N95 respirators available for purchase

The Wisconsin Medical Society has partnered with ActionPPE and other associations on a group buying program to procure Honeywell N95 respirators. This time sensitive group purchase arrangement is for the procurement of 500,000 masks. 

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.

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Elections shape 2021-22 policymaking environment

While the final results of some federal races are still pending, the November 3 elections have established the structure for the next biennium’s lawmaking environment in both Madison and Washington, D.C.

State Results
Republican majorities in the Wisconsin State Assembly and State Senate will continue into the next biennium with minor adjustments in both houses. In the 33-seat Senate, the GOP will add two seats to their majority status, moving to a 21-12 advantage. New Republican presence includes the 10th senate district, with Assembly Representative Rob Stafsholt (R-New Richmond) beating incumbent State Sen. Patty Schachtner (D-Somerset) by more than 20 points in a heavily Republican area. The other seat to switch party affiliation was in the Green Bay area, with Eric Wimberger (R-Green Bay) beating Jonathon Hansen (D-De Pere), nephew of departing State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay).

Overall, there will be eight first-time members of the senate beginning four-year terms in 2021, with a mix of some moving over from the State Assembly while others will be new to the State Capitol.

In the State Assembly just two incumbents running for reelection to the 99-seat house were defeated. Sara Rodriguez (D-Brookfield), a registered nurse and health care consultant, defeated 4-term incumbent Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) by 725 votes in the 13th assembly district, while Deb Andraca (D-Whitefish Bay) beat Jim Ott (R-Mequon) by about 1,300 votes. Two physicians ran for Assembly seats this election but lost to established incumbents. Kristin Lyerly, MD, a De Pere OB/GYN, lost to incumbent Republican John Macco in the 88th assembly district, while ER physician Chris Kapsner, MD, fell to incumbent Rob Summerfield (R-Bloomer) in the 67th assembly district. The Wisconsin Medical Society congratulates Dr. Lyerly and Dr. Kapsner for committing their valuable time and efforts in running for office.

Despite the two GOP losses, Republicans will hold a hefty 61-38 majority in the State Assembly during the 2021-22 biennium.

Federal Results
Wisconsin’s Congressional Delegation will look very similar to what it was before election day, with seven incumbents winning reelection to another two-year term in the U.S. House of Representatives. The lone competitive contest saw Ron Kind (D-La Crosse) fend off challenger Derrick Van Orden (R-Hager City) in the state’s 3rd Congressional District, winning by just under 11,000 votes out of the more than 388,000 cast. Kind will start serving his 13th term in 2021.

Kind will also become the senior member of the state’s delegation as long-time Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Menomonee Falls) retires from Congress after more than four decades in the lower house. Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) will now represent the 5th House district, with the current State Senate majority leader handily winning the open seat by more than 20 points in besting small business owner Tom Palzewicz (D-Brookfield). Incumbent winners include WI-01 Bryan Steil (R-Janesville), WI-02 Mark Pocan (D-Black Earth), WI-04 Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee), WI-06 Glenn Grothman (R-Glenbeulah), WI-07 Tom Tiffany (R-Minocqua) and WI-08 Mike Gallagher (R-Allouez).

All of the major Wisconsin general election results can be found here.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Wisconsin physicians will have great potential to influence policymaking as elected officials seek information from those who are on health care’s front lines. The Wisconsin Medical Society helps to make physician participation in grassroots activism easy and efficient, as it alerts physicians when the time is right to support the practice of medicine so physicians can do what they do best: take care of patients. Contact Heidi Green or Mark Grapentine about getting involved in the Society’s political giving and policy grassroots activities. Learn how you can make a difference for the future of your patients and your profession!

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Latest COVID coalition PSA highlights health care on the front lines

The latest statewide public service announcement (PSA) from the Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) and the rest of the Stop the COVID Spread! coalition features a real Wisconsin heath care worker from one of the hardest-hit areas of the state making a direct appeal to the public for better COVID-19 behaviors.

