Free CME available for next Town Hall series, featuring MCW faculty

In partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), the Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) invites physicians to participate in a SARS-CoV-2 Town Hall webinar series,* beginning Wednesday, November 4. This webinar series features a range of topics to help Wisconsin physicians improve teamwork, communication and patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This series is free for Society members, but registration is required to attend. Sessions will be available on demand after each live session occurs.

Session topics and schedule are listed below. All live presentations are held from 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. To view the sessions and to register click here.

• November 4, 2020, SARS-CoV-2 Virus Biology & Vaccine Development
• November 11, 2020, The Current State of Therapeutics
• November 18, 2020, Communicability and Public Health Response
• November 25, 2020, The Convergence of Seasonal Flu and SARS-CoV-2
• December 2, 2020, Combating COVID-19 Challenges in Disadvantaged Populations – a Case Study

*This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 credit™.

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

Back to top

Superhero of Medicine Fund launched in celebration of Foundation’s Superhero of Medicine

On October 14 the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation hosted a
virtual birthday party to celebrate Jasmine Zapata, MD, MPH, the 2020 Superhero of Medicine award winner and announce an exciting collaboration. Dr. Zapata was recognized for her tireless work mentoring and supporting young women on their paths toward careers in medicine, along with her work to reduce infant mortality. Physicians across Wisconsin have shared that racism and a lack of diversity in the health care workforce are some of the major issues they see facing their patients and communities. The Foundation and Dr. Zapata came together around a goal to eliminate health inequities in Wisconsin by using radical and innovative methods to diversify the health care workforce and launched the Superhero of Underrepresented Minorities Fund foundation.wismed.org/superhero at the virtual birthday party.

Guests at the party included Dr. Zapata’s family, friends, coworkers and mentees. Her mother, Julia Saffold, shared that Dr. Zapata knew from the age of 5 that she wanted to be a physician. Her aunt Vanessa shared that her Great, Great, Great Grandmother was a slave, and that Dr. Zapata’s accomplishments would be beyond her ancestor’s wildest dreams. It is this support and history that has always inspired Dr. Zapata to give back and support others. Several of her mentees and previous recipients of support were on the call. Jamie spoke of the financial challenges that delayed her ability to realize her dream of being a doctor. Two thousand dollars for med school applications was out of reach and there are no scholarships for this type of expense. Fatou is from an immigrant family who tries to help as she is the first in her family to attempt to become a physician, but they are also still supporting family back home. Jade talked about how meeting Dr. Zapata when she was 17 completely changed her trajectory. Seeing people who looked like her succeeding in medicine and giving her opportunities to succeed.

This fund will serve the Foundation’s mission to help build a more diverse physician workforce in Wisconsin and to improve health equity and decrease health disparities across the state. It will provide resources for underrepresented minority premed and medical students in Wisconsin or those with plans to come to Wisconsin for school or work. Uses may include, but are not limited to scholarships, study materials, webinars and empowerment events. Our ultimate long-term goal is to transform this fund into an endowment that will support the mission in perpetuity and have lasting impact. In the meantime, however, given so many opportunities for immediate action, we will be distributing donations on an ongoing basis as needs arise. It will take all of us to affect lasting change. Please donate and help us hear more stories of inspiration and obstacles overcome.

 

Back to top

Nitrile gloves and sanitizer now available

The Wisconsin Medical Society is pleased to announce that through our partnership with ActionPPE, nitrile gloves and sanitizer are now available for order. 

For additional information and to order, please click here.

Wisconsin Medical Society members are eligible for a 5% discount! If you would like to join or renew your membership or need assistance accessing your member ID number, please contact our membership team at [email protected] or 800.762.8975.

Back to top

IPFCF offering special coverage for Wisconsin physicians

During the period of the federal public health emergency, and specified in the Governor’s Emergency Order 2, the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund (IPFCF) is offering special coverage for practicing physicians and nurse anesthetists in Wisconsin. There will be no charge for IPFCF coverage for the current fiscal year, through July 1, 2021, due to the premium holiday originally requested by the Wisconsin Medical Society.

To be eligible for this special coverage, physicians and nurse anesthetists must meet one of the following requirements, and have primary insurance policies that either do not comply with ch. 655, Wis. Stats. or do not cover Wisconsin practice specific to the health emergency.

1. Hold a permanent Wisconsin license
2. Hold a temporary Wisconsin license
3. Meet one of the requirements of Emergency Order 2
   1. Interstate reciprocity I.2.
   2. Recently lapsed credentials I.4.
   3. Telemedicine I.5.

To initiate IPFCF coverage, physicians and nurse anesthetists may purchase primary malpractice coverage specifically for the health emergency from any licensed medical malpractice insurer in Wisconsin. WisMed Assure works with several insurers including ProAssurance and the Wisconsin Health Care Liability Insurance Plan. WisMed Assure created additional resources for retired physicians and can be contacted at [email protected] or 608.442.3810.

