A Department of Health and Human Services rule change that allows dental hygienists to bill Medicaid for preventive dental services cleared the Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules on Wednesday, June 14. The rule is scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2006.

WHA strongly supported the change, which would certify dental hygienists and allow them to bill Medicaid for preventive services (specifically, prophylaxis, the topical application of fluoride and pit and fissure sealants) provided in public health clinics, schools, and technical schools that train hygienists. The Wisconsin Dental Association strongly opposed the rule change on the grounds that dental hygienists cannot provide a diagnosis before sealants are applied to a patient.

WHA was a leading proponent of the change due to the impact that lack of access to dental care is having on hospital emergency departments. According to WHA, in a one-year period, Wisconsin hospitals treated more than 10,000 people in their EDs for preventable dental problems.

"This isn’t going to eliminate these visits to the emergency departments, but it is certainly a step in the right direction," said WHA Vice President for Government Affairs Jodi Bloch. "WHA appreciates the efforts of Chair Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) and other committee members, Sens. Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) and Mark Miller (D-Madison) and Reps. Marlin Schneider (D-WI Rapids) and Spencer Black (D-Madison). They understand the importance of actually doing something to address access to preventive dental care and supporting measures that will allow more people, especially poor kids, access to these prevention measures early in their lives."

More than 200 individuals affiliated with 45 hospitals have raised to date over $73,000. This accounts for almost 40 percent of the 2006 fundraising campaign’s $185,000 monetary goal. Additional campaign goals include identifying and implementing strategies to increase participation, particularly for the federal PAC.

Persons who have contributed this year are listed below by name and their affiliated organization. If you are a contributor, check to see if your name is listed. Contributors are listed by amount categories and in the order the contribution was received.

For more information, contact Jenny Boese or Jodi Bloch at 608-274-1820.

2006 political action campaign contributors:

Contributions ranging from $1 - $249

Hoffman, Nancy         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Ayers, Mandy         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Margan, Rob         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Frank, Jennifer         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Gorczynski, Michael         Aurora Health Care

Boes, Jody         Door County Memorial Hospital

McKuen, Sandra         Door County Memorial Hospital

Quade, Steve         Door County Memorial Hospital

VanPay, Christa         Door County Memorial Hospital

Scieszinski, Robert         Door County Memorial Hospital

Sneath, Roger         Columbus Community Hospital

Holub, Gregory         Door County Memorial Hospital

Hofer, John         Bay Area Medical Center

Hemes, Lisa         St. Elizabeth Hospital

Veeser, Tom         Mercy Medical Center

Henning, Connie         Hayward Area Memorial Hospital and Nursing Home

Schraufnagel, Patricia         Memorial Medical Center

Steen, Sylvia         St. Mary’s Hospital of Superior

Zeller, Brad         Spooner Health System

Meysembourg, Len         Spooner Health System

Bank, Carol         Divine Savior Healthcare

Blackburn, Randee         Chippewa Valley Hospital and Oakview Care Center

Coller, James         St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center

Anich, Matthew         Memorial Medical Center

Erickson, Nancy         St. Mary’s Hospital of Superior

Constable, Thomas         ProHealth Care

Reinke, Kathy         Shawano Medical Center

Sullivan, Anne         Memorial Medical Center

Marcouiller, Don         Memorial Medical Center

Albers, Kirstin         Meriter Hospital

Klinge, Ann         Memorial Medical Center

Myers, Robert         Vernon Memorial Healthcare

Whiteaker, Les         Memorial Medical Center

Harrop, Pauline         Meriter Hospital

Jacobsen, Joan         Meriter Hospital

Pupanek, William         Meriter Hospital

Rothfuss, James         Meriter Hospital

Maersch, Nancy         Meriter Hospital

Hammel, Jennifer         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Petersen, Mary Beth         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Meurer, John         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Baer, James         Shawano Medical Center

Lange, Mark         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Prince, Nancy         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Dooley, Richard         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Scinto, Jeanne         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Frederickson, Terry         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Grunwald, Patricia         Meriter Hospital

Kundinger, Ruth         Flambeau Hospital

Boiso, David         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Burtch, Sue         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Fochs, Mary         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Rusch, Judith         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Adams, Daniel         Memorial Medical Center

Frank, Martin         Waukesha Memorial Hospital

Furlong, Marian         Hudson Hospital

Burgener, Jean         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Burgett, Lyle         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Nevers, Rick         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Olson, Keri         St. Clare Hospital and Health Services

