Former DHFS Secretary Kevin Hayden has been chosen to receive the Wisconsin Hospital Association’s 2008 Health Care Advocate of the Year Award. The Health Care Advocate of the Year is among WHA’s most distinguished awards. It honors a person who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to advocate for Wisconsin’s community hospitals and for affordable, accessible health care.

"Kevin can be proud of the many significant accomplishments that occurred during his tenure as DHFS Secretary," said WHA President Steve Brenton. "His work to expand coverage through new BadgerCare Plus initiatives, his championing of E-Health as a necessary strategy to improve patient safety and provider efficiency, and his special attention to the unique challenges facing Milwaukee hospitals and primary care clinics through his participation in the Milwaukee Healthcare Partnership effort demonstrated his personal commitment to improve access and coverage for Wisconsin patients and families." Brenton also noted that Secretary Hayden always stressed collaboration as the necessary approach for achieving significant and sustainable health reform. Hayden recently left DHFS and accepted a position with WellPoint as president of its State Sponsored Business division.

While he was DHFS Secretary, Hayden’s accomplishments included:

• Working with Governor Doyle to implement BadgerCare Plus
• Streamlining and modernizing the state’s Medicaid program to ensure better service and improved fiscal discipline
• Leading the effort to pass legislation that breaks down barriers to electronic health information exchange, giving physicians and patients additional and more reliable information to make decisions about what health care treatment is best and safest
• Launching a critical child welfare plan for the children of Milwaukee County and working with county partners to ensure that all Wisconsin children are healthy, safe and protected

The award will be presented at the Advocacy Day luncheon on May 15 at Monona Terrace in Madison.

They work in 76 different Wisconsin health care organizations. Some always knew they would work in health care. Others followed a less direct path. They all have one thing in common – they want to make a difference in other people’s lives.

On May 1 the Wisconsin Hospital Association recognized 76 hospital employees for their dedication to their career, service to patients in their hospitals and their contribution to meeting the health care needs in their community. The reception, dinner and awards ceremony was held at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. About 275 people attended the event.

Each person honored submitted an essay describing why they entered the health profession. The reasons they gave were deeply personal and reveal the type of individual that seeks a health career. One employee wrote, "I love working in the health care industry because seeing people regain hope, spirit and strength means more to me than any paycheck."

Judy Warmuth, WHA vice president, workforce, along with Bev Hoege from the Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Executives (W-ONE), and Randy Schade from the Wisconsin Society of Healthcare Human Resources Administration (WSHHRA) presented the awards.

Warmuth said many people decide on a health career after a relative, a close friend, or they personally, were treated for a chronic or life-threatening illness.

"Early encounters with a nurse, physician or other health care professional during a personal illness or that of a family member can profoundly influence a person’s career choice, or in some cases, trigger a career change later in life," Warmuth said. Several of the employees described how they had tried other careers, only to find their "true calling" in health care.

Hospitals offer a wide variety of occupations, starting with positions that require a high school diploma through a doctoral degree. The 76 honored employees represent nearly 60 different health care occupations, including predictable professions like nurses, physical therapists, and radiology technicians, but also massage therapists, financial services specialists, environmental services and food service.

The fact that hospitals offer secure jobs with family-sustaining wages and benefits makes them desirable choices for employment, according to WHA President Steve Brenton. But training, recruiting and retaining a workforce large enough to meet the growing demand for health care is a constant challenge for hospitals and other health care providers. (See WHA’s most recent workforce report at: www.wha.org/workForce/workforce_report.aspx.)

"Our health care employees reflect the demographics of the general population – and many are nearing retirement. Our hospitals are planning now to fill the positions they will vacate in the not-so-distant future. And as we continue to see more chronic and age-related illnesses in our communities, it will require an even larger and highly-skilled workforce to meet the growing demand for care," Brenton said.

"Health care today offers people an opportunity to work in a high-tech, yet high-touch, environment. By showcasing the personal stories of health care employees, we are able to share the rewards of choosing a career serving others," Brenton said. The essays are posted at www.wha.org.

