Medigram, the Society’s electronic newsletter for physicians, features timely news, upcoming events, answers to frequently asked questions and all the information you need to know to make your practice run more efficiently. Topics include legislative updates, legal information, practice management information, government regulations, and much more. Published weekly, Medigram is delivered via email on Thursdays.

If you have a Medigram story idea or would like to offer feedback, please email us or call 866.442.3800.

AMA President, Susan R. Bailey, MD, to Keynote 2021 Doctor Day
The Doctor Day planning committee is delighted to announce Susan R. Bailey, MD, as the keynote for this year’s Doctor Day.

Register by March 8 to enjoy wine and cheese with the Foundation
Enjoy wine and cheese with the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation while connecting with our community and raising money for our mission. A Taste of the Foundation will be held March 25, June 24 and September 23 from 7-8 p.m. Register for the first event by March 8 to ensure tasting kits are sent out on time.

You’re a member! Now what? Take Hold of Your Financial Future
Tune in to You’re a member! Now what? to get to know Mark Ziety of WisMed Financial. Created by the Wisconsin Medical Society, WisMed Financial provides financial advice physicians can trust. Join us on Wednesday, March 10 at 12 p.m.

Date change for 2021 virtual Annual Meeting and Membership Briefing
Please consider attending the Wisconsin Medical Society’s 2021 Annual Meeting and Membership Briefing on Saturday April 17, 2021 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Vote now: Nominees, elections for Society offices
Wisconsin Medical Society Members can now vote for the Society Treasurer and President-elect via the link below. According to the Society’s Constitution, Article V, the President Elect and Treasurer will be elected by the general membership.

Free COVID-19 buttons to encourage safe behaviors
Is your outfit of the day missing something? Wisconsin Medical Society members can get free Stop the Spread buttons.

When to start receiving Social Security benefits
One of the must-answer questions for anyone retiring is when to start Social Security. 

AMA President, Susan R. Bailey, MD, to Keynote 2021 Doctor Day

The Doctor Day planning committee is delighted to announce Susan R. Bailey, MD, as the keynote for this year’s Doctor Day. Dr. Bailey, American Medical Association President, is a distinguished allergist/immunologist from Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Bailey’s presentation, What Will Healthcare Look Like Post COVID-19 will touch on delivery of care, rebounding from physician stress and the impact of the pandemic on the physician workforce.

Please join your colleagues for the virtual Doctor Day on May 5 to fight for your patients, your profession and the future of medicine. Doctor Day will include virtual breakout sessions on public health, health equity, telehealth and legal issues facing physicians. You can customize your day to fit your interests. 

In addition to the keynote presentation and breakout sessions, there will be a policy panel of members of the powerful Joint Committee on Finance. Committee co-chairs Representative Mark Born and Senator Howard Marklein will be joined by Representative Evan Goyke and Senator John Erpenbach. This panel will discuss funding for our Medicaid program, as well as spending priorities for the 2021-23 Biennial Budget and current legislative session.

Registration is open and the event is free thanks to generous sponsorships from many associations. The agenda and other information is located on the website as well.

Please contact Heidi Green if you have any questions.

Back to top

Register by March 8 to enjoy wine and cheese with the Foundation

Enjoy wine and cheese with the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation while connecting with our community and raising money for our mission. A Taste of the Foundation will be held March 25, June 24 and September 23 from 7-8 p.m. Register for the first event by March 8 to ensure tasting kits are sent out on time.

Attendees will enjoy wine from the Chehalem family of vineyards and paired cheese from Fromagination in Madison. The events will highlight some of the community impact Foundation grants have had around the state and look to expanding that impact. There will be silent auction items and a chance to ask questions about the wine.  

Knowing Zoom fatigue is real, these events will use a platform that is a little different and hopefully will allow some fun and comradery. Please come prepared to snap a selfie and share your thoughts!

