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  2. Worker's Compensation
  3. Councils and Committees
  4. Health Care Provider Advisory Committee

Health Care Provider Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes May 8, 2015

Aurora Medical Center in Summit

May 8, 2015

Present: Richard Goldberg, MD; Barbara Janusiak, RN; Maja Jurisic, MD; John Metcalf (Chair) ; Peter Schubbe, DC; Ron Stark, MD; Sri Vasudevan MD

Excused: Mary Jo Capodice, DO;Theodore Gertel, MD; Amanda Gilliland; Stephen Klos, MD; Michael Lischak, MD; Jeff Lyne, DC; Marlin Nelson; Jennifer Seidl, PT

Staff present: Mary Lynn Endter, Ana Lopera; James O'Malley

Observers: Andrew Brenton, Wisconsin Hospital Association: Eric Jensen, Automated Healthcare Solutions

  1. Call to Order/Introductions: Mr. Metcalf convened the Health Care Provider Advisory Committee(HCPAC) meeting at approximately 10:15 AM in accordance with Wisconsin's open meeting law. Committee members, Worker's Compensation Division staff, and observers introduced themselves.
  2. Acceptance of January 23, 2015 Meeting Minutes: The minutes of the January 23, 2015 meeting could not be approved as a quorum of members was not present. Approval of Minutes was deferred.
  3. Future Meeting Dates: The next two meetings will be held on August 14, 2015 and October 16, 2015. Additional meeting dates will be considered at the August 14, 2015 meeting.
  4. Unfinished business - Wisconsin Medical Society Medical Education and Professional Development: Dr. Vasudevan updated the members on the webinars that are being prepared to train Wisconsin medical providers on fundamental issues related to worker's compensation, including legal and medical causation, return to work practices, benefit tables, assessment of temporary and permanent disability, and ergonomics. The next meeting of the committee working on the the webinars will be on June 1, 2015. The members are Dr. Capodice, Dr. Vasudevan, Attorney Ron Aplin, Laura Jacobs, Doug Miller, Liz Thompson, Nancy Nankivil, Jan Brady, and a representative of Society Insurance Company.
  5. Worker's Compensation Advisory Council Deliberations: Mr. O'Malley advised the next meeting of the Worker's Compensation Advisory Council (WCAC) will be on May 27, 2015 in Madison. At the next meeting the WCAC continue deliberations for an agreed upon bill. Mr. O'Malley updated the HCPAC on the legislative proposals from the public being considered by WCAC, starting with item number 14. Mr. O'Malley had covered the first 13 items at the January meeting. The Worker's Compensation Division (WCD) does not take a position on the legislative proposals from the public.
  6. Status of updating minimum permanent disability ratings in s. DWD 80.32 Wis. Admin. Code: Mr. O'Malley stated that the WCD is working on drafting questions for a survey of Wisconsin doctors with questions on how to set the permanent disability ratings. The questions will be broken down into the different body parts. The plan is to send the survey out by the end of the summer as a computer survey, and have the survey questions ready at the August meeting to allow members of the HCPAC an opportunity to review the survey questions. The last time the WCD conducted such a survey was in 1992 or 1993. The survey was conducted on paper and sent to about 300 physicians. Fewer than half the surveys were returned.
  7. Other Old Business: Dr. Vasudevan wanted to know what approvals he needed to publish/distribute the committee's opioid policy that was adopted at the January Meeting. Since Dr. Hardin did not want attribution of the policy, Dr. Vasudevan was free to publish or distribute the policy.
  8. Review of ch. DWD 81, Worker's Compensation Treatment Guidelines: Mr. Metcalf told the members they are charged with updating the treatment guidelines contained in ch. DWD 81 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code on a periodic basis so that he would like the members to bring issues before the committee at the next meeting.
  9. Record Reviews: Dr. Stark had some questions about the use and effect of record reviews by independent medical examiners on worker's compensation claims, and there was a discussion by the members of the HCPAC and Worker's compensation Division(WCD) staff related to medical record reviews.

Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 12:20 p.m.