ThedaCare, Neenah, 2024 Community Benefits
Expanding Access to Behavioral Health Needs in Rural Communities
In July 2024, ThedaCare opened a new behavioral health clinic in Waupaca. The clinic is designed to enhance services and expand care options to those living in Northeast and Central Wisconsin, specifically in rural communities.
The clinic serves community members in Waupaca, New London, Manawa, Wautoma, Wild Rose and Weyauwega, as well as other surrounding areas.
“ThedaCare is committed to continuing to provide and enhance behavioral health care in our communities,” said Kellie Diedrick, vice president of critical access hospitals for ThedaCare. “We understand it is a critical need. Our teams have always provided great care, and now, we have the opportunity to care for more people.”
The new clinic offers various services, including: Substance Use Treatment, Mental Health Therapy, Outpatient Psychiatry and Group Therapy options. It also expands behavioral health treatment capacity and add additional providers, serving more people in the area.
“Renovating this clinic in Waupaca and repurposing it for outpatient behavioral health care was critical to meeting the needs of our community,” explained Julie Meyer, director of ThedaCare Behavioral Health. “We now have expanded space to allow for bringing more providers to the area, expanding our hours and to offer group therapy options.”
Every three years, ThedaCare hospitals conduct assessments of the health and well-being of the communities served. ThedaCare completes these assessments in partnership with other health systems, public health, Community Health Action Teams (CHAT), community members and many other stakeholders that are dedicated to maintaining an incomparable quality of life in our region.
The latest Community Health Needs Assessment, which focused on the Waupaca community, identified mental health as a top concern. To address the need, the report offered several recommendations. These included expanding behavioral health treatment capacity, opening a new behavioral health clinic in Waupaca and increasing the number of providers.
“The Covid pandemic brought forward many conversations about mental health needs and concerns, especially for people living in rural communities,” said Diedrick. “Often, people living in rural communities face different challenges than those living closer to cities. For example, there are often barriers when it comes to accessing transportation. Ride share, trains and buses aren’t always available in rural areas. We knew if we could provide a service in Waupaca County, we could get people access to mental health therapy services closer to home.”
In addition to the new clinic in Waupaca, ThedaCare has taken several steps to help provide additional mental health care and resources.
“We have a comprehensive behavioral health program across our service area,” said Diedrick. “And we saw the need for additional services in the western counties we serve. We're fortunate to have good partners – partners in the community and partners within ThedaCare – to find a solution to meet those needs.”
The clinic serves community members in Waupaca, New London, Manawa, Wautoma, Wild Rose and Weyauwega, as well as other surrounding areas.
“ThedaCare is committed to continuing to provide and enhance behavioral health care in our communities,” said Kellie Diedrick, vice president of critical access hospitals for ThedaCare. “We understand it is a critical need. Our teams have always provided great care, and now, we have the opportunity to care for more people.”
The new clinic offers various services, including: Substance Use Treatment, Mental Health Therapy, Outpatient Psychiatry and Group Therapy options. It also expands behavioral health treatment capacity and add additional providers, serving more people in the area.
“Renovating this clinic in Waupaca and repurposing it for outpatient behavioral health care was critical to meeting the needs of our community,” explained Julie Meyer, director of ThedaCare Behavioral Health. “We now have expanded space to allow for bringing more providers to the area, expanding our hours and to offer group therapy options.”
Every three years, ThedaCare hospitals conduct assessments of the health and well-being of the communities served. ThedaCare completes these assessments in partnership with other health systems, public health, Community Health Action Teams (CHAT), community members and many other stakeholders that are dedicated to maintaining an incomparable quality of life in our region.
The latest Community Health Needs Assessment, which focused on the Waupaca community, identified mental health as a top concern. To address the need, the report offered several recommendations. These included expanding behavioral health treatment capacity, opening a new behavioral health clinic in Waupaca and increasing the number of providers.
“The Covid pandemic brought forward many conversations about mental health needs and concerns, especially for people living in rural communities,” said Diedrick. “Often, people living in rural communities face different challenges than those living closer to cities. For example, there are often barriers when it comes to accessing transportation. Ride share, trains and buses aren’t always available in rural areas. We knew if we could provide a service in Waupaca County, we could get people access to mental health therapy services closer to home.”
In addition to the new clinic in Waupaca, ThedaCare has taken several steps to help provide additional mental health care and resources.
“We have a comprehensive behavioral health program across our service area,” said Diedrick. “And we saw the need for additional services in the western counties we serve. We're fortunate to have good partners – partners in the community and partners within ThedaCare – to find a solution to meet those needs.”
