New legal services for WisMed members

The Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) is pleased to announce a new partnership with the law firm von Briesen & Roper, s.c. This partnership brings you an expansion of benefits including:

• A no charge one-hour consultation valued at $500
• Reduced rates on follow-up work valued at a savings of approximately $100 per hour
• WisMed Legal Assist Hotline at 608.442.3715 or [email protected]

WisMed members can seek consultation on topics such as regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, starting or expanding a business, contract questions, employment law concerns and more.

To learn more about services and von Briesen & Roper, sc., click here.

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Improving post-partum mental health screening and treatment for Black mothers – WisMed, Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Nurses Association collaboration

The Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) announced on August 7 a collaborative project between the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin (PSW) and the Wisconsin Nurses Association (WNA) to impact equity gaps in the post-partum mental health screening and treatment provided to Black mothers in both rural and urban areas of Wisconsin. The project recently received American Rescue Plan Act funding administered by the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment.

This funding will allow WisMed, in collaboration with PSW and WNA, to launch pilot programs connecting Health Care Professionals (HCPs) with community partners within an urban and rural Wisconsin community. Education of physicians, pharmacists, and nurses will focus on improving the overall care and mental health of Black mothers during and after pregnancy, appropriate medication usage, and awareness around early warning signs of mental health concerns. The group will also aggregate, review, and distribute information on community resources and supports to surround the care of expectant Black mothers.

Click here to read the full press release.

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Prescription for a healthy future Wisconsin

“Wow – I didn’t think I liked fruits and vegetables, but this smoothie is way better than ice cream!” and “Hey – this is the gallbladder! It helps you digest!” are just a couple of the enthusiastic comments when students from Medical College of Wisconsin – Central with Corrina Norrbom, MD, brought Prescription for a Healthy You to the Boys and Girls Club of Wausau last Thursday. Prescription for a Healthy You is a program of the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation (Foundation).

The curriculum teaches kids healthy habits including Water for Thirst, Body Wellness, Eating Healthy and Mindfulness in community settings, like the Boys & Girls Club. The program is also part of the Foundation’s Workforce Development efforts and is intended to encourage kids to see themselves as future health care professionals while encouraging medical students to see community engagement as an important part of their career path.

Club director Rochelle Agler was thrilled to open the club to the medical students who developed activities to:

• show how much sugar was in some common foods and drinks
• sample some healthy fruit smoothies
• get their hearts pumping with competitive games of sharks and minnows and capture the flag
• learn more about their organs and how their bodies function
• learn breathing and calming techniques to help them be present and centered
• talk freely with medical students about what it means to be working towards becoming a physician

The Foundation is proud to support work that helps children see themselves as a part of a healthy future Wisconsin. Great appreciation goes to the incredible work our medical schools are doing to help current medical students engage in their local communities. At both Medical College of Wisconsin and University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, there is a deep commitment to community learning and team building with programs like Prescription for a Healthy You and the Wisconsin Science Festival.

If you would like more information on how you can get involved with starting a youth engagement program in your community, please contact Foundation Program Coordinator, Jaime Craig, at [email protected]. If you would like to support the Foundation’s work to encourage Wisconsin children to consider careers in health and medicine, please consider supporting the Foundation’s Brighter Future campaign.

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2023 AMPAC Campaign School – registration open

AMPAC is excited to announce that the 2023 Campaign School will be returning in-person October 12–15 at the AMA offices in Washington, DC!  

Attendees include physicians, spouses of physicians, residents and medical students and state medical society staff interested in becoming more involved in politics. Participants range from those attracted to grassroots efforts to those considering becoming a candidate for public office. No matter where you are in the process, you will develop a new understanding of how campaigns are run. As a graduate of the AMPAC program, candidates will rely on you to give them advice on strategy, message and campaign plans.

Running an effective campaign can be the difference between winning and losing a race. That’s why the Campaign School is designed to give you the skills and strategic approach you will need on the campaign trail. A team of political experts will teach you everything you need to know to run a successful campaign. Participants will be broken into campaign staff teams to run a simulated congressional campaign using what they’ve learned during group sessions on strategy, vote targeting, social media, advertising and more.   

Please note the following:

• Registration fee is $350 for AMA members/$1,000 for non-AMA members. This fee is waived for AMA residents and students; however, space is limited and the AMPAC Board will review and select four participants from the pool of qualified resident and student applicants.
• Faculty, materials and all meals during the meeting are covered by the AMA. Participants are responsible for their registration fee, travel to/from Washington, DC and hotel accommodations (AMPAC staff will provide you with a list of nearby hotels within walking distance of the AMA offices).