Skeans, John         All Saints Healthcare

Belland, Kathy         All Saints Healthcare

Fowler, Rose         All Saints Healthcare

Ouimet, Mary         All Saints Healthcare

Boland, Susan         All Saints Healthcare

Herbert, William         Meriter Hospital

Maroney, Lisa

Meyer, Loren         All Saints Healthcare

Rocole, Theresa         All Saints Healthcare

Tracey, Robert         Franciscan Skemp Healthcare-Sparta

Peickert, Barbara         Hayward Area Mem. Hospital and Nursing Home

Melby, Shirley         Tri-County Mem. Hospital & Nursing Home

Sio, Tim         Meriter Hospital

Watts, Sue         St. Vincent Hospital

Marnell, John         Hudson Hospital

Studer, Vincent         Shawano Medical Center

Schaefer, Joyce         Amery Regional Medical Center

Facey, Alice         St. Clare Hospital and Health Services

Franson, Patricia         Meriter Hospital

Coblentz, Kathy Jo         St. Joseph’s Community Health Services

Matthews, Larry         St. Vincent Hospital

Roundy, Ann         Columbus Community Hospital

Gutsch, Mike         Memorial Health Center

Dittrich, Peggy         Memorial Health Center

Contributions ranging from $250 - $499

Miloszewicz, Angela         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Rickelman, Debbie         WHA Information Center

White, Michelle         WHA Financial Solutions, Inc.

Riddle, Roberta         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Brazys, Mary         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Navti, Abigail         Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

Smith, Gregory         Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

Duncan, Larry         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Fish, Linda         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Flowers, Patty         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Jones, Michael         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Kersten, Juliet         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Korom, Nancy         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Niemer, Margaret         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Lange, MD, George M.         West Gate Medical Group

Brown, Lori         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Gutzeit, Michael         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Vogel, Martin         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Peterson, Douglas         Chippewa Valley Hospital and Oakview Care Center

Anderson, Susan         Beloit Memorial Hospital

Bestor, William         Community Memorial Hospital

Potter, Brian         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Brophy, Michael         Aurora Health Care

Banzhaf, Elaine         Waukesha Memorial Hospital

Buerstatte, Gary         ProHealth Care

Deich, Faye         Sacred Heart Hospital

Bezucha,         Gary Boscobel Area Health Care

Meyer, Miles         Meriter Hospital

Blask, Daniel         ProHealth Care

Decker, Michael         Divine Savior Healthcare

Mlynarek, Robert         Waukesha Memorial Hospital

Jentsch, Lisa         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Oswald, John         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Sale, Nora         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Wyatt, David

Bayer, Tom         St. Vincent Hospital

Fischer, Kay         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Jamieson, Donna         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Johnson, Roy         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Melzer-Lane, Marlene         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Nunn, Jake Aurora         St. Luke’s Medical Center

Olive, Willie         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Ordinans, Karen         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Sachse, Kelly         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Sperka, Julie         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Hessert, Peter         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Olkowski, Leland         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Casanova, James         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Mantei, Mary Jo         Bay Area Medical Center

Nick, Mary         Meriter Hospital

Carlson, Dan         Bay Area Medical Center

Censky, Bill         Holy Family Memorial Hospital

Contributions ranging from $500 - $999

Grasmick, Mary Kay         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Richardson, Dana         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Quinn, Connie         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Warmuth, Eric         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Borgerding, Dana         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Blum, William         Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

McGuire, Terrance         Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

Wachs, Jon         Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

Canter, Richard         Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

Smith, David         Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

Dicus-Johnson, Coreen         Covenant Healthcare System, Inc.

Worrick, Gerald         Door County Memorial Hospital

Olson, David         Bay Area Medical Center

Grady, Glen         Memorial Medical Center

Anderson, Sandy         St. Clare Hospital and Health Services

Birkenstock, Timothy         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Christensen, Cinthia         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Dunigan, Thomas         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Gazzana, Thomas         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Hutchison, Heather         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Munson, Kenneth         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Shabino, Charles         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Schafer, Michael         Spooner Health System

Radoszewski, Pat         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Reynolds, Sheila         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Morgan, Dwight         Aurora Health Care

Karuschak, Michael         Amery Regional Medical Center

Banaszynski, Gregory         Synergy Health/St. Joseph’s Hospital

Postler-Slattery, Diane         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Kosanovich, John         Watertown Memorial Hospital

Herzog, Mark         Holy Family Memorial Hospital

Contributions ranging from $1000 - $1999

Boese, Jennifer         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Braddock, Jonathan         WHA Financial Solutions, Inc.

