Ken Buser, president/CEO, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare – All Saint’s, Racine, has been selected by the WHA Nominating Committee to serve as WHA’s chair-elect in 2007 and chair in 2008.

Buser has served in many leadership positions at WHA, and he currently chairs the Medicaid Task Force. In addition, he has held the following positions in the Association:

• PAC Committee, 2001
• Task Force on Quality and Accountability, Co-chair, 2002
• Task Force on Community Benefits, 2005
• WHA Board, 2001-2006
• Nominating Committee, 2004-2005

Buser joined All Saints Healthcare in April 1999. Immediately prior to joining All Saints Healthcare, he served as President and CEO of Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore. Since 1975, he has served in health care leadership positions in Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

He received his bachelor’s degree in modern languages at the University of Notre Dame and his MBA, with a concentration in hospital administration, from the Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago.

Buser is a member of many boards, including Sustainable Racine, The Healthcare Advisory Board with Congressman Paul Ryan, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare SE Wisconsin, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare Medical Group, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare –All Saints, and is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

"Ken has been instrumental in shaping key initiatives that today represent WHA’s commitment to meaningful transparency, community accountability, and improving health care access," said WHA President Steve Brenton. "His efforts over the last few years create a strong foundation for advocating WHA’s ambitious agenda."

Robert Golden, MD, dean of the UW School of Medicine & Public Health; Donna Sollenberger, president/CEO of the UW Hospital & Clinics; and Jeff Grossman, MD, president & CEO of the UW Medical Foundation testified on August 28 before the Senate Select Committee on Health Care Reform chaired by Sens. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) and Carol Roessler (R-Oshkosh).

Golden said the UW Schools are organized into the academic health center model, described as consisting of an allopathic or osteopathic medical school, at least one other health profession school or program, and at least one affiliated or owned teaching hospital. He described their role in health care reform as being a "social mission" to teach, do research, provide rare and high technology services, make innovations in patient care, and care for the indigent. Golden foresees their contributions expanding in the future and explained how the academic health centers are positioned to help with the challenges of the current health care system by serving as "Wisconsin’s think tank and learning laboratory." He testified that one of the specific ways they can help to make sure Wisconsin’s health care workforce is adequate is to increase enrollment and address distribution of health care professionals. He said there is a need for the state to more adequately fund graduate medical education.

Following Golden’s testimony, Sollenberger explained the role that UW Hospital and Clinics (UWHC) has as the academic hospital and what that means for health care delivery in Wisconsin. She used the example of two UW physicians’ development of vascular imaging technology to illustrate how advances at the UW Hospital affect health care delivery across the state. This vascular imagining technology, when coupled with image projection technology, enables them to partner with physicians and rural hospitals around the state to assist local physicians in reading the images so patients can be served at home by the latest advances in technology.

Not only does UWHC facilitate research and take it from the "bench to the bedside" across the state, but Sollenberger also testified about the large role their facilities play in training the state’s future physician workforce through the direct graduate medical education program and funding of the academic mission of the UW Medical School. "This translates into real costs associated with training the health care workforce of the future that accounts for over 8 percent of the hospital’s total operating budget," according to Sollenberger. She further illustrated how the gap in reimbursement in direct graduate medical education funding translated into over $3 million annually just for UW Hospital alone.

Grossman testified about the specific role academic health centers play in creating "sustainable" health care reform, focusing more on "long term solutions rather than short term fixes." Grossman said reforming our current health care system entails moving from a "commodity" system to a "value" based system that doesn’t place limitations on collaboration and provides incentives for primary and preventative care that is based on quality outcomes. Grossman further elaborated that treating chronic disease is a relatively new paradigm, whereas 50 years ago, these diseases killed people. Today treatments are available allowing people to manage chronic disease. To address these challenges to our health care system, he suggested that, "we address the quality chasm by closing the knowledge gap and shortening the time it takes for medical advances to translate from research to the patient."

