WHA is in the process of producing its
2022 Community Benefits Report. Hospitals and health systems are integral parts of communities across Wisconsin. One of WHA’s most effective ways of sharing that dedication is through its annual Community Benefits report, which provides personalized stories about hospital/health system programs including charity care, financial assistance and other hospital-supported initiatives making a positive difference for communities, families and patients.
These stories, in addition to the tabulation of Wisconsin hospitals’ financial contributions for these initiatives, will be shared with legislators and other health care stakeholders and decisionmakers throughout the state, providing individual hospitals an opportunity to draw attention to their contributions and report submissions. Last year’s report and hospital stories can be viewed
here.
NEW this year, WHA has added a "workforce" category to see what specifically your hospital/system is doing to help grow and develop the health care workforce in your community.
WHA is seeking the following types of stories:
- Charity Care/Free Clinics: Stories about how your hospital provides health care to medically underinsured or uninsured persons are especially powerful. Did you provide free care for someone who cannot afford it? Does your hospital fund a free community clinic?
- Growing and Developing Our Health Care Workforce: Wisconsin is facing historic challenges when it comes to attracting, developing and retaining a health care workforce for today and the future. Wisconsin’s hospitals and health systems are making significant investments of time and resources to address this problem and ensure their communities have the caregivers needed in the future. How has your hospital or health system worked to grow the workforce pipeline and create rewarding and fulfilling career pathways for those entering or working within health care?
- Hospital-Supported Initiatives: Identify a priority from your community health needs assessment and explain how the hospital/health system led an effort to address it. If you engaged community partners, include those partners in the story, too.
- Addressing Health Equity: How is your hospital or health system helping to ensure that your services are equally accessible to all members of your community, specifically populations exhibiting health disparities?
- COVID-19 Efforts: Highlight how your hospital/health system worked for your community despite unprecedented pandemic conditions. It will be important to describe what hospitals faced as the pandemic hit our state and how you overcame those challenges, continuing to provide safe and high-quality care to your communities.
Each hospital may submit one story (that hasn’t been previously submitted) in each area above for consideration. The goal is to include a story from every WHA member hospital in the report.
Stories should be submitted using WHA’s
online form. Submitters are highly encouraged to include a photo with their stories whenever possible to increase visibility and impact with legislators, the media and the public.
The deadline to submit stories is October 7.
Questions can be directed to WHA Publications Manager
Shannon Nelson.