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).

The silver tsunami is real. Wisconsin’s population is aging and healthcare care costs for the elderly and those needing long-term care are growing along with it. Gov. Walker’s budget increases Medicaid reimbursement for nursing homes and provides more money for direct care workers. Is it enough to address workforce shortages? And what’s next for Family Care? After pulling back its plans to overhaul the program, the administration is pushing forward with a statewide expansion. Will they incorporate other proposed program changes? Learn more at a Wisconsin Health News Panel Event May 2 in Madison.

​ Confirmed Panelists:

·      John Vander Meer, Executive Director, Wisconsin Health Care Association

·      Lynn Breedlove, Co-Chair, Wisconsin Long Term Care Coalition

​Register here

The 2016-2017 LDP cohort visited the UW Health and William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital (Madison VA) in February 2017. We started our day with a UW Health Overview & Leadership Roundtable, with Ron Sliwinski, FACHE, President of UW Hospitals and Chief of Clinical Operations; and Tim Gaillard, FACHE, UW Hospital Chief Operating Officer.  This interactive session was followed by a highly informative UW Med-Flight Tour led by Ryan Wubben, MD, Medical Director of UW Med Flight.  The group then had an opportunity to spend time with Jonathan Jaffery, MD, President & CEO of UW Health ACO, to learn about key initiatives related to Accountable Care & Population Health.  This was followed by an engaging session with senior leadership from UW Health’s American Family Children’s Hospital, including Jeff Poltawsky, FACHE, Senior Vice President and Barb Byrne, Vice President of Clinical Operations.

The group then traveled to the Madison VA Hospital on the same campus, and started that site visit with a session led by John Good, Group Practice Manager, on Leveraging Data to Increase Access.  The LDP group then had an opportunity to participate in a Madison VA Overview & Leadership Roundtable, led by John Rohrer, Madison VA Director.  Thor Ringler then introduced their Best Practice: My Life, My Story initiative with veterans, and the group participated in a Care in the Community Overview and Q & A with the team of Tony Dargiewicz, Chief of Patient Administrative Service.  The site visit culminated with Kayla Moreno, Nurse Manager, taking the group on a a Tour of the Community Living Center.

Consumer-driven services in business and the need for efficiency are accelerating changes in the way organizations operate and compete. Many consumers today are taking greater control of their purchasing power and healthcare decisions and are demanding excellence in service. The challenge is how to give them the best service in a meaningful and economic way.

Organizational survival relies on healthcare leaders with the vision, determination and courage to test various methods of enhancing the patient experience. Patient expectations are being set by other industries; for example, the airline industry, in which Southwest Airlines is the only airline that has turned in profitable years for 33 consecutive years, consistently achieved the best on-time performance, received the fewest customer complaints and fewest mishandled bags and is consistently cited for the best customer service, the smartest management and as the most fun place to work. Can the principles from a culture like Southwest Airlines help healthcare win the hearts and minds of their employees?

We will discuss that and more at the Reinventing Customer Service in Healthcare at the next Face-to-Face Chapter event. This program has been developed by ACHE-WI. The ACHE has awarded 1.5 ACHE Face-to-Face Education Credits to this program.

Moderator

• Stacy Conrad, Managing Consultant, The Benefits Group, Inc.

Panelists

• Teresa Feidt, FACHE, RN, CNO/VP Patient Services, Stoughton Hospital
• Aaron Kinney MS, FACHE, Executive Director, Herma Heart Center, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
• Marlaina Jackson, MHA, Director of Patient Relations and Support Services, Froedtert Hospital

April 28, 2017
7:30 – 9:30 am

ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital
Waukesha, WI

Register Here

The Senate Committee on Revenue, Financial Institutions and Rural Issues approved a bill Thursday that would increase funding for rural broadband and add healthcare criteria the Public Service Commission should consider when awarding money.

Buoyed by the promise of better care and lower costs, health organizations are increasingly flocking to care coordination models. But they are not always easy to organize in today’s disjointed healthcare system and current payment structures often don’t reward the effort. Also, coordination among different programs is lacking.

A panel of experts will share their experiences from the field. Find out what’s working, what’s not and what they see as the future of care coordination. Panelists:

• Joy Tapper, Executive Director, Milwaukee Health Care Partnership
• Tom Lutzow, CEO, Independent Care Health Plan
• Jane Pirsig-Anderson, Director, Aurora Health Care Family Service

The event is Tuesday, April 4 from 11:30am – 1pm at the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee (900 West Wisconsin Avenue).  Register online (link).

Benefits of Joining

ACHE offers four community groups that align with our members’ professional backgrounds and diversity inclusion. Join one that meets your professional needs and goals (pending the requirements).

Asian Healthcare Leaders | LGBT | Healthcare Consultants | Physician Executives

Sign Up Today: Join or renew your membership to one or more of these groups for an annual fee of $100 each, in addition to your ACHE membership dues. All benefits are accessible online and include a quarterly newsletter, an exclusive LinkedIn Group and special designation in ACHE’s online Member Directory.