Co-chairs Darling and Roessler requested that the representatives from UW follow up with their specific recommendations to the Committee on how to align goals and incentives to pay for good performance based on evidence-based measures in health care reform. Sen. Roessler also asked them to address reform of health care billing practices.

The WHA Nominating Committee will present its report and recommendations for at-large board members to be voted on by the membership at the Annual House of Delegates meeting on Thursday, September 28 in Lake Geneva. The following individuals have been tapped to serve as at-large members and AHA Delegates:

Bill Bruce (2nd term)
CEO, St. Joseph’s Community Health Services, Hillsboro

• Rural Health Council, 2002-2004, Chair 2005-2006
• Medicaid Task Force, 2004-2005
• WHA Board, 2003-2006
• Executive Committee, 2005-2006
• Nominating Committee, 2004

George Kerwin (2nd term)
President, Bellin Health System, Green Bay

• Medical & Professional Affairs Council, 1993-1995
• WHA Board, 2003-2006
• Task Force on Access and Coverage, 2006

David Olson (2nd term)
President/CEO, Bay Area Medical Center, Marinette

• Public Policy Council, 2000-2004, Chair 2005-2006
• Task Force on Access and Coverage, 2006
• WHA Board, 2003-2006
• Executive Committee, 2005-2006
• Advocacy Committee, 2003-2006

Donna Sollenberger (1st term)
President/CEO, UW Hospital & Clinics, Madison

• Public Policy Council, 2001-2005
• Medicaid Task Force, 2004-2005
• Task Force on Access and Coverage, 2006
• WHA Southern Region Board Alternate, 2005-2006

|John Kosanovich (1st term)
President, Watertown Memorial Hospital, Watertown

• Public Policy Council, 2004-2006
• Finance Council, 1997-2002
• Governance Council, 1993-1995
• Task Force on Community Benefits, 2005
• Task Force on Access and Coverage, 2006

John Oliverio (1st term)
President/CEO, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Milwaukee

Jerry Worrick (AHA Alternate)
President/CEO, Door County Memorial Hospital, Sturgeon Bay

• Rural Health Council, 1989-2003
• Public Policy Council, 2001-2006
• WHA Board, 1996-2004; Chair 2003
• WHA Financial Solutions Board, 1994-2002; Chair 1997-1999
• Executive Committee, 2002-2004
• Advocacy Committee Chair, 2004
• Nominating Committee, 1993-1995, 2002-2006; Chair 2004
• Property Committee, 2003-2004

Wisconsin’s major daily newspapers largely ignored a newsworthy health care story this week. According to U.S. Census Bureau data released on August 29, the number of uninsured Wisconsin residents actually declined from 2004 to 2005.

Wisconsin continues to have the fourth lowest rate of uninsured in the country at just over 10 percent. And the new data suggests that 30,000 previously uninsured Wisconsin residents obtained some form of coverage in 2005. Wisconsin and Iowa were the only Midwestern states to see a modest bump in insurance coverage in the new Census Bureau report.

RANK             MIDWESTERN STATES               2004              2005

24                   Indiana                                       13.7                14.2

25                   Illinois                                        14.2                14.2

35                   Ohio                                          11.8                12.0

36                   Missouri                                     11.7                11.9

37                   Nebraska                                   11.0                 11.4

38                   Michigan                                    11.4                 11.3

43                   Kansas                                      10.8                 10.9

49                   Iowa                                          10.1                   9.8

51                   Minnesota                                   8.5                   8.7

This moderately good news, of course, should not serve as a fig leaf for ignoring the myriad of current health care access and coverage challenges facing Wisconsin. There is a huge and growing access crisis in Milwaukee’s inner city, and the sustainability of employer-based coverage is a constant issue, especially for small business owners and the self-employed.

During its recent review of Wisconsin’s current health care environment, WHA’s new Task Force on Access and Coverage viewed the state’s relatively low level of uninsured as an asset because it creates a firm foundation to advance initiatives that will improve access and coverage of vulnerable populations. Building upon "what works" already in Wisconsin makes sense as we fashion the framework for our future advocacy agenda.