ThedaCare Deploys Robots to Enhance Patient Experience and Support Care Teams
Working side-by-side with team members, providing more time for patient care
ThedaCare is enhancing the patient care experience with the implementation of robotic automation across multiple nursing units. ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah was the first hospital in Wisconsin to deploy the Moxi robotic solutions to support care teams so they can focus on what they do best: patient care.
Nurses and other care team members can now call on a fleet of robots named Moxi to help with non-patient-care tasks. ThedaCare currently has two robots. Using machine learning technology and an array of sensors, Moxi maps the hospital and uses its mechanized arm to navigate multiple types of doors including those that require badge access. Through its mobile base, which contains three different sized and locked drawers, nurses can use Moxi to fetch supplies, deliver lab samples, pick up medicines from the pharmacy and other tasks that improve overall clinical flows and efficiency. Automating these tasks allows care teams to operate at the top of their license and spend more time with patients.
“We are excited to introduce Moxi to our teams, patients and visitors,” said Grace Gonzalez, BSN, MBA, CMSRN, Vice President of Nursing for the ThedaCare South Region. “We have been exploring innovative ways to support our care teams to offer them resources that will allow them more time to continue providing comprehensive patient care.”
Moxi was designed and created by Diligent Robotics, a robotics company from Austin, TX, that develops artificial intelligence to enable robots to collaborate with and adapt to humans. Moxi is equipped with an arm and mobility that enables it to transport lightweight medical resources, navigate hospital hallways, and drop them off for nurses and other staff. Team members can request Moxi through iPad “kiosks” placed on most nursing units and hospital departments.
As Moxi continues to integrate at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah, the fleet of robots have learned to optimize discharge workflow by retrieving medications, lab specimens and lightweight equipment, saving nurses hundreds of hours of time, and hundreds of thousands of steps in just the first few weeks.
After six weeks of the initial implementation at ThedaCare, Moxi results include:
ThedaCare is enhancing the patient care experience with the implementation of robotic automation across multiple nursing units. ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah was the first hospital in Wisconsin to deploy the Moxi robotic solutions to support care teams so they can focus on what they do best: patient care.
Nurses and other care team members can now call on a fleet of robots named Moxi to help with non-patient-care tasks. ThedaCare currently has two robots. Using machine learning technology and an array of sensors, Moxi maps the hospital and uses its mechanized arm to navigate multiple types of doors including those that require badge access. Through its mobile base, which contains three different sized and locked drawers, nurses can use Moxi to fetch supplies, deliver lab samples, pick up medicines from the pharmacy and other tasks that improve overall clinical flows and efficiency. Automating these tasks allows care teams to operate at the top of their license and spend more time with patients.
“We are excited to introduce Moxi to our teams, patients and visitors,” said Grace Gonzalez, BSN, MBA, CMSRN, Vice President of Nursing for the ThedaCare South Region. “We have been exploring innovative ways to support our care teams to offer them resources that will allow them more time to continue providing comprehensive patient care.”
Moxi was designed and created by Diligent Robotics, a robotics company from Austin, TX, that develops artificial intelligence to enable robots to collaborate with and adapt to humans. Moxi is equipped with an arm and mobility that enables it to transport lightweight medical resources, navigate hospital hallways, and drop them off for nurses and other staff. Team members can request Moxi through iPad “kiosks” placed on most nursing units and hospital departments.
As Moxi continues to integrate at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah, the fleet of robots have learned to optimize discharge workflow by retrieving medications, lab specimens and lightweight equipment, saving nurses hundreds of hours of time, and hundreds of thousands of steps in just the first few weeks.
After six weeks of the initial implementation at ThedaCare, Moxi results include:
- More than 1,200 total deliveries
- Nearly 630 total active hours
- 20-minute average delivery time (includes pick-up, drop-off and travel time)
- Most frequent locations for deliveries: telemetry, pharmacy and laboratory
ThedaCare Implements Program to Support Veterans Through End-of-Life Care
Kelly Klemm, a registered nurse with ThedaCare at Home, spends his overnight hours responding to various emergencies for people who need care at home, many of whom are in hospice care. Often, the patients are also veterans.
Klemm has worked for ThedaCare for nearly 35 years, and is a veteran himself, serving two years in the Army and later in the Army Reserve. His life experience has helped him learn how to connect with a veteran when he provides care.
“Many of the veterans we care for need a bit longer to open up, and process what they are going through,” he explained. “We give them time to talk and don’t push them. Sometimes, it’s just being there for them, and sharing that life experience that can help.”