One ticket is $125 and includes two bottles of wine with paired cheese and nibbles. A quarantine pair could attend on one ticket, but feel free to order more! Purchase all three events at once to receive a $25 discount. There is also an option to purchase a ticket for a medical student who will be chosen randomly from a list of interested students. The student will get the wine and cheese kit and event registration along with a note to let them know who was thinking about them.

Click here to purchase your ticket. Please reach out to Foundation Executive Director Marje Murray with any questions!

Back to top

You’re a member! Now what? Take Hold of Your Financial Future

Tune in to You’re a member! Now what? to get to know Mark Ziety of WisMed Financial. Created by the Wisconsin Medical Society, WisMed Financial provides financial advice physicians can trust. Join us on Wednesday, March 10 at 12 p.m. and find out how the Society supports your financial future! Register today!

Designed for the busy schedules of physicians, these 15-minute webinars will occur on the second Wednesday of the month, 12 - 12:15 p.m. 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!

You’re a member! Now what? 
March 10 – Take Hold of Your Financial Future
April 14 – Member Benefits 101

Register once to be signed up for the series. Past webinars can be viewed here. Contact Jess Bourin-Schreiter with any questions.

Back to top

Date change for 2021 virtual Annual Meeting and Membership Briefing

Please consider attending the Wisconsin Medical Society’s 2021 Annual Meeting and Membership Briefing on Saturday April 17, 2021 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. This is an opportunity for the current Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) physician leaders, management and members to illuminate the most pressing challenges facing members and discuss the strategic direction of Society.

Although a virtual meeting is not ideal, we are committed to a format 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. 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.  

Back to top

Vote now: Nominees, elections for Society offices

Wisconsin Medical Society Members can now vote for the Society Treasurer and President-elect via the link below. According to the Society’s Constitution, Article V, the President Elect and Treasurer will be elected by the general membership. In past years, this was done in conjunction with the House of Delegates (HOD). However, with the changes to the HOD, all Wisconsin Medical Society Members can now vote via a new system.

The Nominating Committee of the Wisconsin Medical Society prepared a slate of nominees for Society offices during its January 22 meeting. The nominees, including those for American Medical Association (AMA) Delegate and Alternate Delegate, are as follows:

  • President-elect: Wendy Molaska, MD
  • AMA Delegate 2022 and 2023: George M. Lange, MD
  • AMA Alternate 2022 and 2023: Don S. Lee, MD

The Board of Directors reelected Dr. George Lange as AMA Delegate and Dr. Don Lee as AMA Alternate delegate at its January 23, 2021 meeting.

The Wisconsin Medical Society Board of Directors, as directed by the Society’s Bylaws, selected the nominee for Treasurer on February 19, 2021:

  • Treasurer – Mr. John Cook, CPA

The ballot for President Elect and Treasurer will be available via the announcement in the WisMed Members Community found here until the close of business Monday, March 15. All Wisconsin Medical Society members are eligible to vote. The candidate materials are available for review here.*

*Wisconsin Medical Society members must log into WisMed Communities using their own login and password to review materials and cast their ballot. Please contact [email protected] or 800.762.8975 if you need help logging into the community site.

Back to top

Free COVID-19 buttons to encourage safe behaviors

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!

Back to top

When to start receiving Social Security benefits

WisMed Financial Ad

One of the must-answer questions for anyone retiring is when to start Social Security. For most people, this is between ages 62-70 and the longer they wait, the larger the check.

Typically, this leads to some back of the envelope math to figure out how long they need to live to break-even, presuming they don’t start until age 70. In other words, they didn’t receive Social Security from age 62 to 70. So, how many of those larger checks from age 70 and beyond are needed to make up for the lost years before age 70?

This simplified calculation does not cover all the nuances such as consideration of investments or a spouse’s benefits. To read the full article from WisMed Financial, please click here.

If you would like guidance through your Social Security decisions, please consider scheduling a complimentary initial consultation.

WisMed Financial

Mark Ziety, CFP®, AIF®
WisMed Financial, Inc. part of the Wisconsin Medical Society
[email protected]
608.442.3750

 

Back to top