From the exchange to the state employee health plan, insurance leaders will share their perspective on the biggest issues facing the industry at the annual Wisconsin Health News Insurance CEO Roundtable Oct. 3 in Madison.

Register now for our Oct. 3 Newsmaker Series event.

Panelists:

• Terry Bolz, CEO, Quartz Health Solutions
• Frank Lucia, CEO, Dean Health Plan
• Cathy Mahaffey, CEO, Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative
• Michael Quist, CEO, WEA Trust

Former Members and Fellows suspended in 2017 for nonpayment of dues are eligible to reinstate their membership starting in September to receive membership benefits for the remainder of the year, plus all of 2018. That’s 16 months of membership for the price of 12!

Members can reinstate immediately and conveniently on their My ACHE page.

The kickoff keynote presentation will be on Physician Engagement and Alignment in the Face of Change by Jeff Bahr, MD, FACP, Executive Vice President, Aurora Healthcare, President, Aurora Health Care Medical Group. This presentation will review the measures necessary to align different medical group cultures.  Attendees will learn how to enhance physician engagement and well-being innovatively through relationships.  Attendees will also understand the steps taken to effectively improve clinical and service quality through clinician engagement.

Join us for this session and more at the ACHE-WI Annual Conference on September 18-20, 2017 at The Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, WI. Rooms are available at The Osthoff Resort at the special rate of $169. To guarantee this rate, reservations must be made by August 28, 2017. To make a reservation, please call The Osthoff Resort at 800-876-3399 and request the American College of Healthcare Executives – Wisconsin Chapter room block.

Learn more and register here!

Thank you in advance for completing this member survey, which is expected to take less than five minutes. Your input and feedback is important as we assess and work to improve on the value and relevance of member benefits.

The survey questions are broken down as follows:

I: Background
II: Services
III: Priorities
IV: Other

Take the survey now.

Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. is pleased to announce that three attorneys in the firm’s Health Care Practice Group have been elected to leadership positions in the American Health Lawyers Association (AHLA).

• Tom Shorter, a shareholder and chair of Godfrey & Kahn’s Health Care Practice Group was re-elected to the AHLA Board of Directors.
• Jed Roher, a shareholder in the Health Care Practice Group was appointed as a Vice Chair of the AHLA Business Law Group – Transactions Affinity Group.
• Tom O’Day, an attorney in the Labor & Employment and Health Care Practice Groups continues to serve as Vice Chair of AHLA’s Labor & Employment Law Practice Group.

Godfrey & Kahn’s Godfrey & Kahn’s Health Care Practice Group is organized around a core group of attorneys who provide legal services to clients in the health care industry. The team includes attorneys from the firm’s key business and litigation practice groups who provide our health care clients with a wide array of legal services that include: corporate and business transactions; tax and employee benefits; labor, employment and immigration; insurance; public finance; antitrust; litigation; white collar counseling and defense; real estate; political law; and intellectual property.

With more than 160 lawyers, Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. is one of Wisconsin’s leading business law firms. Founded in 1957, Godfrey & Kahn maintains offices in Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton, Green Bay and Waukesha, Wis.; and Washington, DC. For more information, please visit the firm’s website at www.gklaw.com.

The ACHE-WI Face-to-Face Madison Event brought together a group to discuss Reinventing Customer Service in Healthcare: Lessons Learned from the Best. Attendees learned the strategies that local healthcare leaders have used to improve internal and external customer service. They discovered new initiatives to achieve outstanding patient and staff satisfaction results, increase market share and decrease cost. They also discuss how to meet patient and provider needs in a faster, more cost-efficient way while excelling in safety and retention outcomes. This program was developed by ACHE-WI. The ACHE awarded 1.5 ACHE Face-to-Face Education Credits to this program.

The program was led by moderator Wendy Horton, PharmD, MBA, FACHE, Vice President, Operations, UW Health at the American Center. Panelists included Kristin Baird, MHA, BSN, RN, President/CEO, Baird Group, Teresa Lindfors, FACHE, RN, CNO/VP Patient Services, Stoughton Hospital and John Sheehan, MHA, FACHE, President, UW Health at the American Center.

A special thank you UW Health at the American Center for hosting and our program committee members that planned the program.

