Valued Voice

The Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA), in partnership with Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin (AHW) through the Health Workforce Well-Being Landmark Initiative, and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation is leading a five-year, statewide effort to strengthen health workforce well-being. The Caring for Wisconsin’s Caregivers Initiative will support hospitals, health systems and health workforce leaders by convening experts to share best practices, tools and resources that enhance internal well-being programs, while also advancing collective statewide priorities.

Caring for Caregivers kickoff meeting

This nearly $3 million investment will fund sustainable, evidence-based solutions tailored to Wisconsin’s unique needs. The Steering Committee, comprising more than 20 representatives from hospitals and health systems, health associations, workforce well-being champions and state leaders, recently held its kickoff meeting at the Medical College of Wisconsin’s HUB for Collaborative Medicine, donning Milwaukee Brewers attire to celebrate the focus on Wisconsin strategies. This committee will guide efforts to help reduce burnout, improve retention and recruitment, enhance leadership development and promote systemic changes such as credentialing and licensing updates.

This initiative builds on successful national models—such as the Dr. Lorna Breen Wellbeing First Champion Challenge—by encouraging licensure boards, hospitals and health systems to standardize applications, forms and addendums, while also addressing Wisconsin-specific opportunities. The focus is on systemic change that is meaningful and lasting—reducing burnout, improving job satisfaction, enhancing retention and recruitment and destigmatizing seeking mental health support.

With more than 230,000 health professionals caring for Wisconsin communities, the goal of the initiative is to make Wisconsin the best place to work in health care. WHA invites organizations to connect and stay engaged in this important work—because when health workers thrive, Wisconsin thrives.

For more details, refer to the full press release. Contact WHA Chief Quality Officer Nadine Allen with questions.