News & Articles
Governor Evers just announced five budget listening sessions. This is a great opportunity to discuss issues facing radiologists with the Governor and his team. Issues raised at these sessions may be included in the Governor's 2025-27 state budget.
The list of sessions and registration links for each session are included below.
Monday 12/2 - Appleton 5:30pm-7:00pm
Wednesday 12/4 - LaCrosse 5:30pm-7:00pm
Tuesday 12/10 - Milwaukee 5:30pm-7:00pm
Thursday 12/12 - Ashland 5:30pm-7:00pm
Monday 12/16 - VIRTUAL 4:00pm-5:30pm
Election Day is less than two weeks away! There are races for U.S. President, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, even-numbered State Senate Districts, and all 99 State Assembly seats. Voters will also have a proposed state constitutional amendment on their ballots related to the eligibility to vote. There are also many school referenda throughout the state.
Due to legislative redistricting, this will be one of the most competitive election cycles in recent memory for state assembly and state senate. Republicans are very likely to maintain control of the State Senate. Democrats have a path to gain control of the State Assembly, though it’s a challenging one. We’ve compiled a list of races to watch, which is attached.
Make sure you have a plan to vote!
Review Your Sample Ballot: You can see all of the races and referenda that will be on your ballot before you vote early or head to the polls! Visit: https://myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Whats-On-My-Ballot
Early Voting (In-Person Absentee): Early voting started October 22 and goes until Sunday, November 3. Hours and locations vary by municipality; contact your municipal clerk for details.
Absentee Ballot (By Mail): The deadline to request that an absentee ballot be mailed to you is Thursday, October 31. However, completed absentee ballots must be received by the clerk’s office by 8 p.m. on Election Day in order to be counted, so time is running out to use this option.
Election Day: Polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5. You can register to vote at the polls.
It is with sorrow that I write to share with you that this past Monday, Andrew B. Crummy, Jr., MD passed away at the age of 93. In addition to being an innovator in our field, he was a beloved and respected colleague to many.
Dr. Crummy completed an internship and residency at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in 1961. After completing his fellowship at Yale-New Haven Medical Center in 1963, he returned to Madison and joined our department. He immediately made his mark by introducing cutting-edge arteriography techniques to cardiovascular and neuroradiology, as well as championing ultrasound as a diagnostic tool. Later, he collaborated closely with Chuck Mistretta and other Medical Physics colleagues on the development and translation of digital subtraction angiography, one of the most important advances in medical imaging in the 20th century.
During his 33 years in radiology, the field expanded from the vascular arena to the broad-based specialty of interventional radiology. He helped establish the subspeciality and was a founding member of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR), which awarded him the Gold Medal in 2011. He also received the 2013 Flaherty Lifetime Achievement Award from the Wisconsin Radiological Society for his extraordinary contributions to the practice of radiology in the state.
Details of Dr. Crummy’s obituary and memorial services will be shared when available.
Please keep Dr. Crummy’s family and loved ones in your thoughts.
State agencies have sent their 2025-27 state budget requests to Governor Evers. He will use these documents as he prepares his state budget bill, which will likely be introduced in February 2025.
Most agencies issued cost-to-continue budgets that did not request new GPR expenditures, per the Governor’s budget instructions. The Governor is not tied to these requests, they are simply a guide as he puts his budget together. It is estimated that the state will have a $3.1 billion surplus at the end of the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Highlights from relevant agency budgets can be found below.
Department of Safety and Professional Services
DSPS writes in its budget request that it does not have enough FTE staff to fulfill its mission. They note that they have not received their full budget request in any of the last four budgets. Instead, they say, they have had to rely on temporary federal funding. DSPS says that six of the 13 temporary staff positions they received approval for in the last budget are expiring at the end of Fiscal Year 2025. An additional nine federally supported positions and 15 contracted call center staff expire at the end of FY 2025.
Maintaining Customer Service Center Staff Levels: DSPS requests 14.0 FTE permanent Office Operations Associate positions and ongoing funding of $707,000 PR-O in FY 26 and $938,700 PR-O in FY 27 to allow the department to meet the demand for licensed occupations and ensure the safety and economic wellbeing of the people of Wisconsin. DSPS says this funding and staffing level is needed to maintain the current average call-answered rate of 86%.
