THE VALUED VOICE

Grassroots Spotlight: Sen. Testin Joins WHA Western Region, Discusses Rural Health Care Issues

First-term Republican Senator Pat Testin (R-Stevens Point) joined hospital leaders at a meeting of the WHA Western Region to discuss recent action in the state Legislature to promote broadband and encourage health care careers in rural communities. Testin led a robust discussion on several issues impacting our state’s hospitals including substance abuse, emergency detention placements, Medicaid reimbursement and provisions of the Rural Wisconsin Initiative that provide matching grants to rural hospital training programs.

Testin was introduced by Tomah Memorial Hospital CEO Phil Stuart, who commended Testin for his work supporting broadband investment, the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital program and improving mental health care access in rural Wisconsin.

Testin commended the group and all of Wisconsin’s critical access hospitals for recently receiving recognition as the top performing critical access hospitals in the country for health care quality.