Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, inaugurated as AMA President

Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, Wisconsin Medical Society Member, Senior Associate Dean, Professor of Anesthesiology and Director of the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment at the Medical College of Wisconsin, was inaugurated as the American Medical Association’s (AMA) President during their annual meeting this week.

In his inauguration address as the AMA’s 178th president, Dr. Ehrenfeld spoke of inequity in care delivery and noted that too many of our colleagues and patients also suffer from discrimination and discrimination in health care on a daily basis. His speech focused on a commitment to inclusivity and equity.

“Standing on this stage tonight and accepting the honor of the AMA presidency is proof that our organization can evolve. This is why visibility matters,” he said. “This is why, when you have a platform like this one, you have a responsibility to use it for the greater good and to try and lift up those who haven’t yet found their voice.”

A huge congratulations to Dr. Ehrenfeld; read his speech here.

Sitting, L to R: Anna Brown, MD, Barbara Hummel, MD, Mike Flesher, CEO, Laurie Lapp, Medical Student, Timothy McAvoy, MD
Standing, L to R: Jerry Halverson, MD, WisMed Board Chair, Laurie Gesell, MD, Mike Miller, MD, Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, Kieran McAvoy, MD, Charles Rainey, MD, Don Lee, MD, WisMed President, Tom Joles, MD, Paul Wertsch, MD

Wisconsin Medical Society Delegates who participated in the six-day 2023 AMA annual meeting included:

Delegates:
Clarence Chou, MD
Barbara Hummel, MD - Vice Chair
Don Lee, MD, MPH, FACP, SFHM
Charles Rainey, MD, JD, FCLM
Tosha Wetterneck, MD - Chair

Alternate Delegates:
Thomas Joles, MD
Michael Miller, MD
Paul Wertsch, MD

HOD Section Resident and Fellow Section:
Bradley Pfeifer, MD - Delegate
Stephanie Strohbeen, MD - Delegate
Melanie Biegler, MD - Alternate Delegate

HOD Section Medical Student:
Laurie Lapp - Delegate

Many other Wisconsin physicians and medical students also attended, representing their specialty societies and AMA councils and sections. Thanks to everyone who attended the Wisconsin Annual Sock Hop on Monday night and made it a fun event! 

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Your input on board actions on policy proposals due Friday, June 16

The Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) Board of Directors recently acted on six policy proposals submitted through the PolicyLink portal, which is available at any time to all WisMed members. The WisMed Policy Review Committee (PRC) assesses all proposals, hearing from each author regarding the reasoning for the idea. The PRC then recommends to the Board whether a policy should be adopted, amended, not adopted, etc. After the Board acts, membership has the opportunity to agree or disagree and give advisory feedback to the Board.

The Board’s actions at its May 20, 2023, meeting included recommendations related to:

• gender transition treatment for minors
• hospital- and community-based violence intervention programs
• age-appropriate reproductive health education
• medical student access to reproductive health care training
• expanding access to health care coverage
• expanding protections for incarcerated pregnant mothers with substance use disorder

WisMed Members can provide feedback for these recommendations through Friday, June 16. Visit PolicyLink to register support, disagreement and/or other comments.

To participate in the comment period:

1. Visit policylink.wismed.org
2. Login with your WisMed username and password*
3. Click “Comment on Proposal” in the top menu
4. Select “Vote on Board Action”
5. Click on a blue proposal title – you will see the original proposal, the Policy Review Committee’s recommendation and the Board action
6. When ready, click on agree, disagree, or neutral in regards to the Board's action and submit any comments if desired in the text box
7. Click “Submit Comment” button at the bottom of the page

Have a policy proposal you want to submit for consideration?
While in PolicyLink click on “Submit Proposal” (in the menu bar at the top of the page) and enter your proposed policy. Policies submitted during this period will fall into the next submission funnel to be posted on July 14, 2023.

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

*PolicyLink requires your WisMed username and password. Click here to retrieve your username or password, or call 866.442.3800 or email membership@wismed.org for assistance.

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Foundation celebrates at Adaptive Alliance carnival

Staff from the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation (Foundation) enjoyed celebrating the success of Adaptive Alliance in Beloit at their annual carnival on Sunday, June 11. Adoptive Alliance is a community program for adults with disabilities located in Beloit, Wis. Their mission is to provide a positive learning community staffed by professionals allowing adults (18-60) with disabilities to develop essential life skills to better prepare them for personal growth beyond high school. With a grant from the Foundation, they were able to purchase equipment, get participants into the community more and obtain educational materials to enhance client experience while at their day program.

Adaptive Alliance Director, Samantha Wellnitz had this to say, “we are so very thankful for all of our support near and far that make new experiences come true for all our participants.”

Their areas of focus are:

• Life skills: communication, social relationships, problem solving, health, hygiene and kitchen safety
• Recreation and leisure: games, music, bowling and gardening
• Word skills related to job skills: food service, kitchen safety and DIY improvement projects

Their team also volunteers in the community at Beloit Meals on Wheels, Caritas and the soup kitchen. This gives participants a chance to put their skills to use by helping the community. They also frequently enjoy social outings such as swimming, music in the park and SMILES Inc., which provides horse therapy for individuals with disabilities. These programs enhance the lives, health and long-term quality of life for many individuals, their families and the Beloit Community.

