Society members to testify at student immunization hearing

Next Tuesday, March 3, the Assembly Committee on Constitution and Ethics will hold a public hearing on updates to the state’s student immunization regulations. Wisconsin Medical Society members along with physicians from specialty groups will be attending the hearing to testify in support of the updates. The Society also testified in support of the updates at a July 2019 hearing at the Department of Health Services (DHS).

The updates to DHS 144-Immunizations of Students include:

• amending the definition of “substantial outbreak” to include varicella (chicken pox)
• updating the definition for mumps
• moving the Tdap vaccine from 6^th to 7^th grade
• adding the meningococcal vaccine to the 7^th grade panel of immunizations

These updates will align Wisconsin’s student immunization regulations with the recommendations put forth by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and surrounding states.

Check back next week for updates after the hearing. Please contact HJ Waukau with any questions.

Interested in getting involved with Society advocacy efforts? Contact Anne Hauer.

Back to top

New health care power of attorney law in effect

Earlier this month Governor Evers signed into law a change that could impact when a patient’s health care power of attorney  (HCPOA) takes effect.

Under 2019 Act 90:

• A physician assistant (PA) or nurse practitioner would be allowed to make findings of incapacity as long as a physician also makes the same finding. The ability to make such determinations would have to be within the PA’s scope of practice. Former law required that either two physicians or one physician and one psychologist be the ones to determine incapacity.
• PAs and advance practice registered nurses (APRNs) would be allowed to issue do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders. Former law only allowed attending physicians to issue DNRs.
• PAs and APRNs would be allowed to certify that a patient is in a persistent vegetative state or has a terminal condition. Former law stated that only physicians were allowed to make these determinations.

These updates to existing law were promoted as a way improve rural access to care particularly when a physician is unavailable or access to a physician is limited. The Society opposed this act, highlighting patient safety concerns specifically regarding the provisions on persistent vegetative state and terminal condition.

The new law is currently in effect, but it does not affect already existing HCPOAs or advanced care directives. Further, the new provisions would be at the option of the patient, and a patient can still insist in their HCPOA and advanced directive that physicians examine them when activating their HCPOA or advance directive.

Please contact HJ Waukau with questions.

Back to top

Adolescent lifestyles just one focus of CME conference

Network with colleagues while learning how to help guide your patients into adulthood at Navigating the Transition Zone: from adolescence through young adulthood,* April 17-18 in Madison. With a focus on emerging trends in adolescent health care, topic areas include adolescent lifestyles, sexual health, complex diseases and mental and behavioral health.

Saturday morning will feature these presentations about present-day adolescent lifestyles:

• Facts, Falsehoods & Fads in Adolescent Nutrition, Kimberly Hornbeck, MD, FAAP
• Obesity & Sedentary Behavior, Srividya Kidambi, MD
• The Many Faces of Eating Disorders, Keisha Adams, MD
• The E-cigarette Epidemic, Louella Amos, MD

Saturday will start with the keynote Childhood Adversity and Lifelong Health: The Science Behind Trauma-informed Care presented by Pamela McGranahan, DNP, RN.**

Developed in partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, this conference offers something for the whole health care team! Early bird pricing ends March 6, so register today!

Plan to spend the weekend with colleagues – don’t miss Raising Hope: fostering a healthy tomorrow, the Foundation’s Fundraising Dinner and Silent Auction Friday night or the House of Delegates on Sunday!

*This live activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit^TM.
Approved for 10.75 AAFP Prescribed credits.

** Sponsored by the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation through the PIC Wisconsin Outcomes Research Project Endowment and the James and Clara M. Joss Memorial Research Trust.

Back to top

Governance modernization listening sessions wrapping up, still time to provide feedback

The end of February brings about the wrap-up of the district governance modernization listening sessions. Wisconsin Medical Society staff have crisscrossed the state for the past 10 months, gathering feedback from nearly 200 members at 16 events. At these events members learned about the latest developments in the proposed digital policymaking process, shared questions and comments with staff and discussed governance and the future of the Society with their peers.

After District 6 meets tonight in Green Bay, staff will put the final touches on the proposed new governance structure and communicate it to members in late March. Members will have time to review the proposal and give final input prior to the proposal going before the 2020 House of Delegates (HOD) in April.

Numerous other state medical societies have successfully moved to a similar model for their governance structure, and Society staff have spent time learning from these organizations, borrowing best practices and building a model that will avoid potential challenges. The new model should both increase the speed with which members can weigh in on Society policy as well as increase the number of members engaged in policymaking. This will allow the Society to respond more quickly to the fast-paced political environment and to gain a wider perspective on priority advocacy issues.

Members can experience one piece of the proposed model now, by leaving feedback on 2020 HOD resolutions via the Virtual Reference Committees, now powered by our WisMed Community platform.*

Information about a final proposed model will be communicated in the last week of March via Medigram. Feedback can be directed to Peter Welch, or you can leave your comments on this online form.

*WisMed Community is a members-only resource and will require you to log in. For questions or assistance please contact Anne Hauer.

Back to top

Calling all delegates – join a reference committee!

Wisconsin Medical Society members are invited to participate on a reference committee for this year's House of Delegates. The reference committees are scheduled to take place in Madison on March 28 and at the House of Delegates on April 19.

Network, build leadership skills and hear how your peers feel about the policies to develop your recommendation for the House of Delegates. If you’re interested in helping determine the Society's stances on issues important to physicians, this is an excellent opportunity for you – whether or not you’ve already participated on a reference committee!

Reference committees are the first step in crafting new Society policy. These committees are intended to reflect the diversity of the medical profession while providing initial recommendations for the House of Delegates for each resolution, board report and policy review before the committee.

We are looking to fill spots on our two reference committees, Reference Committee A: Health Insurance Coverage and Access; and Reference Committee B/C: Quality and Clinical Outcomes/Organization and Finances.

Please reach out to HJ Waukau if you are interested in serving on a reference committee.

Back to top

Learn how teens engage in their health care at the PATCH Symposium

The 2020 PATCH Symposium, May 13 in Madison, is an unconventional, interprofessional learning event for Wisconsin health professionals seeking to enhance the way adolescents receive and experience health care in our state. Youth presenters are joining in each session alongside health and health care experts. After all, who could be more qualified to talk about the needs and desires of teens in health care settings than teens themselves?

Together, attendees and young people will:

• Engage in authentic and meaningful conversations about the quality of adolescent health care services in Wisconsin
• Explore misunderstandings and missed opportunities for prevention and health promotion in adolescent health services
• Enhance adolescent health by fostering awareness and activism

Visit www.wipatch.org/patchsymposium2020 for agenda, registration and sponsorship opportunities.

Back to top