Wisconsin hospitals, clinics, and their patients received good news from the Milwaukee County courthouse last Friday, January 11, 2008. Judge David Hansher dismissed in full the Injured Patients and Families Compensation Fund’s third-party complaint and cross-claim in Schultz v. IPFCF. The Fund has been arguing that Schultz’s injuries were caused, at least in part, by negligent training and supervision by the provider and that negligent training and supervision are claims separate from claims of medical malpractice. The Fund has been seeking money from the provider’s professional liability and corporate general liability policies.

Based on the parties’ briefs, the judge made the factual finding that, contrary to the Fund’s arguments, the Fund’s claims were claims for medical malpractice and, thus, should be covered by the provider’s professional liability policy and the Fund. The Fund’s claim for "subrogated contribution" failed. The parties in the case are evaluating their options given the possibility that the Fund will appeal the judge’s decision.

"A different result in this case could have a dramatic impact the general liability insurance environment in Wisconsin. It could return the state to the day when physicians and other health care providers chose to leave the state rather than practice in such an expensive and risky environment," noted WHA Senior Vice President and IPFCF Board member George Quinn. "In fact, a different outcome could have the perverse result of leaving injured patients without access to insurance to cover their damages." The Fund was established more than 30 years ago for the benefit of both the insured health care providers and injured patients. WHA filed an amicus brief in this case due to the profound impact that the matter potentially has on Wisconsin’s liability environment and on the ability of hospitals, clinics, and physicians to obtain general liability coverage.

People carry a lot of different lists in their pockets. Grocery lists. Lists of chores and errands. They all find their way into our purses and wallets. But one list you carry could save your life in a medical emergency—a medicine list.

Safe Care Wisconsin, a statewide group of health professionals and organizations dedicated to patient safety, announced January 16 their first statewide health safety project: "List it. Don’t Risk it. Write down your medicines." The project emphasizes the importance of writing down and carrying an accurate list of medications. The medication list project is aimed at getting people who take both prescription and non-prescription medications to write down the name, dose and other important information and to carry the list in their wallets.

The campaign will be bolstered by radio ads and the work of a statewide hospital volunteer group, Partners of Wisconsin Hospital Association. Partner’s President Diane Westbrook, River Falls, said her group set a goal of having all 12,000 of their members fill out a medicine list—and then complete one for a friend or family member, for a total of 24,000. Westbrook said her hope is that their efforts will lead to more people in the community recognizing how critical it is to write down and carry a list of medicines.

Information on this project, including a blank medicine list can be downloaded from www.safecarewisconsin.org. In addition, medicine list forms are available at hospitals, medical clinics and pharmacies.

Kathy Leonhardt, MD, MPH is the patient safety officer at Aurora Health Care. She said patients and their family members have a difficult time recalling what prescription and non-prescription medicines they take when asked to help fill out a medical history at the doctor’s office.

"Many of us take medicines on a regular basis—either prescribed by a doctor or medications that we select ourselves like vitamins or aspirin, things bought without a prescription. Some of us have to take a lot of medicines to stay healthy—and it can be very confusing- -both for patients and their doctors," according to Dr. Leonhardt.

"For patients, it can be hard keeping track of all the pills and the instructions for each one. For doctors, they may not know what other doctors have prescribed for a patient or what over-the-counter medicines the patient is taking—unless all that information is given to the doctor at the time of the visit," she said. "We all want to be safe when taking medicines, but it is easy to see that mistakes can happen," Dr. Leonhardt added.

Dr. Leonhardt urges people to keep the list where it can be found quickly, such as in a wallet behind a driver’s license. As an emergency department nurse at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics, Heather Grant, RN, knows that seconds count in a medical emergency.

"At any time, you or a family member could have an accident or fall seriously ill and be unable to communicate with emergency responders or personnel in the emergency room. The recent I-90 weather-related multi-vehicle pileup demonstrated how emergencies can take place any time and far from home. We look for every piece of information that we can when a patient comes in to the emergency department. The more we know about the patient, the faster we can treat them. We always worry that a patient is taking medicine that will have a negative reaction with a drug we administer in the ER," Grant said. "A medication list can truly save your life in an emergency," she added.