The carnival was a great example of staff, students and community coming together for support. Learn more about Adaptive Alliance by visiting adaptivealliance.org. To learn more about the Foundation Grant program, please contact Jaime Craig at jaime.craig@wismed.org. Your donations to the Foundation will support other important programs in Wisconsin providing direct assistance to those who need it. Give to the Foundation here.

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Share your thoughts – brief low value care survey

The Wisconsin Medical Society is participating in a statewide initiative to raise awareness of low value care in Wisconsin. This work includes research on people’s perspectives about low value care. The research is being conducted by the Medical College of Wisconsin in partnership with the Wisconsin Health Information Organization through the “Eliminating Low Value Care in Wisconsin to Improve Quality, Safety, Health Equity, and Cost Efficiency” grant, funded by the Achieving a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment.

Low value care is defined as health care services that are:

• not supported by research;
• are duplicative or unnecessary and
• may cause physical, emotional or financial harm.

The Wisconsin Medical Society is asking our members to share your point of view about low value care by completing the survey. The survey will take about 5 minutes. Your responses will remain anonymous and only aggregate results will be shared.

Thank you in advance for completing this important survey! This survey will be available through June 23, 2023. 

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Study indicates fewer OB-GYN residents due to abortion bans

An article in Wisconsin Watch found that access to health care is being compromised by reduced availability of medical services such as regular exams, breast cancer screenings and contraception since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Physicians are demonstrating their reluctance to practice in places where making the best decision for a patient could result in huge fines or even a prison sentence. Additionally, when clinics that provide abortions close, all the other services offered there are also eliminated.

A survey found that 76% of respondents would not even apply to work or train in states with abortion restrictions. States with abortion bans saw a larger decline in medical school seniors applying for residency in 2023 compared with states without bans (10.5% vs. 5.2%), with 8% fewer OB-GYN residency applicants in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Medical Society Past-president Wendy Molaska, MD, FAAFP, said that means Wisconsin’s existing physician shortage likely will get worse, as physicians often stay in the places where they serve residencies. Dr. Molaska noted that medical residents may worry about the impact of training in an abortion-ban state – not only could they miss learning crucial OB-GYN skills and techniques, they may also be concerned about the risks of becoming pregnant in a state with a full abortion ban.  

Fewer physicians available to staff hospitals and clinics may result in closures, particularly in rural areas, further reducing access to preventive care and care for pregnant patients. Additionally, physicians practicing in states with restrictive abortion policies are less likely to have been trained to perform procedures that are used for patients experiencing miscarriages early in pregnancy.

Jerome Adams, surgeon general during the Trump administration, wrote that “the tradeoff of a restricted access (and criminalizing doctors) only approach to decreasing abortions could end up being that you actually make pregnancy less safe for everyone, and increase infant and maternal mortality.”

Indeed, states with the toughest abortion restrictions are the least likely to offer support services for low-income mothers and babies and maternal death rates are 62% higher in those states.

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Why purchase individual disability protection during residency

As a resident or fellow, your biggest asset is quickly becoming your ability to earn an income. Until you become independently wealthy and can sustain a loss of earning power without consequence, it is imperative that you have disability protection. But why do this as a resident or fellow, before the dramatic income increase of becoming an attending physician? Can you wait, get on your employer’s group plan if applicable and purchase supplemental personal disability insurance when you can better afford it? There are several reasons why this may not be the best choice as you build your overall financial plan.

During your medical residency or fellowship, you are entitled to a base amount of coverage without being required to provide proof of financial qualification. Additionally, WisMed Assure works with several insurers that provide discounts to many of the residency programs. Furthermore, Wisconsin Medical Society Members are eligible for even more discounts. Throughout your career, these savings can add up to a monumental amount of money.

Disability insurance protection increases in cost as we age – it will be more expensive every year. By getting a policy early in your career, you lock in the price while it’s the most affordable. Additionally, you can purchase a future increase option at this time, allowing you to increase your protection as your future income increases, without the imposition of any more medical underwriting.

Group disability insurance coverage is a wonderful benefit, and I almost always advise physicians to enroll for the maximum group benefits that they’re eligible for, however it often has limitations. It may be capped at an amount that is insufficient to replace your total income if disabled. Portability is also a concern – if you change employers or career paths, the coverage will be lost. Almost always, group coverage contains offsets where any benefits attained from other sources will decrease the benefits paid out by group coverage. A solid personal disability policy, specially designed for physicians and medical professionals, addresses these inherent risks.

Where should you obtain this vitally important coverage at the most affordable price? Only purchase personal disability insurance coverage through an independent agent who can offer plans from multiple companies. Never allow yourself to be sold a policy by a representative who offers only one plan, and thereby has an innate conflict of interest. The plan should be designed for you, not just a standard policy.

WisMed Assure exists for your benefit and offers plans from the big five insurance companies, with plans specifically designed for physicians. Reach out to us and let us design a plan that fits your needs. James Dahle, MD, of The White Coat Investor states, “Early in residency, buy as large of a high-quality, specialty-specific, own occupation, individual disability insurance policy as an agent is willing to sell you.” Take care of this urgent financial chore today.

Reach out to me and my team at WisMed Assure at insurance@wismedassure.org, complete this quick online form or call 608.442.3810.

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

Originally posted May 23 in The Antidote.

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