— Scientists at the Versiti Blood Research Institute in Milwaukee are studying a common but often undiagnosed blood disorder, with a twin goal of improving diagnosis and treatment.
Von Willebrand disease affects about 1 percent of the U.S. population. This genetic disorder, characterized by a missing clotting protein, can cause heavy bleeding and easy bruising, as well as frequent nosebleeds and more serious complications.
Senior Investigator Robert Montgomery says adult women are affected most by symptoms. According to him, women with the disorder can experience hemorrhaging after childbirth, and many women have undergone unnecessary hysterectomies due to excessive menstrual bleeding that may have been related to von Willebrand disease. He tells WisBusiness.com his research team aims to avoid outcomes like that by better understanding the causes behind the disease.
Versiti has been awarded a $13.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, funding the next five years of its studies on VWD. According to a release, Versiti has received more NIH grant funding than any other blood center in the country.
“We have essentially a bank of patient samples that can be used for various projects,” Montgomery said. “Those major projects are focused on different aspects of what causes von Willebrand disease.”
Researchers will be tracking bleeding over time in patients, and comparing that to variables such as age and stress, as well as surgical history and genetics.
See more: http://www.wisbusiness.com/2019/versiti-researchers-exploring-factors-behind-von-willebrand-disease/
— Gov. Tony Evers is seeking candidates to be the next CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
Evers was barred by legislation passed during December’s extraordinary session from replacing current WEDC CEO Mark Hogan until Sept. 1. Hogan said in June that he plans to step down this fall, but didn’t provide a specific date for departing the state’s jobs agency.
WEDC spokesman David Callender told WisPolitics.com at the time that Hogan’s plan dating back to former Gov. Scott Walker’s time in office was to leave sometime in the fall of 2019. Callender indicated that plan had been communicated to the Evers administration.
In a new release, the guv has unveiled an online application for candidates to apply for the position.
“The next leader at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation has an incredible opportunity to foster a culture that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation while supporting the Main Street businesses, start-ups, and large-scale companies that employ people across our state and help Wisconsin’s economy thrive,” Evers said.
The guv concluded by thanking Hogan for his service and praising the “professionalism and dedication with which he has approached this role.”
See the application:
— Three of the top four cities in Wisconsin for relative purchasing power are in the southeastern corner of the state, according to a recent report from SmartAsset, a national financial information aggregator.
The report ranks Waukesha first, where the average cost of living is $46,745 and the average median income is $81,140.
The next three cities — Ozaukee, St. Croix and Washington — all have cost of living between $44,000 and $47,000, and median income between $73,000 and $82,000.
See the report: http://smartasset.com/mortgage/cost-of-living-calculator#wisconsin
— Health services for pregnant women at rural Wisconsin hospitals are more prevalent than the national average, according to a report from the state Office of Rural Health.
Otherwise known as obstetric services, this pregnancy-focused care is available at more than half of Wisconsin’s rural hospitals. On the national level, the average is 40 percent.
Also, 99 percent of Wisconsin women of childbearing age live within a 30-minute drive of a hospital providing obstetric deliveries. That’s above the national average of 88 percent.
Still, the number of hospitals providing obstetric deliveries has gone down 26 percent in the past decade, and report authors say that decline is likely to continue.
The most common providers delivering babies at rural hospitals are family physicians and obstetrician/gynecologists. But the report also shows general surgeons and certified nurse midwives are involved with care at a “substantial proportion” of rural hospitals.
“Given the multidisciplinary nature of these care teams, obstetric training opportunities should target the entire range of provider types involved,” report authors said.
The report also shows that “almost all” of the state’s rural hospitals providing this type of care also offer C-sections — a positive indication for care. The most common C-section providers at rural hospitals are obstetricians and gynecologists, but report authors note family physicians and general surgeons play an important role as well.
However, with 38 percent of rural hospitals in the state providing C-sections without OB/GYNs, the report highlights the need for C-section training opportunities for other positions.
Eleven rural hospitals have closed their obstetrics units in the last 10 years, according to the report, which makes a connection between birth-volume threshold and increased risk of losing obstetric services and skills.
