The WHA Board of Directors and WHA staff held their annual retreat with a strategic planning session August 17-19 in Arbor Vitae.
WHA Chair-Elect Monica Hilt and WHA Vice President, Federal and State Relations Jon Hoelter
WHA Chair-Elect Monica Hilt, chief operating officer of Ascension Wisconsin, and WHA President and CEO Eric Borgerding kicked off the meeting by outlining what has changed in the three years since the board last revised the strategic plan, including internally as an organization and its membership and externally in health care issues and the broader environment.
“COVID aside, much has changed in the three years since our strategic plan was last revised,” Borgerding said. “The pressures are different, and the politics are different.”
Board members engaged in detailed discussions about WHA’s mission, vision, values and strategic goals. Members discussed the evolving environment, their expanded role in public health and the need for innovative solutions to help solve some of hospitals’ biggest difficulties, such as post-acute care, workforce and inflationary pressures.
Board members formed breakout groups to discuss elements of the WHA Strategic Plan.
“WHA’s top priority is delivering value to our members and doing our part, through our advocacy work, to support our members in the work they do—providing high-quality care to their communities,” Borgerding said. “Advocacy remains our core mission, and even as the environment has changed, we will continue to strategically position WHA to be relevant and impactful.”
Board members collaborated on revisions to WHA’s mission, vision, values and goals.
WHA Chief Quality Officer Nadine Allen presented on WHA’s role in the space of health equity and social determinants of health, including supporting its members with the development of various data tools. Allen provided an overview of the utilization of Z-codes in WHA’s Community Health Needs Dashboard and how members can use this tool to visualize the data and gain insights relevant to their own organizational goals.
WHA Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Finance Brian Potter highlighted the WHA Health Care Leadership Academy, an inaugural education program in partnership with the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional & Executive Development (CPED) and reported on the participant evaluations of the program, which were overwhelmingly positive. Participants found the application of the curriculum to their work in the hospital and the opportunity to network and learn from their peers as the most valuable aspects of the program.
WHA staff will spend the next several weeks digesting the many takeaways from the retreat, using the information to help craft and guide 2023 annual goals, as well as the 2023-25 update of the strategic plan. The new strategic plan will be presented at the October board meeting.
“Our members are essential in the strategic planning process,” Borgerding said. “The thoughtful and insightful feedback we received at the retreat provides important guidance as we revise our strategic plan.”