Nearly 1,000 hospital and health care leaders, providers, staff, trustees and volunteers participated in Wisconsin Hospital Association’s (WHA) annual Advocacy Day today, the first held in person since the pandemic. Former Govs. Jim Doyle and Tommy G. Thompson were keynote speakers at the event that also included an address by current Gov. Tony Evers and a bipartisan state legislative panel of Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam), Rep. Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee), Sen. LaTonya Johnson (D-Milwaukee) and Sen. Pat Testin (R-Stevens Point).
Nearly 1,000 hospital and health care leaders, providers, staff, trustees and volunteers from across Wisconsin gathered in Madison for Advocacy Day 2023.
In addition to the program, Advocacy Day grassroots advocates also visited state senators and representatives at the Wisconsin State Capitol, calling on the State Legislature to discuss solutions to health care funding and workforce shortages Wisconsin hospitals have faced for the past several years.
Leaders from across the state also educated lawmakers on how hospitals have cared for Wisconsin communities, despite challenges to keep staff and patients safe with rising labor and supply costs. Tying in this year’s Advocacy Day theme – Stronger Hospitals. Stronger Communities. – the meetings with lawmakers reiterated the message that to strengthen Wisconsin’s communities, we need to strengthen Wisconsin’s hospitals.
“Having strong hospitals across our state that provide quality health care is essential to the vitality of our communities,” said WHA President and CEO Eric Borgerding. “Wisconsin Hospital Association's Advocacy Day sends a powerful message to lawmakers and communities alike to support local hospitals the way Wisconsin hospitals support them. Wisconsin hospitals provide a life-saving safety net, and with rising costs and a looming workforce shortage, much needs to be done to ensure our hospitals and health systems can continue to provide much-needed services to people in every corner of the state.”
Wisconsin hospitals and health systems, of which 92 percent are non-profit, continue to provide quality services while filling social and public health gaps across the state. Wisconsin’s hospitals have done an exceptional job navigating ongoing extreme challenges to support their communities. Strain on resources and health care workforce shortages pose unprecedented challenges that threaten access to care and the health of Wisconsinites.
Watch next week’s The Valued Voice for a review of WHA’s 2023 Advocacy Day and Health Care Quality Improvement Showcase. You can also check out coverage on our social media channels.