Steve Brenton,
President

The 2006 Wisconsin Quality & Safety Forum, scheduled October 16-17, will once again combine education with a showcase of almost 30 projects focused on current quality improvement and/or patient safety initiatives, submitted by 18 different organizations from around the state. Six of these improvement projects will be highlighted as breakout presentations, giving attendees the chance to learn more about the project, its outcome and how to implement it in their own hospitals.

"The Wisconsin Quality and Safety Forum is among the largest of its type in the country," said WHA Vice President of Quality Initiatives Dana Richardson. "The member networking, along with the nationally-recognized speakers combine to make it a valued addition to WHA’s educational programming."

The Forum kicks off on day one with a keynote presentation by Robert Wachter, MD, author of the national bestseller "Internal Bleeding: The Truth Behind America’s Terrifying Epidemic of Medical Mistakes." Dr. Wachter will discuss a new way to think about medical errors and how to approach this modern epidemic.

Day two of the Forum will kick off with a presentation focused on engaging physicians in quality initiatives by Frank Carlton, MD, vice president of the Institute for Clinical Effectiveness and chief patient safety officer for Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia. Dr. Carlton will address how to build the physician case for change and the implementation success factors.

Health care quality managers, risk managers, CEOs/administrators, clinician managers, physicians, nurses, pharmacists, patient care services staff, quality improvement team members, and others are encouraged to attend. This year’s Forum is co-sponsored by MetaStar and the Wisconsin Medical Society, and will be held at the brand new Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center in Stevens Point.

The full conference brochure with registration information is available in this week’s packet and on-line at www.wha.org. Don’t forget to ask for the Wisconsin Quality & Safety Forum room block at the Holiday Inn when making your reservation. Call 715-344-0200 to make your hotel reservation. The special room rates at the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express will be available only until September 24.

On October 18, WHA and MetaStar are co-sponsoring a special symposium focused on well-tested approaches for sustaining and spreading the six changes of the Institute of Healthcare Improvement’s (IHI) 100K Lives Campaign.

The agenda for the "Symposium on Sustainability and Spread," held immediately following the 2006 Wisconsin Quality & Safety Forum, will include an expert on the British National Health Service’s sustainability work, an IHI representative to discuss the recent campaign, and a variety of panel discussions by hospitals on the challenges and successes encountered in implementing and sustaining the six changes. Attendees can expect to come away with practical ideas for making the six changes and other improvement efforts in their own hospitals.

The Symposium will be held at the new Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center in Stevens Point. Registration information for the October 18 symposium is included in the brochure for the Wisconsin Quality & Safety Forum, which is available in this week’s packet and online at www.wha.org. Attendance at the Quality Forum is not a prerequisite for attending the symposium, but you must pre-register.

While Wisconsin nursing schools are citing the lack of qualified nurse educators as a barrier to expanding their class size, nurses are listing the cost of education as a deterrent to pursuing graduate school studies. In response to this dilemma, La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium (LMHSC) and the UW-Madison School of Nursing have created a partnership focused on removing barriers that have previously discouraged nurses from becoming nurse educators in western Wisconsin.

The new partnership will support nurses by enabling them to advance their education without leaving their community, paying their tuition, waiving distance learning costs, and loaning them the equipment necessary to connect to distance learning classes provided at the UW-Madison School of Nursing. Coursework will be done locally, online and/or via teleconference. LMHSC will make contributions toward laptop computers, tuition, facilities, and its interactive video network. The Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative will also contribute the use of its distance education network, while the School of Nursing will promote the program and recruit students. Phil Stuart, CEO at Tomah Memorial Hospital, was instrumental in bringing the partners together and has championed the need for master’s prepared nurses in the western region of the state.

"This partnership is a great example of organizations coming together to satisfy a regional need to meet the demand for nurses to care for patients in our communities now and in the future," said Judy Warmuth, WHA vice president of workforce development.