Mike Flint, a registered pharmacist and owner of Mallatt’s Pharmacy in Madison, said the pharmacist is often the last person to talk to a patient before they take home a new prescription. He urges his patients to update and carry a current list of medicines and to note any allergies that they have on the list as well.

"It is very important that you show the pharmacist the list of medications that you are taking, including vitamins and supplements that you purchase that do not require a prescription. It becomes even more important that you show your pharmacist the list if you pick up prescriptions from more than one pharmacy or if you order prescriptions through the Internet. Ask questions about your prescription if you don’t understand how often to take it, or what it is for. Ask your pharmacist to print out a list of medications that you take and use that list to fill out your own list," Flint said. "Don’t be shy about asking for help in completing your list. Many people have multiple prescriptions, and it is confusing. A list goes a long way in preventing medication errors at home," he said.

Safe Care Wisconsin members represent hospitals, physicians, insurers, quality improvement organizations, patient safety organizations, and others committed to ensuring the safety of patients throughout Wisconsin. For more information on Safe Care Wisconsin, visit www.safecarewisconsin.org.

The Wisconsin Hospital Association, the Wisconsin Nurses Association, and a large and diverse coalition of interested organizations, are working with members of the Legislature on an important bill that would expand quality improvement activities and public reporting of health care quality and safety measures in Wisconsin, strengthen our regulatory environment, and help ensure an adequate health care workforce. The coalition that has been working on the proposed "Quality Improvement Act" (QIA) includes representatives of health care providers, patient safety organizations, business groups, patient safety professionals, attorneys, risk managers, insurers, and employee organizations. The real focus of the QIA is, of course, our patients, who deserve high quality and continuously improving health care. Beyond that, our patients are being asked to become better consumers of health care. We believe the QIA is a necessary step forward in the provision of efficient and effective health care and facilitates a level of transparency that will further encourage health care providers to be the best.

Wisconsin’s hospitals and clinics were the first in the nation to voluntarily publicly report quality information through CheckPoint and the Wisconsin Collaborative for Health Care Quality Performance Report. Public reporting is a key function of the accountability required for quality improvement activities. In addition, public reporting provides information needed to engage patients in their health care decisions and to change misaligned reimbursement models. Over the past several years, Wisconsin hospitals have heightened their commitment to quality improvement activities with outstanding results as demonstrated by repeated rankings in the top tier on national reports. The next frontier in quality and efficiency improvement will include coordination of care across provider functions and organizational boundaries and the integration of quality improvement knowledge at the bedside.

The QIA consists of four important changes to the statutes. First, the QIA would strengthen, clarify, and provide protections against the use of peer review and quality improvement investigations and reports in civil proceedings. In order to improve the quality and safety of health care, providers must be able to evaluate care across providers, within health care systems, and beyond organizational lines. In addition, patients and payers are demanding increased public reporting of performance information. To support this key evolution, the underlying investigations and reports must be protected from use in future civil actions. It is important to note that the QIA would not interfere with a plaintiff’s attorney’s ability to do his or her own investigation.

The QIA also would protect current and expanded peer review and quality improvement investigations in criminal proceedings. Providers are reluctant to participate in peer review and quality improvement activities because of the fear that their statements could be used against them in a criminal proceeding. In order for Wisconsin to maintain its role as a leader in providing high quality health care, quality improvement participants must know that they are not unwittingly participating in a criminal investigation. Again, the QIA would not interfere with a prosecutor’s ability to do his or her own investigation.

In addition to protecting private quality improvement activities, the QIA would protect and strengthen the current regulatory system. Wisconsin’s regulatory system depends on health care providers willingly and openly talking to regulatory investigators. When an investigator’s notes are accessible to prosecutors, health care providers are reluctant to cooperate at all or without first consulting an attorney. In order to preserve the important oversight functions of the regulatory agencies, under the bill the information gathered as part of a regulatory investigation could not be used in a criminal prosecution.

