The Wauwatosa-based Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment on Thursday announced a $50 million investment aimed at improving the health and wellness of Wisconsinites and promoting health equity across the state, according to a news release from the Medical College of Wisconsin.
The investment, announced at the endowment’s Advancing Health for ALL Wisconsin conference at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, targets three priority areas: hypertension control, childhood behavioral health and health workforce well-being.
AHW is Wisconsin’s largest health improvement philanthropy and was established by the Medical College of Wisconsin to steward a financial gift from Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin. Since 2004, AHW has invested more than $338 million in 643 initiatives across the state supporting health research, workforce development and community health.
“This landmark investment aims to significantly move the needle and create positive, sustainable change in several areas with the greatest opportunity for impact over the next 5 to 10 years,” said Jesse Ehrenfeld, director of AHW and senior associate dean at MCW. “Beyond these critical funds, AHW’s capability to engage local, state and national experts, convene stakeholders, and provide operational support for large-scale health improvement projects can lead to broad and lasting health improvements for the people and communities we serve.”
The three focus areas of hypertension control, childhood behavioral health and health workforce well-being were approved by AHW’s governing bodies for investments up to a total of $50 million as part of AHW’s 2024-2028 five-year plan, which outlines opportunities to build signature initiatives focused on targeted health areas impacting wellness in Wisconsin. The five-year plan was developed based on input and feedback from statewide health partners and stakeholders, along with reviews of state and national health data and trends.
This year marks AHW’s 20th anniversary of stewarding funds gifted to the Medical College of Wisconsin from the conversion of Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin into a for-profit company.
“Funds invested by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment have helped to expand our reach and impact across the state, leading to partnerships we wouldn’t have otherwise been able to accomplish,” said John Raymond, president and CEO of MCW. “One of the many innovations initially supported by AHW was the creation of our regional campuses in Central Wisconsin and Green Bay, which has helped MCW to enhance and build a contemporary healthcare workforce that is addressing the maldistribution of physicians, particularly in Wisconsin’s rural communities.”
