GREEN BAY – The Medical College of Wisconsin is focusing its attention on hypertension, children’s behavioral health and the well-being of the state’s health care workers.
At a news conference Thursday at Lambeau Field, the Medical College of Wisconsin announced it will invest $50 million as part of MCW’s Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment program in the three areas to improve them statewide over the next five to 10 years.
The three health-related issues were determined to be priorities based on state data and 18 months of focus groups, surveys and discussions with health care workers and community partners, said Jesse Ehrenfeld, director of Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment.
MCW established Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin to administer Blue Cross and Blue Shield United of Wisconsin funds. Since 2004, the fund has invested $338 million in 643 projects across the state, including the creation of the MCW Green Bay and Wausau campuses. La Crosse, Racine, Winnebago, Brown and Marathon counties have the most projects of at least nine funded by AHW.
It’s unclear what specific activities or projects will be supported by the $50 million invested in the three areas, but the investment is intended to “move the needle” on improving the health of residents in the three areas and expanding research, Joseph Kerschner said. , dean of the MCW. of the Faculty of Medicine, rector and executive vice president.
Hypertension
About 1.3 million Wisconsinites have hypertension, and about half of them don’t have it under control, according to data from the state Department of Health Services. About one in six people who suffer from it do not know they have high blood pressure.
Ehrenfeld said access to care and home blood pressure monitors is important to help people lower their blood pressure.
Well-being of healthcare personnel
The state’s healthcare workers are still facing levels of burnout, especially after the pandemic. The Wisconsin Hospital Association described the state’s healthcare workforce as “critical but stable” in its 2024 Healthcare Workforce Report. In 2022, the staffing availability rate at hospitals was 9.5%. 9%, according to the report.
With many workers approaching retirement, Ehrenfield said the foundation decided to prioritize reducing burnout and improving well-being in hospitals to alleviate the state’s physician shortage. Many health care workers don’t seek support for mental health or substance abuse because they fear being reprimanded by a medical board or losing their license, Ehrenfield said.
“We need to reduce that stigma,” he said. “They need to be well themselves to take care of others.
Children’s behavioral health
More than half of Wisconsin early care and education professionals reported an increase in challenging behaviors and are causing child expulsions, according to a 2021 survey.
Ehrenfield said the funds will go toward creating more “support systems” across the state and continue the work of a previous AHW behavioral health project.
Further: Family Circles, Strong Resource Databases, Peer Support: What 8 Years of Mental Health Progress Looks Like
Contact Benita Mathew at [email protected].
