The WMS Board of Trustees voted to significantly increase the role of members across the state in determining the association's advocacy positions and efforts. WMS will preserve precious and finite political capital and resources by reserving public advocacy efforts, including public testimony, to those issues that gain 25% of WMS member engagement on THE WIRE.

Instructions on how to login and use the WIRE are detailed through pictorial instructions at the end of this email. Members are also welcome to contact a member of the WMS staff for assistance in using THE WIRE.

The WMS Board of Trustees flagged House Bill 42: Regulation of Surgical Abortion as controversial. In an effort to represent the diversity of our membership, and their beliefs, WMS will not be publicly testifying or overtly advocating on this issue unless a majority of the required minimum 25% threshold of our active members is met and a simple majority vote to support or oppose the legislation is achieved.

13 WMS Members have cast their vote on House Bill 42 - Regulation of Surgical Abortion. Based on current member numbers, a minimum of 120 active member votes must be cast in THE WIRE to trigger public advocacy efforts, including public testimony, by WMS on behalf of our members.

WMS member, Open Trustee, and practicing OB/Gyn Rebecca Franklund, MD, has posted a new proposal for member engagement on THE WIRE. Dr. Franklund is asking for WMS members to read HB 159 and cast their vote to have WMS oppose or support House Bill 159 - Protecting water from chemical abortion waste.

To cast your vote on either/both of the above proposals, CLICK HERE (or the link in the button below) to access THE WIRE. Members can also access THE WIRE from the WMS website at www.wyomed.org

How to use The Wire:

• Log on - https://thewire.wyomed.org/
• The Wire uses the same username and password as you use to login to the WMS website to manage your membership. If you have forgotten your username or password, you can use the forget password feature on The Wire to reset it.
• To view proposals - select "Proposal Feedback" at the top of the screen
• Click on "Pre-Board Feedback"
• Click on the title link to vote/share your opinion on a topic

WMS Board of Trustees enhances the ability to represent a diverse and passionate membership.

The Wyoming Medical Society was established in 1903 to advocate for doctors and their patients. WMS is, and always will be, a staunch advocate for physicians. This is our core. All of our other activities revolve around this core ~WMS Mission Statement

With this in mind, the WMS Board of Trustees (BoT) met on Saturday, January 11, 2025, to establish specific "rules of engagement" for lobbying efforts for legislative sessions. These changes will allow WMS to judiciously expend political capital on unified issues that are of the utmost importance to our membership and most accurately represent the voice of Wyoming Physicians and PAs.

UPDATED: WMS Legislative Review Process

• The BoT will review, analyze, and debate all bills of relevance to WMS members. Advisory opinions reflecting the expertise of WMS leadership will be established in accordance with the WMS Advocacy Tenets. 
• WMS advocates will educate and lobby the advisory opinions of the board in the absence of a WMS WIRE position set by the membership. 
• WMS leadership can vote to require WMS membership engagement on any issue before authorizing public support or opposition of any proposal. The WIRE will be the tool used to gauge WMS member support or opposition.
• A minimum of 25% participation from active members is required before the position is communicated openly in advocacy efforts. The result does not necessarily change the WMS Board Advisory Opinion, as those opinions are based objectively on the established WMS Advocacy Tenets.
• The WIRE platform will be utilized to calculate engagement on these issues. The denominator of the required membership participation percentage is based on active WMS members as defined by WMS Bylaws. 
• Those members with a membership category of associate, affiliate, retired, honorary, or federal employee may participate in all activities on The Wire, but their vote will not count towards or against the required threshold of membership participation.
• Any member can submit a policy position for the membership to vote to have WMS advocates engage and testify. 
• Any member can submit a proposal for review on The Wire.

While Government is known for moving slowly, the pace of a legislative session in Wyoming is FAST! Many associations and advocacy organizations send daily updates to their members to keep them up to speed on all that has happened that day and what is expected to happen the next.

Both the House and Senate Labor, Health, and Social Services Committees meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with the House Committee meeting in the mornings and the Senate meeting over the noon hours. Below are video links and information about the two bills that were heard in the House Labor, Health and Social Services Committee today.

WMS still needs Doc/PA of the Day volunteers!

The Wyoming Medical Society needs volunteers daily for the duration of the legislative session. Doc/PA of the Day volunteers have the opportunity to meet with state legislators, are introduced on the floor of the House and Senate Chambers, and help ensure legislators see that Wyoming physicians and PAs care!

You must be a WMS member to serve as Doc/PA of the Day. Please consider making time to volunteer this year!

To schedule your volunteer date email whitney@wyomed.org.

Do you provide pain management treatment or prescribe opioids in Wyoming? Tell us about your experience and receive $75!

Pain management treatment providers and those who prescribe opioids in Wyoming are invited to join a virtual, 90-minute focus group to discuss barriers to implementing the 2022 CDC Clinical Practice Guidelines and caring for people with substance use disorders. Information from this focus group will be used to design opioid-related training materials for Wyoming prescribers.

The focus group is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Mountain Time on Thursday, January 30.

All focus group participants will receive a $75 gift card for their participation.

Please click on the link below to answer a few brief items about yourself to register. We will select up to 8 prescribers to participate based on the answers provided, to encourage group diversity. You will be notified within one week whether you were selected to participate. We understand that you are busy, and we appreciate your consideration of our request!

https://comaginehealth.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEkduCgqDwiEtcNlwWpNwwQeUVqsqZc-b3k

This project is sponsored by the Wyoming Department of Health, Public Health Division. For more information, please see the attached letter or contact Stephanie Pustejovsky, senior research associate at Comagine Health, at spustejovsky@comagine.org.

Ever wonder how Doctors get elected to Congress or your state legislature? Considering a run for office for yourself?

The AMPAC Candidate Workshop will teach you how to run a winning political campaign, just like we taught many of your AMA colleagues over the years. The 2025 AMPAC Candidate Workshop will be held in-person March 28 – 30 at the AMA offices in Washington, DC.

The Candidate Workshop is designed to help you make the leap from the exam room to the campaign trail and give you the skills and strategic approach you will need to make a run for public office.

The South Dakota Academy of Family Physicians invites you to attend the Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics (ALSO) course in Deadwood, SD on January 29 - click below to learn more!

WMS Member Website

WMS Public Website

WMS Annual Meeting Website

WMS Member Benefit Marketplace

The WIRE