Below is a list of the 2008 Pride Program honorees:

Affinity Health System/St. Elizabeth Hospital, Menasha
Roxann Miller, RN, Nurse Direct Nurse

Aspirus Wausau Hospital, Wausau
Mary Utecht, Food Service Team Leader

Aurora Medical Center Manitowoc County, Two Rivers
Shawn Bloyer, Athletic Trainer

Aurora Medical Center of Washington County, Hartford
Joan Hove, Community Outreach Coordinator

Aurora Medical Group, Waukesha
Laura Grant, RN, Infection Control Coordinator

Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center, Sheboygan
Dawn Voland, Radiologic Technologist

Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Milwaukee
Betty Frazier, Environmental Assistant

Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center, Milwaukee
Meghan Marsden Parsche, Internal Communications Coordinator

Aurora St. Lukes South Shore, Cudahy
Stacy Parsley, Patient Access Representative

Baldwin Area Medical Center, Baldwin
Joann Mueller, Patient Registrar

Beaver Dam Community Hospitals, Inc., Beaver Dam
Janet Godshall, RN, Staff Nurse

Bellin Health Systems, Green Bay
Amanda Westmoreland, Physician Assistant

Berlin Memorial Hospital, Berlin
Heather Jahnke, Medical Assistant

Black River Memorial Hospital, Black River Falls
Ashley Huber, Home Health Aide

Boscobel Area Health Care, Boscobel
Theresa Braudt, RN, Cardiac Rehabilitation Coordinator

Burnett Medical Center, Grantsburg
Janelle Zastrow, Transcriptionist

Children’s Hospital and Health System, Milwaukee
Lori Ann Johnson, Speech/Language Pathologist

Columbia St. Mary’s, Milwaukee
Katherine, Lange-Nohr, Clinical Nurse 3

Community Memorial Hospital, Menomonee Falls
Ernee Kender, Admitting & Registration Specialist

Divine Savior Healthcare, Portage
Lynn Martin, Medical Records Clerk

Door County Memorial Hospital, Sturgeon Bay
Katie Graf, Social Worker

Flambeau Hospital, Park Falls
Samantha Pflanz, Housekeeper

Fort HealthCare, Fort Atkinson
Laurie Meyer, LPN, Licensed Practical Nurse

Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, La Crosse
Cheryl Crawford, Customer Service/Collections Specialist

Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, Sparta
Marlene Martin, Office Associate II

Froedtert Hospital, Milwaukee
Colleen McCracken, Staff RN/Educator

Good Samaritan Health Center, Merrill
Brenda Jones, Executive Assistant

Gundersen Lutheran Health System, La Crosse
Colleen Brogan-Raasch, Dosimetrist

Hayward Area Memorial Hospital, Hayward
Jennifer Thorhaug, CNA, Certified Nursing Assistant

Howard Young Medical Center, Woodruff
Marjean Schuelke, Sleep Lab Coordinator

Hudson Hospital, Hudson
Sandra Larson, Counselor

Lakeview Medical Center, Rice Lake
Catherine Willger, Patient Care Technician

Langlade Memorial Hospital, Antigo
Nancy Arrowood, Nursing Assistant

Luther Midelfort Chippewa Valley - Mayo Health System, Bloomer
Lisa Short, Quality Resources Director

Memorial Health Center, Medford
Patricia Lewis, Unit Clerk

Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County, Darlington
Kristine Roelli, Community Outreach Director

Memorial Medical Center, Neillsville
Sandra Schumacher, Plebotomist

Memorial Medical Center, Ashland
Jaimee Lipske, HR Specialist/Accounting Specialist

Mercy Health System, Janesville
Marci Johnson, Customer Service Team Leader-Patient Accounts

Monroe Clinic, Monroe
Kim Rae Matzke, RN, Registered Nurse

Our Lady of Victory Hospital, Stanley
Jill Pollert, Community Link Coordinator

Red Cedar Medical Center, Menomonie
Lanny Harder, Emergency Room Technician

Reedsburg Area Medical Center, Reedsburg
Patricia Haugh, RN, Registered Nurse

Ripon Medical Center, Ripon
Joann Strandell, RN, Registered Nurse

Rogers Memorial Hospital, Oconomowoc
Joan Neave, RN, House Supervisor (pool)

Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire
Peg Soukup, Human Resources Assistant

Sacred Heart-Saint Mary’s Hospitals, Rhinelander
Alan Vander Wielen, Radiology Technician

Saint Clare’s Hospital, Weston
Monica Schmidt, RN, Registered Nurse

Saint Joseph’s Hospital, Marshfield
Rhoda Dorshorst, Surgical Technician

Saint Michael’s Hospital, Stevens Point
Ruth Glodowski, RN, Registered Nurse

Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinics, Prairie du Sac
Cheryl Anderson, Volunteer Coordinator

Shawano Medical Center, Shawano
Holly Zimmerman, RN, Registered Nurse

St. Clare Hospital & Health Services, Baraboo
Christina Wilke, AODA Counselor

St. Joseph’s Community Health Services, Hillsboro
Robin Haugh, RN, Registered Nurse

St. Joseph’s Hospital, Chippewa Falls
Barbara Koppes, RN, Home Health RN

St. Mary’s Care Center, Madison
John Galewski, Director of Therapy

St. Mary’s Hospital, Madison
Kathleen Lee, RN, Registered Nurse

St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, Green Bay
Kathy Waldron, Medical Transcriptionist

St. Mary’s Hospital of Superior, Superior
Barb Andresen, Supervisor HIS/Registration

St. Nicholas Hospital, Sheboygan
Janice Mulhern, RN, Patient Advocate

St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay
Marilee Petasek, Massage Therapist

Stoughton Hospital, Stoughton
Kristine Annen, Lead Patient Financial Services Representative

SynergyHealth St. Joseph’s Hospital, West Bend
Perry Berndt, Food and Nutrition Services Lead

The Richland Hospital, Inc., Richland Center
Marsha Jones, Radiologic Technologist

The Wisconsin Heart Hospital, Wauwatosa
Dana Monreal-Blando, RN, Registered Nurse

Tomah VA Medical Center, Tomah
Merilyn Jilek, RN, Registered Nurse

UW Hospital & Clinics, Madison
Beth Bredlau, Medical Interpreter

Vernon Memorial Healthcare, Viroqua
Ann Keenan, Patient Services Representative III

Watertown Memorial Hospital, Watertown
Mary Ann Eidem, RN, Registered Nurse

Waupun Memorial Hospital - Agnesian Healthcare, Fond du Lac
Angela Wierenga, Registration Clerk

West Allis Memorial Hospital, West Allis
Pat Celek, RN, Diabetes Educator

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - All Saints, Racine
Carrie Jewell, LPN, Licensed Practical Nurse

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - Elmbrook Memorial Hospital, Brookfield
Cris Sturm, RN, Registered Nurse

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - St. Francis Hospital, Milwaukee
Ellyn Laessig, Social Worker

Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - St. Joseph, Milwaukee
Gloria Singleton-Young, RN, Save a Life Coordinator

William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison
Lucy Altwegg, RN, Nursing Education Coordinator

As CEO of Black River Memorial Hospital, Stan Gaynor understands the challenges of attracting physicians to set up a practice in a rural area. He also is not one to sit on the sidelines.

This year, Gaynor was instrumental in connecting Michelle Clark, a college-aged volunteer in the hospital’s hospice program and graduate of UW-Eau Claire, with the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine (WARM). She had good grades, a great attitude and she "put her heart and soul into her volunteer work," according to Gaynor. Gaynor learned that Clark’s goal was to get into medical school and return to Black River Falls and practice medicine. She was unaware of WARM.

"Michelle and the WARM program are a perfect match," according to Gaynor. "Without a doubt, I really think the future of rural health care will depend on candidates from rural areas getting into WARM." He encourages his fellow CEOs to learn more about the program and make their employees aware of it so they can spread the word. Clark’s mother, Cindy, is a hospice volunteer coordinator at Black River Memorial Hospital.

Byron Crouse, MD, WARM director, recently announced that 13 new students were accepted into the program and will start medical school in the fall. Crouse said the number of students interested in the program continues to increase.

