Quality Advisor

Today is Health Workforce Well-Being Day

Today, March 18, is recognized as Health Workforce Well-Being Day, a national day of recognition and action focused on protecting and advancing the well-being of the health care workforce. Observed annually, the day was established in 2024 as part of the National Plan for Health Workforce Well-Being.

Health Workforce Well-Being Day recognizes that a healthy health care system depends on a healthy workforce and that workforce well-being is essential to patient safety, quality and access to care. March 18 also marks the anniversary of the passage of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, recently reauthorized, which continues to drive national efforts to strengthen workforce well-being.

Health Workforce Well-Being Day is not just symbolic. It is intended to:

• Recognize the importance of protecting health workers’ mental, emotional and professional well-being
• Highlight progress being made at national, state and organizational levels
• Encourage action using evidence-based, system-level solutions, not individual resilience alone
• Align leaders and organizations around shared strategies that improve workplace conditions

Join us in recognizing Health Workforce Well‑Being Day – Tell us how your organization is supporting workforce well‑being by sending a brief statement or a photo showcasing your efforts to recognize, highlight, encourage or align around this important work.

Submissions can be sent to Nadine Allen or the WHA quality inbox.

See more information below about Caring for Wisconsin’s Caregivers (C4C) and how WHA and its partners are working together to support workforce well‑being across Wisconsin.

Showcase your Hospital’s Commitment to Excellence in Community Service

Apply for the 2027 AHA Foster G. McGaw Prize

Does your organization improve community health and well-being through leadership and community partnerships? The American Hospital Association (AHA) invites you to apply for the 2027 Foster G. McGaw Prize! The Prize honors health delivery organizations that demonstrate alignment between community health needs and co-designed programs. Honorees forge effective collaborations with a broad range of community organizations to improve access to care and address societal factors influencing health.

Award winners have co-created mental health crisis clinics, expanded housing options to help people transition out of homelessness and used strategic investments to expand capacity in vital community benefit organizations. Like you, they are difference makers in their communities.

This annual award honors one winner and up to three finalists, who will be recognized at the 2026 AHA Leadership Summit in Denver. AHA is accepting applications for 2027 from March 10 through May 5.

See flyer for details and learn about past honorees and how to apply here. If you have questions, please email fostermcgaw@aha.org.

Caring for Wisconsin's Caregivers    

2026 Healthcare Leadership Collaborative in Washington, DC

Virtual Option Now Available!

Health care leaders from across the country will gather on March 24, 2026, for the 3rd Annual Healthcare Leadership Collaborative, a premier forum focused on interprofessional, cross-sector collaboration to develop, share and commit to action-oriented, systems-change solutions for our health workers’ mental health and well-being.

Held in Washington, DC, the Collaborative brings together executives, clinicians and system leaders to engage in meaningful dialogue, share insights and strengthen connections that shape the future of health care delivery.

In-person registration is full but virtual attendance is now available, making it easy to participate from anywhere while still engaging in the full program experience.

Find more information and registration for the virtual event here.

We encourage health care leaders and designated delegates to join us for this important national conversation. Mark your calendar and register today to be part of the 2026 Healthcare Leadership Collaborative.

Momentum is Building

WHA President & CEO Kyle O'Brien introduces the Caring for Wisconsin's Caregivers initiative at Physician Leadership Development ConferenceSupporting the well-being of Wisconsin’s health care workforce is practical, operational and strategic—and it’s already underway. Through the Caring for Wisconsin's Caregiver (C4C) program, the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) is leading a statewide effort to strengthen professional well-being across health care organizations.

In June 2025, WHA was honored to receive the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment Landmark Award for Health Workforce Well-Being. In partnership with Dr. Michael Stadler, the Endowment’s Initiative Champion, and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, WHA is developing a long term, voluntary, and evidence-based statewide well-being plan tailored to Wisconsin’s diverse health care environments.