• Vonda R. Shaw, MS, MPH, FACHE, Manager – Preventive Cardiology and Heart Station, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
• Crystal L. Warning, MPH, MSW, Program Analyst, Medical Service, Wm. S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital
• Heidi Skeppstrom Bolling, RN, ANP, NEA-BC, CNOR, Traveling Veteran Coordinator, William S. Middleton Memorial Hospital & Clinics

Dear ACHE-Wisconsin Chapter member,

One of the joys of being Regent is awarding exceptional chapter members for their contributions to ACHE, the healthcare administration profession and the community.  As such, I am requesting your nominations for three Regent Awards for 2017 – the Early Career Healthcare Executive Award, the Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award and the Diversity Champion Award.  Below is the criteria to be considered for each award.  Please submit your nominations, with a brief explanation as to why your nominee deserves the award, to me by August 1^st.  Nominations should be forwarded to me, Andrew Hillig, at Andrew.Hillig@ascension.org.

Early Career Healthcare Executive Award

Criteria:

• A member of the American College of Healthcare Executives
• Demonstration of leadership ability
• Demonstration of innovative and creative management
• Executive capability in developing his or her organization and promoting its growth and stature in the community
• Participation in local, state, or provincial hospital and health association activities
• Participation in civic/community activities and projects
• Demonstration of participation in ACHE activities and interest in assisting ACHE in achieving its objectives

Senior-Level Healthcare Executive Award

Criteria:

• A Fellow of ACHE
• A CEO, COO, or other senior-level executive title within the organization
• Demonstration of leadership ability
• Demonstration of innovative and creative management
• Executive capability in developing his or her organization and promoting its growth and stature in the community
• Contributions to the development of others in the healthcare profession
• Demonstration of leadership in local, state, or provincial hospital and health association activities
• Participation in civic/community activities and projects
• Demonstration of participation in ACHE activities and interest in assisting ACHE in achieving its objectives

Diversity Champion Award

Criteria:

• ACHE Member
• Senior-level executive, Diversity Executive or HR Leader
• Encourages racially and ethnically diverse healthcare executives, who are not ACHE members, to join and become active at both the local (via chapters) and national levels.
• Organizational diversity and inclusion:
  • At or demonstrated progress to the 8% national average for diversity in healthcare leadership
  • Perpetuates and sustains a diversity and inclusion committee
  • The organization’s leaders are required to go through diversity and inclusion training
• Promotes diversity in leadership:
  • Offers internships, residencies and fellowships to racially/ethnically diverse students and provide mentoring to help prepare them for success in the job market.”
  • Recruits and promotes to increase diversity and inclusion in leadership”
  • Mentors and promotes diverse emerging leaders, and encourages ACHE membership
  • Promotes healthcare careers to diverse populations via school programs and community organizations.
  • Encourages students to shadow healthcare executives and explore careers in healthcare.
• Advocates for diversity in leadership:
  • Advocates for healthcare systems that serves racially and ethnically diverse communities
  • Advocates for a diverse and inclusive healthcare workplace”
  • Works with organizations representing racially/ethnically diverse individuals within their communities to create sources for scholarships and fellowships
  • Speaks publicly and advocates for diversity and inclusion
  • Extends invitations to host events such as executive breakfasts, chapter networking events and educational programs.

In closing, I hope you have a great summer and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me to discuss your thoughts for how ACHE may advance its members and management excellence in Wisconsin.

Andy Hillig, FACHE
Vice President, Performance Excellence
Ascension Wisconsin
400 W. Riverwoods Pkwy
Glendale, WI 53212

ascension.org/wisconsin
T: 414-465-3658
M: 414-750-2283
andrew.hillig@ascension.org

Valued Voice, Wisconsin Hospital Association

Every year one individual in each state is honored as a “Grassroots Champion” by the American Hospital Association (AHA) in consultation with state hospital associations. This year WHA nominated Joan Coffman, president/CEO, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Chippewa Falls, to receive the AHA Grassroots Champion Award for her service and efforts.

“You have earned this special recognition through your dedication to the hospital mission, on both the local and on the national level,” said Rick Pollack, AHA president/CEO. “We want others to be inspired by your commitment to making the hospital voice heard….”

Coffman currently serves on WHA’s Board of Directors, helping guide the Association’s work. She is also the chair-elect to AHA’s Section on Small or Rural Hospitals. In addition to serving in these capacities, Coffman regularly participates in WHA grassroots advocacy initiatives, including Advocacy Day, promoting the WHA grassroots program, HEAT, hosting local legislators and more.

“WHA is grateful for the years of grassroots commitment Joan Coffman has given to our Association, but more importantly to her patients, her hospital and her community in these ways,” said Jenny Boese, WHA vice president, federal affairs & advocacy. “From promoting and attending WHA’s Advocacy Day each year to meeting and communicating regularly with elected officials, she is exactly what a grassroots champion should be. WHA is honored to present her with this well-deserved national recognition.”