Fourth Quarter of GO PAC GO campaign

The WISMedPAC Board is pushing for a strong showing during the fourth quarter of the GO PAC GO campaign as physicians across the state compete as a part of their congressional district team in supporting WISMedPAC. WISMedPAC enables the Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) to effectively communicate our message on behalf of all Wisconsin physicians and their patients.

“When we’re advocating for patients and the practice of medicine, we’re often competing with well-funded entities that tend to put profits before people,” Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine says. “Physicians contributing to WISMedPAC give our physician-led PAC the ability to compete with those organizations.

“The Medical Society’s strength includes thousands of members in every corner of the state dedicated to their patients,” Grapentine says. “We’re in the thick of a legislative session filled with health care proposals, so now is a perfect time for physicians to step up and allow us to turn up the volume.”

District team 3 is still in the lead, thanks in part to the Quarter 3 MVP, Donn Dexter, MD, (District team 3).  Congratulations and thank you for your contribution and team leadership.

Help your team by contributing to the WISMedPAC. Get in the game and help make sure physician advocacy has a seat at the table.

Thank you to everyone who contributed! If you’re still on the bench, contact Heidi Green at 608.358.6116 or contribute online to get your name on the scoreboard.

Thank you to our team captains!
Team 1 – Don Lee, MD, MPH
Team 2 – Dan Bennett, MD, and Paul Wertsch, MD
Team 3 – Donn Dexter, MD
Team 4 – George Morris, MD, FAAN
Team 5 – Bud Chumbley, MD, MBA
Team 6 – Andrew Campbell, MD, Clarence Chou, MD, Sherry Clarke
Team 7 – Cynthia Hart, MD
Team 8 – Ken Pechman, MD, PhD, MMM, Bradley Burmeister, MD, John Hartman, MD

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Nominees sought for Society offices; deadline January 3

Nominations are now being accepted for several Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) offices, and all nomination materials are due to the Society’s Nominating Committee by Monday, January 3, 2022.

Candidates 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. The candidate questionnaire forms are available here.*

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.

Those serving on 2021-2022 House of Delegates Nominating Committee are:

• District 1—Arthur Angove, DO, of New Berlin; Joshua Gershtenson, MD, of Kenosha; David Galbis-Reig, MD, of Racine; Michelle Graham, MD, of Milwaukee; Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD, of Milwaukee; Aurora Lybeck, MD, of Hartford; Anthony Rieder, MD, of Wauwatosa
• District 2—Lynn Broderick, MD, of Madison; Michele Brogunier, MD, of Madison; Natalie Wheeler, MD, of Madison; Michael Grajewski, MD, of Watertown
• District 3—Hilary Bingol, MD, of La Crosse; Michael White, DO, of Onalaska
• District 4—Larry Gordon, DO, of Weston; Michele Montgomery, MD, of Wausau; William Raduege, MD, of Woodruff
• District 5—Bret Pasiuk, MD, of Fond du Lac
• District 6—Bradley Burmeister, MD, of Green Bay
• District 7—Cecil Berlie, MD, of Eau Claire; Lee Hofer, MD, of Eau Claire
• District 8—Leo Bay, DO, of Ashland
• Specialty Sections—Vacant
• Resident/Fellow—Morgan Lamberg, DO, of Milwaukee
• Medical Students—Michael McNamara, Medical College of Wisconsin; Andrew Huang, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

 
Communications to the Nominating Committee should be addressed to Clyde “Bud” Chumbley, MD, MBA, CEO, Wisconsin Medical Society, PO Box 1109, Madison, WI 53701. Communications also can be emailed to Noreen Krueger. Click here to learn more about the nominating process and to download the candidate questionnaires and the conflict of interest form.*

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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Voluntary benefits can give employees more at no cost to employers

Balancing the costs of employee benefits with all other expenses can be a challenge. The good news is that employers can offer voluntary benefits at no cost to the company, or they can pay for a portion of the premiums (such as 10, 25 or even 50%). They can also make a flat dollar contribution and their employees can determine which benefits to apply it towards.

Now is a good time to consider this option since employees are experiencing a heightened state of concern due to COVID-19. A growing number are asking for additional benefits like life, disability and dental insurance, along with wellness options.

If you are interested in looking into these options, the first thing to do is to survey your employees. WisMed Assure is here to help. We have survey templates that make it easier to determine the best possible selection of voluntary benefits to offer. Once we find out which benefits your employees want and how many are interested, we work to find the best insurance for the lowest price.

While many carriers offer voluntary benefits, the key is finding one that provides all the different types of voluntary benefits you want to offer. Finding the right carrier with the right mix of benefits makes it simple to administer and more cost effective since most carriers provide a discount for multiple plans.

Once we finalize carrier and plans, the only thing left to do is to make these premium deductions in your payroll. There are a few different ways to set this up, but in most cases we recommend a pre-tax strategy to lower the taxable income for your employees and your company.

Voluntary benefits are not difficult to set up and manage when you work with an insurance partner you can trust and who is willing to serve your employees. That’s where we come in.

Please contact Chris Noffke to explore these opportunities for giving your employees more at no cost to you.

Chris Noffke
GBDS, Vice President of Group Benefits, WisMed Assure
608.442.3734

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Climate, A Public Health Crisis November 13

More than 150 major medical organizations have declared climate a public health crisis. However, only 27% of Americans can name a specific way in which climate change is harming our health. Interprofessional knowledge on climate impacts and solutions is needed to improve community well-being. Climate, A Public Health Crisis: Making Connections & Building Solutions Together will bridge that gap and inspire health care professionals, community members and students to take action.

The conference will be held virtually on November 13, 2021 from 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Save your spot now. CME/CE and learning certificates are available for this opportunity.

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