"Every day now I think of how lucky I am to have a secure job, a promising future, and a profession that leaves me 100% satisfied at the end of the workday." — Franz Schuttenhelm, RRT, Respiratory Therapist, Gundersen Lutheran Health System, La Crosse

It was an evening to remember. For about 250 people who attended the sixth annual Pride Program recognition dinner on April 26, it was an opportunity to honor the 68 people who were being recognized for their dedication to a career in health care. WHA President Steve Brenton welcomed the Pride honorees, their families, and hospital representatives. "This is just one small way we can recognize you for your service and dedication to our patients, your hospitals, and to your communities," Brenton said.

WHA Board Chair Bob Fale, president of Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac, said he was honored to be among such distinguished guests. "Everyone contributes to the same purpose—serving people. There isn’t a better way of saying it than by reading aloud the amazing stories you’ve written about your work that are in the book that was handed out this evening," Fale said. "You are being honored because you serve people. It is an honor to be able to say, ‘I serve with you,’" he added.

Judy Warmuth, WHA vice president of workforce development, read a brief passage from each essay, while Carol Winegarden, Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives (W-ONE), and Norma Tirado from the Wisconsin Society of Healthcare Human Resources Administration (WSHHRA) assisted her in recognizing each Pride honoree. WHA, W-ONE, WSHHRA, and the Wisconsin Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing Society sponsor the Pride Program.

The Pride Program is designed to celebrate the health care workforce and the factors that distinguish it from other careers. Employees wrote passionately about the importance of their career to them, and how all the talents, skills and dedication of each employee in a health care setting is related to the same goal—delivering high quality patient care.

"A career in nursing has helped me to grow personally in confidence and self worth and professionally with opportunities for continuing education and advancement." — Pamela Snyder, RN, Nurse Manager, Sacred Heart-St. Mary’s Hospitals, Rhinelander

Below is a list of the 2007 Pride Program honorees.

Agnesian Healthcare-Waupun Memorial Hospital, Waupun
Suann Mitchell, RN, Registered Nurse

Aspirus Wausau Hospital, Wausau
Linda Larson, Anesthesia Monitor Technician

Aurora Health Center Jackson, Jackson
Genell Baun, Customer Service Representative

Aurora Medical Center of Manitowoc County, Two Rivers
Nita Catalano-Plank, RN, Registered Nurse

Aurora Medical Ctr. of Washington Co., Hartford
Susan Miller, RN, Registered Nurse

Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Milwaukee
Stacie Snap, Clinical Research Coordinator

Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, Milwaukee
Natalie Hanson, RN, Registered Nurse

Beaver Dam Community Hospital, Beaver Dam
Chris Perry, Information Services Webmaster

Bellin Hospital, Green Bay
Michele DeBaker, RN, Registered Nurse

Berlin Memorial Hospital, Berlin
Jodi, Struzynski, RN, Surgical Nurse

Black River Memorial Hospital, Black River Falls
Brenda Hentsch, Patient Care Tech

Bloomer Medical Center-Luther Midelfort, Bloomer
Shelley Janke, Medical Technologist

Boscobel Area Health Care, Boscobel
Cheryl Ketelhut, Social Worker

Burnett Medical Center, Grantsburg
Laurie Zimmermann, HIM Analyst/Coder

Columbia St. Mary’s, Milwaukee
Karen Dulin, RN, Clinical Nurse 2

Community Memorial Hospital, Oconto Falls
Molly Keuken, Phlebotomist

Divine Savior Healthcare, Portage
Mike Lindner, Respiratory Therapist

Flambeau Hospital, Park Falls
Nicole Weik, RN, Registered Nurse

Fort Healthcare, Fort Atkinson
Susan Long, Athletic Trainer

Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee
Robyn Baken, Staff RN Educator

Grant Regional Health Center, Lancaster
Pamela Dressler, Housekeeper

Gundersen Lutheran, La Crosse
Franz Schuttenhelm, Respiratory Therapist

Hayward Area Memorial Hospital, Hayward
Sara Seitz, Volunteer Coordinator

Howard Young Health Care, Inc., Woodruff
Jude Stevenson, Respiratory Therapy Manager

Hudson Hospital, Hudson
Lacinda Nichols, Scheduler

Lakeview Medical Center, Rice Lake
Doris Ruiter, RN, Director of Surgical Services