Finally, the QIA would maintain medical malpractice as a matter for the civil, not criminal, courts. The above provisions are a foundation for reducing medical errors. Medical errors, unfortunately, will still happen. A health care provider who makes an error may lose his or her license, livelihood, and be subjected to civil penalties and civil suit. Add to that list the devastating prospect of criminal penalties, including jail time, for making an unintentional medical error and it will do nothing but add to Wisconsin’s increasingly dire shortage of health care providers. Health care is a demanding calling. In order to attract and retain the best and the brightest, people must know that the rewards of the profession outweigh the risks. The QIA would permit criminal charges for an act or omission that was intentional or reckless, but not for negligence.

Health care providers and quality improvement organizations are ready to move Wisconsin’s health care system to an even higher level of performance. The QIA would remove several roadblocks and would send us down that path. We are hopeful that everyone with an interest in high quality and efficient health care will advocate for these improvements to Wisconsin’s law, to help ensure that our patients receive the best care possible.

Earlier this week, Assembly Bill (AB) 224, which adds to current immunity protections from civil and criminal liability for good faith reporting of possible law violations or standard of care violations, unanimously passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 5-0 vote.

AB 224, authored by Representative Don Pridemore (R-Hartford), also unanimously passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee and was approved by the full Assembly earlier this session.

An amendment proposed by WHA was approved during Assembly floor debate. This amendment added immunity protections for reporting information to any prospective employer of an employee or former employee of a health care provider or facility relating to allegations of violations of clinical or ethical standards.

In approving the proposal, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Senator Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) asked that she be added as a co-sponsor saying, "AB 224 is a good piece of legislation that will ultimately help to protect patients and their families. I am happy to co-sponsor this bill and proud that my committee moved the bill forward."

Unfortunately, there have been instances where patients have been put at risk by individuals who have repeatedly violated clinical or ethical standards. By allowing the sharing of that information with prospective employers, without the fear of liability, patients will be protected and quality of care will be improved.

WHA supports this measure as a way to improve and enhance Wisconsin’s already nationally recognized high levels of patient safety and quality of care by encouraging the reporting of violations. Health care professionals should be encouraged, not discouraged, from engaging in discussion that is aimed at improving quality and safety.

An editorial this week in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel agreed saying the bill would "… allow hospitals and other health care employers to more readily share information about questionable employees before they are hired. The ultimate benefactor, of course, would be the patient."

AB 224 now awaits a vote by the full Senate before it can be forwarded to Governor Doyle for his consideration.

Wisconsin hospitals provide care to all, 24 hours a day, every day. However, they could not fulfill their missions without adequate financing. WHA’s Council on Finance and Payment serves members by focusing on payment issues and identifying current and potential problems with payment, whether it’s cuts in reimbursement from commercial and government payers, or increased requirements for adequate payment, similar to some of the new pay-for-performance initiatives.

The Council has also been involved in helping to implement WHA’s transparency and accountability agenda. Over the past four years, the Council developed WHA’s "Billing and Collection Guidelines for Wisconsin Hospitals," and the report "Best Practices for Providing Price Information to Patients." It was also instrumental in implementing WHA’s community benefits reporting initiative, which shows how not-for-profit hospitals carry out their charitable purpose. These work products have helped advance the idea that Wisconsin hospitals are at the forefront in terms of being transparent about hospital billing and pricing and are willing to be held accountable to their communities.

In 2008, the Council on Finance and Payment once again has an ambitious agenda. The main areas of focus will include:

• Develop and release a report on the economic impact of Wisconsin hospitals.
• Hospital Pricing/Transparency. Attain commitment from members on providing pricing information directly to consumers.
• Educate and prepare Wisconsin hospitals for the coming Medicare Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) Program.
• Continue to analyze and publicly discuss Wisconsin health care "costs" and "cost drivers" to position the Association as a leading authority on this complex topic.
• Work jointly with other councils and task forces on:
• Property tax exemption protection
• Developing recommended policies for not billing for certain adverse events.

