SSM Health Wisconsin Region, Madison, 2023 Community Benefits
Educational Partnerships, Apprenticeships Encourage New Generation of Caregivers
SSM Health Wisconsin continued to encourage the next generation to join the health care workforce in 2023 through several new partnership programs. SSM Health inaugurated a 12-month Ophthalmic Assistant Apprenticeship Program in concert with Madison College and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development to train students in direct patient care tasks, processes, and procedures to assist in a broad range of eye and vision care services. Students incurred no out-of-pocket costs to participate and will enjoy paid positions within SSM Health upon graduation from the program.
In Madison, SSM Health partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County on a paid internship program to teach young people about the skilled trades—electrical work, plumbing and carpentry. Over the summer months at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital-Madison, the intern received hands-on experience working on various projects, including servicing a pneumatic tube system and several refrigeration units in the laboratory and cafeteria. The program was so successful, the plant operations director has contacted another Boys & Girls Club in the Fond du Lac area to encourage the launch of an internship program with SSM Health’s medical facilities there.
In Monroe, SSM Health sparked an interest in health care careers with middle school students through the in-person resumption of Club Scrub, a 10-week hands-on program that gives students from area schools a chance to meet and work with providers across various SSM Health Monroe Hospital departments, including: the Cath Lab, Emergency Services, Family Medicine, Orthopedics, Pharmacy, Rehabilitation Services and Surgical Services.
In Madison, SSM Health partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County on a paid internship program to teach young people about the skilled trades—electrical work, plumbing and carpentry. Over the summer months at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital-Madison, the intern received hands-on experience working on various projects, including servicing a pneumatic tube system and several refrigeration units in the laboratory and cafeteria. The program was so successful, the plant operations director has contacted another Boys & Girls Club in the Fond du Lac area to encourage the launch of an internship program with SSM Health’s medical facilities there.
In Monroe, SSM Health sparked an interest in health care careers with middle school students through the in-person resumption of Club Scrub, a 10-week hands-on program that gives students from area schools a chance to meet and work with providers across various SSM Health Monroe Hospital departments, including: the Cath Lab, Emergency Services, Family Medicine, Orthopedics, Pharmacy, Rehabilitation Services and Surgical Services.
SSM Health Brings Multi-Vaccine Clinics to the Community
Expanding upon the health system’s successful mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic model, SSM Health is now offering common school-required vaccinations in safe, community settings. Over the past year, the health system has partnered with area school districts, Public Health Madison Dane County and area health and insurance partners to bring important vaccines out to community events like school registration, community events and individual schools.
These additional partnerships helped SSM Health identify which vaccines area families were falling behind on during the pandemic to prioritize making them more readily available in the community. Through coordination with area school districts and public health, this team offers COVID-19, influenza, Hepatitis B, HPV, Meningococcal, MMR, Polio, Tdap and Varicella vaccines. Vaccines are often offered on a walk-in basis, team members verify which vaccines are needed with the state immunization registry, then the vaccines are given on site by volunteer vaccinators. As part of this partnership, SSM Health provides vaccine product, staff to prepare vaccines, as well as operational support for each clinic.
To date, the mobile vaccine clinic team has coordinated 159 multi-vaccine clinics across our service area. Additional clinics are scheduled this fall at area community sites and schools. These mobile clinics, held during school registration, picture days and parent teacher conferences, are well received. Additional clinics are hosted during community celebrations and at locations that serve individuals who may have barriers to accessing traditional healthcare settings. Families often express their gratitude for the additional access to vaccines in convenient, safe and trusted community settings.
These additional partnerships helped SSM Health identify which vaccines area families were falling behind on during the pandemic to prioritize making them more readily available in the community. Through coordination with area school districts and public health, this team offers COVID-19, influenza, Hepatitis B, HPV, Meningococcal, MMR, Polio, Tdap and Varicella vaccines. Vaccines are often offered on a walk-in basis, team members verify which vaccines are needed with the state immunization registry, then the vaccines are given on site by volunteer vaccinators. As part of this partnership, SSM Health provides vaccine product, staff to prepare vaccines, as well as operational support for each clinic.
To date, the mobile vaccine clinic team has coordinated 159 multi-vaccine clinics across our service area. Additional clinics are scheduled this fall at area community sites and schools. These mobile clinics, held during school registration, picture days and parent teacher conferences, are well received. Additional clinics are hosted during community celebrations and at locations that serve individuals who may have barriers to accessing traditional healthcare settings. Families often express their gratitude for the additional access to vaccines in convenient, safe and trusted community settings.