Stanford, Matthew         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Bazan, Bill         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Bloch, Jodi         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Quinn, George         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Oliverio, John         Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare

Kachelski, Joe         WHA Information Center

Bruce, Bill         St. Joseph’s Community Health Services

Vice, Jon         Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin

Turkal, Nick         Aurora Health Care

Nannis, Paul         Aurora Health Care

Kaufman, Nancy         Aurora Health Care

Britton, Gregory         Beloit Memorial Hospital

Buser, Kenneth         All Saints Healthcare

Fale, Robert         Agnesian HealthCare

Olson, Edward         Waukesha Memorial Hospital

Starmann-Harrison, Mary         SSM Health Care-Wisconsin

Titus, Rexford         ProHealth Care

Wolf, Edward         Lakeview Medical Center

Ela, Susan         Aurora Health Care

Anderson, Loren         Aurora Health Care-South Region

Brideau, Leo         Columbia St. Mary’s-Columbia Campus

Devermann, Robert         Aurora Medical Center of Oshkosh

Eichman, Cynthia         Our Lady of Victory Hospital

Johnson, George         Reedsburg Area Medical Center

Smith, Linda         Aurora BayCare Medical Center

Erwin, Duane         Aspirus Wausau Hospital

Nestor, Donald         Aurora Health Care

El-Jack, Mohamed         Bay Area Medical Center

Contributions $2000 - $2999

Milakovich, Paul         Aurora Health Care

Brenton, Mary         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Contributions $3000 and up

Brenton, Stephen         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Borgerding, Eric         Wisconsin Hospital Association

Size, Tim Rural         Wisconsin Health Cooperative

Howe, Edwin         Aurora Health Care

The results of the 2006 WHA membership survey are in, and President Steve Brenton said the responses indicate that the Association’s advocacy efforts have been on target. Advocacy was identified as the top expected benefit of WHA members, and 97 percent of the members ranked it as being done "extremely well or well."

In two areas, quality of professional staff and "clout" as a political advocate on statewide issues, WHA achieved 100 percent positive satisfaction scores from its members. Leadership in policy development was rated as "good or excellent" by 99 percent of WHA’s members who returned a survey. WHA’s ability to mobilize grassroots support, under the direction of Jenny Boese, achieved the highest rating – 97 percent – among the 30 or so state hospital associations that contract with SatisfactionWorks to perform member surveys.

Brenton said the membership survey will be a resource at the WHA Board Planning Session this summer to identify and discuss issues that could be considered for inclusion in the Association’s Strategic Plan.

"Survey results provide strong support for current WHA program priorities and can be a roadmap for future strategic direction," Brenton said.

Brenton presented the AHA transparency/accountability agenda and said that WHA’s efforts in this area are in line with national goals. While Wisconsin hospitals have taken the lead in reporting quality, safety and price information, work remains on insurer accountability. AHA is currently advocating a strong statement of expectations regarding billing and collection policies, Brenton said the WHA Board guidelines on this issue align with the AHA position. Work will continue to ensure that hospital billing and collection policies are easily accessible and simple to understand.

WHA Senior Vice President George Quinn presented a status report on the Association’s community benefit public reporting process. Quinn provided the project’s timeline and said staff is now working to develop templates and reporting tools to prepare member hospitals for the first-ever statewide community benefit report.

Eric Borgerding, WHA senior vice president, said advocacy efforts at the State Capitol have slowed down very little, with policy work taking place in the interim before campaign season hits its stride. Borgerding said the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance reports that they receive complaints from people who are getting bills from providers that are not included in the PPO they purchased. According to Borgerding, this is an issue that should be resolved by the PPOs who sell the plans, and that enrollees should expect to receive accurate information when they call their insurer. But there are some things hospitals can do to minimize the confusion PPO enrollees sometimes experience, and a WHA member workgroup will be convened to explore ideas.

Borgerding noted several other ongoing issues, including how Medicaid defines a "hospital" and the implications for reimbursement, ongoing legislative discussions about health care reform, and the recent adoption of a rule that will allow dental hygienists to bill Medicaid for preventive care (see article on page 1).

