The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), Madison College, Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin and UW Health have partnered to create a surgical technology associate’s degree registered apprenticeship, which launches today. This registered apprenticeship program is the first in the United States to offer all the coursework leading to an associate degree and credential eligibility to take a board examination for surgical technologists. This program combines academic credit with hands-on apprenticeship training to help address the health care workforce shortage, meet patient needs and reduce educational and professional barriers to attaining a career as a surgical technologist. The surgical technologist functions as a member of the surgical team, preparing the operating room before surgery, promoting the safety of the patient during surgery, assisting the surgeon and caring for the instruments and supplies used in surgery. The three-year program is currently open to UW Health staff, with six students in the first class. Graduates will earn an associate degree and can become licensed registered surgical technologists after passing board examinations. This program encompasses the entire associate degree from pre-requisites to degree completion and corresponding credentialing, according to Bridgett Willey, director, allied health education and career pathways, UW Health.
For the 14th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report ranked University of Wisconsin Hospitals No. 1 in Wisconsin on its Best Hospitals list. This recognition reflects all the great work done every day at UW Health, according to Dr. Peter Newcomer, chief operating officer, UW Health. “It’s exciting,” he said. “From advanced clinical care to cutting-edge research, UW Health continues to lead the way.” U.S. News & World Report evaluated more than 4,000 hospitals as part of the Best Hospitals rankings. In addition to the No. 1 ranking in Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin Hospitals had eight medical and surgical specialties ranked among the top 50 in the nation: Diabetes and endocrinology, ear, nose and throat, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, geriatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, rehabilitation and urology. This year, diabetes and endocrinology and rehabilitation are newly ranked for UW Health. Four additional medical and surgical specialties were rated as high performing: Cancer, cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery and urology.
For the third consecutive year, UW Health earns national recognition for leading sustainability in healthcare. Practice Greenhealth awarded UW Health with the Emerald Award for its environmental leadership, along with five other sustainability awards. Practice Greenhealth is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainability in health care. University Hospital, American Family Children’s Hospital and East Madison Hospital, stood out for their efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of the health system. Greener operating rooms East Madison Hospital received the Greening the Operating Room Award, which highlights institutions making significant strides in reducing the environmental toll of surgical procedures. With operating rooms contributing to nearly a third of a health system’s environmental impact, the UW Health Green Operating Room Council, a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and staff, is actively reshaping protocols to cut waste and reduce emissions. Culinary leadership with climate in mind In the food category, UW Health earned two Circle of Excellence awards, an elite recognition given to only 10 programs nationwide. The honors reflect years of work by culinary and nutrition teams to provide meals that are not only nourishing and flavorful, but also climate conscious. UW Health was also the first health system in the Midwest to join the Coolfood Pledge, committing to cut food-related greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2030.
Growing the nursing workforce. Last week, UW Health’s first Nursing Apprenticeship Program cohort began their third year of the program. As part of UW Health’s ongoing commitment to addressing the nursing workforce shortage, the health system has partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Madison College to create one of the nation’s first registered nurse apprenticeships. The four-year program provides a no-cost pathway for current UW Health employees to pursue a degree in nursing while earning full-time pay and benefits. The program includes both formal classroom learning at Madison College and the UW Health Apprenticeship Program Building, as well as on-the-job training at UW Health. The apprentices will be taking advantage of opportunities to grow within the program like as a nurse extern next summer and the chance to sit for their LPN boards and transition into that role for their last year of schooling. After an apprentice completes the program and successfully passes the NCLEX exam, they will participate in the UW Health Nurse Residency Program and transition into their new roles at UW Health. A new group of apprentices will start later this year. In August, we will have a total of 48 students in various stages of the program.
For 36 years, the UW Health Heart Transplant Program has been a leader in heart transplantation and is among the 15% of programs nationwide to achieve the milestone of 1,000 heart transplants. The program has expanded to serve both adults and children, offering cutting-edge technology and advanced therapies while achieving one of the shortest wait times in the country. Patients benefit from a median wait time of just one month, which is far shorter than the national average of four months, according to Dr. Veli Topkara, medical director of the UW Health Heart Transplant Program and professor of medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health.
To meet the growing demand for care, American Family Children’s Hospital is expanding the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, or PICU, and adding a Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, or CICU. The plan is to build 24 pediatric and cardiac intensive care beds on the vacant sixth floor of the children’s hospital. There will be 14 rooms for medical surgical pediatric intensive care patients and 10 rooms for cardiac intensive care patients. When the children’s hospital opened in 2007, the sixth floor — which is 33,000 square feet — was left vacant for future growth to meet anticipated increasing demand.
UW Health will expand access to primary care services in south central Wisconsin with the launch of a new family medicine clinic in Janesville. The UW Health Janesville Clinic, located at 500 Midland Court, will start seeing patients on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The family medicine clinic consists of three primary care providers — one physician and two advanced practice providers — supported by nursing and laboratory staff. The 9,900-square-foot facility will offer adult and pediatric primary care services, including office visits for preventive, acute and chronic disease management care, as well as immunizations and vaccinations, care coordination, annual physicals, sports physicals and wellness services. Laboratory services and medical imaging are available on-site.
UW Health is among 22 employers in Wisconsin recognized as a Vets Ready Employer in 2024 by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and its Office of Veteran Employment Services. The annual award recognizes Wisconsin employers that have gone above and beyond to hire and support veterans and their families. UW Health was awarded a gold certification in the large-sized business category. Applicants are rated and awarded based on criteria including support for veterans in the workplace, such as available resources, training and work environment, hiring practices to prioritize veteran hires, and efforts to connect to the wider veteran community, including military families, service members and veterans.
In late October, UW Health East Madison Hospital, across the street from the new Eastpark Medical Center, was certified as a Level IV Trauma Center by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The hospital joins the UW Health trauma system alongside the University Hospital Level I Adult Trauma Center and American Family Children’s Hospital Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, creating a connected program treating trauma no matter the age or care required. East Madison Hospital, which opened in 2015, has always been able to take care of critically injured patients in emergency situations, but this new designation recognizes that the hospital has demonstrated its ability to care for patients who need advanced care for traumatic injuries, according to Dr. Joshua Gauger, trauma medical director at East Madison Hospital, and emergency medicine physician, UW Health. “Patients often arrive at our emergency department at the worst moment in their lives, and this designation should help give them and their families peace of mind knowing they are receiving the best care possible,” he said.
UW Health Kids and Children’s Wisconsin are announcing a new joint venture for shared pediatric cardiac and adult congenital heart care services. This collaboration, called Forward Pediatric Alliance, will enable the two health systems to expand patient access and further elevate both organizations’ already high quality of care, according to Scott Turner, executive vice president, Children’s Wisconsin and president and chief operating officer, Children’s Wisconsin Hospitals. “We have the opportunity to align the incredible work our organizations do,” he said. “We are committed to working together to enable the best health outcomes for our pediatric heart patients.” This program is also designed to accelerate innovative research and help train the next generation of pediatric cardiac care providers, according to Nikki Stafford, president of American Family Children’s Hospital and system vice president of pediatric services, UW Health Kids. “This alliance will better help us attract and retain the best pediatric cardiac care providers,” she said. “We’ll be working together to solve complex problems and ensure our future patients have access to the best quality pediatric cardiac care.” Congenital heart disease is the most common type of birth defect, affecting nearly one in 100 births each year.