This initiative is not about mandates or new policy requirements. It focuses on practical, proven strategies to reduce burnout, normalize help seeking and support retention—so health care professionals can thrive and organizations can continue delivering high quality care.

Momentum is already building. To date, 54 hospitals and care facilities have verified that their credentialing applications are free from stigmatizing mental health questions, positively impacting nearly 20,000 health care professionals. The Wisconsin Medical Examining Board has also confirmed alignment in physician licensure applications, benefiting more than 34,000 physicians statewide.

Building on WHA’s longstanding leadership in workforce development, C4C represents a coordinated, five year effort to support the people who care for Wisconsin’s patients—today and into the future.

Visit the Caring for Wisconsin’s Caregivers webpage and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation to find information about upcoming events and a wide range of resources, including guidance on reducing barriers to care-seeking and steps toward becoming a Well-Being First Champion.

Dr. Gaurava Agarwal with Jill Lindwall and Nadine Allen of WHAPhysician Leadership Development Conference: A Springboard for What’s Next with Caring for Wisconsin’s’ Caregivers

The Physician Leadership Development Conference (PLDC) held on March 13-14 served as an energizing springboard for what’s next in WHA events and offerings focused on workforce well-being, reinforcing a powerful and timely message: improving patient care begins with investing in the professional experience and well-being of the health care workforce. With two highly respected keynote speakers, the conference offered both inspiration and practical direction for leaders navigating today’s health care challenges.

Friday’s full-day workshop, led by Anthony Orsini, MD, CEO and founder of The Orsini Way, focused on professional and employee experience. Rather than centering the conversation on burnout, Dr. Orsini reframed the issue as moral injury, the distress clinicians experience when systemic pressures conflict with their core values. He described how many professionals feel pulled away from human-centered care toward task-driven work, causing them to lose connection to their “why.”

Dr. Orsini shared practical communication strategies to help leaders reconnect teams to purpose and meaning. His guidance emphasized focused connection, relationship building, intentional leadership over pure efficiency, nurturing teams and demonstrating humanity through the FRIEND framework. He also provided tools for leading difficult conversations - show up, set the scene, be real, be present and lead, making the session both resonant and actionable.

Saturday’s keynote by Gaurava Agarwal, MD, Chief Wellness Executive and Vice President at Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, built on this momentum with a focus on professional well-being. He challenged leaders to move beyond pandemic-era awareness and ask how well-being is being addressed now. Using the “canary in the coal mine” metaphor, he cautioned against trying to make “stronger canaries,” and urged leaders to continue to improve work environments where people can survive and thrive.

Dr. Agarwal emphasized that while the Quadruple Aim often centers on improving the patient experience, the fourth aim—caring for the workforce—is essential. Without a healthy and supported workforce, sustained progress on the other aims is difficult to achieve. He cautioned against fragmented well-being efforts and advocated for operational, system-level approaches that address the true determinants of well-being. He highlighted the importance of shifting from ROI to VOI—Value of Investment. If support exists but people are afraid to use it, it fails its purpose. Building trust means clearly saying, “We don’t want you to suffer in silence.”

For CQOs and directors eager to shape what’s next, continued workforce well-being efforts lie ahead.

Save the Date

Caring for Wisconsin’s Caregivers – Healthcare Workforce Well‑Being Summit

September 10, 2026 | Hilton Garden Inn, Sun Prairie, Wisconsin

Cost: Free

The Caring for Wisconsin’s Caregivers: 2026 WHA Healthcare Workforce Well-Being Summit will convene hospital and health system leaders for a focused day of learning, alignment and strategic action planning centered on workforce well-being. Designed for executive and senior leaders, the summit blends national thought leadership with collaborative discussion to help advance a shared, statewide approach to caring for Wisconsin’s health care workforce.