Dana Richardson, WHA vice president of quality initiatives, said the Medical and Professional Affairs Council discussed the addition of aggregate measures to CheckPoint that use the current medical and surgical services data to evaluate how well a hospital is doing at providing the evidence-based interventions that each patient is eligible for based on their health history. These aggregate measures will be called indexes. The Council also discussed the new Dartmouth study on efficiency of end-of-life care and provided WHA staff with talking points that where shared with member hospitals.

The Board briefly reviewed a PowerPoint developed by George Quinn entitled, "Wisconsin Health Care Costs – Challenges and Opportunities," and provided several suggested modifications.

Wisconsin is listening. Among others, the state’s Rural Health Development Council (RHDC), embedded in the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, is taking up the challenge. RHDC works to link rural health and community development, is appointed by the Governor, confirmed by the Senate, and staffed by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health.

In the last six months it has acquired major funding for its Strong Rural Communities Initiative from the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program, Wisconsin’s Rural Hospital Flexibility Program, and the Robert Wood Johnson Health & Society Scholars Program.

The goal of this initiative is to improve the health status of rural communities and reduce health care cost inflation by significantly accelerating the use of sustainable models for collaboration among medical, public health and business organizations that enhance preventive health services in rural Wisconsin.

Through a statewide competitive process, RHDC chose six local community projects from among 22 grant proposals. They are located in Jackson, Langlade, Manitowoc, Sauk, Sawyer and Waupaca Counties. The six projects use a variety of approaches that are intended to reduce the incidence of lifestyle-related chronic diseases—for example, modifying poor fitness and nutrition habits through wellness programs at work and in the community.

RHDC believes that rural businesses and their employees constitute a major subset of the community who in partnership with public health and the medical community, can significantly accelerate their community’s overall acceptance/demand for prevention services.

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH) and the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) have a history of sharing information and working in a parallel and supportive manner. However, the complexity of creating a Healthy Wisconsin requires a higher level of cooperation.

Just as the Strong Rural Communities Initiative is bringing together community sectors that traditionally have not worked closely together, the Center for Healthy Communities at MCW and the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health at UWSMPH are creating a new partnership between their schools. Faculty are actively working together, along with representatives from the communities, to develop the local interventions, and all participants are learning from one another to create a statewide framework for effective community-academic partnerships for years to come.

RHDC has begun to address a variety of related public and private policy questions. How can public, private and voluntary sectors most effectively promote the need for collaboration among rural medical, public health, and business partners to increase access to local preventive health services? What are "best practices" for rural community collaboratives focusing on preventive health services? What are the advantages and disadvantages rural communities face, compared to urban communities when developing these multi-sector collaborative approaches?

RHDC has brought together six local community projects, two medical schools and a statewide policy council with the potential to improve the health of 1.7 million rural Wisconsin residents. This is just a start, collaboration for prevention must become the norm, not the exception, across Wisconsin. Our state’s health, both of its people and its economic competitive position, depends on it.

A July 1 effective date for a new provision requiring Medicaid applicants to show proof of citizenship or nationality is fast approaching. On Friday, June 9, the federal Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) issued its guidelines on how states should enforce the new requirement.

The documentation requirement, approved under the federal Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, requires individuals applying for Medicaid benefits or who will have a Medicaid re-determination on or after July 1 to provide proof of citizenship or nationality. Previously, applicants had to attest to citizenship or nationality but generally did not have to provide documentation as proof. The new provision requires all states to obtain satisfactory documentation from all applicants.

The HHS guidelines outline the types of documentation that will be considered satisfactory under the new law, and include one primary level of documentation followed by three secondary levels. A fifth option is also available but only in the rarest of situations. States are to utilize the following forms of documentation in descending order:

• Primary Documentation (no other documentation required) – U.S. Passport; Certificate of Naturalization; Certificate of U.S. Citizenship
• Secondary Documentation (identity document also required) – U.S. birth certificate; Certificate of birth abroad; final adoption decree, etc.
• Third Level of Documentation (identity document also required) – Extract of U.S. hospital record of birth created at least five years before initial application; insurance record showing U.S. as place of birth created at least five years before initial application date
• Fourth Level of Documentation (identity document also required) – Federal or State Census record; institutional admission papers from nursing home created at least five years before initial application that shows U.S. as place of birth
• Fifth Option – written affidavits by two individuals, one of whom is not a relative. This option is to be used in only the rarest of cases and when all other forms of documentation are unavailable.

Except in instances where primary documentation is available, all other forms of documentation must also include proof of identity, such as a current drivers license.