Tom Bayer, St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay, will continue to chair the Council, as he has for the past two years. Meetings for 2008 are scheduled March 12, August 4 and November 12. Interested new members are welcome and may contact Sherry Collins, scollins@wha.org about joining the Council.

Here’s a reality check for those who argue that legislation is a preferred approach to accelerate the reporting of health care quality, safety and efficiency measures.

The Kaiser Family Foundation reported last week that State of Illinois bureaucrats have made virtually no progress in implementing a variety of public reporting mandates despite statutory timelines that have come and gone. Among the efforts:

• The Illinois Hospital Report Card, legislated in 2005 to document hospital-acquired infections, among other things, remains unpublished.

• The Illinois Consumer Guide to Health Care, envisioned to be a consumer friendly analysis of medical care comparisons (costs and outcomes) at hospitals and surgery centers, focusing on 30 medical procedures, was to have been published two years ago….but remains a work in progress.

• The Illinois Adverse Events Report, designed to identify and report serious medical errors beginning January 1, 2008, is "nowhere near ready to be launched," according to bureaucrats in the recently created Division of Patient Safety.

Apparently "problems" with the original legislation, a lack of dedicated resources (staff), and a "complicated" regulatory process has resulted in an across-the-board lack of progress. The former head of the state agency responsible for championing the mandates recently admitted, "we had unrealistic expectations" for what it would take to implement the legislated mandates.

Wisconsin has been successful in advancing a meaningful public reporting agenda because the private sector, not government, is leading the effort(s). WHA’s CheckPoint and PricePoint, the WCHQ Performance Measurement Report, and the anticipated work of the Wisconsin Health Information Organization represent ongoing provider and payer led initiatives in which government representatives participate absent a specific statutory road map. Government should partner, facilitate and encourage the acceleration of private sector efforts to measure and report performance. That’s been a successful model in Wisconsin and should continue to serve us well in the future.

Steve Brenton,
President

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has adopted recommendations to Congress that, if enacted, would significantly reduce Medicare reimbursement for teaching hospitals while eliminating the update for skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs), home health agencies (HHAs), and long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) in federal fiscal year (FFY) 2009. The recommendations will be formally submitted to Congress in March. While Congress is not required to act on the recommendations, it may take them into consideration as it crafts Medicare legislation.

Failing to weigh the ability of teaching hospitals to train physicians and fulfill their overall social mission, MedPAC has recommended a decrease in the Indirect Medical Education (IME) adjustment from 5.5 percent, as currently required by statute in FFY 2009, to 4.5 percent. MedPAC further recommended that the funds saved by the IME cut be redirected to fund an inpatient pay-for-performance system.

MedPAC also recommended a series of market basket, or inflationary update reductions for FFY 2009. All reductions are from what is currently called for under law, except as noted:

• Inpatient – full market basket update concurrent with implementation of a quality incentive payment program. The inpatient update is currently projected to be approximately three percent.
• Outpatient – full market basket update
• SNF – no update
• IRF – no update (consistent with current law)
• HHA – no update
• LTCH – market basket minus 1.5 percent
• Physicians – 1.1 percent update (current law requires a 10.6 percent reduction in July 2008 and an additional five percent reduction in January 2009 if Congress does not intervene).

MedPAC commented briefly on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) report, recently submitted to Congress, proposing options for a "value-based purchasing" (VBP) program. The CMS proposal would carve two to five percent out of the Inpatient Prospective Payment System rate, redirecting the funds based on hospitals’ performance on quality measures. MedPAC supports the CMS options in general; however, while CMS has stated they believe the VBP system could cut costs out of the system, MedPAC believes no money should leave the system and that implementation of VBP should be budget neutral. Before CMS can implement any form of VBP, Congress must pass enabling legislation.

