WASHTENAW COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY
Legislative action & community outreach since 1827
COVID-19 Information

COVID-19 statistics as of Wednesday, September 16:

Looking for COVID-19 testing sites in Washtenaw County? Follow this link.
Mental Health Helplines for Physicians and Medical Students
In Recognition of National Physician Suicide Awareness Day 2020

Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute and Society
The reactions to an unprecedented event like a pandemic are complicated. Stress can take many forms. If you have burnout feelings, irritability, excessive worrying or sadness, difficulty sleeping, feelings of inadequacy at work, numbness, or feeling alone, the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute and Society can help. To make a private, confidential appointment or to get more information, please click here or call (734) 677-1590. The Society will return calls within 24 hours to set up your first appointment.

Physician Support Line
The Physician Support Line is a nation-wide service available for US physicians and medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The line offers free and confidential peer support telehealth by volunteer psychiatrists. The line is available without appointment from 8:00 AM - 12:00 AM, 7 days a week. To start, call (888) 409-0141. For more information, follow this link.
WCMS Virtual Legislative Committee Meeting - Monday, September 21 at 7:30 AM

WCMS members are encouraged to join our quarterly Legislative Committee meeting with local lawmakers on Monday, Sept. 21 from 7:30 - 9:00 AM. Advocacy agenda items include: prior authorization reform, surprise billing, and COVID-19 liability legislation.

Confirmed legislators include Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, State Senator Jeff Irwin, and State Rep. Donna Lasinski.

Please contact the Society Office for virtual login credentials.
WCMS Virtual County-Wide COVID-19 Workgroup - Thursday, September 24 at 6:00 PM

Since March, WCMS has convened regular COVID-19 teleconferences to discuss resource allocation, emergency preparedness, and tracking and tracing among Washtenaw's health systems and physician leaders. The workgroup is led by University of Michigan infectious diseases specialist and WCMS Executive Council member Sandro Cinti, MD. The workgroup receives updates and modeling data from UM Public Health epidemiologists Marisa Eisenberg, PhD, MS and Emily Martin, PhD, MPH. To access recordings and resources from past meetings, please follow this link.

WCMS members are encouraged to join the virtual meeting on September 24 from 6:00 - 7:00 PM. Please contact the Society Office for login credentials.
Claim CME Credit for Learning During COVID-19 by Sept. 30

Physicians interested in claiming CME credit during the COVID-19 pandemic are asked to complete a survey identifying their learning experiences to the MSMS Education Department. In accordance with Executive Order 2020-82, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) may recognize hours worked or learning responding to the COVID-19 pandemic as hours toward continuing education courses or programs required for licensure. Learning includes: research, reading articles, listening to podcasts, discussing plans, and direct clinical care of COVID-19 patients.

The dates of learning eligible for credit are from March 17 - June 9, 2020 during the Governor's Executive Order. The deadline to submit for credit is September 30.

To learn more and to complete the survey, please click here.
Leadership Opportunities at WCMS

WCMS at the MSMS House of Delegates
The House of Delegates (HOD) is the official policy-making body of MSMS. Resolutions are the vehicles used to debate and determine the policies, priorities, and direction of MSMS. Each year, physician and medical student members serve as delegates, review resolutions, testify in reference committees, and vote on important policy decisions. WCMS was allocated 16 delegate slots in 2020.

The April 2020 meeting was postponed due to COVID-19. The Speaker has announced the following timeline:
  • Online testimony – Week of September 14, 2020
  • Reference Committee – Week of September 28, 2020
  • Washtenaw Delegation Meeting – October 7, 2020 at 6:00 PM
  • Online voting – Week of October 12, 2020
  • Post final report – October 26, 2020
To learn more, click here.

WCMS Executive Council
The Executive Council is the voting body that supervises the function and activities of WCMS. Council members determine annual events, legislative priorities, and community outreach directives. The Executive Council now meets virtually the first Thursday of each month.

WCMS Committees and Task Forces
Each committee meets approximately three-four times annually and members are simply asked to share a passion for the subject and interest in learning skills in the field.
  • Environmental/Climate Change Task Force
  • Finance Committee
  • Legislative Committee
  • Membership Committee
  • Programming Committee

To learn more about these opportunities, please follow this link.
*Reference to any specific commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of members, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Washtenaw County Medical Society.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP AND SUPPORT OF WCMS!
The Washtenaw County Medical Society has been the leading physician medical association for legislative action and community outreach since 1827. WCMS collaborates with the Michigan State Medical Society to optimize patient, physician, and community well-being through professional support; public health activism; and advocacy for excellence in patient care.