Langlade Memorial Hospital, Antigo
Bob Raganyi, Respiratory Care Manager

Memorial Health Center, Medford
Renee Zenner, RN, Registered Nurse

Memorial Hospital of Lafayette Co., Darlington
Karla Vosberg, Nurse Manager - OB

Memorial Medical Center, Neillsville
Crystal Trunkel, CNA, Long-Term Care

Mercy Health System, Janesville
Jason Dowd, Customer Relations Specialist

Monroe Clinic, Monroe
Jacqui Sullivan, Radiologic Technologist

Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital, Oconomowoc
Julie Girard, Radiation Therapist

Our Lady of Victory Hospital, Stanley
Alise Shore, Physical Therapist Assistant

Red Cedar Medical Center-Mayo, Menomonie
Jan Pejsa, Community Education Specialist

Reedsburg Area Medical Center, Reedsburg
Teresa Field, RN, Registered Nurse

Ripon Medical Center, Ripon
Wendy Hanson, COTA, Occupational Therapist

Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire
Michaelene Nye, RN, Registered Nurse

Sacred Heart-St. Mary’s Hospitals, Inc., Rhinelander
Pamela Snyder, RN, Nurse Manager

Saint Clare’s Hospital, Weston
Kathy Herbst, RN, Registered Nurse

Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield
Jean Doty, Director of Volunteer Services

Saint Michael’s Hospital, Stevens Point
Kathleen (Kosha) Konopacky, RN, Medical Oncology Supervisor

Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital, Prairie du Sac
Debra Roznos, Patient Financial Specialist

Spooner Health System, Spooner
Christa Kilen, RN, Registered Nurse

St. Clare Hospital & Health Services, Baraboo
Maria Hansa, RN, Registered Nurse

St. Joseph’s Community Health Services, Hillsboro
Cory Frederick, Occupational Therapist

St. Joseph’s Hospital, Chippewa Falls
Joyce Gajewsky, Colleague Support/Services Division Secretary

St. Luke’s South Shore, Cudahy
Yvette Karweik, RN, Registered Nurse

St. Mary’s Care Center, Madison
Mary Fisher, Speech Therapist

St. Mary’s Hospital, Madison
Mary McNulty, RN, Registered Nurse

St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, Green Bay
Elaine Langdon, C.N.A., Health Unit Clerk

St. Nicholas Hospital, Sheboygan
Maryann Hurtt, RN, Registered Nurse

St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay
Mary Georgia, RN, Women’s Health Educator

Stoughton Hospital, Stoughton
Bonnie Anderson, Health Information Manager

The Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin, Glendale
Gynevra Benson, PTA, Physical Therapist Asst.

The Richland Hospital, Richland Center
Lisa Wanless, RN, Registered Nurse

The Wisconsin Heart Hospital, Wauwatosa
Sherie Ponting, RN, Director of Surgical Services

Tri-County Memorial Hospital, Whitehall
Dora Lambright, Housekeeper

UW Hospital and Clinics, Madison
Kimberley Williamson, RN, Nurse Clinician

VA Medical Center, Tomah
Jeanne Dimeck, CNA, Certified Nursing Assistant

Vernon Memorial Healthcare, Viroqua
Ann Anderson, EMT

Watertown Memorial Hospital, Watertown
Pam Voigt, LPN, Licensed Practical Nurse

Waukesha Memorial Hospital, Waukesha
Janet Gruenwald, LPN, Day Surgery

West Allis Memorial Hospital, West Allis
Noelle Dahlke, Patient Access Representative

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-All Saints, Racine
Melissa Hansen, RN, Patient Care Coordinator

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-Elmbrook Memorial Hospital, Brookfield
Julie Klug, RN, Registered Nurse III

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-St. Francis, Milwaukee
Bekye Walker, Philanthropy Assistant

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare-St. Joseph, Milwaukee
Burnita Bartlett, RN, Registered Nurse

One of the key workforce issues identified by WHA member hospitals is the difficulty they have recruiting nurse leaders. WHA, with a grant from the WHA Foundation, developed a Nurse Leader Succession Program to address this very important issue. The purpose of the program is to identify nurses that have the skills, knowledge and experience that are required to be a nurse leader, and then create awareness of the opportunities that position offers among qualified candidates now working in a Wisconsin hospital.

