The Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment will award more than $5.6 million in grants to improve the wellbeing of Wisconsin’s health care workforce.
The AHW is granting nearly $3.2 million to the Wisconsin Hospital Association and $2.5 million to the Wisconsin Medical Society, the Medical College of Wisconsin announced on Monday. Health workforce well-being is one of the AHW’s three Landmark Initiatives, which the AHW announced last year.
“A thriving health workforce is critical for ensuring that people in our state achieve their full potential,” said Dr. Michael Stadler, associate professor of otolaryngology and champion of the AHW’s health workforce well-being initiative. “When health workers are supported and well, they can offer better, more compassionate care, while also achieving enhanced professional fulfillment. Prioritizing their well-being leads to better health outcomes for all.”
The WHA grant — spread across five years — will fund the creation of a coalition to “develop a long-term professional wellbeing improvement plan focused on Wisconsin’s health care and public health workers,” a news release states. The Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation, a national nonprofit aiming to address the burnout and wellbeing the health care workforce, will provide resources and expertise for the project.
“Addressing health care worker wellbeing requires moving beyond individual solutions to embrace long-term, systemic change,” WHA chief quality officer Nadine Allen said. “By breaking down barriers to mental health support and adopting evidence-based strategies, we can strengthen Wisconsin’s health care workforce and improve care for the communities they serve. WHA looks forward to the partnership with Dr. Stadler and the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation to further this important work.”
The AHW’s grant to the Wisconsin Medical Society will be spread across two and a half years and will be used to establish the Wisconsin Healthcare Professional Services Program. The program will “provide confidential referral and monitoring services for licensed health care professionals in Wisconsin who experience behavioral, psychiatric, substance use or other potentially impairing conditions,” the news release states.
To create this program, the Wisconsin Medical Society will collaborate with the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Dental Association, the Wisconsin Nurses Association, the Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants and other organizations.
“The Wisconsin Medical Society is proud to receive this important grant — a vital step in creating a confidential program to support the health and wellbeing of Wisconsin’s physicians, dentists, pharmacists, physician assistants, nurses and other providers,” Wisconsin Medical Society CEO Mike Flesher said. “By prioritizing those who care for us, the Wisconsin Healthcare Professional Services Program will better support our 260,000 licensed health care professionals and ensure all Wisconsinites receive high-quality care from a stable, supported and healthy workforce for years to come.”