All states are required to provide a "reasonable opportunity" for applicants to present documentation, and, if applicants are unable to do so because documents are unavailable or because the applicant needs assistance (i.e., is homeless, mentally impaired etc), then the state should assist those individuals.

The Wisconsin Department of Health & Family Services (DHFS) is currently reviewing these federal guidelines and will send Wisconsin Medicaid providers further information and guidance in the near future. DFHS is also considering a stakeholders’ meeting to explore processes for the new requirements.

This week Cong. Paul Ryan (R-Janesville) introduced legislation to establish a national health information network. The bill, H.R. 5559, is also known as the Independent Health Record Act of 2006.

The legislation would facilitate creation of a nationwide health information network so patients’ up-to-date medical information can easily travel with them from doctor to doctor or hospital to hospital to help improve treatment and reduce mistakes. The legislation would also help promote the exchange of health information by consumers through appropriate tax incentives. An Independent Health Record Bank would be accredited and regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and Attorney General.

"Accessing your health records should be as simple as checking your bank records using your ATM card," Cong. Ryan said. "There is no reason that medical information can’t be managed in a similar way, with proper safeguards to protect patient confidentiality. The current cumbersome, largely paper-based system adds to the high cost of health care and sometimes can lead to errors that cost lives. We can lower costs and improve the quality of care for patients by making the transition to a nationwide system of secure electronic health records."

To access HR 5559, log onto Thomas at http://thomas.loc.gov/.

On Tuesday, June 13, the House Appropriations Committee adopted a fiscal year 2007 Labor-Health-Human Services appropriations bill. The bill increases important programs, especially in rural health care, and rejects many of the Administration’s proposed budget cuts. The Committee approved:

• Community Health Centers—Total funding provided for Community Health Centers is $2 billion, which is $206 million above last year’s appropriation.
• Rural Health Programs—The committee approved:
• Area Health Education Centers—Restoring $29 million to establish community- based training programs in rural and underserved areas. The Administration budget request would have zeroed out funding.
• National Health Service Corps—Earmarking $132 million, up $6 million, to ensure health professionals serve in underserved areas.
• Rural Outreach Grants—Earmarking $40 million to improve health care services to rural areas, up $1 million over last year.
• Rural Hospital Flexibility Grants—Providing $40 million in grants, which is a rejection of the Administration’s proposal to eliminate funding.
• Rural Health Research—Fully funding the requested level of $9 million to support rural health centers of research. In addition, the bill rejects Administration’s attempts to end the Rural and Community Access to Emergency Devices programs, instead designating $2 million for it.
• State Offices of Rural Health—Funding comes in at $8 million, slightly above last year.
• Rural Community Facilities program—Fully restoring funding to $7 million.
• Telehealth—Increasing funding by $3 million to $10 million total.

Additionally, the Committee restored cuts to training programs that improve the availability of trained health care professionals to underserved areas. A total of $313 million was earmarked for these programs, an increase of $18 million above last year. The Committee also restored a cut of $47 million to scholarship programs for disadvantaged students and increased funding by $3 million—$201 million over the Administration’s budget request—to support graduate level medical programs at Children’s hospital.

As the countdown continues toward the implementation date for the new National Provider ID (NPI), WHA Information Center (WHAIC) has developed a plan to accommodate the new identifier.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will require the use of NPIs as of May 23, 2007, transaction dates. While hospitals may begin submitting NPIs to WHAIC beginning with January 1, 2007 dates of service, WHAIC will not require the submission of NPIs in data submissions until July 1, 2007 dates of service, to allow time for the transition. The current ten-digit facility/organization ID assigned by WHAIC will continue to be required due to the need to link subparts to their parent organizations.

CMS and the American Hospital Association are strongly encouraging health care providers to obtain National Provider Identifiers (NPIs) well before the May 23, 2007, deadline to help minimize claim errors and delays in payment.

A ten-digit, numeric identifier that does not expire or change, the NPI will be used in standard health care transactions by covered health care providers, health plans and health clearinghouses. The identifier is used to ensure that medical claims are processed in a timely manner and payments are made correctly. Health care providers can obtain their NPI by applying online at https://NPPES.cms.hhs.gov, calling 1-800-465-3203 and requesting an application form, or applying for a bulk enumeration. For more information, go to: www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalProvIdentStand/.

Now is the time to honor one of your hospital’s community health projects by nominating it for a 2006 Global Vision Community Partnership Award, presented by the WHA Foundation.