WHA just completed the second Nurse Leader program this spring, with 66 nurses participating that were chosen to attend because they have the potential to move into a nurse leadership role in their hospital.

Thanks to the WHA Foundation, the program was offered at no cost to hospitals or participants and it provided an opportunity to meet executive and mid-level nurse managers, hear about their jobs, ask questions, talk with peers, and learn about educational routes to leadership.

Program evaluations were extremely positive:

• I felt like I really am important in what I do, and others want to see me succeed.
• I am impressed with the versatility in nursing leadership roles.
• Nursing leadership is extremely important to our future.
• One does not have to be afraid to be a nurse leader; there are many opportunities for advancement.
• There are a lot of nurses with the same interests and challenges that I have experienced.

Last year, 80 nurses nominated by their hospital attended the Nurse Leader Succession program. Both years, participants heard from other Wisconsin nurse leaders who shared their expertise. The five Wisconsin Schools of Nursing that offer graduate programs in nursing leadership (UW-Eau Claire, Viterbo University, Bellin College of Nursing, Marquette University and Edgewood College) also provided speakers and materials. The Foundation’s grant allowed the learners to leave each program with a toolkit of materials that included textbooks, a subscription to a leadership magazine, a bibliography, and a coffee cup and notepad reminding participants that "Leadership is in You."

Developing nurse leaders is an ongoing challenge for Wisconsin hospitals. Currently, WHA is working with the Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives to develop new strategies in the workforce environment that create interest in leadership as well as provide support to nurse leaders who are new to their roles.

The Nurse Leader Succession Program was successful in creating awareness of career advancement opportunities in highly skilled, talented nurses. WHA plans to continue to work closely with member hospitals to design programs and resources that address workforce issues.

Last week, Assembly Republicans unveiled their "Patients First" health care reform agenda with a focus on empowering and encouraging more consumer involvement in the health care decision-making process. The package includes individual proposals ranging from insurance premium and tax incentives to workplace wellness and transparency improvements.

Key financial components of "Patients First" include an expansion of health insurance premium deductibility, tax incentives for contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and for participation in workplace wellness programs, and the creation of health premium accounts to encourage younger employees to purchase health insurance coverage.

Last session, legislation was approved providing for a tax deduction for self-insured individuals and families whose employers pay nothing toward their employees’ health care. And while Wisconsin remains one of only a few states in the country not to provide a state tax incentive for HSA contributions, encouraging healthier lifestyles is viewed as essential to lowering the cost of health care.

Also included is a pilot project to create "health courts" of trained judges and neutral experts to help injured patients by streamlining the medical malpractice system and help develop laws that establish high standards of care. Health courts – specialized administrative courts designed to handle medical injury disputes – are seen as a way to expedite the time needed to bring a malpractice claim to resolution and lower costs.

The Assembly Republican reform agenda seeks to offer investment incentives to providers for electronic medical record (EMR) upgrades. Technology improvements, such as enhancements in EMR, combined with access to cutting-edge health care cost and quality information, like that available through both PricePoint and CheckPoint, remain at the forefront of health care information innovation.

The "Patients First" plan is the latest reform effort to hit the State Capitol. At least three other legislative reform proposals are pending and the Senate Committee on Health, chaired by Sen. Jon Erpenbach (D-Middleton), recently completed a series of hearings across the state at which several hospital representatives testified (see 3/16/07 issue of Valued Voice).

Registrations for WHA’s Advocacy Day 2007 soared past the 500 mark for the second straight year. Close to 90 different hospitals will be represented at this event and over 250 representatives from those hospitals will visit with their legislators the afternoon of May 1. Even though Advocacy Day is only a few days away, there is still time to send your registrations in.

Advocacy Day 2007 will allow you to hear from national speakers, like Kellyanne Conway and Amy Showalter, and state legislative leaders, like Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson and Assembly Speaker Michael Huebsch and others. Each of these individuals will help you understand the intersection of health care and public policy so you are better able to impact that debate.

Take what you learn from each of the day’s presenters to then meet personally with your legislators and their staffs on important issues like the hospital tax, cigarette tax and raid on Medicaid. You won’t want to miss this important opportunity to make your voice heard!