The summit will feature Gaurava Agarwal, MD, Chief Wellness Executive and Vice President at Northwestern Memorial HealthCare, as keynote speaker to frame the strategic context for this work. Stef Simmons, MD, Chief Medical Officer of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, will also join the program, bringing nationally recognized expertise in clinician well-being. Additional leaders include Michael Stadler, MD, FACS, Medical College of Wisconsin and Health Workforce Well-Being Landmark Initiative Champion and Nadine Allen, Chief Quality Officer at the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

This in-person event is intended for hospital and health system leadership teams, including C-suite and director level leaders or appropriate delegates such as CEOs, CMOs, CNOs, CHROs, CWOs, CQOs, data leaders and well-being leaders. Organizations are encouraged to attend as teams.

Join us to help shape the pillars that will guide health care workforce well-being across Wisconsin.

Caring for WI Caregivers: 2026 WHA Healthcare Workforce Well-being Summit - Registration.

Superior Health Quality Alliance    

Superior Health Leadership Attends 2026 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Conference

Superior Health board members, leadership, and team members attended the 2026 CMS Conference this week, joining peers from across the country who are driving innovation and improvement in health care quality.

While at the conference, Superior Health representatives engaged in discussions that strengthen collaboration, improve system‑level coordination and advance strategies that promote high‑quality, person‑centered care for individuals served through Medicare and Medicaid.

WHA is a member of Superior Health and proud to be part of this national community of quality leaders and look forward to bringing new insights, ideas, and partnerships back to the Great Lakes Region.

Superior Health serves as a vital link between the goals of CMS and the unique needs of local communities. As the CMS Quality Innovation Network–Quality Improvement Organization (QIN QIO) for the Great Lakes Region, Superior Health offers no-cost technical assistance to providers in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin with areas of support including chronic disease management, behavioral health integration, patient safety, care coordination and overall health care quality—fully aligned with CMS national priorities.

We are in the process of enrolling Wisconsin hospitals, clinics and nursing homes to begin working with Superior Health.

For questions, please contact info@superiorhealthqa.org or complete the enrollment form to begin the process.

Please contact Jenny Pritchett, Casey Zimpel or Stacy Kopp with any questions.

Wisconsin Native Rosie Bartel Recognized at CMS Quality Conference

Jenny Pritchett, WHA Clinical Quality Improvement Manager, Rosie Bartel, and Nadine Allen, WHA Chief Quality Officer, at the 2026 CMS Quality Conference

Wisconsin native Rosie Bartel was recognized this week at the CMS Quality Conference in Baltimore, MD, receiving the Jean Moody-Williams Patient Safety Award for her continued contributions to improving health care quality and safety.

A respected patient advocate, Rosie is known for elevating the patient voice and partnering with clinicians, researchers and health systems to advance safer, more patient-centered care. Her work, which is rooted in lived experience, has helped shape meaningful conversations and action at both the state and national levels.

WHA congratulates Rosie on this well deserved recognition and we thank her for her dedication.

Grant Opportunities

Apply Now for Making America Healthy Again (MAHA) ELEVATE to Build a Healthier America Funding Award

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) invites organizations committed to supporting people to build healthier lives with evidence-based, whole-person functional or lifestyle medicine interventions to apply for the MAHA ELEVATE Model. CMS will award up to thirty 3-year cooperative agreements up to a combined total of $100 million to implement programs that enhance conventional health care.

Interventions focused on core lifestyle choices and behavior change—such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, harmful substance avoidance and social connection—may slow or prevent chronic disease and help people meet their health goals; MAHA ELEVATE will establish a critical evidence base needed to determine how these interventions can be best incorporated into care for older populations.

Applicants must submit a mandatory Letter of Intent by April 10, 2026, and applications for the first cohort of recipients are due on May 15, 2026. The model will launch in October 2026.

Find out more:

• MAHA ELEVATE Notice of Funding Opportunity
• MAHA ELEVATE Model webpage
• CMS Innovation Center Strategic Direction
• Value-based Care Spotlight
• Innovation Insights

Find details and more information here.