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But most of those retired professionals were unable or unwilling to volunteer because they lacked medical liability insurance coverage, said Dr. William Agger.
So he spearheaded a Gundersen Lutheran effort to change the law, which prohibited retirees from practicing medicine in a public emergency unless licensed or certified.
Monday, three retired Gundersen Lutheran employees — Dr. William Morgan, nurse Ramona Johnson and respiratory therapist Fred Young — became the first retired health care workers in Wisconsin to sign up for duty if needed under the new law.
Agger, a Gundersen Lutheran physician specializing in infectious diseases, said a survey of retired medical employees showed 90 percent would return in a public emergency if allowed.
The new law lets retired health professionals who held a license or certification in the past 10 years to provide treatment in an emergency, with liability and workers compensation coverage provided by the state.
Gundersen Lutheran officials and La Crosse area state Reps. Mike Huebsch, Jennifer Shilling and Sen. Dan Kapanke appeared at a news conference Monday to promote the new law and sign up retired health care workers.
“This law is an example of the best ideas come from home,” said Huebsch, R-West Salem. “We must prepare for the worst and hope we never have to enact it.”
Agger said Wisconsin is one of the first states to pass such legislation.
In a public emergency, such as a flu epidemic, La Crosse medical centers won’t have enough doctors and nurses to care for patients, Agger said.
“About 20 percent of health care workers also will become sick, so we need to turn to others for help,” he said.
Canada experienced a shortage of doctors and nurses in its dealing with SARS, Agger said. “Our problem won’t be in finding doctors but finding nurses,” he said.
Said Johnson, who retired from Gundersen Lutheran as an IV therapy nurse in February, “I hope the need doesn’t arise, but I will come back and help out. I feel I could put my skills to good use.”
Dr. James Terman, a Gundersen Lutheran physician specializing in internal medicine, said he plans to volunteer after retirement in six weeks. “I want to keep coming to conferences and keep my skills up,” Terman said.
Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at (608) 791-8227 or trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com.