This competitive grant award is presented to a community health initiative that successfully addresses a documented community health need. The Award, launched by the WHA Foundation in 1993, seeks to recognize and support ongoing projects that support community health.

Nominations must be received no later than 5 pm on June 30, 2006. Included in this week’s packet is the final call for nominations for this year’s award.

Any WHA member hospital can nominate a community health project. The project must have been in existence for a minimum of two years and must be a collaborative or partnership project that includes a WHA member hospital and an organization(s) within the community.

The Award will be presented at the WHA Annual Convention on September 28, 2006. Nomination forms can also be found on the WHA Web site at www.wha.org. For more information about the Award, contact Jennifer Frank at jfrank@wha.org or 608-274-1820.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association, along with 41 other state hospital associations and the American Hospital Association, has become a partner in careLearning.com, an e-learning and education management solution specifically for health care professionals.

Keeping employees trained appropriately and their skills and competencies up to date is a constant challenge for hospitals and health care providers. Add on the expenses associated with developing curriculum and difficulty of scheduling, and it’s easy to understand why health care providers are looking for alternatives to traditional training. careLearning.com is now available to WHA hospital members as a simple, affordable way to keep employees current on mandatory training, as well as regulatory and policy issues.

More than 100,000 hospital employees have taken more than one million educational courses through careLearning.com, which was developed nearly five years ago as simply a series of 13 health and safety compliance courses designed to help hospital staff meet educational and licensing requirements of the OSHA and JCAHO. Today, careLearning.com has expanded to cover more than 240 courses on a variety of topics that can be tailored to fit the needs of each individual hospital and its departments. Nearly 170 hospitals nationwide enroll their staff in careLearning courses. The extensive catalog of courses includes education on nursing, patient care, business management and compliance, as well as Web-based seminars.

When hospitals subscribe to the careLearning.com "Health and Safety Compliance Series," careLearning.com’s most popular course offering, they also receive a software-based administrative recordkeeping system. Among other features, the system allows hospitals to track professional licenses, licensure renewal and certificates for staff; designate which careLearning.com courses are required for employees in a specific department or with a certain job title; and coordinate all learning activities.

The deadline to submit quality and safety improvement projects for inclusion in the 2006 Wisconsin Quality & Safety Forum Project Showcase has been extended to Thursday, July 6. Only those projects submitted by July 6 will be eligible to participate in the Project Showcase, be included on the CD-ROM of all submitted projects, be considered for offering a breakout presentation focused on your project, and be published in the December issue of the Wisconsin Medical Journal focused on quality and patient safety.

As in 2005, Showcase projects submissions will ONLY be accepted via completion of the online submission form at www.wha.org/QSFshowcase. The online form is now available and all submissions are due to WHA, via the online form, by Thursday, July 6, 2006. For questions about project submission, contact Brian Competente at 608-274-1820 or bcompetente@wha.org.

Projects that have not previously been submitted are eligible, as are new phases of a previously submitted project. A full project submission brochure, describing all submission criteria, is available on WHA’s Web site at www.wha.org.

ThedaCare’s mission, and therefore the mission of its hospitals – Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark Medical Center and New London Family Medical Center – is to improve the health of the communities it serves. Even though we are a hospital – health care organization, approximately 90 percent of all things that influence health status are outside the realm of direct health care delivery. This includes socioeconomic factors and education (20 percent), lifestyle (50 percent), and genetics (20 percent).

We therefore employ four other major strategies outside of the direct delivery of health care to improve health:

• Collaboration with the community on creative projects and initiatives in the other areas that affect health status
• Sponsorship of community programs and activities that have a positive influence on health status
• Presentation of hundreds of community programs ranging from specific medical information to those that serve to improve health status by improving our community
• Promoting employee volunteerism and connecting employees with volunteer opportunities

Collaboration:
Since 2001, ThedaCare has been the catalyst behind the Community Health Action Team. The program is funded by dedicating 5 percent of ThedaCare’s net revenue above budgeted net revenue to this purpose, following an initial $500,000 endowment. Recently, ThedaCare created a dedicated "Chat" fund within the Community Foundation of the Fox Cities. The initial contribution was

$1.8 million, with an ongoing commitment to contribute 5 percent of excess net revenue on an annual basis. In addition to funding, ThedaCare also provides staffing to convene and facilitate community plunges and resulting programs as well as communication within the community.

