Dr. Wenstrup Goes to Washington, Stark Out

Next year’s Congress will have one new orthopedic surgeon, no Pete Stark in the House, and one Senate orthopedic leader.

According to The Hill’s New Member Guide, only one member of the 93 new members just elected to Congress is a physician/surgeon.

Lt. Colonel Brad Wenstrup, M.D.

Lt. Colonel Brad Wenstrup, M.D., was elected from the Second Congressional District in Ohio (Cincinnati). He received his medical degree from Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine. He is a Republican.

Wenstrup is a veteran, having served as an officer in the Medical Service Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve since 1998. In 2005 he completed a tour of duty in Iraq, serving as a combat surgeon with the 344th Combat Support Hospital, earning the Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge. Though he’ll be a U.S. representative, Wenstrup is continuing his service in the U.S. Army Reserve as a lieutenant colonel.

He also has a private practice and has been treating patients in Southwest Ohio for nearly a quarter of a century.

Stark Out

Perhaps most notable for physicians is that 80-year-old Congressman Pete Stark, a Democrat from California was defeated for reelection by a member of his own party. Stark is the author of the “Stark Law, ” which forbids a hospital from billing Medicare for certain services referred by physicians who have a financial relationship with the hospital. A prohibited financial relationship includes an agreement between a hospital and a physician to compensate a physician based on the volume of the physician’s referrals or the revenue realized from those referrals.

Lawyers, Lobbyists and Business Owners

A review of self-reported professions by the new members shows that over 40 are lawyers, lobbyists or professional politicians; 26 are business owners; 4 are farmers or ranchers; 2 are scientists, 2 journalists and 2 military members.

Senator Barrasso, M.D., Holds Leadership Post

Two other notable orthopedic surgeons in Congress won and lost leadership posts.

Senate Republicans re-elected Sen. John Barrasso, M.D., of Wyoming as policy committee chairman.

Representative Tom Price, M.D. of Georgia was in line to become the Republican Conference Chair, the number four leadership post in the House of Representatives. However, he was defeated by Washington Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers.