The Marshfield Clinic Health System is the Wisconsin Hospital Association’s 2020 Advocacy All-Star Award recipient – the most prestigious member advocacy honor WHA bestows. The annual award is for demonstrating exceptional dedication to grassroots advocacy in partnership with WHA. While the award is usually presented at WHA’s Advocacy Day in front of more than 1,000 hospital and health system advocates, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the award being presented virtually on June 23.
“This really is a gratifying award to receive because of how much work our health system puts into advocacy, and how important those efforts are to our organization – but also to rural health, particularly,” Marshfield Clinic Health System CEO Susan Turney, M.D. said when accepting the award on behalf of her system. “Now more than ever we see the essential role of government and how it plays such a big impact in health care, and we need a seat at the table. And we DO have that by working with WHA – you help us advance our message every day.
“So we are proud to be a member,” Dr. Turney said. “And we are also very fortunate to work with such a strong, such an effective advocacy organization.”
In presenting the award, WHA President and CEO Eric Borgerding cited Marshfield Clinic’s long list of grassroots and policy development efforts in the past year. From providing key telehealth information to a packed State Capitol hearing room filled with legislators and staff that helped spur bipartisan passage of important telehealth state law improvements, to regular participation in WHA’s HEAT roundtable events with local legislators, Marshfield Clinic is “always willing to collaborate with other WHA members and staff to move our collective advocacy agenda forward,” Borgerding said.
“The great partnership between WHA and Marshfield Clinic Health System is not just on behalf of our two organizations,” Borgerding said, “but truly a partnership that speaks for and represents all of Wisconsin’s hospitals and health systems. For that, all of our members are grateful for the work that you’ve done.”
The system is heavily involved in various WHA workgroups and councils that help advance sound health care public policy, including the Public Policy Council, Physician Leaders Council and WHA’s Medicaid, telehealth and post-acute care work groups. Dr. Turney also serves on the WHA Board of Directors, which helps shape WHA’s advocacy goals throughout the year.
"At Marshfield Clinic Health System, we have really made concerted efforts over the past several years to build our advocacy efforts in government relations,” Dr. Turney said. “We are desperate for policies that can make delivering high-quality care in small communities sustainable. And I know that the effective advocacy efforts that you all have made will continue to create meaningful progress.
“I really want to thank you on behalf of Marshfield Clinic Health System – I’m honored to accept this award for the team,” Dr. Turney said.
You can view the award presentation
here.