Registration for the 2023 Campaign School is now open. Space is limited and the deadline to register is September 18 (or sooner if maximum capacity is reached).  

For more information contact Heidi Green or [email protected].

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Workers Compensation rate decreases

By Brian Fowler, WisMed Assure Account Director

Starting October 1, 2023, for the eighth consecutive year, Worker's Compensation rates in Wisconsin will drop. Work Comp rates in Wisconsin are set by the state and are the same for every insurance carrier. Overall, we’re seeing a decrease of 8.4% across all employee classifications. Physician rates remain low and competitive, with no change to the rates this year. Rates have decreased for physicians within hospital systems and hospital employees other than professional employees.

WisMed Assure also works with dentists and non-physician owned medical professional offices, like chiropractors, therapists and others; many of which share this same classification (8832) (see the chart below).  

The following chart shows the current and new rates for the listed class codes (rates are per $100 of payroll):

This year there is no change to minimum premiums for experience rating. We see approximately a $4,000 increase in annual remuneration to calculate premiums for sole proprietors and partners and roughly a $7,000 increase in the maximum annual remuneration used for executive officers.  

Because Wisconsin sets the rates, premiums should be the same regardless of the insurance carrier, the differentiator in overall costs between carriers comes down to who is offering the most competitive dividend plan. When employees are injured, good claims services and getting employees healthy and back to work is the key benefit to any workers compensation program.

Another difference in how Worker's Compensation is governed in Wisconsin is there is not a set fee schedule for medical services provided. The Wisconsin Medical Society has long advocated to keep Wisconsin from adopting a Work Comp fee schedule.

Mark Grapentine, Wisconsin Medical Society chief policy and advocacy officer, serves as a medical liaison to the Worker’s Compensation Advisory Council, a group made up of representatives of management and employees and charged with recommending changes to the state’s workers’ compensation system on a two-year basis. 

He noted the rates are “certainly good news for businesses” and that they are happening at a time when Wisconsin leads the nation in getting workers back on the job. Injured workers in the state are satisfied with how quickly they can get access to high-quality health care, he said.

“It’s really no wonder why so many folks in other states look very jealously at how Wisconsin’s work comp system performs,” he wrote in an email to Wisconsin Health News.

If you have questions about Worker's Compensation coverage rates and dividend programs for your practice, please contact Brian Fowler, WisMed Assure Account Director, at [email protected] 608.442.3718.

WisMed Assure is the Wisconsin Medical Society’s insurance agency – profits earned support the mission of the Medical Society.

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WisMed mourns the loss of Sandra Osborn, MD

We would like to celebrate the life and legacy of Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) and Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation Past President, Sandra Osborn, MD.

Doctor Osborn served in a number of leadership roles in the Society since 1987, including Society President from 1997 – 1998 where she was instrumental in advocating for the Tobacco Settlement. She was the Foundation Board Physician Vice President from 1998 – 2002 and Foundation Board President from 2003 – 2005. She also served on the Foundation Board and Grant Committee until July 2021.

Dr. Osborn always gave generously of her time, talents and gifts to support medical students as a mentor, volunteer at the Operation Education, support Fellowships and write very kind and personal White Coat notes. She helped establish the Foundation’s highest award for medical students, the Presidential Scholar Award. She was also instrumental in the development of the Foundation’s Garden Grant Program. As a pediatrician, she knew the value of encouraging kids at an early age to engage in nature and take an interest in fresh foods to develop lifelong healthy habits.

The staff at the Foundation always appreciated the time Dr. Osborn took to visit with them, the detail she took in reviewing their work and the kindness she expressed in every interaction.

If you would like to give to the Foundation in Dr. Osborn’s honor, she helped establish the Presidential Scholar Award, and donations can be made here. Dr. Osborn was also a long time Grant Committee member so donations to the Foundation’s Mission Fund will support grants in her honor.

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WisMed member discounts on recruitment, digital marketing and tech

As part of our member benefits program, Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) members can access vendor discounts on a variety of products and services, including business resources and tech. Below are a few examples.

Recruitment

Titus Talent Strategies is different by design, providing recruitment from one health care professional to another. Check out this blog post for a firsthand experience of how utilizing an RN’s background was able to make a difference in a physician’s recruitment process.

To learn more about Titus Talent, click here. Please contact [email protected] with any inquiries.

Digital Marketing

WisMed 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 or contact Chris Lezotte at [email protected] or 608.662.5019.

Technology: Lenovo

Save up to 72% off Lenovo tablets, laptops, accessories, software and more now through August 20. Shop now at lenovo.com/us/en/wismed.

Not a MyLenovo Rewards Member? Sign up for free and earn rewards points for future purchases. Plus, you’ll receive expedited delivery at no extra cost!

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