces, including restaurants and taverns. The Society is strongly supporting both initiatives, and urges its members to contact their legislators with individual support.

Joint Finance failure to remove IPFCF ‘raid’ extremely disappointing

Clarence Chou, MD
President - Wisconsin Medical Society
release date: Friday, June 8, 2007

“It’s extremely disappointing and disheartening that the Joint Finance Committee did not remove from the Governor’s budget the proposed transfer of $175 million from the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund (IPFCF), especially when the Committee found a way to do so in 2003 and 2005. The Legislature’s nonpartisan Fiscal Bureau and Audit Bureau have both cast serious doubt on the fiscal wisdom and the potential illegality of transferring money from the Fund for purposes other than paying claims of injured patients and their families. Ignoring those concerns only makes today’s inaction more frustrating.

“Thankfully, the budget isn’t yet final. Our 11,500 members know how the 32-year-old Fund helps make Wisconsin one of the few stable medical liability environments in the nation—to the benefit of patients and physicians. We will redouble our efforts to have this harmful and unwise transfer of funds removed before the budget reaches the Governor’s desk.”

For information contact:
Mark Grapentine, JD
608.575.2514