Latest News

---

Society applauds Senate action removing joint and several liability change from State budget

Madison (June 17)—“The Wisconsin Medical Society applauds the State Senate for removing draconian changes to Wisconsin’s liability law from the biennial budget. Special thanks go to Sen. Jon Erpenbach for his efforts. Such a dramatic policy change didn’t belong in a budget bill in the first place, so we praise the Senate for standing up for good government.

“Wisconsin provides top-quality health care at a much more affordable value than other states in the country in part due to our reasonable approach to lawsuits. The dramatic change to joint and several liability would have threatened that stability by inspiring more lawsuits to be filed against more defendants as lawyers try to find a ‘deep pocket.’ Rather than encourage that bad behavior, the Legislature has sent a message loud and clear: let high-quality health care continue in Wisconsin.”

Statement attributable to Robert Jaeger, MD, President, Wisconsin Medical Society.

Click here to read more...

Society applauds Assembly action protecting Wisconsin's liability environment

Madison (June 10)—“Today’s vote by Assembly Democrats removing the joint and several liability changes from the biennial budget bill is very welcome news. Political arm-twisting should never trump good policy. Today’s action shows that our Capitol policymakers truly care about the ramifications of the work they do. The Society thanks Rep. Louis Molepske and Rep. Mary Hubler for making the motion to remove the item, and for the members of the caucus that supported that motion.

“We encourage the State Senate to support the Assembly’s action; keeping Wisconsin's medical liability environment stable helps our citizens keep their access to high-quality health care in this state.”

Click here to read more...

Wisconsin Medical Journal: Many doctors choose traditional Indian method to treat sinus conditions

Madison (June 9)—Neti pots and other saline nasal irrigation (SNI) devices used to be confined to health food stores and alternative-medicine practices. However, after receiving the thumbs-up from several clinical research studies, they’ve become a popular mainstream treatment for upper-respiratory conditions in Wisconsin.

A study in the latest issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal (Vol. 108, No. 3) assessed SNI usage patterns among 330 family physicians in Wisconsin and found that 87 percent have recommended SNI as therapy for a variety of upper-respiratory conditions, including sinus congestion caused by bacteria, allergies and viral infections.

Click here to read more...

Wisconsin Medical Journal: Infrastructure improvements may aid Wisconsin's rural research efforts

Madison (June 8)—According to the Rural Policy Research Institute, less than 0.5 percent of the nation’s private philanthropy goes toward rural research projects. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), less than 1 percent of its own funds for Wisconsin research support projects outside the Milwaukee and Madison areas.

A commentary piece by Janette Strasburger, MD, published in the latest issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal (Vol. 108, No. 3), makes a case that small towns and rural areas need more research dollars, public and private, and offers an action plan for universities, communities and elected officials to extend the reach of research beyond large cities and suburbs.

Click here to read more...

Wisconsin Medical Journal: Wisconsin children’s blood lead levels peak during summer

Madison (June 3)—Researchers have long suspected that blood lead levels—and the incidence of lead poisoning—follow seasonal trends, but these suspicions had never been confirmed for Wisconsin preschoolers. Now they have, thanks to a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Wisconsin Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

The study, published in the latest issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal (Vol. 108, No. 3), analyzed blood lead test results from nearly 677,000 Wisconsin children under age 6 from 1996 to 2008. The researchers found that average blood lead levels were lowest in March and highest in September, suggesting that lead may be more prevalent in Wisconsin children’s environments during the summer months.

Click here to read more...

Society applauds efforts for statewide smoking ban

Madison (May 7)—“The Wisconsin Medical Society is extremely pleased by the collaboration among the legislature and other key stakeholders to protect the health of our citizens with a statewide smoking ban. Wisconsin physicians have known for a long time that secondhand smoke is a costly and preventable health hazard for our patients. We applaud this effort and sincerely hope that smoke-free Wisconsin workplaces will become a reality in the days ahead.

The Society commends the leadership of Senators Fred Risser and Jon Erpenbach and Representatives Jon Richards and Al Ott to promote this vital public-health reform, and we call on the rest of the State Senate and Assembly to follow suit when it is time to vote. Strong smoking-ban legislation is truly a step forward for Wisconsin.”

Statement attributable to Robert Jaeger, MD, President, Wisconsin Medical Society.

Click here to read more...

Archive of recent news