Society advocacy efforts result in new CARES Act funding for physicians

On Thursday the Department of Health Services (DHS) announced a second round of applications for CARES Act funding for eligible providers. This funding is designed to help offset losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All previous groups of providers are eligible for this round of funding, as well as independent emergency physician practices which are newly eligible for this second round. This addition of independent physician groups comes after significant advocacy efforts by the Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) to include independent and small physician practices in the state CARES Act funding efforts.

The second round of applications will allow eligible providers to include COVID-19-related losses and expenses for June, July and August of 2020 and will run from September 4 until September 30. In calculating the second round of payments, DHS will not deduct other CARES Act payments that providers have received such as Payroll Protection Program loans. Those interested in applying for the funds should review DHS’s CARES Act Provider Payments page.

Based on extensive member input and feedback the Society determined that financial assistance for small and independent physician practices was a gap in existing CARES Act funding. While there has been a significant amount of funding for multiple health care stakeholders and rightly so, small and independent practices have been overlooked while being a critical component of Wisconsin’s health care framework. The Society applauds DHS’s recognition of their contribution by including independent emergency practices in their next round of CARES Act funding.

Please contact Mark Grapentine with any questions.

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Legislative update 2019-2020

As we approach the November election, it’s a good time to review the Wisconsin Medical Society’s (Society) legislative activities for the 2019-2020 legislative session. This has been a session unlike any other as the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted health care and all facets of our lives. However, that has not stopped the Society from advocating for physicians and their patients.

The Society created a legislative report highlighting the issues that the Society has engaged with and its success in fighting for physicians. It should be noted that this report is a snapshot of the current legislative session. The State Senate has yet to convene its final floor session with multiple bills yet to be voted on (marked TBD). The Society will closely monitor the situation and will provide updates as they become available.

More than 100 WisMed Voice advocates received early access to the legislative wrap up. Text wismed to 52886 to ensure you will be among the first to hear about Society events and alerts.

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Welcome Dr. Arnold as president-elect

Arnold with her Viste Young Physician Leadership Award, 2016

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) is pleased to welcome Alicia Arnold, MD, of Eau Claire, as president-elect. Society members elected Doctor Arnold president-elect during the Society’s House of Delegates on Saturday, August 22. Dr. Arnold is a board-certified radiologist, with additional training in women’s imaging. Dr. Arnold joined the Society’s Board in 2016 and has participated in the Executive Committee for the last two years. Dr. Arnold shared her background of involvement in the Society and her community and what she hopes to achieve as president.

Why were you interested in pursuing the role of President of the Wisconsin Medical Society?

I’ve been involved in organized medicine since medical school and view it as an essential channel for physician advocacy. As health care delivery evolves in our country, we must ensure that physician voices are heard and valued. I consider it an honor to help support the physicians of Wisconsin. I believe in the mission of the Society and am proud to collaborate with physicians across the state as we work towards our common goals.

What are some of the roles you have held in the Society?

I began my involvement at the local level as the Secretary and subsequently the President of the Tri-County Medical Society. At the House of Delegates, I have served on Reference Committee and emceed the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation dinner. It was also a great honor to receive the Kenneth M. Viste Jr., MD, Young Physician Leadership Award in 2016. I have served several terms on the Board of Directors and have been a member of the Executive Committee of the Board the past two years. Additionally, I have served as a reviewer for the Wisconsin Medical Journal.

Tell us a little about your community involvement.

I serve as an officer on the Board of Directors for our local free clinic. I’m on an advisory committee to the School Board and serve as a mentor for first generation college students. Public speaking is another passion of mine. I worked as a medical correspondent for a number of years and still give talks to community and professional groups.

What do you hope to achieve as Society President?

I think we can all agree that this year has been completely unprecedented. It has also been a good reminder that the practice of medicine changes at an incredible pace. As President, I hope to help support a dynamic and nimble Wisconsin Medical Society meet the current needs of our physician community. In addition, I would like to increase our efforts to make medicine more inclusive for all of the physicians and patients in Wisconsin. Racism continues to be a vitally important issue that we must devote time and energy to addressing. Sexism in medicine is another area where we need to look for ways to do better.

Do you have advice for future physician leaders?

