Wisconsin’s Doctor Day will take place on June 15, 2023. WI Doctor Day brings together physicians from every specialty and practice environment to meet with their legislators and advocate on health care issues affecting healthcare. The multi-specialty nature of Doctor Day makes it among the most unique advocacy events for physicians in the country.

Physicians and medical students at all stages of their careers will once again join together in Madison to take part in policy breakout sessions, hear keynote presentations and participate in a briefing on the day's priority issues. Attendees will then participate in group visits with legislators and legislative staff at the Wisconsin State Capitol. The day will conclude with a Doctor Day reception where you’ll have the chance to connect socially with both friends and peers. 

​Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or brand new to the legislative process, attending Doctor Day will provide you advocacy tools and skills to make your voices heard. Continue to watch your email for updates on registration!

From Wisconsin Health News:

Two doctors’ groups filed a brief with the Wisconsin Supreme Court last week arguing that courts shouldn’t compel physicians to provide the antiparasitic drug ivermectin as a COVID-19 intervention. 

 

The American Medical Association and Wisconsin Medical Society asked that the court uphold an appeals court ruling earlier this year that found no legal authority to compel private healthcare providers to administer treatments that they have determined are below the standard of care. 

 

The ruling came in a case brought by Allen Gahl, whose uncle was placed on a ventilator in October 2021 while hospitalized at Aurora Medical Center-Summit with COVID-19. 

 

Gahl obtained a prescription for ivermectin for his uncle, but the hospital staff declined to provide it after deeming the medication below the standard of care. Gahl sued, which led a Waukesha County Court to initially order that the hospital provide his uncle with the drug. 

 

The hospital appealed, and the Waukesha County judge later revised his order to require that the healthcare facility let Gahl find a doctor outside the hospital to administer ivermectin to his uncle. However, an appeals court put a hold on that order. 

 

In their brief, the American Medical Association and Wisconsin Medical Society wrote that most studies investigating ivermectin haven’t found it to be an effective COVID-19 treatment. The consensus view is, apart from clinical trials, it shouldn’t be used to treat the illness, they noted.

 

They wrote that the hospital met its legal and ethical duties by treating the patient with an “evidence-based protocol” that did not include the drug and that the Wisconsin Supreme Court should affirm the court of appeals' ruling.

 

"Holding otherwise would allow courts to compel treatments that the medical consensus finds to be substandard,” they wrote. “That outcome forces Wisconsin's physicians to choose between the law and their ethical duties, potentially exposing patients to harm and physicians to liability.” 

 

The Wisconsin Supreme Court agreed to hear the case in September, with the plaintiff in the case arguing that the appeals court acted in error and that its decision “left a wake of confusion with citizens regarding the right to request to receive ivermectin.”

Click here to read the article on the Wisconsin Health News website. 

WAOPS held their Fall Conference last week, November 4-5, at the Holiday Inn & Suites Madison West in Madison, WI.  The CME committee planned an excellent program that kept attendees engaged with a range of topics and interactive talks. WAOPS even had their first virtual speaker, Dr. Melisa Lott streamed in successfully from Chicago, IL who spoke on Hypertension in Pregnancy. A great lineup of speakers filled the rest of the program including Dr. Kevin Klauer, the American Osteopathic Association CEO who flew in to speak. WAOPS was also able to once again offer Opioid credits through Drs. Gibbons and Sullivan's talk Medications for OUD (MOUD) Starter Pack. Thank you to all of our presenters, attendees and exhibitors who were able to join us! 

Save the Dates:
2023 Spring Conference | May 5-6, 2023 | Tundra Lodge Resort, Green Bay, WI 
2023 Fall Conference | November 10-11, 2023 | Kalahari Resort, Wisconsin Dells, WI

With many questions surrounding the status of Wisconsin’s abortion-related law following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision in June 2022, the Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) is offering members a special webinar with legal experts to describe the current legal landscape. Attorneys from the Madison law firm Pines Bach will present “Providing Patient Care Post-Dobbs: A Look at Wisconsin Abortion Law” live at noon on Tuesday, September 20, including time for Q&A. The presentation will also be recorded and available on-demand for a limited time.

Register for this members-only event here. There is no cost for this WisMed member benefit. If you have questions about the current status of Wisconsin law you think should be covered in the program, please contact WisMed Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Mark Grapentine, JD.

About the legal experts, Pines Bach attorneys Diane M. Welsh and Leslie A. Freehill:

Attorneys Diane Welsh and Leslie Freehill of Pines Bach LLP

Attorney Diane Welsh is a partner at Pines Bach LLP, where she advises clients on a variety of matters, including government and health law, and represents clients in all levels of litigation. Prior to joining Pines Bach, Diane served as Chief Legal Counsel for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and as assistant attorney general at the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Attorney Leslie Freehill is an associate at Pines Bach, where she practices in the areas of civil litigation, administrative law and appeals. Prior to joining Pines Bach, she served as a staff attorney for the Dane County Circuit Court.

Congratulations to Dr. Alexandra Wolf who was selected by the American Osteopathic Foundation as a 2022 State Emerging Leader!  

The American Osteopathic Foundation’s State Emerging Leader was created to recognize outstanding new physicians in practice across the country who are poised to become the next generation of leaders in Osteopathic medicine. Every year, AOF recognizes one early-career physician in each state who is making a difference in health care and whose dedication has improved the lives of their patients.

WAOPS joined the AOA and multiple other associations by signing onto a letter to address prior authorization by advocating for the enactment of the Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act.

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
WAOPS FALL CONFERENCE

November 4-5, 2022

Holiday Inn & Suites Madison West | Madison, WI

Join us November 4-5 at the Holiday Inn and Suites Madison West in Madison, WI for the WAOPS Fall Conference. The conference will feature the latest updates in osteopathic education, lectures, networking and more!

CME Credits: 16 Category 1-A credits (hours)

Register Here