Mercy Health System of Janesville received the top award from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) for the Best Employers for Workers Over 50. AARP said the top employers in the survey provide increasingly flexible work arrangements that accommodate the schedules of an aging workforce and their families. It is these practices that help retain experienced, older employees, according to AARP.

Mercy Health System has 63 facilities, including three hospitals, over 50 outpatient clinics, post-acute care, nursing care and other facilities throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. The not-for-profit organization also offers numerous flexible options, including weekend-only work, nursing "float" options (work at different facilities and/or departments), work-at-home opportunities, "seasonal work" programs that allow staffers to go on leave for extended periods while maintaining benefit eligibility, and on-call assignments that involve a limited number of hours per month that can be expanded and/or contracted based on the employee's availability.

"These dynamic employers recognize the importance of creating a mutually beneficial work environment," said AARP CEO Bill Novelli in announcing the 2006 list of 50 Best Employers. "Flexible arrangements can be a big part of that positive environment, enabling workers to balance both work and family obligations."

Novelli added that while some firms value 50-plus workers for their experience, motivation, and strong engagement, more employers need to recognize the advantages that those workers bring to the table. Not surprising, six of the seven top rated companies in AARP's search for "Best Employers for Workers Over 50" were hospitals.

"The AARP rankings showcase the worker-friendly environments hospitals have created across the country," said WHA President Steve Brenton. "It's certainly noteworthy and significant that a Wisconsin hospital earned "best employer" status....a fact that Mercy Health System should be deservedly proud of."

An aggressive form of uterine cancer quickly spawned $156,000 in hospital bills for 64-year-old Beth Sawyer.* With limited financial resources and no health insurance, Sawyer not only battled for her life, she worried she and her husband might lose their home and everything they’d worked so hard for.

Sawyer was diagnosed with a rare form of uterine cancer about a year ago, after seeking help for abdominal pain.

"We noticed on an ultrasound examination that the lining of her uterus was thicker than expected," said Dr. Ted Parins, a general surgeon at Surgical Associates in Prairie du Sac. After diagnosing cancer, Parins assisted in Sawyer’s hysterectomy. Her cancer was also treated with a regime of 25 radiation treatments. Nonetheless, the cancer recurred in Sawyer’s abdominal wall. "She continues to be ill and has appointments on a regular basis," said Parins. "She can use all the support — emotionally and financially — that we can provide."

On Sawyer’s 64th birthday — after several surgeries and radiation treatments — she hoped her horoscope would prove true. "I read my horoscope and it said, ‘you are in line for a miracle, so you can take on the impossible.’ That day I got the call that my medical bills were covered," she said. "It was a huge weight off my shoulders, and I knew it was my miracle."

Sawyer learned she qualified for financial assistance through Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital & Clinics’ (SPMHC) Community Care program. Community Care is a non-profit program that helps 300-500 patients annually by paying a portion or all of their medical bills. In 2005, Community Care awarded $433,654 in financial assistance to patients of SPMHC. "Community Care is for people who fall into the abyss," said Linda Ward, patient financial specialist at SPMHC. "Often, these patients don’t have health insurance and don’t qualify for Medicare or other government-funded programs."

A diabetic, Sawyer couldn’t afford health insurance. "When I tried to get insurance, they either wouldn’t insure me because I had diabetes, or the policies were so expensive I couldn’t afford them," she said. Similarly, she was denied disability because her limited income was just over the qualifying threshold for the benefit. And, when she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 63, she was two years shy of qualifying for Medicare. Although her home is paid for, Sawyer’s monthly Social Security income is only $1,500 per month for she and her husband. Sawyer maintains she can’t afford the ongoing medical bills that have accumulated even beyond SPMHC to include radiation treatment and other specialty services.

"Beth and her husband both have been quite concerned about her mounting medical bills given the fact that they have no insurance," said Dr. Janelle Hupp, Sawyer’s family medicine physician at SPMHC’s Black Earth Medical Clinic in Black Earth. "They have received frequent calls from collection agencies and this was a constant source of stress for them."

