Get the full story on the twists and turns of federal health reform and what it means for Wisconsin at this year’s Wisconsin Health News conference.

We are flying in a full slate of national speakers to provide in-depth perspective on the latest updates and developments. That includes:

• Avik Roy, a leading conservative thinker on health reform who served as a policy advisor to three Republican presidential candidates, including Mitt Romney in 2012.
• Julie Rovner, a Washington D.C.-based senior correspondent for Kaiser Health News and former reporter for NPR.

They will be joining vice presidents from the American Medical Association and America’s Health Insurance Plans, as well as influential experts from Wisconsin, including:

• State Medicaid Director Mike Heifetz
• Deputy Insurance Commissioner P. Wieske
• Wisconsin Hospital Association CEO Eric Borgerding
• Gundersen Health System CEO Scott Rathgaber
• Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Plan President Scott Johnson
• UW Population Health Institute Program Manager Donna Friedsam
• Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality CEO Chris Queram
• Wisconsin Council on Children and Families Research Director Jon Peacock

We’ve also expanded network opportunities throughout the day and expect CEOs, executives and senior leaders from across the state to attend. This will be an event you don’t want to miss.

REGISTER NOW

Spring always brings new beginnings and new possibilities, and this is certainly so for many healthcare administration students from across the US – and particularly here in Wisconsin.  As students graduate and look to begin their blossoming careers as healthcare administrators, I am struck by the barriers new graduates face in entering the workplace. While true that the healthcare landscape and roles of leaders in healthcare continue to change faster than spring temperatures in Wisconsin, we as Wisconsin ACHE members could and should be doing so much more to foster the growth and development of new healthcare leaders.

Never was this more evident than the time I spent with my ACHE Regent colleagues and ACHE student members at the 2017 ACHE Congress. As Regents, I heard their ACHE membership began while in graduate school and their membership has been so valuable to their careers and career advancement. At the same time, much like our struggles to hire and retain talent in our organizations, I was also struck by recent ACHE studies that show ACHE is losing too many members in the first 2 years of membership. Likewise, I spoke with so many eager ACHE student members who are struggling to find internships and administrative fellowships opportunities. In fact, they struggle to even make contact with any current healthcare leaders who can coach and mentor them on their career path. All this leads them to question the value of their ACHE membership.

The students’ struggles were validated for me when our ACHE District 3 Regent-at-Large, Irita B. Matthews, JD, FACHE provided an update on ACHE’s partnership with the Institute for Diversity’s “Summer Enrichment Program.” While there were over 50 students who applied to participate in the Summer Enrichment Program, there are only 5 organizations who have signed up to take a student. And, of the 11 states representing ACHE’s District 3, only 3 organizations have committed to host a student this summer. Thankfully, 2 of those 3 organizations are here in Wisconsin. I am happy to share that I am, one of these 2 host sites – my second consecutive year hosting a student.

As all of our organizations commit to create a more diverse workforce and more diverse leadership teams, I am calling you to honor this commitment and the commitment you made to advance healthcare management excellence – as an ACHE member. Please follow the link below to sign up to be a host site. There are at least 40 students currently looking for summer internships. Let’s make Wisconsin the #1 host state for the Institute for Diversity’s Summer Enrichment Program!

Follow the hyperlink to the ACHE website for the Summer Enrichment Program, to learn more: http://www.ache.org/policy/IFD_Summer_Enrichment_Program.cfm

Follow the hyperlink to the Institute for Diversity in Healthcare Management website to register and become a host site: http://www.diversityconnection.org/diversityconnection/education/education-SEP-Program-Overview.jsp?fll=S4&sll=S40

 

Best Wishes!

Andrew M. Hillig, FACHE

Regent for Wisconsin

While Republicans may have walked away from the American Health Care Act, the healthcare debate is certain to continue. Will the Trump Administration fight to keep the Affordable Care Act afloat? Or will it use its power to hasten the law’s demise? Will lawmakers move left or right to forge a new deal?

In the meantime, Gov. Scott Walker is pushing ahead with Medicaid reforms that likely would not have been approved a year ago.  What does it mean for the program?

National and regional healthcare experts will tackle these questions and more at the 2017 Wisconsin Health News Conference, July 19 at the Monona Terrace in Madison.  Registration now open (link).