Society continues statewide push for smart COVID-19 behaviors

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.

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N95 respirator orders due November 23

Wisconsin physicians and clinics can purchase Honeywell N95 respirators via a group buying program. This opportunity is available through a partnership of the Wisconsin Medical Society with ActionPPE and other associations. Orders must be received by November 23. 

The respirators cost $3.85 per mask. Please note, the discount for Wisconsin Medical Society members does not apply to this special offer. A box of 50 masks costs $192.50 and a $500.00 minimum order is required to obtain free shipping. Click here for additional information and to order.

Please note, the Wisconsin Medical Society is not generating any profit for this service.

Year-end giving, get more for your gift

This is the time of year to consider year-end charitable gifts. It is a kind gesture that helps our communities, friends and neighbors. For some it is a tangible act of volunteering, for others a monetary donation to help their favorite organization. Whatever your form of giving, thank you. The timing of year-end gifts may have grown out of the old tax code, which allowed the donation of excess income as a tax deduction for that year. The tax code has changed, but nonprofits continue to rely on the end of year gift to fund the next year’s activities.

Over the years, gifts to the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation (Foundation) have been used to help Wisconsin physicians achieve their philanthropic goals; helping to make their communities and state healthier. Physicians identify the determinants of health that are impacting the health of their patients including those that are beyond what they can treat in an office visit. The Foundation provides community grants to address those issues. This year COVID, racism, health disparities, AODA, mental health issues and access to health care were the most common concerns. Year-end gifts to the Foundation will help to address these issues next year.

Wherever you choose to make your end of the year gift, it is as important as ever to be tax smart. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act drastically changed the deductibility of charitable gifts. This year, the first $300 ($600 for married tax filers) is deductible thanks to the CARES Act. That’s it. To deduct more, you need to itemize and with the high standard deductions, most people don’t have enough deductions to itemize.

So here are two smart tax strategies you can use. First, if you are over age 70 ½, give directly from your pretax retirement account such as an IRA. A pretax gift has the same tax status as a fully deductible gift. Just ask your investment company to make a “Qualified Charitable Distribution” to your charity and add a note to your 2020 tax file for your tax preparer. Second, for those under age 70 ½, pre-contribute the next few years of gifts into a charitable account, technically called a donor advised fund (DAF). This may help you exceed the standard deduction and be able to itemize the charitable gift this year. Appreciated investments not in a retirement account make ideal contributions because you can avoid the capital gain tax too. Then when you are ready to give this year, next year or after, the DAF will send checks to charities on your behalf.

Thank you for your generosity, wherever you may give. Happy Thanksgiving.

Please contact Marje Murray, MBA, BSN, or Mark Ziety, CFP®, AIF® with any questions.

Foundation.WisMed.org           WisMedFinancial.org

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Physician Wellness Program seeks advisory committee members

The Wisconsin Medical Society will be starting a Physician Wellness Program Advisory Committee. The Society has been exploring the development of a physician wellness program and is seeking physicians who want to assist. 

The purpose of this committee is to design and establish the framework and operability of a Physician Wellness Program that offers help and respite for the physicians of Wisconsin. The program is intended to be initiated within a short period of time with the framework to grow and become more robust. Wisconsin lacks this type of program for our physicians and it is important to rectify this.

If you are interested in joining this committee or know of an ideal candidate please email Jim Lorence or give him a call at 608.442.3768.

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Nominees sought for Society offices; deadline Jan. 4

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:

• President-Elect for 2021-2022
• AMA Delegate for 2022 and 2023 (two positions) – George Lange, MD, of River Hills (incumbent and eligible for reelection); Charles Rainey, MD, JD of River Hills (ineligible for reelection)
• AMA Alternate Delegate for 2022 and 2023 – Don Lee, MD, of Milwaukee; Nameeta Dookeran, MD, of Waukesha (both incumbents and eligible for reelection)

 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:

• District 1—Arthur Angove, DO, of New Berlin; Joshua Gershtenson, MD, of Kenosha; David Galbis-Reig, MD, of Racine; Michelle Graham, MD, of Milwaukee; Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD, of Milwaukee; Aurora Lybeck, MD, of Hartford; Anthony Rieder, MD, of Wauwatosa.
• District 2—Lynn Broderick, MD, of Madison; Michele Brogunier, MD, of Madison; Natalie Wheeler, MD, of Madison; Alan Schwartzstein, MD, of Oregon.
• District 3—Hilary Bingol, MD, of La Crosse; Michael White, MD, of Onalaska.
• District 4—Larry Gordon, DO, of Weston; Michele Montgomery, MD, of Wausau; William Raduege, MD, of Woodruff.
• District 5—Bret Pasiuk, MD, of Fond du Lac.
• District 6—Bradley Burmeister, MD, of Green Bay.
• District 7—Cecil Berlie, MD, of Eau Claire; Lee Hofer, MD, of Eau Claire.
• District 8—Charles Bertel, MD, of Ashland.
• Specialty Sections—Vacant.
• Resident/Fellow—Evan Henricks, MD, of Milwaukee.
• Medical Students—Kyle Bevers, Medical College of Wisconsin; Noah Borchardt, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

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.