Let’s work together! The time is now to embrace the governance modernization efforts by the Society and make your opinions known. Please weigh in on your priorities so the Society can better advocate for you. Also, I mentioned “colleague care” in my virtual speech at the HOD. Let’s prioritize kindness and collaboration with our physician colleagues.

And what are a couple fun facts about you?

Between college and medical school at the University of Michigan, I worked pulling pints at a pub in Galway, Ireland. During my residency in Boston, Matt Damon’s father was my landlord.

Reach out to Dr. Arnold on WisMed Community to congratulate her!

2020 House of Delegates actions now online

A summary of the actions taken by the Wisconsin Medical Society’s (Society) House of Delegates (HOD) on April 22 is now available online. The Society adopted resolutions related to requiring advance directives before elective procedures, studying a public option for health care coverage, pharmacist prescribing for nicotine replacement therapy for Medicaid enrollees, the corporate practice of medicine, gender equity, racism as a public health crisis and climate change. All final actions of the House, including full descriptions and reports, can be found here and a summary is provided below.

The Delegates also voted to disband the House of Delegates by adopting a Constitutional amendment that would replace the HOD with a continuous resolution process, designed to be more accessible and increase member engagement, which will be overseen by the Board of Directors. Also in the amendment are requirements that the President-Elect and Treasurer will be elected by the general membership, the Society will hold an in-person annual meeting when possible and in June of 2024 the Society will hold a referendum on whether or not to reconvene the House of Delegates.

Reference Committee A adopted the following resolutions:

• Resolution 103: The Society will study a “public option” as one method that could allow people to acquire insurance coverage and expand access.
• Resolution 104: The Society will support legislation that will strengthen the prohibition on the corporate practice of medicine in the state of Wisconsin.
• Resolution 105: The Society will support the requirement for patients to identify a health care power of attorney prior to an elective procedure requiring anesthesia.
• Resolution 106: The Society will advocate for registered pharmacists to authorize a prescription for nicotine replacement therapy for Medicaid enrollees.

Reference Committee B adopted the following resolutions:

• Resolution 201: Endorsement of UN IPCC’s climate change targets and their impacts on public health.
• Resolution 202: The Society asserts that racism is a public health crisis and will create a task force to evaluate and assess recommendations to address and improve racial disparities in health care, will require the Board of Directors to undergo implicit bias training and report on hiring practices within the Society, incorporate educational efforts and tools to help members combat implicit and explicit racism in medicine and their community and advocate for policies that improve health outcomes in communities of color.
• Resolution 203: Adopted components of a resolution on gender equity that would require the Society draft a report on gender equity in medicine, advocate for measures to address and rectify gender payment disparities and have the Society commit to pay equity within the Society.

Click here*  to review the final actions of the HOD by Reference Committee. All adopted resolutions are being incorporated into the Society’s Policy Compendium.

*Member login is required for WisMed Community. Contact membership@wismed.org for help logging in or for information about membership.

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Updates to Society Board of Directors

In addition to electing Alicia Arnold, MD, as president-elect during the Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) House of Delegates, several other physicians were elected to Society leadership positions, including Jerry Halverson, MD, of Madison who was re-elected chair of the board of directors; John Hartman, MD, of Green Bay who was re-elected vice chair; and Julie Schuller, MD, MPH, MBA, of Milwaukee who was re-elected treasurer.

The following physicians and medical students also were elected to the Board of Directors. (Unless otherwise noted, all terms are three years.)