WHA and the American Hospital Association will urge Congress to reject MedPAC’s proposed reductions. WHA will work with our Congressional Delegation to emphasize the need for a full market basket update that accurately reflects provider cost increases, to preserve Medicare support for teaching hospitals, and to fund any pay-for-performance initiatives with new funds.

The Hermes Monato, Jr. Prize of $1,000 is awarded annually for the best rural health paper. It is open to all students of the University of Wisconsin (any campus). Students are encouraged to write on a rural health topic for a regular class and then to submit a copy to the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative as an entry by April 15, 2008. Previous award winners as well as judging criteria and submission information are available at www.rwhc.com/Awards/MonatoPrize.aspx.

The Evidence-Based Health Policy Project invited WHA’s Bill Bazan, vice president, Metro Milwaukee to present at a January 10 briefing held for legislators at the State Capitol. Titled, "Public Health Preparedness: Progress and Challenges for State Policy," Bazan joined Kristine Gebbie, RN, DrPH from the Columbia University School of Nursing in a discussion focused on public health preparedness. Gebbie is a national expert on public health preparedness. She reminded the audience of legislators and their aides "health is an issue in every emergency, not just ‘health’ or ‘public health’ emergencies." Gebbie said she uses the term "public health" in its broadest definition, not just describing a department in state or local government.

Gebbie suggested that the government should set reimbursement rates for health care providers that take into account the expenses of training, exercises, and other disaster preparedness expenses of hospitals and health care providers.

Bazan said WHA along with Dennis Tomczyk from the Department of Health and Family Services, have worked closely with a state expert panel to develop a document that identifies ethical considerations that could arise during a disaster. The document is aimed at creating a dialog with clinicians and the public on ethical issues during an emergency, based on the premise that there will not be enough resources to meet everyone’s needs during, for example, a flu pandemic. Bazan said the document is still a draft, but plans are being made to seek input from other stakeholder groups and later, the document will be shared with the public.

Gebbie told the group that in an emergency, the flexible use of health care professionals is essential. While she said spontaneous unauthorized volunteers (SUVs) can add to the chaos during a disaster, a more organized, pre-planned approach and the flexible use of health care professionals (such as the use of retired health care professionals or professionals who can be on loan during the emergency) can lead to a quicker, more organized response.

Wisconsin currently has more than 2,000 health care professionals registered on the Wisconsin Emergency Assistance Volunteer Registry, or WEAVR. WEAVR collects and stores contact information on volunteers interested in filling critical response and recovery roles following a major public health emergency.

During a flu pandemic, Gebbie said, rules might need to be temporarily relaxed on who can pick up medications and whether they must be seen by a physician before medication is dispensed during a disaster. One family member, for instance, might need to pick up medications for the entire family.

"It’s just one small example that shows we have to be flexible enough to accommodate multiple needs during a disaster," Gebbie said. "We know we can’t fully rely on the federal government to come to our aid quickly. Disasters are local."

The CheckPoint Measures Team recently completed a preliminary recommendation for measures to be added to the CheckPoint public Web site in 2009-2010. This recommendation has been reviewed by WHA’s Board of Directors and the Wisconsin Quality Steering Committee. Next, the preliminary recommendation will be presented at WHA Region Meetings to obtain feedback from Wisconsin hospitals. The meeting dates and locations are listed below. Please RSVP your attendance to Brian Competente at 608-274-1820 or bcompetente@wha.org including your WHA region, name, title, hospital, telephone number and e-mail address.

Please contact Dana Richardson at 608-274-1820 or drichardson@wha.org  with questions or comments.