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Nominations open for 2021 Physician Citizen of the Year Award

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) is now accepting nominations for its 2021 Physician Citizen of the Year Award. First established by the Society in 1982, the award recognizes and encourages Wisconsin physicians who volunteer their time and talents through civic and cultural activities—helping to improve the health and well-being of their communities.

Consider nominating a friend, colleague or personal physician for this award. The requirements for nomination are:

• The physician must be a Wisconsin resident.
• The physician must be a medical doctor (MD) or doctor of osteopathy (DO).
• Except in unusual circumstances, the service to the community should be uncompensated.
• Previous winners of the award are not eligible. (Email Noreen Krueger to find out if your nominee is a previous winner).

Click here to complete the nomination form. The nomination deadline is December 31, 2020.

2020 Physician Citizen of the Year Award recipient, Jose Ortiz, Jr, MD, was recognized during the November Board of Directors meeting. Dr. Ortiz was honored with this award for his dedication to medical education, public health initiatives and his work with the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic. Dr. Ortiz brought activities of the Wisconsin Science Festival to the Eau Claire area and established and nurtured the Medical Experience Program to engage youth to consider careers in medicine. Please share your congratulations for Dr. Ortiz on WisMed Community.

Previous Physician Citizen of the Year recipients include Kenneth Gold, MD, of Beloit (2019); Gloria Halverson, MD, of Milwaukee (2018); Paul Durbin, MD, of Racine and Tim Westlake, MD, of Oconomowoc (2017); Michael Ostrov, MD, MS, of Madison (2016); Steven Manson, MD, of La Crosse (2015); and Gordon Haugan, MD, of Green Bay (2014 ). Click here for more information.

For more information, contact Noreen Krueger.

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Antibiotics Awareness week is November 18-24

The United States Antibiotic Awareness Week is November 18-24, 2020. This annual observance highlights the steps everyone can take to improve antibiotic prescribing and use.

Antibiotics are useful for bacterial infections and are critical tools for treating more serious infections that can lead to sepsis and death. Scarce antibiotic choices for multi-drug resistant organisms are an urgent local, national and worldwide public health problem, and unnecessary antibiotic prescribing is responsible for driving antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Wisconsin policymakers, medical health care team members and the public are not immune to the paramount concern for antibiotic safety, quality and care. In 2019, the CDC found that each year, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the United States, resulting in the deaths of more than 35,000 Americans. Emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria and associated adverse consequences continue to occur in Wisconsin.

Antibiotic Stewardship Program: In the spirit of United States Antibiotic Awareness Week, this correspondence is intended as a reminder that there are statewide resources and efforts on antimicrobial stewardship being coordinated at the local, state and national levels.

Administrative Authority and Purpose: Directed by Barry Fox, MD, and located in the Wisconsin Department of Health Services- Healthcare Associated Infection branch, Division of Public Health with support from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention and Safety.

Education, Awareness: Improving antibiotic prescribing and use is critical to effectively treating current and future bacterial infections and protecting patients from antibiotic harms. Education and awareness for all stakeholders is essential if we are to stem the harms from antibiotic misuse along with the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. Check out CDC's updated USAAW Be Antibiotics Aware Partner toolkit, which contains key messages for both consumers and health care professionals, social media content, graphics and more to help you and your organization prepare for USAAW. The direct web link is also available here.

Contact Information Antibiotic Stewardship Program:

Barry C. Fox, MD
Director: Antimicrobial Stewardship
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Public Health
Office: 608.267.6730 Mobile: 608.206.9375 Fax: 608.266.0049 
[email protected]
Division of Infectious Diseases Department of Medicine SMPH

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Last two in SARS-CoV-2 CME series, November 25 and December 2

The Convergence of the Seasonal Flu and SARS-CoV-2 and Combating COVID-19 Challenges in Disadvantaged Populations – a Case Study, headline the last two live SARS-CoV-2 CME sessions.* Scheduled for November 25 and December 2 at 12:15 p.m., these live presentations are free for Society members, but registration is required to attend.

Mary Beth Graham, MD, MS, PhD, will present The Convergence of the Seasonal Flu and SARS-CoV-2. Doctor Graham joined the faculty at the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2002 as the Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control for Froedtert Hospital. She has been a “flu champion” at Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin and has been actively involved in clinical and research activities related to prior pandemics (e.g. 2009 H1N1), potential outbreaks (e.g. Ebola) and the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The last in the series, Combating COVID-19 Challenges in Disadvantaged Populations – a Case Study, will explore some of the measures that Bellin’s Clinica Hispana took with regards to testing and communication of results that were helpful in serving a population of patients of color and patients with limited English proficiency, as well as some of the aspects of care that need to be improved to better serve “disadvantaged populations” in a public health crisis.

Live presentations will be recorded and made available on demand – watch for future issues of Medigram for more information, and email education@wismed.org with any questions.

*This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 credit™.

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