NEWS & INFORMATION

Beyond The Bullet is a special report that sheds light on the bigger impact of gun violence in Milwaukee and introduces you to people working to disrupt the cycle of youth violence. This special report sheds light on the bigger impact of gun violence in Milwaukee and introduces you to people working to disrupt the cycle of youth violence.  The report first aired on TMJ4 News on November 16, 2023. Click here to see 'Beyond The Bullet'

Guest article by: George M. Lange, MD, FACP, Chair ACP & AD by the Wisconsin Medical Society

National Injury Prevention Day (NIPD) was designated as November 18 in 2020. NIPD is designed to raise awareness about the burden of injury and violence and the need for change. It is dedicated to educating and empowering communities to make a difference in reducing injuries, deaths, and disabilities. Did you know that injuries and violence are the leading cause of death and disability for people ages one to 44? NIPD tries to reduce the burden you or others may encounter.

What can you do for NIPD?

• You can get or stay fit with regular exercise like walking for 30 minutes 3 to 5 times per week at a pace you’re comfortable with.

• Use your seatbelt when you’re traveling in a motor vehicle. Drive safely. No distracted driving. Don’t drink or use drugs and drive.
• When you ride a bike, wear a bike helmet.
• If you own a gun, store it safely. Store the ammunition safely. Guns are the number one cause of death in people under 25 years of age.
• Reduce your risk of falls with grab bars, no throw rugs or electric cords across walking areas and practice balance exercises available from your physician or on the internet. Good shoes and avoid slippery or cluttered surfaces.
• Make sure your immunizations are all up to date.
• Wash your hands after using the bathroom and before meals.
• Don’t smoke.
• Regular visits to your physician to screen for high blood pressure, high fats in your blood, obesity, chronic lung disease and diabetes. All of these, if untreated, will increase your risk of stroke, heart attack and premature death or disability. All of these are treatable with lifestyle changes and/or medications.
• Drowning is the number one cause of death in children ages 1-4. Drowning can happen to anyone, anytime there is access to water. You can prevent or reduce this risk by having children get swimming lessons at an early age. Drowning happens in seconds and is often silent. Children need close and constant supervision when in or around water. Build fences that fully encloses the pool with self-closing and self-latching gates. Wear a life jacket. Learn CPR. Know the risks of natural waters. Avoid alcohol or drugs before or during swimming. Use the buddy system. Take additional precautions for medical conditions like seizures.

It is strongly recommended you have a health care power of attorney.

What’s that, you ask? This is a document you create with the help of a facilitator, trusted person, and witnesses. You may want to enlist the help of an attorney, but that’s optional. Health care power of attorney (POA) enables you to direct your health care even if the doctors can’t communicate with you. With this document you choose an adult person who is aware of your health care goals and wishes to speak for you. How does this relate to NIPD? Have you or someone you know had to make decisions concerning a loved one’s health care when they had to guess what the patient would want?

Wisconsin is not a next of kin state, so the spouse is not automatically the one to make decisions about their spouse’s health care. Maybe your spouse has parents or siblings who would vie to be the health care agent. This happened with a patient suffering dementia who was under my care. The patient’s dementia was severe enough that she could not make her own medical decisions and never completed a health care POA. The husband and daughter both applied to be her guardian. The Judge requested their plans to provide for this patient who now needed a nursing home. The husband and daughter both submitted plans, and the Judge felt both parties had great plans for the patient. The Judge couldn’t decide who had the best plan and appointed a guardian ad litem. This person didn’t know the patient, her husband or daughter. The moral of this story is, “It’s never too early until it’s too late to complete a health care power of attorney.” This did cause strife between the patient’s husband and her daughter.

NIPD also has recommendations for infant and child safety.

NIPD advises that an infant sleeps alone on their back and is in a car seat when in a car. Toddlers should be in car seat and, when older, a booster seat. You should never leave a toddler or infant alone in the bath, bathroom or around a body of water. When the child is older, they should wear a bike helmet when riding a bike. All children should receive their immunizations at appropriate ages. If there is a gun in the house, it should be safely stored, and the ammunition stored separately. The above advice is not a complete list of what can be done to prevent injuries and death, contact your physician for additional suggestions.

You can visit the NIPD website, sign your organization up as supporter, put a green light on your organization logo, take a picture and send it to National Injury Prevention Day. May you reduce your risk of injury, disability or death.

Stay safe.

Ann Christiansen has been selected to serve as the Executive Director of the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership (MHCP), effective September 18, 2023.  In this capacity, Christiansen will assume responsibility as the chief strategist and operations manager for the MHCP, a public-private consortium dedicated to improving health care access and health equity for low-income and vulnerable populations in Milwaukee County.

