THE VALUED VOICE

On August 21, WHA’s West Central Region held their annual dinner meeting at University of Wisconsin - Stout (UW - Stout) in Menomonie. Hosted by Mayo Clinic Health System - Red Cedar in Menomonie, the group gathered for networking, a meal and discussion on the current issues impacting their respective hospitals in the region. Joining them were members of their hospital Board of Trustees.
 

Paul Horvath, MD, Consultant of NWWI Emergency Medical Services and MCHS-Red Cedar Site Physician Chair, kicked off the meeting by welcoming the group and thanking UW - Stout for their hospitality. Dr. Horvath also acknowledged this as a “big day” for the Mayo Clinic Health System, as a new hospital was celebrated just hours earlier in La Crosse. 

WI State Representative Clint Moses (R-Menomonie) and WHA Sr. Vice President of Government Relations Kyle O'Brien addressed the group next. In a fireside chat format, the two discussed the current health care issues facing the region. Moses discussed the need to focus on Medicaid reimbursement in the next state budget. He also stressed the importance of making significant investments in hospitals without depending as much on state taxpayer resources. Moses talked about his experience as a chiropractor and the challenges of owning a chiropractic practice, which include the issues of dealing with insurance companies, including prior authorization and utilization review.

WHA’s Sr. Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice Ann Zenk was next on the agenda. She shared the latest information on Wisconsin health care workforce issues, including the recently released report from the Governor’s Task Force on the Health Care Workforce, the latest on updated Graduate Medical Education “Grow Our Own Grants,” and WHA feedback to the Wisconsin Board of Nursing that removed a potential barrier from a proposed Board of Nursing rule. 
 
The meeting concluded with a round robin discussion hearing from everyone in the group.