Fortunately, Sawyer qualified for Community Care. "I about fell off my chair when the lady at the Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital told me how much they had paid," said Sawyer. "We’ve worked so hard for everything we have. It was a relief."

The hospital recognizes that there are people who are unable to pay entirely, or in part, for health care services, according to Ward. "Part of our mission is to provide health services and support for communities in our service area," she said. "One of the ways we accomplish this is to budget a percentage of revenue to cover health services for patients who are uninsured or underinsured. It can be really rewarding because people really appreciate it," she added. To apply, patients must complete an application form and a financial statement. Within two weeks, they will find out whether or not they qualify for Community Care financial assistance.

Although Sawyer continues to battle the cancer in her body, she no longer worries about past medical expenses at SPMHC. Surgical Associates has waved the charges she has accumulated so far this year as well. Despite already undergoing a hysterectomy, two bowel surgeries and radiation treatment, Sawyer knows there is more to come as she fights to regain her health. She’s just grateful not to be consumed with anxiety over mounting medical bills.

"Obviously, this lady has had a horrific year from the standpoint of her medical and financial issues," added Hupp. "Clearly, having a large portion of the financial burden lifted has been a relief. I am grateful for programs like Community Care. Often, we are limited in the care that can be provided to patients because they don’t have insurance, or they have poor insurance plans that won’t cover necessary tests or treatments. Community Care offers a glimmer of hope."

Hours before Wilma Nenneman passed away, her caregivers warned visitors not to expect her to recognize or respond to them. After all, Wilma had been fighting esophageal cancer and Alzheimer’s for months, and her body was tired.

Despite her worsening condition, there was one guest who came to see her that day that Wilma recognized the minute he came to her bedside.

"Oh Tyler, my Tyler," she said to the golden retriever as he placed a consoling paw on her bed.

Tyler was the first canine volunteer for Monroe Clinic’s Hospice Dog Program, and Wilma was one of his first patients. He would often visit the assisted care facility where Wilma spent her final days, whether it was to play a game of fetch or show off a new outfit.

Janet Nenneman, daughter-in-law to Wilma, recalls the look on Wilma’s face when her eyes landed on Tyler, who entered the room sporting a pair of sunglasses and bandanna. It was the same look his visits always inspired.

"Whenever she saw that dog coming down the hall, she would just break out in a smile like nothing was wrong. She was just smiling like she used to years ago, when she wasn’t sick," Janet said.

"She would throw a ball. She’d throw it down the hall from her chair, and he would run down the hall, pick it up, and bring it back to her. When she got weaker, she could barely throw it, but he would go get it. And when she would sneeze, he’d get a tissue," Janet said.

While Janet described her mother-in-law as a "lady who laughed a lot," she went on to say that after the illness struck, Wilma became a different person who seemed quiet and sad. Due to the Alzheimer’s, Wilma was often confused as to why she was getting treatment and what was happening to her body. Janet felt that Tyler’s visits helped break up the sadness. During his visits, Wilma would momentarily become that same happy, laughing woman Janet knew so well.

When Wilma passed away May 14, 2002, her family extended Tyler a special invitation to her visitation. Tyler came to the visitation, escorted by his owner, June Augsburg. Once there, June was awed by the mourners’ reaction to her dog’s presence. It became evident to June that Tyler was offering a simple but unique form of comfort that drew people to him in their time of grief. Then June realized that her dog had just as much to offer as she did as a hospice volunteer.

The Hospice Dog Program Is Born

Sometimes, the darkest hours of sadness can give way to the brightest light. When June’s husband passed away, she was able to find solace through Monroe Clinic’s Hospice. Her own personal experience inspired her to join Hospice as a volunteer, so she could offer comfort to patients and their families who were dealing with the grief and loss she herself had experienced. Linda Rasmussen, a grief counselor and the hospice volunteer coordinator, assigned new volunteers Pat Landorf and June to their first patient, Wilma Nenneman.

As a dog obedience trainer and dog behaviorist, June was used to her dog, Tyler, accompanying her during her daily travels. She knew her canine friend could respond to just about any situation with utter calm, and as a result, he made an ideal companion during her visits to Wilma.

