State budget-writing committee approves WisMed-supported improvements

In its latest actions to shape the 2021-23 biennial state budget, the state Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance (JCF) yesterday approved funding to help make the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) more one-click-friendly for electronic health records systems and added funding for additional staff and IT improvements to bolster license-processing functions at the state’s Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS).

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) lobbied in support of both items. Continued efforts to improve the PDMP’s response time will enhance that database’s utility for physicians, helping with controlled substance prescribing decisions. The Society has also seen an increase in delays during the medical license application process, so additional staff to assist in processing is welcome. The approvals came as part of an omnibus motion for the DSPS portion of the budget, similar to how JCF has handled other agencies thus far.

The JCF is expected to finish its work on the budget by the end of June. The proposal will then need approval from both the State Assembly and State Senate before the spending plan is presented to Governor Tony Evers for his approval, full veto or approval after issuing line-item vetoes.

Contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD for more information.

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New WisMed member credit card

The Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) is excited to announce you can now apply for WisMed credit cards designed for professional and personal use via our relationship with Bankers Healthcare Group. You will be able to receive cash back on purchases such as medical equipment, supplies and WisMed membership dues. 

You can quickly and easily apply online. Show you are a proud member of the Wisconsin Medical Society with these branded cards! 

To learn more and to see the advantages the cards provide please go to wismed.bhgchoice.com.

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Meet WISMedPAC Board Member Dr. Chou

Clarence Chou, MD, has been a staff psychiatrist at the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division in the Emergency Psychiatry department for the past 15 years and has worked for Milwaukee County for about 38 years. He has been on the WisMed PAC Board for approximately 17 years. Dr. Chou shared some thoughts on being politically active.

How long have you been politically active?
I have been making Capitol Hill visits since the mid-90s (for 4 different organizations). I have always been interested in policy, but I realized after a while that there was a gap between developing policy and having it being placed into action (including the approval and the funding processes). 

How does being politically active make you a better physician?
Being politically active makes me more aware of legislative actions that impact the care of my patients (e.g., funding, scope of practice...) and how legislative actions affect their health.

What’s your advice for physicians on how to get more involved in issues that affect their profession?
Show up, show interest, be prepared (know your subject material, recognize that others may have been already working on the same issues for years before you). Reach out to the leaders of your local, state and national medical organizations. Reach out to your specialty society and their leaders. Contribute both time and PAC money to the effort. Contact your legislators and their staff. Become known to them (legislators often were staff before they ran for election). 

Be incremental, take any part of the loaf you can get. Stretch a bit, develop interest in the concerns of your colleagues (e.g., in other specialties) as they may become interested in joining you in your areas of concern (together, we are stronger). Be patient, stick with it (think longitudinally). 

Other than politics, what else interests you at the moment?
I still like policy issues. Also, I am interested in figuring out how current students, resident-fellows and younger physicians will keep their love of medicine going throughout the course of their careers.

What is the best part of being a physician?
My patients, my colleagues, the staff we are blessed to have work with us.

Click here to learn more about WISMedPAC or WISMedDIRECT (the Society’s conduit).

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Society opposes bills interfering with clinic safety autonomy

Policy proposals related to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to roil the State Capitol, including this week’s public hearing on various bills that would bar the option of requiring proof of vaccination before a person is allowed into privately-run facilities, including physician clinics and offices. The Society opposed the following bills:

• Assembly Bill 299 – prohibits any private business from requiring anyone to prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of accessing any building, receiving services or participating in a nonprivate function.
• Assembly Bill 303 – bars any private business from “discriminating” against a customer, client or potential customer/client based on vaccination status (including but not limited to COVID-19 vaccines).
• Assembly Bill 309 – adds vaccination status as a new element of illegal discrimination, adding it to the list of other protected statuses such as race, religion and national origin.
• Assembly Bill 347 – would bar University of Wisconsin system colleges and state technical colleges from requiring testing for or vaccination against SARS-CoV-2.

The Society’s testimony highlighted how health care facilities should continue to have access to tools necessary to fight the spread of viruses:

Employers strive to create a safe working environment for employees and members of the public who interact at a workplace. Health care facilities face special challenges in treating patients while minimizing the potential spread of disease. Vaccinations are helping to prevent further spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, so it follows that health care employers should be allowed to have the option to inquire about vaccination status before allowing access to their facilities.

