- Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital

Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital - Stevens Point, 2025 Community Benefits

Growing and Developing Our Health Care Workforce
Hospital-Supported Initiatives

Aspirus Stevens Point Launches Project SEARCH Program to Empower Local Youth

**Project SEARCH Participants at Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital**

Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital is proud to announce the launch of Project SEARCH, an innovative, one-year business-led school-to-work program designed to provide young people with hands-on workplace experience and valuable skills for future employment. Project SEARCH combines classroom instruction, career exploration, and immersive on-the-job training, offering students with disabilities or those seeking career development opportunities a unique pathway to competitive employment. Participants engage in multiple 10-week rotations, gaining real-world experience in various departments throughout Aspirus Stevens Point.

Adam Tews, Environmental Services Manager and program lead at Aspirus Stevens Point, shared, “I feel that the reward of teaching young people some working skills that they may not easily receive from other places is a nice give back to our community. We are not necessarily doing this to build them to our needs with Aspirus, but to help everyone in the community.”

Aspirus Stevens Point’s program follows the successful footsteps of Project SEARCH at other Aspirus locations across Wisconsin, blending local collaboration with the proven framework of the international Project SEARCH network. In total four Aspirus Facilities host Project SEARCH programs in Wisconsin.

“It was a combination of my history with the Project SEARCH program when I worked in Marshfield as well as its success already at some of our other Aspirus sites,” Tews added.

Project SEARCH interns will support a range of departments, gaining experience that helps build essential job skills and confidence. Aspirus Stevens Point is committed to providing the training, mentorship, and work environments necessary for participants to thrive and transition into meaningful employment. Aspirus Stevens Point joins the growing list of Aspirus locations dedicated to empowering youth and supporting workforce development through Project SEARCH.

Aspirus Partners with Boys & Girls Club of Portage County to Support Youth Health and Wellness

**The Aspirus therapy team involved with the Boys & Girls Club. L to R: Mindy Danke, Respiratory Therapist; Andrew Wilke, Supervisor of Therapy Services; and Alissa Pikka, Athletic Trainer.**

Aspirus Health, through its Community Health Improvement Program and staff from Aspirus Outpatient Therapies -Stevens Point supports the Boys & Girls Club of Portage County with several impactful initiatives promoting youth health and well-being.

As part of this ongoing collaboration, Aspirus provided funding for two cornerstone programs this summer: Summer Meals and Social and Emotional Development. These initiatives address critical needs among local youth, helping to build a foundation for long-term wellness.

The Summer Meal Program provided over 22,000 free, nutritious breakfasts, lunches, and snacks for children ages 18 and under, reducing the risk of food insecurity for the nearly 50% of Club members who qualify for free or reduced-price meals during the school year.

Meanwhile, the Social and Emotional Development Programming reached more than 1,000 youth with age-appropriate activities focused on self-awareness, emotional regulation, and healthy decision-making. Through the Great Futures! initiative, some youth also received more focused support in one-on-one and small group settings.

Another major highlight of the partnership is the involvement of Aspirus Outpatient Therapies with Club summer activities. Started in 2024, this three-partner effort includes Aspirus, the Club and the Wonderful Water Run organization.

Aspirus Therapies providers led weekly fitness activities at the Club’s Berard Center throughout the summer, making movement fun and accessible to youth of all abilities.

This September, the program shifts focus to race preparation. Volunteers from Wonderful Water Run will help Club members train for the Wonderful Water Run Kids’ Race on September 26, which Aspirus is proudly sponsoring to provide discounted registration for Club participants.

“This collaboration demonstrates Aspirus’s proactive approach to building healthier communities beyond the hospital walls,” said Andrew Wilke, Supervisor of Therapy Services at Aspirus Stevens Point. “By supporting physical activity in youth, we’re emphasizing prevention, healthy habits, and wellness, not just treatment after illness. It’s also been incredibly rewarding to see the joy our therapists experience while engaging with the kids each week.”

In addition, Aspirus is also a corporate sponsor of the Club’s popular Field Day. Held each August, the friendly competition brings together more than 300 youth from all Portage County Club sites for a day of fun.

These initiatives reflect Aspirus’s mission to improve community health outcomes and reduce long-term risks associated with inactivity and chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. By investing in youth wellness today, Aspirus is helping shape a healthier tomorrow for Portage County.