Region Meeting Dates, Times and Locations:

Milwaukee — February 19, 10 a.m., Columbia St. Mary’s East Lake Office Center
North Central Region — February 6, 9 a.m., Aspirus Wausau Hospital, Wausau
Packerland Region — March 6, 12:00 noon, St. Vincent Hospital, Green Bay
Southern Region — March 21, 11:30 a.m., Wisconsin Hospital Association, Madison
Vikingland Region — February 8, 10 a.m., Hayward Area Memorial Hospital, Hayward
West Central Region — February 13, 10 a.m., Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire
Western Region — January 30, 12:00 noon, Shared Health Services, La Crosse

The Federal Patient Self-Determination Act requires that all Medicare participating health care facilities provide information to patients about advance directives. The Act also requires hospitals to provide community education about options for advance care planning.

Unfortunately, fewer that 25 percent of our population have executed an advance directive and even fewer have had discussions with their family and their prospective health care agent prior to executing a written document. Fewer than 50 percent of severely or terminally ill patients have an advance directive in their medical records.

The National Healthcare Decisions Day Initiative is encouraging hospitals to designate some area in their facility on April 16 to be open to the public for distribution of free forms and information about advance care planning. On that day each hospital could have staff or trained volunteers available to answer questions and provide information about how to engage in advance care planning. Members of ethics committees, chaplains, case managers, social workers, and in-take staff could help in this process.

ThedaCare Health System has joined with Affinity Health System, the Fox Cities Family Practice Residency, the Fox Cities Coalition for End-of-life Care, and the Lawrence University Program in Bioethics to organize Wisconsin’s participation in the NHDD initiative. They are encouraging hospitals and nursing homes in Wisconsin to sign up as a participating organization by sending an email to nhdd@nhpco.org or by visiting the NHDD Web site (www.nationalhealthcaredecisionsday.org/maintopics/sign_up), click on "participation form."

A WHA Task Force met on January 9 to discuss the lack of color standards for patient wristbands used in Wisconsin hospitals. Hospitals use colored wristbands to denote patient status such as "Do Not Resuscitate" or "Fall Risk." The task force will assess the need for standardization of wristband colors. If it is determined that standardization is beneficial, the task force will develop a recommendation.

In 2005, a nurse in Pennsylvania incorrectly placed a yellow "Do Not Resuscitate" band on a patient who later had a heart attack. The nurse used a yellow band to alert staff not to use that arm to take blood, the correct meaning of a yellow wristband at a nearby facility where she also worked. Another nurse caught the error in time. Many health care providers work in several facilities, increasing the chance for error. This case drew national attention, and 16 states have already adopted statewide wristband color standards. Several other states are considering the issue.

The Wisconsin Healthcare Public Relations & Marketing Society and the Wisconsin Hospital Association are co-sponsoring "Health Care Marketing MBA in Just a Day," March 6 at the Country Springs Hotel in Pewaukee. The workshop will show participants how the key marketing-related disciplines—market research and assessment, marketing strategy and planning, and marketing communications—are most effective when used in an integrated approach. The worshop provides beginning and intermediate-level marketers with the tools to lead, manage and integrate primary market research, environmental assessment, patient pathway analysis, business development, strategic marketing and effective marketing communications.

Workshops leaders are: Kristin Baird, president, Baird Consulting, Inc based in Fort Atkinson; Jean Hitchcock, vice president of marketing and communications for Scripps Health, and Cheryl Stone, president of Cheryl Stone & Associates. All three have extensive experience in health care marketing and management.

Registration is $125 for WHPRMS and WHA members, $150 for non-members. Registration materials are included in this week’s packet or go to www.whprms.org for more information.

Affinity Health System, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin-Fox Valley and ThedaCare announced this week that they had signed an agreement to join forces to offer pediatric behavioral health services. The agreement is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between competing health care organizations in the Fox Valley.

In a press conference at J. J. Keller & Associates Inc., Daniel Neufelder, president and CEO of Affinity Health System; John Toussaint, MD, president and CEO of ThedaCare; and Jon Vice, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital and Health System, pledged to work together to address a shortage of pediatric behavioral health services in the Fox Valley. According to the Fox Cities 2006 LIFE (Leading Indicators for Excellence) study, the region has more demand for pediatric behavioral services than current systems can accommodate.