Access a complete program and registration form at www.wha.org/governmentRelations/advocacy_day.aspx. For questions, contact Jenny Boese at 608-268-1816 or jboese@wha.org. For questions specific to registration, contact Sherry Rabuck at srabuck@wha.org or 608-274-1820.

This week is "Cover the Uninsured Week" in Wisconsin and nationally. Despite having one of the lowest uninsured rates in the nation, a number of promising initiatives are being touted at the State Capitol that have the potential for improving access and coverage. And the issue is likely to receive substantial exposure over the summer and fall months. Here’s what’s in play.

• Assembly Republicans have introduced a "Patients First" health reform agenda that focuses on market based reforms. The plan recognizes the fact that utilization of health care services is the single greatest driver of health care costs—and proposes that HSA contributions be tax deductible, greater Transparency to improve consumer literacy, and Workplace Wellness incentives—all initiatives designed to "empower consumers" to make decisions about their health care choices and reduce unnecessary utilization and preventable and costly illnesses.
• The Assembly Republican plan also proposes to make health insurance premiums paid by individuals tax deductible—an initiative that is also embraced by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle.
• The Assembly GOP Workplace Wellness plan encourages employers to implement wellness initiatives by proposing tax breaks for expenses associated with those voluntary efforts. Individual health care status is a key determinant of individual usage of health care services and the proposal, if broadly deployed, could have a major impact on slowing down health care cost inflation. This does not mean keeping people from seeking and receiving care that is needed! It does mean providers, insurers, employers and patients doing a better job of managing PREVENTABLE ILLNESSES. This is a crucial element of health care cost control that is largely absent from many of the "overhaul," government-focused approaches to reform.
• Governor Doyle’s renewed call this week to expand coverage to vulnerable children and adults is also noteworthy, as is his desire to "ensure access to 98% of Wisconsin citizens"…..a goal that should be supported by all policymakers. While in need of some additional "fine tuning," Governor Doyle’s BadgerCare Plus initiative is designed to expand Medicaid coverage to thousands of currently uninsured kids and childless adults. The proposed increase in the tobacco tax should be the funding source for these initiatives.
• Governor Doyle’s initiatives also focus on Transparency and the importance of encouraging the rapid diffusion of information technology to improve patient care quality and safety.

These proposals and others will see serious legislative consideration over the coming months. One idea not on the table right now that should be is the need to invest additional resources in Wisconsin’s essential network of community-based primary health clinics. These organizations, not hospital emergency departments, should be the access point of care for medically indigent patients. Additional resources invested in "bricks and mortar" infrastructure, equipment and staff will pay huge dividends in providing access to our most vulnerable populations.

Finally, despite political rhetoric to the contrary, there’s no good reason that key elements of the Republican "Patients First" agenda cannot be merged with Governor Doyle’s coverage proposals to accomplish a meaningful and bi-partisan approach that accomplishes common goals.

Steve Brenton
President

Recently State Rep. Kevin Petersen (R-Waupaca) spoke to the volunteers of Riverside Medical Center (RMC) in Waupaca. His presentation focused on priority health care issues, including the tax on hospitals.

As reported by the Waupaca County Post, Rep. Petersen said of the tax, "This would be devastating to the hospitals in this district." He added that the "federal government already sees this as a shell game and has told us that they won’t allow it to happen."

Kerry Lee Blanke, chief financial officer at RMC, also commented to the newspaper that as a critical access hospital, "we would be paying in, but we wouldn’t get anything back."

In fact, the Wisconsin Hospital Association estimates that RMC will lose as much as $604,000 under the proposed 1 percent tax on gross hospital revenues, and that hospitals statewide would lose between $132 and $186 million over the biennium.

Do you have examples of how your hospital’s volunteers, trustees or employees are engaging in great grassroots advocacy? If so, contact Jenny Boese at 608/268-1816 or jboese@wha.org so we can spotlight your efforts.

Volunteers representing hospitals across western Wisconsin play a major role in health care and the future of the industry, said the head of public policy education for a state hospital volunteer organization.

"Anytime you take the initiative to call your (elected) representative that is a positive," Partners of Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) Public Policy Education Chairwoman Sue Lynch of Franciscan Skemp in La Crosse told attendees during the Partners western district spring meeting.

