August 2026

This issue of WMJ features research and commentary exploring a wide array of topics, including various effects of artificial intelligence on health and health care, burnout among emergency services professionals, the development and effectiveness of group medical visits, health needs of transgender patients in rural Wisconsin, and much more.
Download a complete PDF of the issue. Click here to view the WMJ archive.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EDITORIAL
From the Editor
What AI Cannot Do: Why Human Presence Will Always Matter in Medicine
Apurva Popat, MD; Fahad Aziz, MD
As I See It
Trees as Health Care Partners in Wisconsin
Kirsten M. M. Beyer, PhD; Jason Dampier, PhD; Olivia Witthun, BS
Commentary
The Health and Environmental Costs of Artificial Intelligence
Caidon Iwuagwu, BS; Abby Novinska-Lois, MPH; Joanne Bernstein, MD, MSE
Commentary
Prox1: A Novel Barrier to Retinal Regeneration and a Potential Target for Vision Restoration
Manahil Mubeen, MBBS; Syeda Neha Ahmed, MBBS; Hania Rizwan, MBBS; Karan Bansari, MBBS; Hassan Saleem, MBBS
Letter to the Editor
When the Jar Keeps Growing
Jayshil J. Patel, MD; Michael J. Malinowski, MD; Manpreet S. Mundi, MD
Letter to the Editor
Heat Stress and Chronic Kidney Disease Among Nepali Migrant Workers: A Global Health and Climate Change Perspective
Roshan Thapa, MD; Pinky Jha, MD
ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Addressing Burnout Among Emergency Services Professionals Through Patient Follow-up: An Exploratory Study
Jacqueline Christianson, PhD, FNP-C; Tiffany Warthon, BA; Tala Fuad Hatem Abu Zahra, PhD, RN; Robyn Cicero, BSN, RN; Stuart Matthias, BS
Assessing Human Papillomavirus Knowledge and Vaccination Intentions Following a Virtual Educational Intervention for Parents and Guardians
Lalee Lo, PharmD; Cristin Marchese, PharmD; Julia Prajdic, PharmD; Timika Robertson, PharmD; Angela Saber, PharmD, MPH; Destiny Self, PharmD; Lisa Dinkins, PharmD
Assessing the Health Needs of Northcentral Wisconsin’s Transgender Population
Liane Kee, MD; Corina Norrbom, MD
Perspectives of Clinical Genetics in Wisconsin: A Qualitative Analysis to Enhance Awareness About the Specialty and Guide Improvement
Isabella A. Sorci, BS; Nathan J. Siewert, BS; Elizabeth M. Petty, MD
An Online, Patient-Guided, Mental Health Tool Improves Anxiety Symptom Scores in Patients With Infertility
Micaela Stevenson Wyszewianski, MD; Paige Johnson, RN, BS; Ryan Hanson, MS; Amy Pan, PhD; Melodee Liegl, MS; Kate Schoyer, MD; Jayme Bosler, MD; Robert Rydze, MD; Jamie Neary, APNP; Stephanie Gunderson, MD
The Development and Evolution of Group Medical Visits at UW Health
Sarah Walters, BS; Isabella Rodriguez Cardenas, BS; Karina Viloria Rodriguez, MD; Lisa Simpson, PA; Magnolia Larson, DO; Greta Kuphal, MD; Katherine Eby, RN; Melissa Stiles, MD; Lisa Grant, DO; Bruce Barrett, MD, PhD
Effectiveness of Group Medical Visits for Patient Wellness: A Mixed Method Study Within UW Health
Isabella Rodriguez Cardenas, BS; Sarah Walters, BS; Lisa Simpson, PA; Magnolia Larson, DO; Karina Viloria-Rodriguez, MD; Kaitlin Tetreault, MB; Alex Pinto, MS; Greta Kuphal, MD; Bruce Barrett, MD, PhD
BRIEF REPORTS
Persistent Racial, Ethnic, and County-Level Disparities in Invasive Cervical Cancer Incidence in Wisconsin, 1998–2022
Madelyn Frey, MPH; Laurie Lapp, MD, MPH; Lena Swander, MPH; Ran C. Zhang, MD, MPH; Laura Jacques, MD
Chlorhexidine Gluconate as a Conducting Medium Is Noninferior to Ultrasound Gel in Ultrasound Image Quality: A Blinded, Randomized Comparative Study
Hariharan Shankar, MD; Frank Zachary, MD; Craig Cummings, MD; Ryan Davidovich, MD
Improving Utilization of Sputum Culture in Patients Hospitalized with Pneumonia: A Quality Improvement Initiative
Catherine S. Taghizadeh, BS; Jennifer Zimmerman, DO; Faran Ahmad, MD; Richard Swaney, DO; Alexander Hall, PhD; Jeffrey Macaraeg, MD; Jennifer Anthone, PharmD; Manasa Velagapudi, MBBS
A Qualitative Analysis on the Implementation of a Community-Based Free Sunscreen Dispenser Program
Alyssa M. Jobe, BS; Drake Seibert, BA; Simran Bedi, BS; Jacqueline T. Cooper, MD; Sophia Neman, MD; Sarah Seiter, MD; Akorfa Adobor, BS; Karolyn A. Wanat, MD
Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Pediatric Readiness in Wisconsin’s Community Emergency Departments
Maureen Luetje, MD; Carrisa Brunner, MPH; Lorin Browne, DO; Michael Kim, MD
CASE REPORTS
Thinking Beyond Common Diagnoses: A Case Report of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
Thomas Licata, DO; Won Huh, MD; Michael Bolan, DO
De Novo Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Post-Liver Transplant: The Case for Surveillance
Anneleise Frie, MD; Adnan Said, MD, MS
Lung Adenocarcinoma in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia: A Case Report of Metastatic Disease and Successful Multimodal Treatment
Vishnu Kommineni, MBBS, MD, MBA; Rathnamitreyee Vegunta, MBBS, MD; Venkata Rokkam, MD; Gurusaravanan Kutti Sridharan, MD
Sitosterolemia: A Rare Cause of Severe Hypercholesterolemia in Children
Daniel Beacher, MD; Amy Ott, MS, CGC; Rebecca Plier, RD
A Confirmed Case of Rat Bite Fever
Thomas Kolman, MD; Noor Bhatti, MPH; Shruti Narayan, MA; Akorfa Adobor, BS; Samuel Fischer, MD; Pinky Jha, MD
Intraventricular Left Anterior Descending Artery in a Patient with Ventricular Tachycardia – Innocent Bystander with Significant Procedural Implications
Jennifer Y. Choi, DO; John Birchak, MD; Divyanshu Mohananey, MD, MSc
Purple Fentanyl: A New Face on an Old Enemy
Jennifer Esch, PharmD, MBA, BCPS; Matthew Bougie, PharmD; Alexis Vandehey, PharmD, BCPS
Manifestation of Isolated Vertebral Osseous Sarcoidosis: A Case Report
Mujtaba Azhar Siddiqui, MD; Unsa Khan, MD; Noor ul Sabah, MD; Asadulla Mohammed, MD