Credential Processing Staff: DSPS requests authorization for 10 FTE permanent positions and ongoing funding of $659,600 PR-O in FY 26 and $875,500 PR-O in FY 27 to ensure continuation of efficient and effective processing of license applications.
Data-Driven Decision Making and Business Intelligence: DSPS requests a 1.0 FTE permanent Research Analyst-Advanced position and ongoing funding of $60,800 PR-0 in FY 26 and $77,100 PR-0 in FY 27 to use data-driven information to improve internal processes and information dissemination for applicants, educational institutions, and employers. With the automation of the DSPS's credentialing, enforcement and compliance processes, the agency has an opportunity to use the data gleaned from these systems to predict workforce trends, accelerate the pathway to licensure, and develop programs that will educate credential holders.
The Governor's Task Force on Healthcare Workforce released its final report this week. This report has been submitted to the Governor who will consider these recommendations as he builds his 2025-27 state budget, which will be released in January or February.
We encourage you to review all 26 recommendations, and the following may be of particular interest to WRS:
Increase Licensee Wellness Programming to Support Retention
Wisconsin is an outlier in that it is one of the few states that does not offer a comprehensive wellness program to physicians. The Task Force recommends establishing a comprehensive clinician wellbeing and retention program designed to support the health care workforce and keep them practicing at the highest level of safe practice.
Expand State Incentives for Health Professionals Serving in State-Defined Shortage Areas
The Task Force recommends providing targeted funding to expand state incentive programs for health care professionals to include those serving in underserved communities. Incentive strategies may include expanded student loan repayment and other innovations to enhance recruitment and retention in state defined shortage areas.
Support Pathways to Licensure for Qualified Foreign Educated Professionals
The Task Force recommends providing funding to add legal capacity at DSPS to clarify and expand pathways to practice for qualifying foreign-educated or foreign-trained health professionals.
Maintain Licensing Improvements and Enhance Licensing Support for Applicants, Employers, Educators, and Other Stakeholders
Some of the temporary DSPS staff positions allocated by the last budget will expire on June 30, 2025, which will reduce DSPS’s capacity by a third. The Task Force recommends maintaining DSPS licensing service levels by making temporary positions permanent, by adding dedicated staff to support employers, educators, and other key stakeholder groups who regularly engage in the credentialing process for employees and students, and by adding staff who can answer complex practice questions and generate educational and information tools that increase practice competence and confidence among regulated professionals.
Support employer-based workforce development solutions with Provider Innovation Grants.
The Task Force recommends expanding the home and community-based services provider innovation grant. They recommend providing sustained funding and administrative support for a provider innovation grant program to help health care providers implement best practices and innovative solutions to support the workforce. These grant funds could be leveraged by employers to develop and share innovative strategies to retain their existing health care workforce.
Analyze Existing and Gather Additional Data on the Health Care Workforce
The Task Force recommends implementing workforce surveys for health professions and allocating resources necessary for the data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
Reduce Barriers to training by funding wraparound services programs for students
The Task Force recommends funding wraparound services programs, administered by state institutions of higher education, to address barriers to education such as transportation, technology and child care.
The dust has officially settled on the 2023-24 legislative session! A combined total of 2,458 pieces of legislation were introduced this session (1,113 in the Senate and 1,229 in the Assembly). Of these, 277 were signed into law and 70 were vetoed.
WRS's full bill list is attached. And here is a quick recap of where the main bills of interest ended up. All bills that did not pass this session are dead and need to be re-introduced at the start of the next legislative session, which begins in January 2025.
International Physician Provisional License: Governor Evers signed Assembly Bill 954, authored by Senator Cory Tomczyk (R-Mosinee) and Representative Representative Calvin Callahan (R-Tomahawk), into law as 2023 Wisconsin Act 214. Act 214 creates a provisional license to practice medicine for international physicians who meet specific criteria. An international physician with a provisional license would be required to work under the supervision of a physician who is licensed to practice in Wisconsin. Every 6 months, a provisional license holder would need to submit a report to the MEB. A provisional license will be converted to a permanent license after the international physician has worked full-time in Wisconsin for three consecutive years.