According to the agreement, Children’s Hospital-Fox Valley will recruit at least two more child and adolescent psychiatrists to the area, which will complement services already offered by Affinity, ThedaCare and Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin (like Children’s Hospital-Fox Valley, a member of Children’s Hospital and Health System). At the same time, Affinity and ThedaCare agree to create a seamless insurance environment to help eliminate financial barriers to receiving care. The agreement also will establish a new behavioral health clinic, which will be located at the Goodwill Industries building near Hwy. 47 and Hwy. 441 in Appleton. It is expected to open in summer 2008.

The Boards of Directors of Columbia St. Mary’s and Froedtert & Community Health announced the approval of a joint operating agreement to form Progressive Health, an organization that will financially integrate, govern and lead Columbia St. Mary’s and Froedtert & Community Health.

The name Progressive Health was chosen to reflect the system’s strong forward-thinking ideas about how health care should be delivered. The system includes an academic medical center that will ensure it remains on the leading edge of the research and technology that drive progress in health care.

Progressive Health is a community-academic partnership that will assure better care and more options for patients and responsible stewardship of healthcare resources for the community.

William Petasnick, president and CEO of Froedtert & Community Health, and Leo Brideau, president and CEO of Columbia St. Mary’s, will serve as co-presidents of Progressive Health. Progressive Health will be led by a 16-member, community-based Board of Directors, which will be chaired by James B. Wigdale, chairman emeritus of Marshall & Ilsley Corporation and longtime community leader. Brideau and Petasnick will serve as members of the board.

While the nation has grown increasingly aware of women’s health issues in recent years, reaching and educating men on health risks and disease prevention continues to be a challenge.

In order to specifically address men’s health needs in the community, Monroe Clinic physicians Dr. Kenneth Sparr and Dr. Andrew Rikkers took their message to the Southern Central Wisconsin Archers for a guys-only event on June 21, 2006. The evening was a part of Monroe Clinic’s ongoing HealthADVANTAGE Series, a program that offers health presentations and screenings, most often at no cost, to the general public. It was the second year for Men’s Night, as the prior year’s event took place at a local Harley Davidson dealership. The success of the first Men’s Night proved that there was a true thirst for men’s health information in the community.

"Taking health information and screenings to untraditional settings benefits men by exposing them to important information in a setting that is more comfortable, casual, and convenient," explained Dr. Sparr, who presented at both the 2005 and 2006 Men’s Nights.

Men’s Night 2006 featured free blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and body mass index screenings. Dr. Sparr, a urologist, and Dr. Rikkers, a general surgeon, presented "Straight Talk: Get the Facts on Prostate Health, Groin Pain, and Heartburn." In an unconventional take on the typical health presentation, the program also included demonstrations and tips on archery, as well as food and prizes.

Around 30 men came to the event, and the relaxed setting quickly weaved its magic. Men were soon asking questions and taking part in lively discussions.

"The men who had interest in finding out about their reflux disease as well as groin pain and hernias had good questions that other members of the audience also seemed to learn from as well," said Dr. Rikkers.

Some of those in attendance even sought needed medical attention shortly after the event.

"After my talk on prostate health, I found that several gentlemen came in to get treatment for their enlarged prostates that had been causing problems for years. They convinced some of their friends to come in to get checked also," Dr. Sparr said.

The feedback from Men’s Night 2006 was extremely positive. The most common comment from the participants was that they were grateful for the presentation and appreciated the opportunity to come out and ask questions. The audience surveys confirmed that the men were hearing much of the presented health information for the first time in their lives.

Dr. Rikkers felt the conversational tone of the evening offered the audience the down-to-earth answers and straight facts they were looking for. "Discussions like these go a long way to help people in their daily lives," Rikkers said.

As Dr. Sparr explained, "This event definitely reaches the ‘hard to reach’ men—the ones who tend to push aside or ignore health issues due to fear, anxiety, and embarrassment. It gives them a chance to see they are not alone in their experience."

Top of page