Registration now open for WisMed Annual Event – CME, Foundation Fundraising Event and Business Meeting

Register now for Health & Harmony, the Wisconsin Medical Society’s medical education, Foundation fundraiser and annual business meeting to be held April 14 and 15 at the Monona Terrace in Madison, Wis. The education conference will focus on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in health care and the Foundation event will celebrate outstanding health professionals and include dueling pianos for entertainment. Click here to register for part or all of the Annual Event.

APRIL 14
9 a.m. - Continuing Medical Education Conference
Centered on justice, equity, diversity & inclusion in health care. This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

5:30 p.m. - Foundation Fundraising Event
A celebration of outstanding health professionals, the inauguration of the WisMed President and entertainment featuring dueling pianos

APRIL 15
10 a.m. - Wisconsin Medical Society Annual Business Meeting
For WisMed members, and will include an update on WisMed Advocacy and reports from the Board Chair, Treasurer, President and CEO.

Register for Health & Harmony here. WisMed members get discounted CME registration! Contact education@wismed.org to get your discount code. For questions regarding CME or WisMed membership status, or for assistance, please contact membership@wismed.org. For questions regarding Sponsorship opportunities, please contact Mikaela Powers.

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Give now to double your impact with the Foundation

“This scholarship will take away some of the financial stress that comes with attending medical school and allow me to truly focus on my academics, community service and leadership roles.

I am very passionate in working with underserved communities to increase disease prevention and to improve health outcomes.”

British Fields, Future Superhero of Medicine Scholarship Recipient

Thanks to the dedication of physicians and the financial support of donors like you, the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation (Foundation) is able to invest directly back into our state by providing financial support to students, medical research and community health programs.

Your year-end gift helps advance the health of Wisconsin by supporting medical students like British and community programs to increase health equity and access in Wisconsin. Check out the Impact Map to hear from others who benefited from your generosity this year!

Now is the time to double your impact!
From now until the end of the year, Foundation and Wisconsin Medical Society Board members will match donations to the Foundation up to $10,000. Give today to double your impact!

To help the Foundation sustain change throughout the year, please consider joining our Brighter Future Club with a monthly gift of any amount.

You can also give by mail by sending a check payable to Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation to PO Box 1109, Madison, WI 53701-1109. If you prefer to give by phone, give us a call at 608.442.3722. Contact Mikaela Powers for additional information. The Foundation can facilitate donations from donor-advised funds and IRA required minimum distributions and in the form of stocks, bonds or other investments. Contributions for the 2022 tax year must be postmarked or completed online by December 31.

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Leadership opportunity – apply for a WisMed office by January 2

Applications are being accepted for several Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) offices, and all nomination materials are due to WisMed’s Nominating Committee by Monday, January 2, 2023.

Please consider applying for the following offices:

• President-Elect for 2023-2024
• AMA Delegate for 2023, 2024 and 2025 (three positions) – George Lange, MD, of River Hills (incumbent, eligible for reelection; 2024 and 2025)
• AMA Alternate Delegate for 2023, 2024 and 2025 (five positions) – Don Lee, MD, of Franklin (incumbent, eligible for reelection; 2024 and 2025)

Please 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
• President-elect candidate questionnaire form
• AMA Delegate and AMA Alternate Delegate candidate questionnaire form
• a completed Disclosure of Significant Affiliations (conflict of interest) form

The Nominating Committee will meet Friday, January 20, 2023, at 4 p.m. via Zoom. The Committee will interview and evaluate the candidates for WisMed offices and prepare a slate of nominees for presentation to the membership.

President-Elect description

The President-Elect helps WisMed develop innovative ways to maintain its relevancy, increase membership and engage physicians in WisMed initiatives that improve the practice of medicine and the health care environment.

The physician who is elected as President-Elect makes a three-year commitment to WisMed. The physician serves as President-Elect in the first year, automatically succeeds to President the second year and serves as the Immediate Past President in the third year. During this three-year period, the physician will have many duties, some of which include attending Board meetings and annual meetings, working with WisMed Councils/Committees/Task Forces, serving as a spokesperson, visits to county medical societies. The amount of time spent on WisMed activities will vary, but candidates might expect to spend 12–15 days per year on various meetings and other tasks. Some activities might occur on weekends.

AMA Delegates/Alternates description

AMA Delegates and Alternate Delegates innovate and collaborate to advance changes in laws and policies at the national level to benefit physicians across the country, including in Wisconsin.

AMA Delegates/Alternate Delegates attend WisMed, AMA and regional meetings, support campaigns to elect Delegates to AMA committees, serve on special committees and review resolutions and policy positions to advance the interests of Wisconsin physicians and improve the practice of medicine throughout the United States. While the amount of time spent on WisMed activities will vary, candidates should plan to spend 17–20 days per year on various meetings and other tasks. Some of the activities might occur on weekends.

All materials can be submitted via the candidate questionnaire form. Alternatively, communications can be emailed to Stephanie Taylor or mailed to the Nominating Committee at: Mike Flesher, CEO, Wisconsin Medical Society, PO Box 1109, Madison, WI 53701. Access the candidate questionnaire for AMA Delegate and AMA Alternate Delegate or President-elect and the conflict of interest form.