“We are all sick and tired of COVID-19,” says Katie, a registered nurse, as she walks inside the ThedaCare Regional Medical Center in Appleton. “But right now, Wisconsin, we need you to step up.”

The PSA is the third in a series aimed at urging the public to wear masks, wash hands and maintain social distancing to help slow the spread of the pandemic. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 numbers in Wisconsin continue to rise alarmingly.

“It’s important that the public see the faces and hear the voices of health care professionals who work so hard to keep people alive during this pandemic – literally,” Society CEO Bud Chumbley, MD, MBA said. “Wisconsin’s physicians, nurses and other health care professionals have worked tirelessly to fight the virus, even when doing so sometimes means great personal cost. We hope these ads will connect the dots for people and remind them that it’s their neighbors and friends on the pandemic’s front lines – we need to do what we can to help them stay safe and be available to take care of all of us.”

More than 40 local chambers of commerce have now joined the coalition, which the Society helped to launch in early October. The coalition now includes nearly 100 entities, including other leading advocacy groups from health care, business and local government. Society members are encouraged to share the latest PSA on their personal social media accounts to help spread the message. Contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD for more information.

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Wisconsin, it’s important for Society members to check in with each other. Log in to WisMed Community and share how you are handling stress and what you are doing to cope. Doctor Chumbley shared his coping mechanisms and wants to know how you are doing. Reply to the post and see how fellow members are doing by clicking below. Not sure of your login? Click here to be directed to forgot username and password and enter the email that the Society uses to contact you. If you need more help, please contact Anne Hauer.

The Current State of Therapeutics, next in SARS-CoV-2 CME series

J. Njeri Wainaina, MD, FACP, Associate Professor of Medicine and Surgery at Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin will present The Current State of Therapeutics,* next Wednesday, November 11. The SARS-CoV-2 CME webinar series is free for Wisconsin Medical Society members, but registration is required to attend.

Dr. Wainaina is the medical director of antimicrobial stewardship for the Froedtert Health enterprise in which role she has been responsible for leading the development and evolution of COVID-19 treatment guidelines.

Topics and schedule for the remaining sessions in the series are listed below. All live presentations will be held from 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. Sessions will be available on demand after the live presentation. To view the sessions and to register click here.

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™.

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Elections, investments and what to really do

Some investors use their political leaning to make decisions about their portfolio. But do portfolios care about Presidential or Congressional politics? Nope. What about the ‘Presidential Market Cycle’? Not reliable. Here is the proof on each and suggestions for what to do.

Below are returns of the S&P 500 during presidential terms. Similarly, international and emerging market stocks have positive returns regardless of which party is in the White House.

Average return for presidential terms; Source: Dimensional Fund Advisors

What about the party in control of Congress? Whether Republican, Democrat or split, the market can generate positive returns in all three cases.

Stock market returns based on congressional control; Source: Dimensional Fund Advisors

The Presidential Market Cycle is the theory that the first two years of a presidential term produce below-average returns and the last two years have above average returns. The explanation is the market needs to digest a president’s new agenda which can take time to work through the economy, leading to lower returns. Then in the last two years of a term, the party in power tries to juice the economy to help secure re-election of the incumbent party. That’s the theory anyway. Looking at historical returns, the theory holds up, but broke down with our last three presidents: Bush, Obama and Trump.

What should investors consider?

1. Match investments with their purpose. Money to be spent in the next few years should not be in stocks.
2. Contribute enough to meet goals. For retirement, the rule of thumb is to save 15% of income. For those earning more than $130,000 (under age 50) or more than $173,300 (age 50+), a 401(k) or 403(b) will not be enough because they’ll reach the maximum contribution before reaching 15%. Time to open another investment account.
3. Reduce taxes. Taxes will take the biggest bite out of investments, more than fund expenses or fees. Want a 15% higher return? Cut investment related taxes by 15%. Smart investing requires smart, legal and ethical tax strategies.

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

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