"I was a school teacher and day care provider. Tyler was always in my class. When Linda gave me my first patient, within three visits I was bringing Tyler," June said.

While her condition didn’t allow Wilma to always understand or recall June’s visits, somehow Wilma was always able to happily greet Tyler by name. As June witnessed the bond that had formed between Wilma and Tyler, she recognized it as something extraordinary. When Wilma passed away, June was touched by a personal invitation for her, Pat and Tyler to attend the visitation. At the visitation, June could not help but notice the contented glances and soft smiles that Tyler brought out in those around him.

June recalled, "I came home from the visitation, called Linda and said, ‘We’ve got to get more dogs. We’ve got to have more people.’"

Linda agreed that June was on to something. The two women put their heads together and began to form a plan. They approached Carla Stadel, director of Hospice for Monroe Clinic, and she was very open to their thoughts. With the help of an intern who worked on the initial research, Linda and June put together a policy for an official hospice dog program.

"We knew dogs have been used in medical settings, but at this time, we weren’t aware of hospice dogs," Linda said.

Through research of area hospices, Linda located a program or two that allowed volunteers to bring dogs during patient visits, but recruiting and screening specific dogs to become hospice volunteers was new territory.

"When we started the program, we worked for many months in developing it. We had to develop a whole new policy for a whole new program," Linda said. "We researched organizations like the Delta Society and American Kennel Club, and we adjusted the information to our program."

Through their research and their combined expertise with hospice care and dogs, Linda and June developed training, temperament, health, and obedience requirements. These requirements ensured the best experience for both dog and patient. For instance, all dogs in the program required temperament testing annually. The program also required regular veterinary involvement to make certain the dog was in the best of health.

"There was no other program like it in Wisconsin at the time. We were the first official hospice dog program here," Linda said.

After hundreds of hours of planning and more than $50,000 in start-up costs, the Hospice Dog Program was born. And by formally implementing the program, Linda and June were able to actively recruit dogs for it. Today, there are seven dogs in the program who belong to eight human volunteers — men and women who have gone through the 21-hour volunteer training program. The majority of dogs were recruited by June during her obedience training classes.

While each hospice dog has its own personality, June explained that overall, they have a steady, calm demeanor. During the temperament test, they have to tolerate an array of activities, such as getting their tails pulled or hearing sudden, loud noises, and they must show no aggressive behavior throughout the process. They also have to display restraint around food, prove themselves to be gentle with people, and consistently follow their master’s instructions.

Though they are often found playing second fiddle to their canine counterparts, the human volunteers who own the dogs are just as extraordinary. Not only are they responsible for paying $575 during their first year of participation for their dog’s required veterinary and grooming expenses, but they also pay $300 annually. In addition to the financial expenses, these men and women contribute their time by escorting their dogs to patients throughout the service region.

Linda’s own dog, Gizmo, is one of the seven hospice dogs. He was a stray who the veterinarian guessed to be a Wired Hair Dachshund and Yorkshire Terrier mix. At 20 pounds and around 6 or 7 years old, Gizmo often finds himself on the laps of those who are trying to find the words to express their loss. He is known as the "grief dog," since oftentimes people pick him up while they’re talking about something difficult during Linda’s grief counseling sessions.

"People look at them, and it seems to help them focus," Linda said. "Just looking at this dog sleeping in his bed or chewing on his toy, it gives them a sense of serenity. If someone is crying, I’ll put Gizmo on their lap, he’ll stay there much longer than he would for the average person."

Sadly, June’s dog, Tyler, the pioneer hospice dog, passed away in 2004 at the age of 11. One day, he was giving a program with June and Linda, during which June said, "He was really working the crowd." The next day, Tyler had a stroke and died. Because of his impact on others, June was far from the only one who grieved his passing. She was astounded by the number of sympathy cards that came pouring in from those who were touched by Tyler’s gentle presence.