For questions and more information, please contact [email protected].

Back to top

Society joins Stop the COVID Spread! coalition

Nearly two dozen of the state’s leading health care, business and local government advocacy groups launched a broad public education effort October 9 aimed at promoting the embrace of smart behaviors designed to slow the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. Called the Stop the COVID Spread! coalition, each entity will contribute to statewide public service announcements while harnessing their own digital media channels to spread the message of how mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing can prevent further escalation of the already-troubling upward trend of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

“The Wisconsin Medical Society will continue to help the public understand the severe ramifications of an unchecked COVID-19 pandemic on our state’s hospitals, clinics and health care workforce,” Society CEO Bud Chumbley, MD, MBA said. “Current trends are endangering hospital capacity in some parts of the state, and an unchecked pandemic threatens physicians and other important members of the health care workforce that have been asked to sacrifice for more than six months.

“Physicians are trusted members of their communities,” Dr. Chumbley said. “Through our statewide membership we have an unmatched ability to help our state’s citizens understand how their actions can help protect themselves, their families and their communities – as well as what can happen if folks don’t take this virus seriously.”

Circuit Court’s action halting Gov. Evers’ Temporary Gatherings Limitation Order garners Society reminder

A Sawyer County Circuit Court judge issued a temporary restraining order October 14 preventing enforcement of Governor Tony Evers’ Emergency Order #3, which temporarily limited indoor public gatherings to 25 percent of a facilities capacity. The court has scheduled a hearing for Monday, October 19 for the plaintiffs and the state to make their case as to whether the emergency order should have been issued via administrative rule, or if the governor’s emergency declaration powers are alone sufficient to issue the temporary order.

In a statement delivered to the statewide media, Society President Erik Gundersen, MD, reiterated the Society’s smart behaviors messaging to the public. “Regardless of any government order, we all have the power to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect our state’s health and economy,” Dr. Gundersen said in the statement. “Wear a mask, wash your hands and maintain smart social distancing, which includes avoiding large groups. And please get a flu shot.”

For more information, contact Society Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD.

Back to top

HCW releases updated advance directive

Honoring Choices Wisconsin (HCW) has released an updated advance directive (AD) that is now available on the Honoring Choices webpage under “Advance Directive form.”

A multidisciplinary workgroup of the statewide HCW Steering Committee developed the new AD to address changes made to Wisconsin’s statues via 2019 Act 90. Under previous law the determination of incapacitated persons was made by two physicians, or one physician and one psychologist. Under the Act, that determination can now be made by two physicians, or one physician and one “advanced practice clinician.” Details about the Act can be found here.

HCW is an initiative of the Wisconsin Medical Society (Society) to build system change, advocacy and education around advance care planning. Through HCW, the Society is serving as convener, coordinator and catalyst to make advance care planning a routine and standard part of care across Wisconsin.

For more information contact [email protected].

Youth-friendly health care with PATCH

PATCH Teen Educators can help health professionals improve adolescent health care experiences and make their practice more youth-friendly (all from the comfort of their homes or workplaces). Join PATCH for a workshop as youth share their wants, needs and experiences when it comes to health care, and gain tips and tricks that will allow participants to support youth as they transition from adolescent to adult-based care. Additionally, the PATCH for Providers Workshop is accredited to offer continuing education for various health professionals in Wisconsin. 

PATCH can train an entire clinic staff at a PATCH for Providers workshop at a date & time that works best for the team (delivered virtually or in-person following public health guidelines). Visit www.wipatch.org/workshops to schedule a workshop today!

Or join one of the three virtual PATCH for Providers workshops that are already scheduled with PATCH Sites from across Wisconsin on November 11, 13 or 19. Visit www.wipatch.org/events for more details and to register.

Please consider inviting PATCH Teen Educators to the clinic, organization, classroom or annual meeting! They love presenting anywhere physicians, health care professionals or youth gather.

Back to top

WisMed members and ProAssurance customers have a chance to earn premium credit and free CME

In case you missed the September event, ProAssurance will be hosting another session of Telemedicine: COVID-19 and Beyond on October 21 at 7 a.m. Exclusively for Wisconsin Medical Society members and clients of WisMed Assure, this live one-hour loss prevention webinar is in response to the many inquiries, questions and concerns from our members and clients.

Join Laurette Salzman, Senior Risk Resource Advisor for ProAssurance, and John Rather, Attorney with Neider & Boucher, S.C., as they discuss the pitfalls and medical professional liability risks associated with the practice of telemedicine.

Click here for registration and more information.

Telemedicine: COVID-19 and Beyond
Date: Wednesday, October 21
Time: 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. CT
Register here.

Back to top