"Through meetings with ‘pre-health’ groups at colleges around Wisconsin, we are consistently hearing enthusiasm and excitement from students about the opportunity to pursue a medical career in regional and rural community settings," Crouse said.

Crouse agrees with Gaynor on the importance of having a track in medical school dedicated to rural medicine.

"Historically, rural-focused programs in other medical schools have resulted in significant increases in graduates practicing in rural sites. At the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, we have already seen interest increase in rural practice in our medical school student matriculate survey and also an increase in the number of this year’s graduates selecting residency programs with a rural focus," according to Crouse.

Crouse said the quality of the students matriculating in WARM has been indistinguishable from the total pool to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. "This allows the admissions subcommittee for the WARM program to focus on the community engagement and commitment along with the rural background of the applicants as they select individuals for WARM," he added.

With the most recent class of 13, the total number of students in the program is 18. The goal is to admit 25 students per year to the program. Below are brief profiles of the students just admitted to the WARM program.

This week has been designated National Cover the Uninsured Week and per usual we’ve been subjected to the necessary but predictable onslaught of "glass is half empty" news and editorial coverage that paints a grim picture of the nation’s failure to provide adequate coverage for millions of uninsured. Instead of parroting that viewpoint, let’s take this opportunity to celebrate what we are doing right, in Wisconsin, to advance access and coverage to vulnerable patients and families. Consider the following:

• Wisconsin employers are national leaders in providing employment-based health insurance to their employees and families. According to several surveys, Wisconsin ranks in the top five of all states when it comes to lowest percentage of uninsured.

• Wisconsin lawmakers have been creative about enacting programs that provide options for hard to insure working families (Health Insurance Risk Sharing Pool – HIRSP) and low income uninsured (BadgerCare).

• Recent efforts to expand Medicaid coverage to children and their low income parents BadgerCare Plus (All Kids) has been a resounding success with 75,000 previously uninsured lives added to the new program in just three months.

• A new effort to provide coverage to chronically uninsured, low income adults will be implemented in 2009. The BadgerCare Plus (Childless Adults) initiative may cover up to 80,000 uninsured patients whose current portal to health care is the hospital emergency room.

• Wisconsin has one of the finest networks of primary care clinics in the nation, a fact recognized recently by the Wisconsin Legislature, which actually provided additional funding for infrastructure development in what was otherwise an extremely tight state budget. Often in partnership with area hospitals, these community health centers provide essential health services to tens of thousands of patients all across the state.

• The Milwaukee Health Care Partnership is a public/private group of hospital systems, community health centers, and State and Milwaukee County leaders committed to expanding access to vulnerable populations in the most challenged health care environment in the State of Wisconsin. The multi-stakeholder commitment demonstrates the strong collaboration necessary to tackle a serious and growing access crisis in SE Wisconsin.

When it comes to coverage, Wisconsin gets a B+ for current and future efforts. But while that grade means that more can be done, it hardly is evidence that the current payment and delivery framework should be dismantled, as some suggest. The key issue going forward is insurance affordability—an issue that can be addressed by several strategies including value purchasing and rewarding consumer engagement in their own health care status and decision making.

Steve Brenton
President

Wisconsin Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold sent a joint letter to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley this week urging them to help Critical Access Hospitals (CAH). The letter was requested by the Wisconsin Hospital Association due to recent actions taken by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that make it increasingly difficult for CAHs to modernize or update facilities.

"Unless legislatively acted upon, recent CMS actions will reverse a decade of Congressional policies aimed at providing and preserving quality care in rural communities," said WHA President Steve Brenton. "We greatly appreciate the willingness and commitment of Senators Kohl and Feingold to help our Critical Access Hospitals with this issue."

The letter sent by Senators Kohl and Feingold requests Senators Baucus and Grassley to include legislative language in appropriate legislation. Ideally, the language would state that as long as a necessary provider CAH met all of the other requirements for its status, it be deemed a necessary provider for the purposes of relocation.

