Last week, WHA Foundation Executive Director Leigh Ann S. Larson travelled to two WHA member hospitals to present this year’s Global Vision Community Partnership awards.
The first stop was to Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital-St. Joseph Campus in Milwaukee. The
Women’s Outpatient Center addresses the overlooked community health needs in Milwaukee, particularly among vulnerable populations of women and families. The primary health need addressed is maternal and child health, with a focus on providing comprehensive prenatal and postnatal care. This need was identified through direct interactions with the community, where many women experience their first medical relationship during pregnancy. The center serves approximately 700 patients annually, representing 35% of all obstetric volume at Ascension-St. Joseph.
L to R: WHA’s Molly Wiegel and Leigh Ann S. Larson; Ascension St. Joseph’s Team: Nikki Lorino, Ginny Wagner, Taylor Tatro, Priya Ahuja, Taylor Kuczynski, Gail Robinson, Khadijah Grimes, David Mannes, Shana Crittendon, Selina Dallas.
Then it was onto ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital in Waukesha. In 2017, Waukesha County identified that residents needed better access to fresh & nutritional foods and to increase their activity levels. The
Growing Healthy Communities program improves access to affordable and healthy food by promoting accessibility to farmers markets, community gardens and other healthy food outlets convenient to residents with food insecurity concerns. Community gardens are located in Oconomowoc and Waukesha. Since 2010, garden programs have harvested 21,720 lbs. of produce valued at $46,481.
L to R: Sarah Butz, Director of Community Benefit, ProHealth Care; Shawn Verdoni, Major Gift and Grants Officer, ProHealth Care Foundation; Leigh Ann S. Larson, WHA VP of Education and Executive Director, WHA Foundation.
To read more about these valuable community projects, visit the WHA Foundation webpage
here.
Established in 1993, the Global Vision Community Partnership Award’s goal is to provide recognition, financial support and public awareness of a community health initiative or project, created in partnership with a WHA member, that successfully addresses a documented community health need. Partnerships must reach across the community or population served and the program must be an active, ongoing enterprise at the time of the nomination.
Congratulations to these two hospitals and community programs honored this year.