Contact:
Tom Enwright
(608) 216-2530
thomas.enwright@wpsic.com
WPS medical leader named Physician Citizen of the Year
Wisconsin Medical Society recognizes Dr. Michael Ostrov
for furthering the conversation about advance care planning
MADISON, Wis.—March 18, 2016—Dr. Michael Ostrov, Medical Director, Network and Quality, at WPS Health Solutions, has been named the Wisconsin Medical Society’s 2016 Physician Citizen of the Year.
He was selected for his extraordinary efforts in furthering the conversation about advance care planning (ACP) and end-of-life care in Wisconsin. Dr. Ostrov will receive the award during the inaugural ceremony at the Society’s Annual Meeting on Saturday, April 2, in Madison. ACP is the process of reflecting on, understanding and discussing future medical decisions, including end-of-life preference.
A family medicine physician, Dr. Ostrov joined WPS in February 2015. He previously was Medical Director at Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (GHC-SCW) in Madison, and Chief Medical Officer at Agrace Hospice and Palliative Care in Madison and Janesville.
“Dr. Ostrov is a true inspiration to his peers, and has earned the deep appreciation of patients and families throughout Wisconsin and the utmost respect of his colleagues,” said Society Chief Executive Officer Rick Abrams.
In 2012, GHC-SCW became one of the first six organizations to join Honoring Choices Wisconsin, which is the Society’s advance care planning initiative. He also supported the work of a team from GHC-SCW in the design and implementation of a sustainable advance care planning service. At Agrace, he helped develop a program that trained staff to be ACP facilitators.
Under Dr. Ostrov’s leadership in 2015, WPS became one of the first private insurers to offer coverage for advance care planning. Starting in September 2015 for eligible members, WPS Health Insurance and the Arise Health Plan subsidiary began paying for an initial 30-minute counseling session and up to two additional 30-minute sessions within one calendar year.
“High-value health care is a key part of the WPS vision,” said Dr. Phil Colmenares, Chief Medical Officer for WPS. “We are very lucky to have Michael on the team. He genuinely believes in the WPS mission, and his efforts with regard to advance care planning reimbursement are evidence of that.”
Dr. Ostrov said he is honored to receive the award.
“In my work as a family physician, I always found it extremely rewarding to talk with my patients about their life-long health goals. Advance care planning is a new way to foster this conversation. It feels very good to see so much progress being made over the past few years through the combined efforts of the Medical Society and health systems throughout Wisconsin,” he said.
“These ACP conversations are the right thing to do for people and their loved ones, and now is the right time to bring health insurers and doctor’s offices into this picture. I have really appreciated the support many people at WPS have given me in helping create this new ACP coverage program.”
Awarded annually, the Physician Citizen of the Year Award recognizes physicians who have volunteered their time and talents to improve their communities. It also honors the recipients for the civic, economic or charitable services they provide.
With nearly 13,000 members, the Wisconsin Medical Society is the largest association of medical doctors in the state.
About WPS Health Solutions
WPS Health Solutions is a nationally regarded government contractor and Wisconsin’s leading not-for-profit health insurer. The WPS Health Insurance division offers affordable individual health insurance, family health insurance, high-deductible health insurance, and short-term health plans, as well as flexible and affordable group plans and cost-effective benefit plan administration for businesses. The WPS Government Health Administrators division administers Part A and B Medicare benefits for millions of seniors in multiple states, and the WPS Military and Veterans Health division serves millions more members who are active in the U.S. military, veterans and their families. In 2016, the international Ethisphere® Institute named WPS one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® for the seventh straight year. For more information about WPS, visit www.wpsic.com.