"Wisconsin’s Critical Access Hospitals are essential to providing health care to rural residents throughout the state and our nation. In order for this level of medical attention to continue in our communities, it is vital that CMS does not impede efforts to modernize and enhance medical facilities seeking to improve services and care for their patients."

To maintain "necessary provider" status, CMS is now requiring an upgraded or renovated CAH to meet the exact criteria it met when initially designated a CAH, even when renovating or building a new wing on the same campus. In many cases Wisconsin hospitals will be unable to do so based on developments completely outside of the hospital’s control or because of the positive work the hospital has done to improve the provision of health care in their communities.

In order to initially be designated a necessary provider CAH, a facility had to meet 5 out of 10 criteria, examples of which included being located in a health professional shortage area or having a higher unemployment or poverty rate than the state average. Even though required to meet only 5 criteria, many CAHs at that time chose to exceed the requirement and meet as many as 9 out of 10. Under the new CMS rule, these CAHs will be required to meet each of the same criteria they originally met when designated as a necessary provider.

WHA opposes the new rule because it is arbitrary and was adopted without a legislated mandate calling for such restrictions. WHA will continue to work with our Members of Congress and the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative to appropriately address the issue.

A continuing highlight of the annual Wisconsin Quality & Safety Forum, the Project Showcase will once again allow attendees to share information about their current quality and safety improvement initiatives, in a poster board format, as part of the 2008 Forum.

A project submission brochure for the 2008 Wisconsin Quality & Safety Forum is included in this week’s packet and on WHA’s Web site at www.wha.org. Examples of projects eligible for submission include those that enhance organization-wide improvement culture and structure; are undertaken to improve quality or safety of care; and demonstrate how quality improvement practices are utilized in an organization. Submitted projects will be included on the 2008 Wisconsin Quality & Safety Forum Showcase CD and published in a future issue of the Wisconsin Medical Society’s Wisconsin Medical Journal.

Showcase project submissions will only be accepted via completion of the online submission form at www.wha.org/QSFshowcase. The online form became available Friday, May 2, and all submissions are due to WHA, via the online form, by Tuesday, July 1, 2008. For questions about project submission, contact Brian Competente at 608-274-1820 or bcompetente@wha.org.

The Osthoff Resort, Elkhart Lake *** June 18-20, 2008

The Osthoff Resort Room Reservation Cut-Off: May 28
Conference, Golf & Sailing Registrations: Due June 4 to WHA

More information and registration form can be found at www.wha.org

When the World Health Organization declares Pandemic Alert Level 5 (i.e. there are large clusters of human-to-human transmissions of pandemic influenza somewhere in the world), the DHHS Strategic National Stockpile will begin to pre-position certain assets in the states. One of the assets that the state of Wisconsin will receive is antiviral medications. A statewide Expert Panel, with representatives from the Wisconsin Hospital Association, hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and others, has recommend that we use the existing health care system for the distribution of these antiviral medications.

"Hospitals and clinics will soon receive an invitation from their local health officer to participate in a planning meeting for the distribution of these antiviral medications. I encourage hospitals to participate in these meetings. Your input will help to enhance this plan that will help mitigate the transmission of pandemic influenza in your community," said Bill Bazan, vice president, Metro Milwaukee, and a member of the Expert Panel.

Betty Ann Adams (L), Director of Clinical Education at Bay Area Medical Center, Marinette, explains the benefits of the recent patient room remodeling project to Assemblyman John Nygren (C) and CEO David Olson (R) on a tour of the hospital given to Nygren during a visit by the legislator on April 28.

The Wisconsin Hospital Emergency Preparedness Program welcomes all Wisconsin hospitals to the Wisconsin Tracking, Alerts and Communication (WI-Trac) system. WI-Trac is a tool that hospitals use to alert and communicate with each other and with their emergency response partners, not only in an emergency, but also on a day-to-day basis.

WI-Trac is a tool, paid for out of federal emergency preparedness funding, to better manage an incident through sending alerts and advisories, knowing the status of hospitals and knowing what resources are available to assist hospitals in need. WI-Trac eventually will be the tool by which hospitals and others can communicate with physicians in their office settings by providing physicians with alerts and advisories as well as "just-in-time" diagnostic and treatment information.