• Gurdesh S. Bedi, MD, of St. Croix Falls, is a board-certified neurologist with St Croix Regional Medical Center. He is serving his third term.
• Kyle Bevers of Hartland, is a student at the Medical College of Wisconsin. He is serving a one-year term as a representative of the Medical Students Section.
• Noah Borchardt, of Madison, is a student at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He is serving a one-year term as a representative of the Medical Students Section.
• Andrew Calvin, MD, of Eau Claire, is a board-certified internal medicine physician with MayoHealth Systems. He is beginning his first term.
• Laurie Gesell, MD, of Summit, is an emergency medicine physician with Aurora Medical Group. She is beginning her second full term.
• Larry Gordon, MD, of Weston, is a board-certified internal medicine physician and is Medical Director of Informatics with Aspirus. He is serving his second term.
• Jerry Halverson, MD, DFAPA, of Madison, is beginning his second three-year term on the Board. (More information included above.)
• Cynthia Hart, MD, of Ashland, is board certified in Family Medicine serving her third term.
• Erica Larson, DO, of Marshfield, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist with Marshfield Clinic. She is serving her first term as a representative of the Young Physician Section.
• Paul A. Larson, MD, of Oshkosh is a board-certified radiologist retired from Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley SC. He is serving his second term.
• Don S. Lee, MD, of Franklin, is board-certified in internal medicine and practices as a hospitalist with Columbia-St. Mary’s in Milwaukee. He is serving his third term.
• Anthony A. Otters, MD, of Nashotah, is an internal medicine specialist who serves as medical director for Wellpoint Health Network. He is serving his third term.
• Keshni Ramnanan, MD, of Pewaukee, an internist, is serving her second term.
• Kieran McAvoy, MD, of Milwaukee, is an internal medicine resident with the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals. She was elected for a one-year term as a representative of the Resident Fellow Section.
• Charles Rainey, MD, JD, of River Hills, is a psychiatrist and forensic evaluator. He is serving his first term.
• Bipin Thapa, MD, of Milwaukee, is board certified internal medicine physician serving his third one-year term as a representative of the Medical Schools Section. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine & Assistant Dean for Clinical Education - MCW
• Julie B. Schuller, MD, MPH, MBA, (see above) is serving her second term on the Board.
• Paul Yeung, MD, of Marshfield, is an internist at Marshfield Clinic. He is serving his first term.
• Jennifer Zeman, MD, Hartland, practices family medicine at ProHealth Care Medical Associates. She is serving her first term.

Re-elected to succeed themselves:

• Laurie Gesell, MD, of Summit
• Don Lee, MD, of Milwaukee
• Anthony Otters, MD, of Nashotah
• Keshni Ramnanan, MD of Pewaukee
• Julie Schuller, MD, of Milwaukee
• Jerry Halverson, MD, of Madison
• Larry Gordon, MD, of Weston
• Paul Larson, MD, of Oshkosh
• Gurdesh Bedi, MD of St Croix Falls
• Cynthia Hart, MD of Ashland
• Bipin Thapa, MD, of Milwaukee

The House of Delegates also elected the following physicians to serve as delegates and alternate delegates to the American Medical Association.

• Delegates for 2021 and 2022: Michael Miller, MD of Madison; Barbara Hummel, MD, of Greenfield; and Tosha Wetterneck, MD, of Madison.
• Alternate Delegate for 2021 and 2022: Donn Dexter, MD, of Eau Claire.

Upcoming elections 

Wisconsin Medical Society lobbyist Misha Lee shared some thoughts on the upcoming elections.

"Like you, I have watched the erosion of common decency in government and political campaigns with disappointment. Too often, people can’t find a way to disagree, without being disagreeable. And while politics is not the only sector of our culture where such divisiveness is on display, it is among the most prominent - especially in a Presidential election year.

However, it is imperative that we don’t let our disappointment keep us on the sidelines.

It seems like every election in the past dozen years has been described as the most important election of our lifetime. As someone who has worked in the public policy and political arena for a quarter century, that description has always frustrated me. Not because it’s hyperbole, but rather because all elections are important. From your local government races all the way up to President, your vote is critically important and powerful. Voting is not only your constitutional right, it is a privilege and responsibility as a citizen, and yes as a Wisconsin Medical Society member too.

Your participation in the democratic process is a key grassroots component of our public policy and advocacy efforts. Yes, there is the Presidential election which gets all the media hype. But other races deserve your attention. While the Governor is not up for re-election this fall, there are many state legislative races that matter. It is likely that the Republicans will remain in the majority in both the State Senate and the Assembly. In all likelihood come January 2021, the Democrats will control the Governor’s office and the Republicans will control the Legislative branch. Split government will continue in Wisconsin. However, Medical Society members can help determine the particular makeup of the Legislature by helping to support and elect candidates who appreciate the role of physicians and the Medical Society advocacy agenda.

With the Coronavirus pandemic still gripping the globe and economic uncertainty and anxiety at record levels, citizen involvement in our government is more essential than ever. Closer to home, the next legislative session will be one of the most challenging ever for physicians. The Wisconsin Medical Society will be heavily engaged in scope of practice battles with other clinician groups. Some of our opponents may raise legitimate policy questions where it could be in our interest to try and negotiate. However, others seek to purposely diminish the critical role physicians play and fail to appreciate the expertise physicians have gained through education, rigorous training and practical experience. We will work to help educate and persuade policymakers to do what is right.