APRN Independent Practice: Senate Bill 145/Assembly Bill 154, authored by Senator Patrick Testin (R-Stevens Point) and Representative Gae Magnafici (R-Dresser), would have allowed APRNs to practice independently after three years of working under physician supervision.
This bill was passed by both houses of the Legislature but ultimately vetoed by the Governor for failing to incorporate compromises proposed by WMS and physician stakeholders, including raising the experience requirement and creating “truth in advertising” protections related to physician titles.
Preliminary Licenses for Health Care Credentials: Senate Bill 158/Assembly Bill 144, authored by Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) and Representative Joy Goeben (R-Hobart), would have created a preliminary license for health care credentials--including radiographers and physicians--at DSPS. Recent graduates (people who graduated within the last two years) hired by a health care employer could have applied for a preliminary license when they submitted their permanent license request. The preliminary credential would have expired once DSPS acted on their permanent credential application.
This bill was passed by both houses of the Legislature but ultimately vetoed by Governor Evers. "I am vetoing this bill because I object to potentially reducing patient protections from individuals who have a disqualifying criminal background by allowing unlicensed individuals to receive preliminary healthcare credentials based solely upon their own attestations and employer conducted background checks," wrote Governor Evers in his veto message.
Physician Title Protection/Truth-in-Advertising: Senate Bill 143/Assembly Bill 317, authored by Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) and Representative Gae Magnafici (R-Dresser), would have prevented anyone other than a licensed physician from using physician-related titles (like radiologist) in their professional title, advertising or description of services.
This bill received a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, which ultimately voted 2-4 on passage, effectively killing it.
Breast Cancer Supplemental Screening: Senate Bill 121/Assembly Bill 117, authored by Senator Rachel Cabral Guevara (R-Appleton) and Nate Gustafson (R-Fox Crossing), would have provided coverage without cost-sharing for supplemental breast exams (MRI, ultrasound) and diagnostic breast imaging for women who either have dense breasts or meet National Comprehensive Cancer Network increased risk guidelines. An amendment was later adopted which would have only allowed for no-cost coverage of ultrasounds.
The amended version of the bill was passed by both the Senate Committee on Health and the Assembly Committee on Health, Aging and Long-term Care, but it never received a floor vote in either house.
Temporary practice of out-of-state credential holders: Assembly Bill 205/Senate Bill 194, authored by the Joint Legislative Council Committee, would have expanded the current law allowing certain out-of-state health care providers to practice in Wisconsin while awaiting a Wisconsin license to include non-health care professions as well as several health professions that were not included in the original law like radiographers. Physicians are already covered by this law and can receive Act 10 temporary licenses.
This bill was passed 62-34 by the Assembly in June 2023, but never acted on by the full Senate.
Telehealth Provided by Out-of-State Providers: Senate Bill 823/Assembly Bill 875, authored by Senator Rob Stafsholt (R-New Richmond) and Representative Nate Gustafson (R-Fox Crossing), would have allowed out-of-state providers to provide telehealth without a Wisconsin license.
Senate Bill 823 was passed by the full Senate on a voice vote on March 12, 2024, but no action was taken on it by the full Assembly.
International Physician Provisional License: Governor Evers signed Assembly Bill 954 into law as 2023 Wisconsin Act 214. Act 214 creates a provisional license to practice medicine for international physicians who meet specific criteria. An international physician with a provisional license would be required to work under the supervision of a physician who is licensed to practice in Wisconsin. Every 6 months, a provisional license holder would need to submit a report to the MEB. A provisional license will be converted to a permanent license after the international physician has worked full-time in Wisconsin for three consecutive years.
The Wisconsin Legislature adjourned last week and will return after fall elections in January 2025. The legislature acted on several issues of interest to WRS.
Thank you to Dr. Kattapuram who did an op-ed in support of the breast imaging bill. Read more here.
Medical X-Ray Consultants (MXC) is seeking a General Radiologist. Find job details here.
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