The report shows hospitals with greater than 100 births per year were found to be 90 percent less likely to close than those with fewer than 100 births per year. Of the 35 rural hospitals that deliver babies in the state, only 4 have fewer than 100 births per year.
See the full report: http://worh.org/sites/default/files/Obstetric%20Services%20Report%202018_Revised.pdf
— A Foxconn company called Foxconn Industrial Internet is planning a new campus in Mount Pleasant, according to recent reports.
FEWI Development Corp, Foxconn’s Wisconsin subsidiary, and another Foxconn company called Fii issued a request for proposals Friday, a report from BizTimes Milwaukee shows.
See more in Foxconn Reports below.
— The Hudson City Council has approved the second phase of a redevelopment project at St. Croix Meadows, the former site of the Hudson dog racing track.
Phillips-Medisize is building a 202,000-square-foot “science and manufacturing facility” on the site, near a similar-sized building under construction as part of the first phase of the development.
In a release, Rep. Shannon Zimmerman, R-River Falls, calls the project “a huge win for Western Wisconsin.” The release shows the Phillips-Medisize project is expected to create 250 jobs in the area.
See the release: http://www.wispolitics.com/2019/rep-zimmerman-applauds-healthcare-development-in-hudson/
#TOP STORIES#
# New Berlin, Janesville Harley dealerships for sale after bankruptcy filing
# Weekend storms cause widespread power outages, damage across state
# Rebirth of an icon: Garver Feed Mill reopens after decades of decay
# Giannis: Most marketable player
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– Group opposes Burnett Co. proposal to place moratorium on CAFOs
– ‘In Her Boots’ workshop slated for women farmers
# EDUCATION
– Marquette student to open new bubble tea cafe on campus
– UW-Madison’s Luck to be honored for contributions to WFTD
# ENVIRONMENT
– Environmental head announces $2M program for Great Lakes
– States, provinces discuss cooperation on stopping Asian carp
– Partnership agreement to address Asian carp in the works for Great Lakes states, provinces
# FOOD AND BEVERAGE
– Milwaukee Pretzel Co. will move to larger Riverwest facility in spring
# FOXCONN REPORTS
– Foxconn Industrial Internet planning building at Mount Pleasant site
– Foxconn releases RFP for another building at Mount Pleasant site
# LEGAL
– Northridge owners contemplating lawsuit following panel’s upholding of raze orders
# MANUFACTURING
– Kenall HQ in Kenosha sold for $29.3 million
– Printing and design company Thysse expands in Oregon with $10 million facility
# MEDIA
– Q&A: Veronica Rueckert wants to help women find their voices — and use them
# POLITICS
– Evers says he plans to replace WEDC secretary and CEO Mark Hogan
# REAL ESTATE
– Pewaukee Lake home sold for $1.75 million
– Affordable housing development opens in Walker’s Point
# RETAIL
– Pop-Up MKE returning for second year
– The Book Deal peddles $4 books, donates one for each sold
# SMALL BUSINESS
– Frugal Muse moving to Market Square on Madison’s West Side
# SPORTS
– Bucks, Packers tell visiting Midwest leaders about impact of Fiserv Forum, Titletown
# TRANSPORTATION
– GOP senators urge DOT secretary to use budget funds for roads
# UTILITIES
– Allen Leverett leaving WEC Energy board
– Utilities still restoring power in eastern Wisconsin
– Fires at Madison power substations leave thousands without power
– ‘Like a giant, humongous ball of orange flame’: Thousands without power after fires cripple MGE facilities
# COLUMNS
– Democratic National Convention will be huge boost for city of Milwaukee: Tom Perez
– Tom Still: People win when collaboration leverages Wisconsin research assets
– Sen. Tom Tiffany: President Trump’s USMCA speech reminds us to focus on the economy
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
http://wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Content=82 </i>
WHEDA: Raynetta Hill of CommonBond Communities joins WHEDA board
Marten Transport: Announces second quarter results
GRAEF: To develop Germantown’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan
NFIB: House deals blow to small businesses with Raise the Wage Act passage