The bills are supported by anti-vaccine group Vaccine Choice Wisconsin, an extremely active and organized group that regularly amplifies the wide array of misinformation designed to stoke fear of vaccines and promote conspiracy theories. If approved by the committee (a distinct possibility) the bills would be eligible for floor votes in the State Assembly later this summer.

If you’d like to share your experiences in this area, you can reach out to your legislators and share your thoughts on the proposals. Find their information via the “Who Are My Legislators?” on the state legislature’s website. You can also join the Society’s Advocacy in Action Community to receive alerts and connect with other politically engaged Society members.

Contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD for more information.

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Welcome a medical student to the profession with a white coat

The ceremony of incoming medical students getting their first white coat is a momentous occasion. The Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation is proud to facilitate the state’s physicians in providing that white coat and a welcome message to all medical students in Wisconsin. Click here to welcome a new medical student with their first white coat.

While the ceremony is formal, once the student dons the coat and wears it into patient interactions the memories begin. This year we asked students to share stories of some of the most memorable encounters they had with their coats on. This story comes from Rufus Sweeney at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and the picture is of him holding his son.

My short white coat doesn't fool anyone. Not that I care; I prefer that people know that I don't know anything before they have a chance to wonder.

But some days, patients really surprise me. I was on my OB/GYN rotation, and I was working a long day shift in labor and delivery. A woman in triage was not doing well, so we sprinted down (I don't use the term "sprint" metaphorically. We literally did a wind sprint.). When we arrived, we saw that the woman was frightened. The nurse had primed her about how things had taken a turn for the worse, and the monitor looked bad. The residents scanned a few times with doppler, and it confirmed our worst suspicions – the baby was crashing.

In that situation, it becomes a race against time. We brought the woman up to the next floor, where the ORs were located, and her husband followed close behind. I couldn't contribute much, so I assigned myself to care for the husband.

I remember that the situation was frenetic. The woman was rightly terrified, and the residents worked quickly to make sure that she and the baby were well cared for. As we walked, I asked the husband if he had any questions. He looked at me, looked down, and with total sincerity he pointed and asked, "Are those Allbirds?"

I couldn't help but laugh. The absurdity of seeing your wife and unborn child in peril and only thinking to ask about my apparel.

I guess I should have expected that, though. I was wearing a short white coat.

The most important part of the story is that the baby was healthy, happy, strong and is one year old at this point. 

And the Allbirds are also going strong. 🙂

        - Rufus Sweeney, UWSMPH

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Dr. Fritz named APA Distinguished Fellow

Congratulations to Alexander Fritz, DO, FAPA, attending physician and psychiatrist at Rogers Behavioral Health in Madison and Wisconsin Medical Society member for being named a Distinguished Fellow by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

This honor is a result of Dr. Fritz’s outstanding contributions to psychiatry, including his work in clinical excellence and education. Dr. Fritz is a clinical adjunct associate professor at the University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Medicine and Public Health, graduated with honors from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed residency at the UW Hospital and Clinics and completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

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Wood County pizza on the farm a success

Wood County Medical Society’s annual meeting was a huge success! Wood County hosted a fun pizza on the farm event which allowed members to connect with colleagues, conduct important Wood County Medical Society business and gain some financial planning tips while enjoying great food.

Mark Ziety, CFP®, AIF®, financial advisor for WisMed Financial provided a short presentation which included:

• A friendly quiz game of celebrities that went bankrupt
• Benchmarking of physician debts and net worth by age
• Target retirement balances and savings rates by age
• Prioritizing savings for each account
• Strategies to reduce taxes
• Debt management and insurance tips
• Estate documents for Wisconsin residents

Thanks to Wood County Medical Society president Ali Al Hilli, MD, for inviting WisMed Financial and WisMed Assure and congratulations to incoming president Paul Yeung, MD. Contact [email protected] or 608.442.3810 to have WisMed Assure and WisMed Financial present at your next event. 

Surprisingly, it was Mark’s first financial meeting with chickens in attendance – he’s been missing out! Especially since, chickens don’t diversify, they keep all their eggs in one basket. 

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Latest issue of WMJ now available

The latest issue of WMJ is available online. The issue explores sudden savant syndrome, physician health policy advocacy, maternal care and more. Continuing Education credits are available for several of the articles.

Click here to subscribe to WMJ and here to submit a manuscript.

WMJ (the Wisconsin Medical Journal) is a peer-reviewed, indexed, scientific journal published quarterly and online ahead of print each month through a collaboration between the Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

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