The Washtenaw County Medical Society stands with the Ukrainian people and all in the medical community who are working to ease the pain and suffering of those caught in the violence of this conflict. All of our thoughts and prayers are with those committed to healing and saving lives.

There are several ways that you can help the Ukrainian people.

Locally, David Brown, MD, is collecting supplies and money. Click here to email him if you have a significant donation of disposable OR and ER supplies (tactical medical supplies):

~ Adhesive plaster (Omnifix)

~ Adhesive strips (Omnistrips)

~ Suture material: round-bodied needle-

2-0, 3-0, 4-0, 5-0, 6-0 (Prolen, Vycril, PDS)

~ Venosus catheters

~ Venosus central port catheters

~ Thoracic drainage

~ Abdominal drainage

~ Antiseptics (Chlorhexidine, Betadine, etc)

~ Wound dressing

~ Tourniquets- especially vital

~ Fixators for extremities

~ Hemostatic materials- especially vital

~ Surgical instruments

~ Sterile gloves: 7.0, 7.5, 8.0

~ VAC-system and supplies

~ Bandages

~ Electocautering coagulation machine

and supplies

~ Scalpel blades

~ Casts

~ Hemorrhage control bandage

~ Combat gauze

~ Haemostatic granules

~ Pulse oximeters

~ Portable ultrasound

~ Antibiotics

~ Antipyretics

~ Anti-inflammatory drugs (ibuprofen,

nurofen, paracetamol)

~ Painkillers

You can also contact Dr. Brown at (734) 717-7192.

Internationally, you can donate to:

For further, well-vetted suggestions for helping in Ukraine, visit the Charity Navigator website.

Last Thursday, the House Health Policy Committee held their first hearing on Senate Bill 247, legislation to reform prior authorization. Testimony from MSMS physician leaders focused on the delays in patient care caused by the current prior authorization process and its administrative burdens.

Currently, too many patients are forced to navigate through overly burdensome prior authorization requirements before accessing the critical care and treatment they need. Even worse, many of them are battling the kind of life-threatening conditions where every day and every minute matters. Especially now, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, our practices are already overburdened and understaffed. We have fewer people and less time to address these frustratingly lengthy procedures, resulting in more delays to proper patient care.

We need to reform this process to make sure that it's timely, transparent, and that the doctor-patient relationship takes precedence over insurance company paperwork. Thankfully, that's exactly what SB 247 delivers.

The response from the House committee was overwhelmingly positive and the bill could possibly move to the House floor for a vote as soon as this week. Please click here contact your representative and urge their support of SB 247.