Over the last six years, CHAT has sponsored daylong community "plunges" during which community leaders and citizens immerse themselves in a specific concern. Topics tackled to date include affordable housing, senior health care, mental illness, rural health, alcohol abuse, diversity and childhood obesity.

Resulting initiatives include:

• Financial Literacy course as mandatory school curriculum
• Senior Transportation Coordination – "Making the Ride Happen" program
• Shawano County Rural Health Initiative
• Bridges Health Cooking School
• Litwork! Adult literacy program

Sponsorships:
Through its entities, ThedaCare provided sponsorship assistance to 112 community organizations and events in 2005 to support programs and activities to improve the health of the communities we serve.

ThedaCare and its hospitals also provide significant staffing and monetary support to the Fox Cities Community Health Center, which provides health care to low and moderate income individuals and families who have little or no insurance.

Community Presentations:
ThedaCare and its entities provide organizational and staffing support for hundreds of community programs, health presentations and health-related support groups each year.

Volunteerism:
For the last four years, ThedaCare has operated the "Helping Hearts" program to promote employee volunteerism and to connect employees with volunteer opportunities. In addition to encouraging and supporting these volunteer efforts, ThedaCare also provides cash awards in the name of individual employees to the organizations for which they volunteer.

In 2005, more than 725 ThedaCare employees donated more than 60,000 hours of volunteer time to more than 300 community organizations. This amounted to more than $1 million in volunteer labor – or the equivalent of nearly 30 ThedaCare employees working full-time on behalf of community organizations.

The program was supported by approximately $100,000 in staff support and contributions to individual organizations in the name of employee volunteers.

Fort Atkinson – The Fort HealthCare Paramedic Intercept Vehicle Program is the first of its kind to be offered by any hospital in Wisconsin. This program, created in 1999, includes licensed paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs), all of which have the highest level of educational training.

"This is a really great program we have," said Kevin Kaminski, Fort HealthCare paramedic. "We are able to help out every squad in the area and offer the best care to patients."

The Fort HealthCare paramedics travel in a four-wheel drive vehicle containing life-saving equipment and medications and meet local rescue services en route to the hospital from area communities.

The paramedics provide critical support to local EMTs, treating the patient according to guidelines prepared by the Fort Memorial Hospital Emergency Department physicians. The patient is never billed for this service. The previous intercept vehicle was seven years old and had accumulated many miles on Wisconsin-weathered roads.

This year, Fort HealthCare Partners raised money via the annual "Love Lights" event and provided $35,000 for the purchase of a new intercept vehicle. "We are very grateful to the community for their help and contributions," said Zo Wilson, emergency room manager.

"Upgrading to a newer vehicle really makes a difference and will definitely help our services," said Kaminski. The new intercept vehicle is a 2006 Jeep Commander from Havill Spoerl in Jefferson.

The Partners organization is a group of volunteers who provide services and raise money to support the efforts of staff in providing quality and compassionate care to guests at Fort Memorial Hospital.

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

On June 15, more than 90 mental health professionals, hospital staff members, and elected officials celebrated the grand opening of a new patient services wing at Rogers Memorial Hospital in Oconomowoc. Governor Jim Doyle officiated at the ribbon cutting ceremony. State Rep. Steve Nass, Rep. Sheldon Wasserman, Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas, and Town of Summit Board Chairman Len Susa were also in attendance.

The three-story 37,000 square foot addition nearly doubles the main hospital’s size and will enhance patient and family services by providing:

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Cejka Search announces an excellent opportunity for a seasoned chief executive officer to lead St. Joseph’s Area Health Services, a 50-bed community-based hospital in central Minnesota. This organization is part of the Catholic Health Initiatives system, the second largest Catholic health system in the U.S.

St. Joseph’s Area Health Services is located in the growing, rural resort area of Park Rapids, Minnesota. A popular vacation and retirement destination, the community is projected to grow 7 percent over the next 5 years. The hospital is currently constructing a new freestanding ambulatory care center and physician office building. Their Web site can be viewed at www.sjahs.org.

Successful candidates will have a proven track record in hospital operations, physician recruitment & retention, as well as community and board relations. A minimum of ten years senior health care leadership, ACHE certification (CHE or FACHE), and MHA or MBA required.

Please submit inquiries and recommendations to: Sue LeGrand, Cejka Search, 800-678-7858 ext. 63458, slegrand@cejkasearch.com; fax:314-863-3631.

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