WI-Trac is a requirement of the federal Hospital Preparedness Program. Hospitals are required in a disaster, when asked, to post their available bed capacity on the system. The state, in turn, will report this information to the appropriate organization within the Department of Health and Human Services.

In addition to resource reporting and the ability to send alerts and advisories, WI-Trac has an information database for all users, the ability to do enhanced surveillance, a knowledge database and a report writer. WI-Trac will be used also for patient tracking.

While WI-Trac is intended primarily for hospitals, it will be available to EMS providers, First Responders, public health, physician offices, law enforcement, fire departments, dispatch centers and emergency management directors. WI-Trac is intended for anyone who partners with hospitals for the better care and treatment of victims who may be involved in an emergency.

Each hospital will be asked to designate a person to serve as the site administrator. The site administrator should contact Deb Van Matre, the WI-Trac System Administrator, at dvanmatr@fmlh.edu. A WI-Trac ID and password will be given at that time, along with other important information.

If you have any questions about WI-Trac, contact Deb Van Matre.

Teens Against Destructive Decisions (TADD), an organization of Osseo Wisconsin high school students whose purpose is to promote healthy and positive lifestyle choices, decided that with proms and graduations quickly approaching in May, it was once again time to remind students of the impact of drinking and driving. As a result, a mock car crash was held April 19 at the Osseo-Fairchild High School. Approximately 350 students in grades 9-12 attended to witness the outcome when mixing drinking with driving.

Luther Midelfort Oakridge-Mayo Health System was directly involved in the planning and execution of the crash, where emergency personnel and other staff volunteered in simulated emergency care. "This exercise shows students how a car crash involving alcohol not only impacts the lives of those in the crash itself, but friends and family members as well," said Kathy Sieg, parent volunteer and Luther Midelfort Oakridge-Mayo Health System employee.

"We did a simulation four years ago. The emotional reaction of the students and community was intense. It is time to recreate the experience for a new group of young drivers and the community," said Juanita Rosenberg, TADD advisor with Osseo-Fairchild High School.

Many community organizations volunteered to help spread the word among the youth in the community about the impact of drinking and driving. Other organizations involved were: Osseo Police Department, Osseo Volunteer Fire Department, Osseo Salvage, Osseo First Responders, Wisconsin State Patrol, Schiefelbein Funeral Home, and Bridals and Bowties, who furnished the tuxedo worn by a prom "attendee."

Following the presentation was a debriefing in the high school auditorium to inform students on what happens after the crash—the impact it would have—this is where the "rest of the story" was told.

Since 1995, Milwaukee’s adolescent birth rate had remained virtually unchanged (20 percent of all births) while most of the U.S. experienced a decline in teen births during that same time period. Just recently, however, Milwaukee has begun to experience a downward turn. From a high of 20 percent in 1999 and 2000, the teen birth rate has dropped to 17 percent in a recent report.

This encouraging statistic shows the effectiveness of a Teen Outreach program, sponsored by Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – St. Francis. The program serves more than 5,000 students at 25 middle and high schools in the Milwaukee area. It has grown so much that three additional nurse educators are now assisting in reaching out to teens.

St. Francis partners with schools such as Pulaski High School and Bradley Tech High School and brings in registered nurses who have frank discussions with teens about social diseases, teen pregnancy and the need for abstinence. The nurses show graphic photos of what can happen to physically active teens.

Most important, our nurses discuss the importance of self-esteem. Basically, girls with goals don’t get into trouble.

The positive influence that our team has on students often leaves them in tears, hugging our staff and thanking them for caring about them. Ann Hanson, RN, Supervisor for the Reiman Center for Health and Wellness, is a leader of this initiative. Her calm yet reassuring demeanor wins students over. Staff receives pages of comments from students after they’ve completed evaluations of the class.

At St. Francis, we believe in helping the community and the Milwaukee Public Schools make strides in reducing the teen pregnancy rate. These students want to be somebody after going through our Teen Outreach Program. St. Francis receives yearly grants through the Foundation for St. Francis to keep this positive story going.