Physician Edition

More than 2,000 students, advisors, teachers and supporters attended the HOSA - Future Health Professionals 2025 State Leadership Conference April 6-8 in Wisconsin Dells. WHA also attended and came away inspired by the positive energy and commitment of the students, their adult influencers and the HOSA organization.

Competitive events are a key part of the HOSA convention as regional winners advance to compete for state recognition in events like “Exploring Medical Innovation,” “Dynamic Decisions” and an “Anatomage Anatomy Tournament.” WHA staff and WHA members offered their support by acting as judges and for the first time ever hosting events at two area hospitals—Reedsburg Area Medical Center and Aspirus Divine Savior in Portage—to provide an actual clinical setting for future medical assistants and nursing assistants.  

Students and their advisors also had the opportunity to attend keynote and breakout sessions as part of the HOSA Educational Symposium. More than 100 attendees joined WHA Senior Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice Ann Zenk for the WHA presentation: So Many Options: Current and future trends in the Wisconsin health care workforce. Zenk shared data from WHA’s recently released 2025 Wisconsin Health Care Workforce Report and encouraged students to explore the many clinical and non-clinical career options available at Wisconsin hospitals.

WHA Senior Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice Ann Zenk presenting on health care career options.

Staff from WHA’s Communications team exhibited for the second year in a row at the event expo, promoting the So Many Options health care career promotion campaign and website. Traffic was heavy at the expo, allowing more than 2,000 students to interact with WHA about the website and to receive the coveted “So Many Options” highlighter, taking a visible part of the health care career promotion effort back to their homes and schools.

WHA Digital Communications Specialist Haley Salazar, Marketing Communications Manager Katelyn Hopman, Ann Zenk.

Competition results, awards and scholarships were celebrated at a Recognition Session at the end of day two of the conference. The WHA Foundation presented four $500 scholarships to assist students with their future education in a health-related field. Executive Director of the WHA Foundation Leigh Ann Larson said, “Supporting HOSA and its students through academic scholarship funding was a natural decision for the Foundation board as it addresses the health care workforce issues with our state.”

WHA also recognizes and thanks the many hospital members who sponsored and exhibited at the event.

For more information on the WHA Foundation, contact Leigh Ann Larson llarson@wha.org, or visit the WHA Foundation website here.