Before Tyler died, June had brought Murphy, a golden retriever puppy, home. Now two and a half years old, Murphy is following in Tyler’s paw prints. June describes Murphy as a rambunctious farm dog who is immediately transformed into a disciplined professional the moment his hospice vest is on.

Spreading Puppy Love In The Community

During the past four years, the hospice dogs have touched many lives, and the stories of their experiences are plentiful.

June described how Tyler happened to be at a nursing home when one of the workers requested the dog to visit a resident whose own dog wouldn‘t be able to visit until the next day. The woman was agitated, rocking back and forth, waiting for her pet. When Tyler came into the room, June asked him to "count." Upon hearing his barking, the woman said the word "dog," and she stopped rocking for the remainder of the day. After learning the woman passed away the next day before seeing her own dog, June was exceedingly thankful that Tyler was there to fill in.

Because the hospice dogs offer their charm freely and their love unconditionally, they can often be found at nursing homes and assisted care facilities sporting their hospice vests even when there’s not a hospice patient in residence. Since hospice patient numbers fluctuate between 15 and 22 patients, some days the hospice dogs are busier than other days. To maintain their familiarity with the environment, it benefits the dogs when their owners take them to visit nursing home residents regularly. Over the past four years, the Hospice Dog Program has made more than 425 outreach visits, which is in addition to the approximately 300 visits to Hospice patients and their families.

In addition, the dogs and their owners are often invited to do programs for service organizations and take part in community events like Relay for Life or the Alzheimer’s Walk. Sometimes the dogs can be found just going for a walk around town in their hospice vests, spreading awareness of the program — a program that has served as a model and inspiration for other new hospice dog programs. In fact, the Hospice volunteers and dogs have spent about 4,000 hours doing community outreach and giving over 30 presentations, which more than 1,100 people attended.

Over the past four years, the program has flourished, gaining distinction throughout the state, inspiring others, and touching countless lives of both the ailing and those who love them. And to think it all began with a game of fetch between a woman who remembered her smile and a dog that wore sunglasses.

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

George T. Wong has been named executive director of the Southern Region for Children’s Hospital and Health System. In this role, he will provide leadership to services for children and families in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and in northern Illinois. These services include hospital care provided at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin-Kenosha, child protection services offered at the Child Advocacy Center in Kenosha and clinic appointments available at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-Kenosha and Children’s Physician Group-Gurnee.

Wong has extensive health care management experience. Most recently he was group practice administrator for Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. He has served as an administrator at Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation in Chicago, director at Covenant Healthcare in Milwaukee (now Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare) and assistant vice president of the George K. Baum & Company Healthcare Finance Group in Kansas City, Mo. He also has held positions as director of Columbus-Cabrini Medical Center in Chicago, associate director of the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics in Madison, and director of Our Lady of Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago.

Wong has a master’s degree in Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Healthcare Financial Management Association and the Chicago Health Executives Forum.

Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, located in Milwaukee, is recognized as one of the leading pediatric health care centers in the United States. Children’s Hospital is the flagship member of Children’s Hospital and Health System. The health system also provides services to children and families in southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois through hospital care provided at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin-Kenosha, a 31-bed pediatric hospital in Kenosha, Wisconsin; outpatient clinic appointments offered at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Clinics-Kenosha, and Children’s Physician Group-Gurnee in Gurnee, Illinois; and child protection services available at the Child Advocacy Center in Kenosha.

Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) announced the appointment of Stephanie McCutcheon as its Interim President and CEO. McCutcheon will begin her job on September 11 and will serve for six months. Meanwhile, a search continues for a permanent replacement.

McCutcheon holds degrees from the University of Missouri, Columbia including a Master of Business Administration degree in finance and marketing and a Master of Science degree in public health and health administration. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Founded in 1978, HSHS owns and operates 13 hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin. The HSHS hospitals in Wisconsin include St. Joseph’s, Chippewa Falls; Sacred Heart, Eau Claire; St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, Green Bay; St. Vincent, Green Bay; and St. Nicholas, Sheboygan.