Quality Advisor

WHA Awarded $3.2 Million to Advance Health Workforce Well-Being

WHA has been awarded a $3.2 million grant from the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (AHW) as part of a broader $5.6 million statewide investment in health workforce well-being.

This grant affirms WHA’s commitment to addressing the root causes of burnout and fostering long-term, systemic improvements in job satisfaction for those who care for our communities. WHA will lead the creation of a collaborative, evidence-based strategy to enhance professional fulfillment and mental health among health care and public health workers across Wisconsin. This initiative will be developed in close partnership with the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, a national leader in health workforce well-being.

In parallel, the Wisconsin Medical Society (WisMed) has received a $2.5 million AHW grant to launch the Wisconsin Healthcare Professional Services Program (WIHPSP). This new, confidential program will provide support and monitoring services for health care professionals facing behavioral health, psychiatric or substance use challenges—further ensuring a strong, resilient workforce for Wisconsin.

This transformative investment from AHW, the largest health philanthropy in the state, supports our shared mission to build a healthier Wisconsin. As WHA Chief Quality Officer Nadine Allen stated, “Addressing health care worker well-being requires moving beyond individual solutions to embrace long-term, systemic change.”

WHA looks forward to engaging with its members as this work progresses and thanks you for your continued dedication to the health and well-being of your teams and the patients they serve. This initiative aligns with AHW's Health Workforce Well-Being Landmark Initiative, a five-year, $50 million commitment to address critical health challenges in Wisconsin. Please respond to this short survey and let us know about your local wellbeing team member contacts.

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

DataGen Webinar Series Provides Overview of Medicare Programs

DataGen, who provides Medicare fee-for-service analytic support to the Wisconsin Hospital Association, partnered with WHA for a two-part webinar series to discuss the Center of Medicare and Medicaid's (CMS) Value Based Purchasing program, Readmission Reduction Program and Hospital Acquired Condition Reduction Program. Lauren Alvarenga, director of KeySTATS at DataGen, and Sonam Sherpa, senior healthcare policy and data analyst with DataGen, provided an overview of the programs, did a deep dive into CMS' methodology and provided state specific impacts over the last few years of the program. WHA hospital members receive these reports behind the WHA member portal as a member benefit and can use this data to identify focused organizational improvement opportunities. Please find the slides and webinar recordings below:

Session 1: DataGen’s Overview of Medicare's Value-Based Purchasing Program & Analysis slides and recording.

Session 2: DataGen’s Medicare Readmission Reduction and Hospital Acquired Condition Program Overview slides and recording.

AHA's Community Health Improvement Week is June 9 - 13! 

American Hospital Association's (AHA) Community Health Improvement (ACHI) network celebrates Community Health Improvement Week, honoring those who work in partnership to improve the health and well-being of individuals and our communities.

During this week, ACHI will spotlight the partnerships, programs and initiatives hospitals, health systems and community organizations are leading to boost community and population health.

Find more information on how to get involved here.

Peer Support in Wisconsin Hospitals – We Want Your Input!

WHA, in partnership with PROTEA and Wisconsin Voices for Recovery (WVR), is working to expand access to substance use treatment through the Wisconsin Rural Health and Substance Use Clinical Support Program by offering training, education and support.

To better understand the use of Peer Support services, we invite you to complete a short, anonymous survey (5–7 minutes): Hospital Peer Support Utilization survey.

Target Audience: Emergency department staff, including administrators, clinicians (MD/DO, PA/NP, RNs), pharmacists, psychologists, behavioral health providers and peer support specialists.

Your feedback will help us identify gaps and improve support for peer recovery services in Wisconsin hospitals.

Funding provided by the UW School of Medicine and Public Health from the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP).

Quality Residency Registration for 2025-2026 Open

The Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) and Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC) invite you to the next offering of the Wisconsin Quality Residency Program beginning in September.

This 10-month program is designed to engage new or novice quality leaders in health care quality through highly interactive learning sessions facilitated by a team of expert and veteran quality professionals.

The program which is a combination of in-person and virtual meetings kicks off September 10, 2025, and runs through June 10, 2026. Learning modules cover foundational topics, including regulatory and accreditation requirements, quality improvement concepts, state and federal hospital compliance, risk management, data analysis and decision-making and more. For program details and to register, click here.

Registration Now Open for the 2026 WHA Health Care Leadership Academy

“This program was more impactful than my MBA.”

“Being a graduate of this program has motivated me to earn my doctorate.”

“2 years after graduation, I still meet with the people in my class to talk about current challenges and successes. I get my best ideas from this group.”

These quotes, from graduates of the WHA Health Care Leadership Academy, are testimonials to the impact and value of this program. It is because of these positive experiences and outcomes that the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) will again be offering this certificate program in 2026. As with previous years, this program is available through the partnership between the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional & Executive Development (CPED) and WHA.

Health care continues to operate in a state of constant change. With significant future changes on the horizon, the continued need to build resilient and capable health care leaders with the skills to successfully navigate the complexities and opportunities of the future of health care is vital. Hospital leaders have a particular need to understand the “business of health care” so they can contribute in more meaningful ways to improve patient care, cost management and effective service delivery.

The 2026 WHA Health Care Leadership Academy is for clinician and non-clinician staff and is targeted toward two groups of people within WHA member hospitals:

• Leadership staff who aspire to promote into the C-Suite
• Newer C-Suite leaders who want to continue to be promoted within the hospital.

For more information on next year’s program, including registration, click here. Space is limited. Register today! 

To view the program brochure, click here.

For more information on the Health Care Leadership Academy, or any other education, email WHA Education.