It’s Klemm’s background as a veteran that encouraged him to do more for veterans being cared for at ThedaCare – and lead to a new program being launched.
In 2024, ThedaCare at Home Hospice became a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a campaign developed by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
As a We Honor Veterans partner, ThedaCare at Home Hospice will implement ongoing veteran-centered education for team members and volunteers to help improve the care provided to the veterans ThedaCare serves.
“ThedaCare is proud to become a We Honor Veterans partner,” said Megan Rennie, RN-BSN, Clinical Manager for ThedaCare at Home Hospice. “We understand that veterans have different life experiences that can impact their end-of-life care. ThedaCare is dedicated to providing individualized care for each person in the community, and the needs of veterans are unique. Our team members are committed to supporting those needs through this program.”
We Honor Veterans provides educational tools and resources to advance these goals:
The We Honor Veterans program is provided at no cost to hospice organizations. There are five levels that partners can achieve in the program. Organizations assess their ability to serve veterans and, using resources provided as part of the program, integrate best practices for providing end-of-life care to veterans into their organization.
Rennie noted that ThedaCare provided Hospice care for more than 1,300 people in the last year throughout a 13-country service area. Through the program, they serve a large portion of veterans. ThedaCare at Home Hospice also partners and provides care for facilities such as King Veterans Home.
Shana Farrell, the Hospice Volunteer Coordinator at ThedaCare, said team members recognize the importance of understanding a veteran’s care situation.
“Some of the veterans we provide care for have unique combat injuries, are living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety or a soul injury,” she explained. “Through this program, our care teams can provide specific care for those needs – including physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual support. We want to ease their pain, suffering and give them peace.”
Farrell said that through the We Honor Veterans program, team members and volunteers can capture the stories of veterans, if that is something they are interested in doing. Or, if a person passes away while in a ThedaCare facility, teams can coordinate a pinning ceremony or provide flag services.
“We have the special opportunity to meet veterans where they are in their health and hospice journey,” said Farrell. “To provide that care is truly an honor.”
Klemm has worked for ThedaCare for nearly 35 years, and is a veteran himself, serving two years in the Army and later in the Army Reserve. His life experience has helped him learn how to connect with a veteran when he provides care.
“Many of the veterans we care for need a bit longer to open up, and process what they are going through,” he explained. “We give them time to talk and don’t push them. Sometimes, it’s just being there for them, and sharing that life experience that can help.”
It’s Klemm’s background as a veteran that encouraged him to do more for veterans being cared for at ThedaCare – and lead to a new program being launched.
In 2024, ThedaCare at Home Hospice became a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a campaign developed by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
As a We Honor Veterans partner, ThedaCare at Home Hospice will implement ongoing veteran-centered education for team members and volunteers to help improve the care provided to the veterans ThedaCare serves.
“ThedaCare is proud to become a We Honor Veterans partner,” said Megan Rennie, RN-BSN, Clinical Manager for ThedaCare at Home Hospice. “We understand that veterans have different life experiences that can impact their end-of-life care. ThedaCare is dedicated to providing individualized care for each person in the community, and the needs of veterans are unique. Our team members are committed to supporting those needs through this program.”
We Honor Veterans provides educational tools and resources to advance these goals:
- Promote Veteran-centric educational activities
- Increase organizational capacity to serve Veterans
- Support development of strategic partnerships
- Increase access and improve quality
The We Honor Veterans program is provided at no cost to hospice organizations. There are five levels that partners can achieve in the program. Organizations assess their ability to serve veterans and, using resources provided as part of the program, integrate best practices for providing end-of-life care to veterans into their organization.
Rennie noted that ThedaCare provided Hospice care for more than 1,300 people in the last year throughout a 13-country service area. Through the program, they serve a large portion of veterans. ThedaCare at Home Hospice also partners and provides care for facilities such as King Veterans Home.
Shana Farrell, the Hospice Volunteer Coordinator at ThedaCare, said team members recognize the importance of understanding a veteran’s care situation.
“Some of the veterans we provide care for have unique combat injuries, are living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety or a soul injury,” she explained. “Through this program, our care teams can provide specific care for those needs – including physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual support. We want to ease their pain, suffering and give them peace.”
Farrell said that through the We Honor Veterans program, team members and volunteers can capture the stories of veterans, if that is something they are interested in doing. Or, if a person passes away while in a ThedaCare facility, teams can coordinate a pinning ceremony or provide flag services.
“We have the special opportunity to meet veterans where they are in their health and hospice journey,” said Farrell. “To provide that care is truly an honor.”