“Christiansen’s passion for the health and well-being of underserved populations and her extensive knowledge of health care and community health will further our collective mission to improve health care for low-income and vulnerable populations in Milwaukee County,” said Carrie Killoran, MHCP Board Chair and President – Greater Milwaukee PSA & Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center. “We are confident her unique skillset, existing relationships, and demonstrated success in leading cross-sector collaboration will take the 16-year consortium to the next level.”

With more than 20 years of leadership experience in public health and health care, Christiansen previously served as Vice President, Community Health-Wisconsin at Advocate Health. She also held earlier roles as Director/Health Officer at the North Shore Health Department and Assistant Director of the Medical College of Wisconsin Comprehensive Injury Center.

“I am proud to be chosen to lead the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership and the dedicated, mission-driven members whose commitment has created a culture of success for over 15 years,” said Christiansen. “I am excited about what we can do collaboratively into the future to address the most pressing health care needs in our community.”

Christiansen succeeds Joy Tapper, who served as Executive Director since 2007.

More information about Ann Christiansen and the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership is available on the MHCP website at https://mkehcp.org.

Established in 2007, the Milwaukee County Health Care Partnership is a public / private consortium dedicated to improving health care for low-income, underserved populations in Milwaukee County with the aim of improving health outcomes, advancing health equity and lowering the total cost of care. 

mkehcp.org

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Chief Health Policy Advisor Dr. Ben Weston, Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Executive Director Shakita LaGrant-McClain, and Behavioral Health Services (BHS) are announcing the placement of 11 Harm Reduction Vending Machines to reduce injury and death from overdose, at locations across the county, informed by data and need. The machines provide free access to harm reduction and prevention supplies, including fentanyl test strips, nasal naloxone, medication deactivation pouches, medication lock bags, and gun locks. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), harm reduction is an evidence-based practice to prevent death for people who use drugs. In 2022, there were 667 drug overdose deaths in Milwaukee County.

“The opioid epidemic reaches communities in all parts of the county. It crosses all socio-economic, demographic and age ranges – there is no ‘type’ of person who succumbs to opioid addiction. Last year’s opioid settlement allow us to get to work right away funding projects that will help save lives and mitigate continued suffering for residents and their loved ones,” said County Executive Crowley. “Milwaukee County has been on the frontlines of this battle for years in the court system, and now we take the next step in bringing crucial resources to the doorstep of the communities that need them the most. By following the data and investing in the communities with the highest need, I am optimistic we will make our communities safer and healthier and help residents begin or continue their road to recovery.”

Click Here for Vending Machine Locations

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The Despesna pantry is holding a Health Fair on August 5 from 8:30am to 12:00pm.  Attendees will be able to check their blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, along with receiving lead testing, family resources and naloxone training.  The pantry is located at 1615 S 22^nd Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53204.

Between 80 and 120 families are supported at the pantry, which is 90% Spanish speaking.  Volunteers are invited to help out.  The more we recruit, the more we can serve.  Looking for 20 volunteers for each Saturday. There is orientation information available for those who sign up.

This is the link for people to sign up.

Doctor Day 2023 was a success with over 300 registered physicians, residents, and medical students!

The group began their day at the beautiful Monona Terrace for a light breakfast and presentations on First Attendee Orientation, Communications/Media Training 101, Physician Wellness, and  a Legal Update. AMA President, Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, then joined as the keynote presenter. Following his presentation was a State Agency Roundtable and a Physicians Priority Issues Briefing. The group had a brief lunch and then headed down the street to the Capitol where physicians met with their legislators to discuss Doctor Day's priority issues: APRN Legislation and Extended Medicaid Coverage for New Moms. 

The group reconvened at Madison's for some appetizers and drinks and to discuss how their visits went. Everyone was in good spirits and already looking forward to the next Wisconsin Doctor Day!

Basketball is the one athletic activity that defines me and I carry my game philosophy into my personal and professional life. As a leader, it is my job to bring out the best in each of my team members. I learned how to identify the unique skills and strengths of every one of the players to be able to harness them at the right time to win the game.

The basketball analogy is applicable to our work at the Medical Society of Milwaukee County. We have unique skills and diverse backgrounds and we work together to achieve the Society’s mission. Together, we advance our mission and vision because we have a well-established organization. This allows us to leverage the strength of our collective membership.

Early on, when I was serving some of our most disadvantaged and underserved populations in Milwaukee, I found the only way that could be accomplished is to have the structure and coordination in place to make the best use of limited resources. I, along with many of you, dedicate time to the free clinics for the uninsured in Milwaukee. It is an important part of who I am as a person to give back to the people in my community.

I have been fortunate to have had multicultural exposure by working and studying in countries that are underserved, deep seated have disparities that are through the roof, natural disasters are common and critical infrastructure and health care is scarce. With that said, disparities exist in modern health care models, too. I learned from these experiences that people thrive only if they have opportunities and support from their family and community.