To be sure, there are other issues on which we will engage, such as telehealth, addressing racial disparities in health care and Medicaid Expansion to name a few. Two issues related to the pandemic are also sure to emerge. How do we help address physician burnout? How do we provide financial assistance for small independent practices impacted by COVID-19? All these issues are important to the physician community. The Medical Society advocacy efforts in support of these issues do not begin when the Legislature reconvenes a new session in January, however. Our efforts start at the ballot box on Tuesday, November 3.

The future success of our advocacy efforts begins with you exercising your right to vote in the coming months. Thank you for allowing me to represent your interests at the State Capitol."

To make political contributions through WISMedDIRECT (you control who your contributions go to) or WISMedPAC, please contact Heidi Green, our Director of Development and Political Giving at 608.442.3720 or 608.358.6116. The time is NOW to make your contributions and make a difference!

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Free loss prevention webinar for Society members

As a Wisconsin Medical Society member, you are invited to attend a complimentary one-hour loss prevention webinar, Telemedicine: COVID-19 and Beyond, on September 24 at 7 a.m. Registration and details are available here.

Telemedicine: COVID-19 and Beyond
September 24, 2020
7:00 a.m. CT/8:00 a.m. ET
Location: Webinar hosted by ProAssurance/WisMedAssure
Register here.

Course Description:

The expansion of telemedicine regulations and legislation provides more convenient patient access to health care services during the COVID-19 emergency. Knowing what changes have occurred allows physicians and other health care professionals to help mitigate the risks associated with the practice of telemedicine. Join Laurette Salzman Senior Risk Resource Advisor for ProAssurance, and John Rather, Attorney with Neider & Boucher, SC, as they discuss the pitfalls and medical professional liability risks associated with the practice of telemedicine. 

Objectives:

Participation in this seminar will better enable participants to:

• Summarize the relevant federal and state current regulations impacting telemedicine services.
• Describe the importance of implementing and monitoring appropriate practice guidelines.

Earn CME & Potential Premium Credit

ProAssurance Indemnity is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

ProAssurance Indemnity designates this live course for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

ProAssurance-insured Wisconsin physicians who are members of the Wisconsin Medical Society may earn premium credit for participation in this program; please contact your agent to verify eligibility.

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Grapentine returns to the Society as Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer 

On September 8, 2020, the Society welcomes back Mark Grapentine, JD as Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer. Grapentine originally joined the Society staff in 2003 and enjoyed 16 years representing physicians, most recently as Senior Vice President of Government Relations. Grapentine comes to the Society from the Wisconsin Hospital Association, where he acted as VP of Communications.

Grapentine graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with a double major in Journalism and Political Science, and received his JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School. Prior to joining the Society, Grapentine was Chief of Staff to former State Senator Peggy Rosenzweig, policy advisor to Governor Tommy Thompson and a legislative assistant to the former Representative Scott Walker.

“Representing Wisconsin physicians is truly an honor,” Mark said when discussing his return. “For 16 years, just about every day I learned something new from one of our physician members – the joys and the challenges of their career, what they were seeing in health care and how much they want to help patients. I missed that, and I’m really looking forward to renewing those experiences – as well as working with the dedicated team at the Society, who all care so deeply about helping physicians in their professional and personal lives.”

Help us welcome Mark back to the Society.

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The rule for retirement planning – never raid your retirement account

Even knowing how much to save for retirement can be complicated.

In this eleventh and last podcast in the series, sponsored by WisMed Assure and the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation, UW School of Medicine and Public Health medical student Rufus Sweeney and former Wisconsin Medical Society COO Peter Welch, discuss the ins and outs of saving for your retirement. Timing is everything and Rufus explains how you can make the right choice at the right time. If you want to learn what you need to know about the investment vehicles and contribution strategies you can choose from, this podcast is for you.

Resources:

White Coat Investor®

• Percentage of Current Income Needed In Retirement
• How to Retire Early as a Doctor
• Retirement Archives

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

Related blogs by Rufus Sweeney:
To Buy or Not to Buy: a personal challenge
Financial Wellness Matters
Is Your Money Unemployed? Replace budgeting with goal setting and give your money a job
Different Kinds of Debt: the good, the bad, and the just-don’t-do-it!

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