CONTACT:
Steve Romme, UW-Oshkosh, (920) 424-2367 or rommes@usosh.edu
Sandy Panzer, Ingenuity First, (920) 831-1919 or sandy.panzer@thedacare.org
OSHKOSH – The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and health care industry experts will offer business leaders practical help to reduce their employee health care costs at seminars in April in Appleton and Oshkosh.
The one-day seminar, “Cutting Your Health Care Costs,” will be April 20 at Liberty Hall Conference Center, 800 Eisenhower Drive, Kimberly and April 27 at River Center, 632 Pearl Ave., on the UW-Oshkosh campus. It’s sponsored by the UW-Oshkosh Center for Community Partnerships; Ingenuity First, a division of ThedaCare; and the Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce.
Designed for local employers of all sizes who provide health care benefits to employees, the seminar will feature a keynote by John Torinus, chief executive officer of Serigraph and a former business editor at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Torinus’ health care benefit innovations have resulted in health care costs that are well below the national average and improved employee health at Serigraph.
There also will be a roundtable discussion with representatives from area companies that have implemented successful cost-saving strategies. Employers also will describe how employee health initiatives have increased productivity and reduced absenteeism.
Participating organizations include Miller Electric of Appleton, Miles Kimball of Oshkosh, Webcrafters of Madison and Manitowoc County.
In addition, health care industry leaders at the forefront of value-based purchasing reforms will share strategies for how businesses can enhance their health care services, control health care costs and spur improved quality from health care providers.
Speakers include administrators from ThedaCare; Bill Mann, senior vice president of Ingenuity First; Dale Feinauer, professor of business at UW-Oshkosh; Dr. Philbert Chen, medical director of Community Partners Health Plan; Cheryl DeMars, CEO of the Alliance; Christopher Queram, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality; Julie Bartels, executive director of the Wisconsin Health Information Organization; and Steve Brenton, president of the Wisconsin Hospital Association.
It is offered for continuing education credit to human resources managers and other business leaders. Attendance is limited to 75 at each session. Participants will receive a tool kit of resources and tips that empower them to take action in their own organizations.
Seminar information and online registration are available at www.uwopartners.org/events/business.html.