­Those serving on 2022-2023 Nominating Committee are:

• District 1—Arthur Angove, DO; Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD; David Galbis-Reig, MD; Joshua Gershtenson, MD; Cynthia Jones-Nosacek, MD; Anthony Rieder, MD; David Tylicki, MD
• District 2—Lynn Broderick, MD; Michele Brogunier, MD; Amy Doherty, DO; Michael Grajewski, MD; Natalie Wheeler, MD
• District 3—Hilary Bingol, MD; Michael White, DO
• District 4—Lopa Kabir-Islam, MD; Michele Montgomery, MD
• District 5—Joanne Pasiuk, MD
• District 6—Bradley Burmeister, MD; Kenneth Pechman, MD
• District 7—Alison Jones, MD
• District 8—Leo Bay, MD
• Specialty Sections—Leslie Abitz, MD
• Resident/Fellow—Hannah Johnshoy, MD
• Medical Students—Kyle Cass, Medical College of Wisconsin; Alyssa Fleischman, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health

Note: WisMed will post the completed candidate questionnaire and cover letter on the WisMed website. WisMed will post the conflict-of-interest form of all candidates selected by the Nominating Committee as nominees on WisMed’s website after nomination by the Committee.

Please also consider nominating a colleague who volunteers to improve the health and well-being of their community for Physician Citizen of the Year. Click here to learn more.

For questions or more information, email Stephanie Taylor.

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Nominate yourself or a fellow physician for the 2023 WISMedPAC board!

Just a reminder…we are taking nominations for the WISMedPAC board until Thursday, January 5. We’d love to have you on board!

Are you interested in the political process and how it affects the medical profession? If so, please consider nominating yourself, a medical student or a fellow physician for the WISMedPAC board.

We are currently accepting nominations to the WISMedPAC Board of Directors. WISMedPAC is the Wisconsin Medical Society’s (WisMed) political action committee and its board is responsible for guiding WisMed’s political contribution efforts. The WISMedPAC board is critical to the success of our fundraising and advocacy efforts.

The WISMedPAC board meets quarterly via Zoom and works to ensure that physicians are active participants in the political process here in Wisconsin and in Washington D.C. Primary responsibilities include directing PAC contributions to candidates who are seeking leadership roles and the leadership committees on both sides of the aisle at the state level. In addition, the board provides advice and input on the staff’s efforts to raise money from physicians.

Nominations are due by Thursday, January 5. Simply submit your name or the name of a physician or medical student and any questions to Heidi Green at heidi.green@wismed.org or 608.358.6116. WisMed members and medical students (member or non-member) are eligible for one-year terms. The WISMedPAC board executive committee will submit the nominations to the WisMed Board of Directors on January 21 and the Board will appoint between eight and 16 new WISMedPAC board members for 2023.

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When to pay property taxes

Do you get a bigger tax benefit for paying property taxes in 2022 or 2023? It’s a common question for Wisconsin residents and we need to look at the federal and state tax implications.

On your federal tax return, property tax payments are an itemized deduction on Schedule A line 5b. They are included in the sum of your state and local taxes (SALT) which is capped at a maximum deduction of $10,000. Many attending physicians already pay more than $10,000 in state income taxes, so property tax payments do not increase the deduction. But even if you can deduct property taxes, you may not benefit because you still need to exceed the standard deduction to be able to itemize. For 2022, the standard deduction is $12,950 single and $25,900 married. Those over age 65 can tack on another $1,750 single and married couples get $1,400 per spouse over 65. The most common itemized deductions are mortgage interest and charitable gifts. But even with those, most people still don’t have enough deductions to itemize. In fact, 83% of the population claims the standard deduction.

The Wisconsin tax return is a different story. Homeowners get a tax credit for paying property taxes each calendar year. You reach the maximum credit when you pay $2,500 of property taxes. If you paid last year’s property taxes in early 2022, you may have already reached the $2,500 threshold. In this case, it may make sense to postpone your current property tax payment until it is due in 2023. Likewise, if you haven’t paid any property taxes in 2022, it may be best to pay $2,500 by December 31 and postpone the rest until the due date in 2023.

What about the federal alternative minimum tax (AMT)? Property taxes are not deductible under the AMT, so timing is irrelevant. However, you can still qualify for the Wisconsin tax credit.

For tax advice specific to your situation, be sure to consult a knowledgeable tax advisor.

Want other year-end ideas? Download the 2-page year-end financial checklist.

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. 

Holiday shopping with WisMed credit card, discounts on electronics, hotels and more

Personal or Business Credit Card
With the Holiday Season upon us, prepare for increased spending by taking advantage of a personal or business credit card exclusively for WisMed members. With a special intro APR and cash back offers, plus premier cash back rewards, you’ll be able to shop for everyone on your list, naughty or nice. Explore your WisMed Mastercard® options at wismed.bhgchoice.com/credit.

Tech and Electronics
The holidays are quickly approaching. Luckily, our Lenovo online store still has deals on bestselling PCs, tablets, phones and electronics. Shop the latest offers valid through January 1, 2023. Click here to learn more or if you need assistance with purchases, call 1.800.426.7235 (M-F: 8 am – 8 pm, Sat: 8 am – 5 pm).

Hotels
Hotel Engine is a free and exclusive members-only hotel booking platform that connects WisMed members to deeply discounted hotel rates. Take advantage of an average of 26% off public rates at more than 150K+ hotels; no contracts, annual fees, or minimum spends; and superior 24/7, U.S.-based customer support. Sign up for free at members.hotelengine.com/join/wismed101.

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Don’t lose your CME funds – use them for WisMed Membership, get discounted CME

It’s a busy time of year and you’re probably not thinking about whether you’ve used up your CME funds for the year. However, you may be able to use those funds towards your Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) membership dues. Learn more about WisMed Membership and join or renew for 2023 here.

Additionally, WisMed members get discounted access to many of our education opportunities. Click here to explore available on-demand courses and click here to learn about the Physician Leadership Academy.  

"Speaking for myself, I use some of my CME dollars to pay for my Wisconsin Medical Society membership and find this to be an excellent addition to my educational experience,” said Don Lee, MD, Wisconsin Medical Society President-elect.

Please call 800.762.8975 or email membership@wismed.org with any questions.

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