Supreme Court overturns Safer at Home order

Yesterday the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the Evers Administration’s Safer at Home order effective immediately. The Court determined that the extension of the Safer at Home order under Emergency Order 28 went beyond the bounds of executive authority under section 252 of the state statutes and should have been submitted as a rule. Members of the Court had considered a stay of the ruling as requested by the Legislature but ultimately decided against it. Late Wednesday night, the Evers Administration stated it was going to be submitting a rule framework for new regulations in light of the Court’s ruling. The timing, duration and implementation of any new rule is unknown at this time and would incorporate elements from both the Governor and the Legislature.

While the Court’s ruling applies to the statewide order, multiple local municipal orders either remain in place or were announced yesterday. Prior to the Court’s arguments, the Society issued a joint statement with the AMA stating that “decisions about public health should be made based on science, evidence and data… [and] calling on all parties in the state… to put their differences aside and come together and work to improve the health and well-being of the people of Wisconsin.” The Society will closely monitor developments as they unfold.

Please contact HJ Waukau with any questions.

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PPE ordering

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) is proudly offering an opportunity for all physicians and health care providers throughout Wisconsin to order PPE. There has been a great response in just the week since PPE ordering has gone live, and the Society hopes to keep the momentum building to help meet the need in our great state. 

Please order PPE or share this link with health professionals in need.* Due to the bulk minimum requirements of the supplier, the PPE will be shipped sooner as more orders are placed. There are currently seven state societies ordering via Action PPE with 16 more in discussion. Those states that have received their orders have been happy with the product.

 Thank you to everyone who has already purchased!

To date, orders have been placed for:

• 30 organizations
• 24,700 masks
• 5,950 KN95 masks
• 2,800 gowns

Minimum order requirement is $500; there is not a maximum.

The Society is placing the first order with Action PPE this week, and has partnered with an organization in Madison that will provide for secure product delivery, preparation and distribution. The delivery is expected the last week of May or first week of June.

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

* The Society is not profiting from these sales.

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Westergaard, MD, to speak at Society virtual town hall meeting

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) will host weekly virtual town hall meetings beginning Wednesday, May 20, in order to provide a venue for physicians and other members of the health care team to learn and share on a variety of topics surrounding COVID-19.

State epidemiologist, Ryan Westergaard, MD, will kick off the series of five town hall meetings. Each week the Society will host another guest expert to speak to various aspects of how physicians and health care teams are being impacted by this pandemic.

To register for these town hall meetings, click here.

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Save the date for Doctor Day 2021!

Doctor Day 2021 is scheduled for Wednesday May 5, 2021 at the Monona Terrace in Madison. The Wisconsin Medical Society is partnering with several specialty associations to deliver yet another fantastic day of physicians networking and advocating on behalf of the medical profession.

The day will include:

• Speakers
• Networking opportunities
• Issue briefings
• Specialty briefings
• Meetings with legislators
• Breakfast, lunch and a cocktail reception

For more information, and to learn more about past Doctor Days, please go to www.widoctorday.org and explore the website. Information for May 5, 2021 will be updated soon!

If you have questions or if you’re interested in becoming a sponsor for this day, please contact Heidi Green at 608.442.3720.

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Help shape the future of Society advocacy - short survey!

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) is seeking input from physicians and future physicians on critical issues that need to be addressed in the next legislative biennial. The results will guide planning for the Society’s biennial advocacy agenda and aid the Foundation in identifying the state’s workforce and population health concerns.

Please help shape Society advocacy by taking the short Advocacy Priorities survey here, which should only take a few minutes to complete.

This survey lists 12 issue areas and includes one write-in option for an issue area that is not listed. Please select only the top three priorities you think the Society should make the focus of its advocacy.

Please note, this survey will close on May 29!

If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Anne Hauer.

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Society COVID-19 resource round-up

The Wisconsin Medical Society has shared many resources with Medigram readers over the past six weeks to aid physicians and their health care teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. To make them easy to find, below is a summary of the top resources. All of these resources and more can be found on the Society’s webpage for COVID-19 resources. 

Considerations for Reopening Clinics

• Key Items to Consider When Reopening
• PPE procurement

Advocacy efforts

• Act 185

Financial assistance

• Assistance with SBA/PPP applications

Insurance resources

• WisMed Assure COVID-19 Need-to-Know
• WisMed Assure Coronavirus and Your Insurance
• Premium relief

Legal resources

• Complimentary access to well-known attorney now available to Society members
• Neider Boucher resource list

General resources

• AMA resources to help states respond
• Testing supplies

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Buy or rent a home – New WisMed OnCall

There are many factors to consider when deciding whether to buy or rent a home, especially during residency. Additional expenses such as closing costs, maintenance and repairs and the potential for declining home values may make home ownership much more costly than anticipated. Additionally, residents won’t know where they’ll be practicing once becoming an attending. 

In the third podcast in the series, third-year medical student Rufus Sweeney and former Wisconsin Medical Society COO Peter Welch discuss the financial implications of buying versus renting a home as well as why emotions might sway someone to make decisions against financial advice.

You can subscribe to Wisconsin Medical Society's podcast in iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Related blogs by Rufus Sweeney:
Financial Wellness Matters
Is Your Money Unemployed? Replace budgeting with goal setting and give your money a job

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