I had been affiliated with this organization as a member for a number of years before I stepped into a leadership role. Through the Society, I was able to share my passion with other members.

It is a great honor and privilege to serve you, as fellow physicians and members of the Society. Leaders will come and go in our organization, but I want to put into place changes that will have a positive impact on our longitudinal charitable investments and organizational goals, regardless of who is in the leadership position. It is my wish to pursue these goals not by changing the entire organizational structure and constitution, but by putting in durable amendments that will have a lasting impact on this Society and serve the greater community for decades years to come. We are the largest medical society at the county level in Wisconsin. As such, we have an important, bidirectional relationship with the Wisconsin Medical Society. We must work together with other like-minded stakeholders and legislators on advocacy issues that enable us to serve our patients and ensure they have adequate coverage and can receive the health care they need, regardless of their situation.

Respectfully,

Muhammad Bilal Abid, MD, MS, FACP, MRCP, FRCP

President, Medical Society of Milwaukee County

Dr. Abid is President of the Medical Society of Milwaukee County. He is an Assistant Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin with joint appointments with the Hematology/Oncology and Infectious Diseases Divisions. Dr. Abid and his wife, Dr. Paras Mughal (an orthodontist), have two children.

MSMC members were well represented at the recent WMS “Health and Harmony” Annual Meeting in Madison.  Dr Bilal Abid (MSMC President), Dr Don Lee (WMS President) and Dr Rob Riepenhoff (MSMC President-elect).  Congratulations to the WMS Foundation on a great event!

The Wisconsin Medical Society and Foundation held their 2023 Annual Meeting this past weekend.  Events featured a day-long CME and concluded with a celebration of outstanding health professionals at their annual fundraising event.  The Milwaukee area was well represented at this year’s event!

Doctor Don Lee was inaugurated as the new WMS President.  Dr Lee is a board-certified internist and practices as an internal medicine hospitalist and physician advisor for Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He most recently joined the Ascension Wisconsin Foundation Board of Directors. He has served in several part-time leadership roles including Ascension Medical Group Wisconsin Medical Director for Quality and Safety, Hospital Based Care as well as President of the Columbia St. Mary’s Physician Network. He is also on faculty as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Center in Milwaukee. In the community, Dr. Lee volunteers at a medical student run free clinic in Milwaukee and serves as the Treasurer of the Reede Scholars, Inc, a nonprofit organization started by members of the Commonwealth Fund Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy focusing on issues related to minority health.

Kyle Cass received the Presidential Scholar Award which recognizes a student entering his or her final year of medical school who has exemplified the attributes, skills and desire to become a leader in the medical profession in Wisconsin.  Kyle Cass grew up in Deforest and has a strong desire to do a surgical residency in Wisconsin, and eventually practice in Wisconsin. He became involved in the AMA and WisMed right after arriving at the Medical College of Wisconsin and was part of the MCW AMA leadership and Milwaukee County Medical Society and helped pass national AMA policy on COVID vaccination equity. He served as a student representative on both the Wisconsin Medical Society Board of Directors and on the Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation Board. He is also on the WisMed Social Media Committee. His involvement with the Saturday Clinic for the Uninsured further cemented his desire to help the most vulnerable Wisconsinites both as a physician and an advocate.

Karen Watson, MD, FACOG, is an OB-GYN at Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital - St. Joseph’s Campus and leads efforts for continuous improvement regarding maternal and infant health and has implemented innovative models for hospital-based care for obstetric patients. Dr Watson received the Superhero of Medicine Award.  She is well respected by her peers for promoting and sustaining clinical excellence, performance improvement and patient safety. Dr. Watson is a hero for her championing of Blanket of Love (a social-support program that helps expectant mothers and families from pregnancy to beyond their baby’s first birthday), her efforts that led to a reduction of primary c-sections reducing complications, injuries and deaths and her generosity in sharing her time and expertise with health professionals across the state to improve the care and treatment of OB-GYN patients.   The Wisconsin Medical Society Foundation is pleased to present a donation in honor of Dr. Watson to Bread of Healing Clinic, a free medical clinic designed to serve low-income people who experience barriers to accessing ongoing health care. Barbara Horner-Ibler, MD, M.Div., MSW, Executive Director and Physician of the Bread of Healing Clinic was thrilled to hear that Dr. Watson would be recognized for her work. She notes, “We take our clinic name from the Hebrew Scriptures, ‘Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.’ (Ecclesiastes 11:1) It is a recognition that we all give and receive from the waters of life. Dr. Watson’s designation of the Bread of Healing Clinic as the recipient of her award dollars is an example of one such gift! We will hope to use it well to make more gifts available to others downstream.”

The Social Development Commission recently released a YouTube video that highlights their work in the community.  Check out this video and other resources in the Resources section of the MSMC website.