Quality Advisor

WHA's Nadine Allen Joins Great Lakes Executive Leadership Council

Superior Health Quality Alliance (Superior Health) announced the launch and membership of the Great Lakes Executive Leadership Council (ELC), a regional advisory body focused on quality improvement outcomes across the Great Lakes Region. WHA Chief Quality Officer Nadine Allen joins the new Great Lakes ELC to ensure regional priorities remain data-driven, aligned and responsive to community needs.

See full article in Superior Health Quality Alliance section below.

2025 Wisconsin Act 115: Patient’s Representative Forms and Resources Now Available

As of June 1, the 2025 Wisconsin Act 115 update to Wis. Stat. § 50.06 creates a new legal decision-maker and an alternative route for admission to a Community Based Residential Facility (CBRF) or nursing home from inpatient hospitalization.

The new legal decision-maker—entitled patient’s representative—may act in circumstances when a family member in a hospital is incapacitated and lacks advanced directives or a legal decision-maker to access post-hospital facility placement and health care decisions. The goal of this legislation is to help incapacitated patients access post-hospital facility care faster, reduce unnecessary hospital stays, ease strain on Wisconsin’s health care system and include family involvement in decision making. All Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) forms and resources regarding the patient’s representative can be found on the DHS Advanced Directives webpage.

WHA’s webpage on Next Of Kin legislation also has these resource links. Please reach out to Jon Hoelter with any additional questions.

2026 Global Vision Community Partnership Award

Honor one of your hospital’s community health projects by submitting a nomination for a 2026 Global Vision Community Partnership Award.

The goal of this competitive grant award is to provide recognition, financial support and public awareness of a community health initiative or project, created in partnership with a WHA member hospital, that successfully addresses a documented community health need. Partnerships must reach across the community or population served, and the program must be an active, ongoing enterprise at the time of the nomination.

Nominations are due by August 14, 2026. Complete information on the award, including the criteria and nomination form, can be found here.

For more information about the 2026 Global Vision Community Partnership Award, please contact WHA Foundation Executive Director and WHA Vice President of Education and Corporate Partnerships, Leigh Ann Larson.

American Hospital Association Wins Awards for Behavioral Health Video Series

The American Hospital Association (AHA) won two Telly Awards in May for their three-part video series, Voices of Leadership: Breaking Mental Health Stigma. The Telly Award recognizes and honors excellence in video and television across all platforms.

The AHA in conjunction with behavioral health and language experts also created and released a series of posters - People Matter, Words Matter - promoting patient-centered language to reduce stigma.

Caring for Wisconsin's Caregivers    

Caring for Wisconsin’s Caregivers Steering Committee Advances Year One Success and Prepares for Action

The Caring for Wisconsin’s Caregivers Steering Committee recently convened at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Cancer Discovery Center in Milwaukee, bringing together members both in person and virtually for a highly engaging hybrid meeting.

The session opened with Nadine Allen, WHA chief quality officer and Dr. Mike Stadler, AHW Landmark Champion, reflecting on the first year of this five-year grant initiative, highlighting significant progress in raising awareness, building connections and elevating the importance of health care workforce well-being across the state. A diverse steering committee has been established, representing voices from across health care, including subject matter experts and leaders such as CEOs, CMOs, Chief Wellness Officers, Advanced Practice Provider, and professionals in nursing, pharmacy and dental. Members represent a wide range of care settings, including acute and ambulatory care, federally qualified health centers, long-term care, rural health care, large health systems, independent organizations and key health care associations.

A major milestone celebrated was the continued growth of the Well-Being First Credentialing Challenge. As of May, 73 Wisconsin hospitals, freestanding emergency departments and surgery centers have been recognized, with additional organizations actively engaging in the process.

Participants shared updates on their own organizational efforts to advance well-being. Discussions were rich and collaborative, featuring innovations such as ambient listening technologies, workflow redesign and advocacy efforts. These conversations sparked new connections and continued into an engaging post-meeting networking session.

Committee members Corey Feist and Dr. Stef Simmons from the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation provided updates from a national perspective and shared insight into Phase 2 of the initiative. This next phase marks a shift from awareness and commitment to meaningful action. This fall, participating organizations will begin with a well-being maturity assessment to identify opportunities for growth, followed by supportive learning collaboratives launching in early 2027 to help integrate well-being into operational improvement.

Steering committee members also heard an updated strategy for upcoming outreach and engagement efforts, including the Caring for Wisconsin's Caregivers: 2026 WHA Healthcare Workforce Well-being Summit on September 10 in Sun Prairie. Additionally, steering committee members and healthcare leaders are contributing personal “why” stories, which will be compiled into a promotional video launching alongside Phase 2 this fall.

Together, this work continues to build momentum toward a healthier workforce in Wisconsin.

For more information on how you can participate or engage more directly, please contact Nadine Allen.

Superior Health Quality Alliance    

Exciting Update: CMS 13th Scope of Work (SOW) Enrollment Extended – Limited Opportunity for Hospitals

Superior Health Quality Alliance (Superior Health) is pleased to share some exciting news—the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has officially extended the enrollment deadline for the 13th Statement of Work (SOW). This means enrollment is reopened for a limited time for hospitals to partner with Superior Health.

This extension provides a valuable opportunity for hospitals that have not yet enrolled to participate in this important initiative focused on improving quality, safety and outcomes across care settings.

Enrollment is time-sensitive and we encourage interested hospitals to take advantage of this extended opportunity to collaborate with Superior Health and access these valuable resources.

If you are ready to enroll, please use this enrollment link to begin the process. Please contact Casey Zimpel with enrollment questions or for more information.

Superior Health Launches Great Lakes Executive Leadership Council, Advances Regional Collaboration and Quality Improvement

Superior Health Quality Alliance announced the launch and membership of the Great Lakes Executive Leadership Council (ELC), a regional advisory body focused on advancing collaboration, accountability and quality improvement outcomes across the Great Lakes Region.

WHA Chief Quality Officer Nadine Allen joins the new Great Lakes ELC to ensure regional priorities remain data-driven, aligned and responsive to community needs. The Great Lakes ELC is composed of a diverse group of senior leaders representing health care delivery systems, provider organizations, public health agencies and community partners.

“Nadine’s participation on the Great Lakes Executive Leadership Council reflects WHA’s longstanding commitment to quality improvement, data-driven collaboration and better outcomes for patients across Wisconsin,” said WHA President and CEO Kyle O’Brien. “Her leadership will help ensure Wisconsin hospitals have a strong voice in regional conversations focused on improving care and supporting healthier communities across the Great Lakes region.”

The Great Lakes ELC plays a critical role in supporting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Quality Innovation Network–Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) program by bringing together senior leaders from health care organizations, public health agencies and community-based partners. The Great Lakes ELC serves as a forum for strategic guidance, shared learning and regional alignment to improve health outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries and communities across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

“The Great Lakes Executive Leadership Council embodies what it looks like when mission-driven leaders come together with a shared responsibility for improving care,” said Chief Executive Officer of Superior Health Tania Daniels. “Through collective accountability and strategic alignment, this council will help ensure our work remains responsive to community needs and drives measurable improvements in quality, safety and health outcomes across every state in the Great Lakes Region.”

Learn more about the Great Lakes ELC on the Superior Health website.