Welcome Dr. Molaska as Society president-elect

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) is pleased to welcome Wendy Molaska, MD, FAAFP, as president-elect. Dr. Molaska shared a bit about leadership and participating in the Society.

 

Why were you interested in pursuing the role of president of the Wisconsin Medical Society?
I have been involved with the Wisconsin Medical Society since I was a medical student and have always wanted to be as involved as possible. At this juncture I see a lot of changes in our society and the practice of medicine. I feel this is a great time to be able to work as president-elect with the other leaders in the Society to help create a more vibrant and involved membership in our Medical Society. By doing this we can continue to address the always changing issues affecting physicians and their patients.

What are some of the roles you have held in the Society?
When I attended UW School of Medicine and Public Health I started as a student representative to the Society Board and during that tenure also served on a reference committee during the House of Delegates. After medical school I was out-of-state for almost a decade. When I returned to Wisconsin and started practicing in Platteville I was able to serve as a delegate from District 2. From there I started serving on the Membership and Bylaws Committees and was a part of the Ethics Committee before it was disbanded. I was elected to the Board of Directors in 2012 until my terms expired this year. When the Wisconsin Medical Society formed the Justice, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce (JEDI) I jumped at the chance to participate and believe the work the taskforce is currently undertaking is timely and hugely important.

Tell us a little about your community involvement.
Aside from the Society I stay busy in a multitude of ways. I am the Co-chair for the Advisory Council for the Wisconsin Affiliate of Reach Out and Read (ROR). ROR is an early pediatric literacy program based in primary care clinics. I have been involved with the program since residency and have brought the program to any clinic I worked at that did not already have the program in place. I also serve on the Advisory Council for the Wisconsin Council of Immunization Practices through the DHS. Over the past several months I have been working with a local community pharmacy to also help host vaccine clinics in various settings to help better reach underserved communities.

What do you hope to achieve as Society president?
As Society president I hope to continue the work of those before me in helping to make the Society more vibrant and have more engaged members. I hope that the work that the JEDI Taskforce is doing can help us in making the Society a more diverse and welcoming place for members who have traditionally not been represented in the Society. By increasing the diversity and support for Society members the Wisconsin Medical Society can then also better help to address systemic racism in medicine and improve the outcomes for minority patients throughout Wisconsin.

Do you have advice for future physician leaders?
My advice for other physician leaders is to get involved early and often. Don’t be afraid to speak up about issues that matter to you, but also be willing to listen to opposing viewpoints. Our state, and the physicians in it, are extremely diverse and have many different points of view. We need to be willing to listen and learn from each other to better advance legislation, and make other changes, that lead to improving the practice of medicine for physicians throughout the state.

And what are a couple fun facts about you?
I started curling as a high school student in Wausau, WI. My high school team won the bronze medal in the Badger State games my sophomore year, silver my junior year and gold my senior year. I then started curling with the University of Wisconsin - Madison curling team when I started college in Madison. We progressed to the National Championships and I ended up curling against my former high school teammate as she was on the team for Michigan Tech. I am proud to say I was a part of the College National Championship curling team, much to my former teammate’s chagrin. Good curling everyone!

Reach out to Dr. Molaska on WisMed Community to congratulate her.

 

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Complete SARS-CoV-2 CME series now available on demand

Explore emerging information on a range of topics regarding SARS-CoV-2 CME via this on-demand CME series developed in partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and the Wisconsin Medical Society’s COVID-19 Task Force. This nine-part series is now available on demand via the Society’s education center.

Topics include:

• Combatting COVID-19 Challenges in Disadvantaged Populations – a Case Study
• SARS-CoV-2 Mutations, Immunity Duration and Transmissibility After Vaccine, Effect of Vaccine on Testing for the Virus
• Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Various Environments Including Schools and Certain Critical Industries
• SARS-CoV-2 Virus Biology & Vaccine Development
• COVID-19 in Adolescents and Children and Extrapulmonary Effects and Long-Term Consequences of COVID-19 in Adults

For more information including the link to register, click here.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

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“Your Health Can’t Wait” PSA wins Wisconsin Broadcaster’s Association award

The Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) and the Wisconsin Nurses Association (WNA) partnered over the summer of 2020 to produce a public service announcement (PSA) campaign, “Stay healthy, Wisconsin,” with the primary goal of getting Wisconsinites who have delayed care to see their health care team. The Society and WNA produced digital, print and—with the help of WMSN FOX 47 News, Madison—video announcements.

The video PSA “Your Health Can’t Wait” earned third place for Medium Market Television Best Public Service Announcement at the Wisconsin Broadcaster’s Association Awards Gala.

Click here to see the full list of winners.

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MCW Master of Science in Global Health Equity

The Medical College of Wisconsin is proud to offer a Master of Science in Global Health Equity program. This program was developed to prepare future global health leaders who will learn by engaging with diverse local and global populations. The experiential learning program is hands on and project based. A common theme is health equity with an emphasis on community engaged approaches. Students will complete a global thesis project with one of our many international or local partners on a global health topic that is of interest to them.

Training in cross-cultural competencies can assist physicians, policymakers and individuals who work in public and private health sectors to provide care and make policies that equitably meet the needs of the people they are serving.

• 36 credits total
• $1,050 per credit
• Full-time or part-time study options
• Complete in as few as 16 months
• Application deadline is July 1, 2021

Click here to learn more and apply. Or connect with program staff at [email protected].

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Estate plan better than President Lincoln

President Lincoln, despite being an attorney, died without a will. Make sure your wishes are carried out and put a proper estate plan in place. In Wisconsin, here are the typical components.

Core documents

1. Health care power of attorney with HIPAA release – allows someone to make medical decisions for you.
2. Financial power of attorney – allows someone to make financial decisions for you. It can either be springing (becomes effective upon incapacity) or immediately effective. Don’t forget about your children who are 18 or older. They should have health care and financial power of attorney documents too.
3. Will – directs where your assets go using the probate process. It is also where you name a guardian for your minor children.

Additional documents

1. Living will / advanced health care directive – a document stating your medical treatment desires if you are unable to provide informed consent.
2. Marital property agreement – when used for estate planning, this is often a sweep document that moves assets to a revocable trust without probate.
3. Revocable living trust – like a will, it directs where your assets go, but without the probate process.
4. Irrevocable trust. There are different types of irrevocable trusts, but in general, the goal is to remove assets from your estate to reduce estate taxes.

Trusts are generally used for three purposes. First, to avoid probate. Second, to limit estate taxes – though this is irrelevant for most people under current estate tax laws. In 2021, individuals can leave $11.7 million to heirs and a married couple can leave $23.4 million before any estate tax is owed. Third, a trust is used when you don’t trust someone – such as a child that is irresponsible with money, a son/daughter-in-law that would split assets with your child in a divorce or creditors of your beneficiaries. In these cases, assets are generally held in trust for the beneficiary’s use and enjoyment instead of being distributed outright to them.

Don’t forget your beneficiary designations! Assets with a named beneficiary will transfer to that person regardless of what your estate documents say, so your attorney should tell you how to change your beneficiary language and asset titling.

These are the main components of an estate plan, but others may be suggested for your circumstances. Be sure to seek the help of a trusted attorney for the proper documents in your situation.

Would you like one-on-one advice about your finances? Please contact Mark Ziety, CFP®, AIF® 608.442.3750 to get started.

Mark Ziety, CFP®, AIF®
WisMed Financial, Inc. part of the Wisconsin Medical Society

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