Doctor Day topics developing

Doctor Day 2021 is just weeks away and there are two issues that seem to be emerging as hot topics, but other topics are on the menu for discussion with your legislator visits as well.

Two significant topics that can be part of Doctor Day advocacy include Telehealth and strengthening our state’s Medicaid program through more reasonable physician reimbursement.

Telehealth
As we continue to explore lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, one health care practice that stands out is the increased use of telehealth technology. Already on the increase before the pandemic, patients and physicians both embraced the opportunity to hold meaningful interactions virtually. While these kinds of encounters are not necessarily a substitute for important face-to-face appointments, some of the flexibilities established to allow for greater telehealth use during COVID-19 should be made permanent, and Doctor Day will provide the opportunity to share real examples of how properly-reimbursed telehealth opportunities can be another important tool for our health care system.

Medicaid
Doctor Day is also well-timed to coincide with the state legislature’s deliberations over the next biennial budget. A major issue is funding our state’s Medicaid program, allowing our poorest and sickest citizens to access high quality health care. Physician reimbursement for services provided to Medicaid patients often does not cover the basic costs of providing that care, which means private insurance costs are artificially higher due to government under-reimbursement – and especially so for primary care and emergency care physicians. Doctor Day gives physicians an opportunity to ask policymakers to prioritize proper funding for our Medicaid program, including exploring how to access additional federal Medicaid funding via the incentives recently provided in the American Rescue Plan Act.  

No matter which topics are part of the Doctor Day discussions, the event allows for important relationship-building with your elected officials, which is critical to help educate lawmakers on health care policy that matters to physicians and patients. Your interaction with legislators and their staffs can be powerful and help guide better policy throughout the legislative session.

Visit widoctorday.org to register or learn more about the day. It’s a day of advocating for your profession that you don’t want to miss!

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Foundation tasting event a success!

Thanks to everyone who joined us for the first Taste of the Foundation event on March 25. Attendees tasted two great wines and two cheeses and learned about how Foundation funding is supporting the amazing work done at Health-Net of Rock County to manage diabetes in their Latinx patients.

As a result of your support, the Foundation will be able to fund another grant in Wisconsin. Stay tuned to see what a difference Foundation supporters are making in the health of our communities. A special thanks to David Galbis-Reig, MD, DFASAM, who shared his knowledge of wine with us.

Don’t miss out on the next two events – June 24 and September 23! There’s a discount for purchasing them together.

Would your organization like to sponsor? Click here to learn more.

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RFS and YPS leaders - nominations due April 11

Calling resident, fellow and young physician leaders! Nominations are now being accepted for a variety of leadership positions within the Resident Fellow Section (RFS) and the Young Physician Section (YPS) of the Wisconsin Medical Society.

Both sections are accepting applications until April 11 and the nominees’ statements of interest will be posted to the respective WisMed Communities when voting opens.

Positions within RFS* include the following one-year terms:

• RFS representative to the Society’s Board of Directors
• RFS representative to the Society’s Nominating Committee
• Chair
• Vice-chair
• Secretary-editor
• At-large governing council member (two positions)
• American Medical Association (AMA) RFS delegate (13 positions)
• District regional councilor (eight positions—one from each Society-designated state region)

Click here to complete an RFS application.

Positions within YPS* include the following:

• Chair-elect
• At-large YPS governing council member
• American Medical Association (AMA) YPS Delegate

Click here to complete a YPS application.

*Please contact membership@wismed.org for assistance logging in to WisMed Community or with any questions. 

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Attend the Annual Meeting to share your ideas

Hearing from WisMed Members is the top priority during the Wisconsin Medical Society’s 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting and Membership Briefing on Saturday April 17, 2021 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. This is an opportunity to chat with fellow members in small groups, pose questions to Society leaders and share your opinions regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the Society - all in just two hours!

More than a standard Zoom meeting, this format will be centered around conversations between Society officers and members in a way that will be engaging, inclusive and provide insights into what is most relevant and needed by members. To register, click here.*

The meeting is sponsored by WisMed Assure, the only Wisconsin-based insurance firm exclusively serving the health care community, and WisMed Financial. The Society created WisMed Financial to provide financial advice physicians can trust.

*Please note that Zoom may require you to sign up for a free Zoom account before registering for the event. You will receive a confirmation email once your event registration is complete. Please contact membership@wismed.org for assistance. 

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You’re a member! Now what? Member Benefits 101

Join WisMed President Erik Gundersen, MD, MA, FAAFP, as we explore your member benefits. Tune in on Wednesday, April 14 at 12 p.m. and find out what services, products and benefits we offer to you! Register today!

Designed for the busy schedules of physicians, the 15-minute webinar starts at noon and previous episodes can be viewed here. Whether you're a brand-new member or have been involved for years, you can learn more about the latest member benefits designed specifically for you!

Register here. Contact Jess Bourin-Schreiter with any questions.

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Personal finance classes for medical students and residents

Improving personal financial health and knowledge among physicians is a core purpose of both WisMed Assure and WisMed Financial, both part of the Wisconsin Medical Society. To provide a solid foundation before even entering practice, they have developed personal finance classes specifically for medical students and residents. 

Below is an outline of the curriculum recently requested by one residency program.

1. Overwhelmed by where to start – prioritizing what to do and when
2. Student loan repayment options and forgiveness programs
3. Insurance 101 personal lines and medical malpractice
4. Employment contracts
5. Investing foundation
6. Open discussion panel with all speakers from preceding 5 sessions

Each financial class runs 30-60 minutes with time for Q&A.

There is no cost for members of the Wisconsin Medical Society. To learn more about providing personal financial education for your students or residents, please contact Tom or Mark.

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Encourage safe behaviors with free COVID-19 buttons

Is your outfit of the day missing something? Wisconsin Medical Society members can get free Stop the Spread buttons. To help spark conversations with patients about healthy COVID-19 behaviors and vaccine hesitancy, the Wisconsin Medical Society’s COVID-19 Task Force developed a button that can be worn by physicians and other members of the health care team to help cultivate those conversations.

The buttons were produced through a partnership with the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin and are being distributed around the state.

Buttons are free to Society members, but there is a limited quantity, so requests will be filled in the order they are received. Click here to order for you and your team today!

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Wisconsin Academy of Ophthalmology after hours series – Documentation: Strategies to Minimize Risk

The importance of documentation is underscored in this Wisconsin Academy of Ophthalmology Risk Management course presented on April 13 from 7 to 8 p.m. Click here for additional information and registration for this free event.

Using actual Ophthalmic Mutual Insurance Company closed claims, risk manager Hans Bruhn hopes to illustrate where the lack of documentation or incomplete documentation negatively impacted the defense of the claim. Recommendations on documentation will also be provided to mitigate future liability risk.