About 90 volunteers representing hospitals in Adams-Friendship, Black River Falls, Boscobel, Hillsboro, La Crosse, Lancaster, Neillsville, Prairie du Chien, Richland Center, Sparta, Tomah, and Viroqua attended the event hosted by the Tomah Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.

The Partners organization emphasizes volunteer participation in Wisconsin’s health care facilities, health care education, and a strong focus on grassroots advocacy.

Lynch said the group has targeted taxes on hospitals and cigarettes as the two initiatives for 2007.

"We want to make sure the hospital tax never reaches Governor Doyle’s desk," she said, referring to the 1 percent gross revenues tax on hospitals currently pending in the state budget.

Lynch also urged volunteers to support the Governor’s proposal to raise cigarette taxes by $1.25 and use the money to fund Medicaid and treat smoking-related diseases.

"If we are passionate about issues, we should be able to talk to our representatives and ask them to consider our views when voting on legislation," Lynch added.

The non-profit organization accentuates volunteer service to hospitals, which Partners President Diane Westbrook, a volunteer with River Falls Area Hospital, said is "extremely valuable" to the 77 hospitals served by the organization. Westbrook pointed out that Partners’ groups across the state donated $2,908,990 to hospitals in 2006 and raised $530,874 in education scholarships.

More than 12,000 members make up the Partners of WHA.

Midwife licensure was passed into law during the last legislative session and takes effect May 1, 2007. On or after that day, the press and others may pick up on the Professional Licensed Midwife, and hospitals could receive questions from the public. There could initially be confusion about the differing roles of midwives and nurse midwives. The Department of Regulation and Licensing is sending a letter to hospitals that describes the differences between the two professions, along with a brochure that specifically describes the duties of a midwife. The brochure is available at: http://drl.wi.gov/dept/savvy/MidwifeBrochure.pdf .

Both Democrats and Republicans continue to host budget listening sessions across the state, and hospitals continue to make their voices heard at these events.

Earlier this week, Rep. Ann Hraychuck (D-Balsam Lake) hosted a listening session in Balsam Lake with Wisconsin’s Secretary of Agriculture Rod Nilsestuen to provide area residents with an overview of the Governor’s budget proposal. Sensing a perfect opportunity to highlight their concerns, the CEOs of Amery Regional Medical Center, Burnett Medical Center, Ladd Memorial Hospital and St. Croix Regional Medical Center were all in attendance.

"The overall goal of expanding health insurance coverage to more Wisconsin citizens is extremely important, and everyone working in the health care industry would support this idea," said Amery CEO Mike Karuschak. However, he added that the area’s hospitals are united in their opposition to how the Governor proposes to pay for that expansion.

"For Polk County hospitals, our three hospitals are projected to see a net loss of over $1.1 million from the [hospital] tax," Karuschak said. "The proposed increase in the cigarette tax, providing $1.2 billion with federal matching dollars, is plenty to accomplish the goal [of expanded coverage]."

In a similar jointly hosted budget listening session held last week in Wausau, Democratic Senators Russ Decker, Roger Breske and Reps. Donna Seidel, Amy Vruwink were joined by Dept. of Workforce Development Secretary Roberta Gassman to discuss the Governor’s budget proposal. Wausau Aspirus Hospital and St Clare’s Hospital of Weston were both present to hospital concerns over the tax.

Also this past week, individuals from Waukesha Memorial Hospital attended a listening session hosted by Republican Reps. Bill Kramer and Jeff Stone, and, individuals from Synergy Health St. Joseph’s Hospital attended a listening session in West Bend hosted by Republican Reps. Pat Strachota, Dan LeMahieu, Don Pridemore, and Sue Jeskewitz.

CMS released a memo this week to state survey agencies affirming and explaining Medicare Conditions of Participation requirements pertaining to a hospital’s ability to meet the emergency needs of individuals.

The memo includes a summary of hospital Conditions of Participation requirements relating to emergency response capabilities that any hospital participating in Medicare must meet, regardless of whether the hospital has an emergency department, including requirements relating to the appraisal, treatment, and referral of persons with emergency needs. The memo also discusses issues regarding the use of EMS and 9-1-1 services as part of its emergency response capabilities, as well as the relationship between EMTALA and the Conditions of Participation. The memo advises state surveyors to consider the discussions in the memo when determining hospital compliance with the Conditions of Participation.

