Assembly Committee unanimously approves WisMed-supported fentanyl strips bill

As Wisconsin faces a resurgence in opioid overdose deaths, the State Assembly Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety unanimously approved WisMed-supported legislation that can help save Wisconsin lives. The unanimous 11-0 vote for Assembly Bill 619, which removes fentanyl test strips from the definition of “drug paraphernalia” in the criminal code, occurred November 10 in the State Capitol.

WisMed member and Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine (WISAM) President Ritu Bhatnagar, MD, testified in favor of the bill during the committee’s October 20 public hearing, emphasizing how these testing strips can prevent someone from unwittingly taking a drug laced with fentanyl. The bipartisan bill is authored by State Assembly Reps. Jesse James (R-Altoona) and Sylvia Ortiz-Velez (D-Milwaukee) and State Sens. Van Wanggaard (R-Racine) and Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee).

As a recent story in the Wisconsin Examiner about the legislation cites, Wisconsin Department of Health Services data show that more than 6,200 people in Wisconsin died of a drug overdose from 2014-2019, with nearly 4,800 of those deaths involving opioids. Another 1,900 of those deaths were heroin-related. The article also points out that last year in Milwaukee County alone 544 people died a drug-related death – an unfortunate annual record for the county – and more than 400 of those deaths involved fentanyl.

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

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WisMed Board Chair Halverson talks telemedicine, collaboration at Wisconsin Health News event

Telemedicine, workforce challenges and the desire for health care to better enhance current collaboration along the health care spectrum were all topics at a wide-ranging panel discussion hosted by Wisconsin Health News (WHN) November 9 in Madison. Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) Board of Directors Chair Jerry Halverson, MD, was part of a five-member panel sharing experiences physicians and others have been facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel discussed the opportunities telemedicine has presented for better patient access, especially during a period where availability of in-person medical care was impacted during the height of COVID-19’s spread.

WisMed is one of the major sponsors of the WHN series, which helps inform state policymakers about important issues impacting Wisconsin’s health care system. Others on the panel included representatives from hospitals, long-term care, nursing and the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health.

Society President-Elect Wendy Molaska, MD, and Jerry Halverson, MD

Dr. Halverson, also the chief medical officer for Rogers Behavioral Health, described how the successful utilization of telemedicine before the pandemic grew even more important as overall COVID-19 conditions worsened. He emphasized that while telemedicine has shown to be particularly successful for behavioral health patients, entities such as Rogers are not immune to the workforce challenges facing all health care providers. Policymakers should work to improve the physician pipeline, Dr. Halverson said, including increasing the number of Graduate Medical Education slots available in Wisconsin.

He also successfully rebutted a spurious charge from the panel’s nursing representative that bills pending in the state legislature allowing certain advanced practice nurses to diagnose and treat patients independently from physicians were “a power play.” Patients seeking care expect access to those with the most medical education, training and experience, Dr. Halverson explained, and the legislation’s promotion of independent nursing clinics would remove inter-profession collaboration that has bolstered Wisconsin’s high quality health care system.

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

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Tomorrow's Friday Report to include chaperone proposal update

The next episode of the Wisconsin Medical Society's (WisMed) members-only advocacy update will be tomorrow, November 12 at 12:15 p.m. WisMed’s Friday Report will give an up-to-the-minute update on the latest health care policy up for debate in Madison, plus a bit of an insider look into politics and policy.

This month’s presentation will include an update on the Medical Examining Board’s chaperone rule proposal.

Hosted by WisMed’s Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer, Mark Grapentine, JD, these live webinars will occur the second Friday of each month from 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. via Zoom.

Register for the Friday Report sessions here. Registration and membership in the Society are required to attend. Please email membership@wismed.org with any questions.

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Society officer nominations due January 3

The nomination deadline for open Wisconsin Medical Society offices is fast approaching. All materials are due to the Society’s Nominating Committee by Monday, January 3, 2022.

Nominations are sought for the following offices:

• President-Elect for 2022-2023.
•  AMA Delegate for 2023 and 2024 (three positions) – Barbara Hummel, MD, of Greenfield (incumbent eligible for reelection); Michael Miller, MD, of Madison (ineligible for reelection); Tosha Wetterneck, MD, of Madison (incumbent eligible for reelection).
• AMA Alternate Delegate for 2023 and 2024 – Donn Dexter, MD, of Eau Claire (incumbent eligible for reelection).

All candidates must submit a curriculum vitae not to exceed three pages, a cover letter no longer than one page, a completed candidate questionnaire for the office the candidate is seeking and a completed Disclosure of Significant Affiliations (conflict of interest) form. Click here to learn more about the nominating process and to download the candidate questionnaires and the conflict of interest form.*

The Nominating Committee will meet Friday, January 21, 2022, at 4 p.m. via Zoom. The Committee will interview and evaluate the candidates for Society offices and prepare a slate of nominees for presentation to the membership.

Communications to the Nominating Committee should be addressed to Clyde “Bud” Chumbley, MD, MBA, CEO, Wisconsin Medical Society, PO Box 1109, Madison, WI 53701 or emailed to Noreen Krueger.

Note: The Society will post the completed candidate questionnaire and cover letter in WisMed Community. The Society will post the conflict of interest form of all candidates selected by the Nominating Committee as nominees in WisMed Community after nomination by the Committee.

For questions or more information, email Noreen Krueger.

*(Member log-in is required to access nomination information and materials. Click here to access the log-in page. Contact us for assistance with logging in.)

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6 keys to retirement success

Happiness research suggests we start life happy, bottom out in our late 40s, then happiness steadily climbs as we age.¹ Although your retirement years may be some of your happiest, it also means more financial decisions, not fewer. To help make these decisions, attend 6 Keys to Retirement Success on December 8 at 7:00 p.m.

Can’t make it? Register anyway and the replay will be sent to all registrants.

Attendees will learn about:

• Timing Social Security benefits and how spousal benefits impact married physicians
• Bridging the health insurance gap from early retirement to Medicare and Medicare choices
• Generating income from investments
• Identifying a long-term care plan with or without insurance
• Estate plan considerations
• Why physician taxes usually drop at retirement, increase later, and what to do about it

Your retirement years should be one of the most enjoyable periods of life. Having a solid financial strategy can boost that enjoyment.

Please join us December 8 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. Click here to register.

For personalized help eliminating debt, investing smart, and securing retirement, please contact Mark Ziety, CFP®, AIF® 608.442.3750.

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

¹ Haden, J. (2020, Jan. 30). Research Shows People Become Increasingly Unhappy Until Age 47.2. Here's How to Minimize the Negative Effect of the 'Happiness Curve'.

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