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

COVID-19 statistics as of Wednesday, September 2:

Looking for COVID-19 testing sites in Washtenaw County? Follow this link.
Washtenaw County "Cannabis In Practice" Webinars

Mark your calendars for the remaining "Cannabis in Practice" Zoom webinars for medical professionals hosted by the Washtenaw County Health Department and WCMS.

Tuesday, September 8 at Noon
Topic: Legalized Cannabis in Michigan: A Medical, Business and Scientific Perspective
Speaker: Barton Morris, Attorney Law Offices of Barton Morris

Thursday, September 10 at Noon
Topic: Cannabis Use in Practice: Focus on Pregnancy and Lactation
Speaker: Laura M. Borgelt, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy
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PAST WEBINARS via Facebook Live


WCMS Virtual County-Wide COVID-19 Workgroup - Thursday, September 10 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 also receives updates and modeling data from University of Michigan Public Health epidemiologists Marisa Eisenberg, PhD, MS and Emily Martin, PhD, MPH via their MI Safe Start COVID-19 dashboard. To access recordings of past meetings, follow this link.

WCMS members are encouraged to join the virtual meeting on September 10 from 6:00 - 7:00 PM. Please contact the Society Office for login credentials.
Michigan Medicine to Conduct COVID-19 Vaccine Trial

Michigan Medicine is partnering with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for a phase 3 clinical trial to test a vaccine against COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine study is evaluating an investigational vaccine, AZD1222. The study is now enrolling volunteers who may be at risk of COVID-19. Approximately 30,000 participants from the United States will take part in this study.

To learn more about the clinical trial, please click here.
WCMS Virtual Legislative Committee Meeting - Monday, September 21 at 7:30 AM

Join the WCMS Legislative Committee, led by Chairman Jim Mitchiner, MD, MPH, to discuss the latest legislative updates and news with state and federal lawmakers. The agenda will include:
  • Unanticipated Out-of-Network Billing
  • Prior Authorization/Health Can’t Wait
  • Telemedicine
  • COVID-19 Advocacy

Confirmed legislators: Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. Anticipated legislators: Senator Jeff Irwin, Rep. Donna Lasinski, Rep. Yousef Rabhi, Rep. Ronnie Peterson, and Rep. Rebekah Warren.

WCMS members are encouraged to join the virtual meeting on September 10 from 7:30 - 9:00 AM. 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.
Mental Health Helplines for Physicians and Medical Students

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, 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.
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. As of July 21, the Speaker has announced the following timeline:
  • Resolution Review Committee meets – Week of August 31, 2020
  • Post resolutions – September 14, 2020
  • Online testimony – Week of September 14, 2020
  • Reference Committee/s meet – Week of September 28, 2020
  • 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.
The WCMS Office has resumed modified business operations. To schedule an appointment, or for questions, please contact the Society Office via email or call (734) 668-6241.