A copy of the memo is available on the WHA web site at www.wha.org on the Legal and Regulatory page.

On June 7 and 14, WHA will offer a two-part audioconference focused on streamlining and increasing patient flow throughout your organization.

The Joint Commission introduced a leadership standard requiring accredited organizations to analyze the processes critical to patient flow throughout the hospital stays. Both accredited and non-participating organizations can benefit from improved systems of care. You will learn the major roadblocks to efficient patient flow. Increasing patient transition through all phases of care is a win-win situation for patients, communities, staff and administration. When patients’ progress is smooth and efficient, it increases everyone’s satisfaction and improves net revenues.

Faculty Richard Kaine, MD, will discuss practical approaches to managing each patient’s progress from registration or the emergency department through discharge. You will focus on techniques that can be used immediately to eliminate glitches in the care systems and lessen the time needed to deliver top-quality care. Simple, realistic processes will be presented with an interactive discussion of cultural obstacles and strategies for overcoming them. Attendees will be able to introduce new approaches the very next day, and the suggested strategies require no capital investment, increase in staff or renovations to implement increased patient throughput.

This program is for nurse executives, vice presidents of patient care, chief operating officers, discharge planners, utilization review staff, patient care coordinators and clinical care leaders responsible for patient continuity. Also, this series is appropriate for all inpatient organizations, whether or not they are Joint Commission accredited.

Register for the Patient Flow audioconference series to educate your entire staff in a short period of time without incurring multiple registration fees or travel expenses. The registration fee includes one toll-free telephone connection to each presentation, so you can gather numerous staff members in one room to "attend" for one economical price. Prior to the event, you will receive the PowerPoint presentation, which you can distribute to all participants.

In just 24 hours, Rose Otis’s life changed completely. The time span started with a cheerful end-of-day recounting of her husband’s construction business and ended with a medical emergency that took his life.

"I was in a state of shock for months," says Otis, whose husband, James Otis, died last December 30 at age 52. The enormity of losing the love of her life was, by itself, crushing, yet she faced the demands of her husband’s business, a mortgage she could no longer afford, the hospital bills totaling more than $100,000, her husband’s burial expenses and her own subsequent care for clinical depression.

"I was lucky to have an advocate who knew this was not something I could handle on my own," she says of her friend, Kris Baird, who helped her through that difficult time. The two gathered financial records and met with Carl Dodd, a St. Mary’s Hospital charity care program representative, who promptly agreed to write off the entire medical bill.

"We will provide exceptional health care to everyone in need, regardless of their ability to pay," says St. Mary’s Hospital President Frank Byrne, MD. "We give discounts to all uninsured patients, and in this case, it was 100 percent. Our policy also considers catastrophic medical costs that could not reasonably be paid in four years, considering their circumstances. Rose, who makes a low wage providing home care to the elderly, easily qualifies."

The Otises had recently become uninsured because Jim’s business had downsized, no longer qualifying for less expensive group coverage. Individual coverage proved cost-prohibitive because the couple was over 50, and both were smokers. The lack of coverage didn’t bother them, though, because they thought they were in nearly perfect health.

Turns out Jim had a large aortic aneurysm, a dangerous bulge in the body’s largest blood vessel. Just before he underwent heart surgery, he told his wife, "It’s gonna be OK. The surgeon’s got good karma. And if something happens, I’m ready to go."

"In hindsight, these words were gifts," Otis says, adding that the relief from debt was also part of her healing process. "If they had not forgiven the bills, I might not even be here, I was so unstable," she explains. "I have a lot to be grateful for."

Submit hospital community benefit stories to Mary Kay Grasmick, editor, mgrasmick@wha.org or call 608-274-1820.

Bloomer Medical Center will change its name to Luther Midelfort Chippewa Valley beginning May 1, 2007. "We have experienced growth in many ways over the past several years, and our patients are noticing this move in a positive direction," said Colleen Skold, Bloomer Medical Center’s regional administrator. "With our name changing to Luther Midelfort Chippewa Valley, we will continue to provide exceptional care to the communities we serve and work even closer with Luther Midelfort and Mayo Health System."

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