Valued Voice

On Feb. 19, Congressman Bryan Steil toured Beloit Memorial Hospital and attended a roundtable discussion with WHA members to discuss the importance of extending critical health care items scheduled to expire at the end of March 2025, including telehealth, the hospital at home program, and the Medicare-Dependent Hospital (MDH) and Low-Volume Hospital (LVH) programs.

Beloit Memorial Hospital is a MDH that would see significant Medicare cuts if the MDH program expired. The group also expressed concern over some of the potential Medicaid and Medicare cuts that have been explored as the House considers a budget resolution looking for $880 billion in savings. Congressman Steil noted he appreciated hearing how such proposals might impact Wisconsin’s Medicaid program and the hospitals in his district. He also explained the challenging dynamics between the House and Senate and that the final number would likely be much smaller as the two chambers worked to find overall agreement on how to extend the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts. The Congressman reiterated his desire to stay in touch with WHA and its members as proposals move forward to better understand their impact on Wisconsin and his district.

Pictured, L to R: Nommo Donald – Beloit Health System (BHS) VP; Sharon Cox, BHS DPN – CNO, Ben Van Pelt – Aurora WI VP Govt Affairs; Lindsay Punzenberger – Children’s WI Director of Federal Govt Relations; Jeremy Levin – RWHC Director of Advocacy; Maureen McNally – Froedtert ThedaCare Health VP Governance and Govt Relations; Tom McCawley – BHS VP; Ania Horner – President of Aurora Medical Center - Burlington and Aurora Lake Medical Center; Roger Kapoor, MD – BHS Senior VP; Jim Bird – BHS CFO, Congressman Bryan Steil, Tracy Wymelenberg – Ascension WI Director of Govt Relations and Advocacy, Jon Hoelter – WHA VP Federal & State Relations; Kristin McManmon – Ascension All Saints Hospital (Racine) President; Bonnie Wetter – BHS Chair of Board; Tim McKevett – BHS President and CEO; Leo Egbujiobi, MD – BHS Past Board Member and Current President of Medical Staff