Independent nursing bill gets contentious committee vote - action needed

Legislation that will allow certain advanced practice nurses to independently provide care to patients passed out of the State Assembly Committee on Health January 12 on a contentious 9-6 vote. Republicans and Democrats were on both sides of the ayes/nays ledger, with a majority of members stating they would like to see further changes to the bill (Assembly Bill 396) before it is schedule for a full State Assembly vote.

Earlier in the week a large coalition of physician-based organizations sent a memo to the committee registering continuing opposition to the bill and outlining amendments providing common sense guardrails missing from the bill as proposed. The suggested amendments include:

• Requiring minimum years of physician-supervised experience both before and after a nurse becomes qualified to be an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) before being allowed to practice independently.
• “Truth in advertising” provisions ensuring that terms related to physicians can only be used by health care professionals with an M.D. or D.O. degree.
• Requiring an APRN wishing to engage in pain medicine care to at minimum work in collaboration with a Wisconsin-licensed physician who has training and experience in pain medicine.

Nursing groups have balked at these suggestions; discussions in the state legislature have been positive, but more work will need to be done to ensure these protections are included in any final bill. An advocacy alert was posted January 10 on the WisMed Community website asking physicians living in Assembly Health Committee member districts to reach out to their elected officials; now is the time for all WisMed members to contact their elected officials and request support for patient safety-oriented amendments.

Contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD with any questions or for more information on how you can get involved in Society advocacy efforts.

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Wisconsin Medical Society offices consolidate

Effective January 13, 2022, the Wisconsin Medical Society office has moved from the Rimrock location in Madison to the WisMed Assure office in Fitchburg. Telephone numbers have not changed, and the new address is below. This move was done for several reasons but most paramount is that working smarter and in the most cost-effective manner allows us to offer the best service to you, our members.

The pandemic has confirmed that our staff is as highly productive in a hybrid virtual-working model as in the traditional office space, thus reducing the need for multiple offices that can house 100% of our staff. The consolidation of all Society services allows for increased productivity, efficiency and a reduction in expenses. Today’s employment market also dictates more flexibility for successful retention and recruitment of team members.

The Society team is excited to be back together in the same office space!

New Address
2920 Marketplace Drive
Suite 103
Fitchburg, WI 53719

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Insurance resources for WisMed Members

WisMed Assure and WisMed Financial worked with WMSN Fox 47 News to create an awareness campaign (additional resources can also be found below the commercial).

Wisconsin Medical Society members can access an exclusive discount to produce a digital marketing or TV broadcast campaign with WMSN Fox 47 News. Digital marketing (commercials on streaming services) is a fraction of the cost of traditional TV commercials.

Additionally, this discount includes creative design and bilingual services. There are no production fees on the commercial, the ads can be targeted to key market segments and the campaign results can be tracked.

Learn more about this great opportunity here.

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Member benefits to access today

Special discounts are currently available to Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) Members in addition to the standard WisMed Perks. WisMed Members can save up to 71% on high-performance tech and more via Lenovo’s New Year Savings event through January 23. Members can also save up to 30% off base rates on rentals through Avis and Budget.*

Click here to learn more about the benefits of Wisconsin Medical Society membership and start accessing those benefits today.

*To make a reservation with Avis, click here and use Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number A672086.
To book with Budget, click here and use Budget Customer Discount (BCD) number B079592.

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