From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— Legislation being circulated by GOP authors would direct the state Department of Health Services to award a $10 million grant to Rogers Behavioral Health to build and run a mental health facility in the Chippewa Valley.
Sens. Jesse James of Thorp and Romaine Quinn of Birchwood, along with Reps. Clint Moses of Menomonie, Karen Hurd of Withee, Rob Summerfield of Bloomer and Dave Armstrong of Rice Lake, last week sent a cosponsorship memo on the bill to other lawmakers.
The memo for the legislation — LRB-4248/1 and LRB-4468/1 — references the state budget’s $10 million allocation to build a new mental health facility in the Chippewa Valley.
“This region of the state desperately needs mental health resources, particularly to meet escalating adolescent and adult psychiatric needs,” lawmakers wrote. “The area lacks youth inpatient or residential beds, leaving the area without the capacity to meet acute behavioral-health demands.”
They point to Hospital Sisters Health System shutting down hospitals in Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire last year, which caused the region to lose 33 of its psychiatric beds. Since that time, locals have had to drive more than three hours in some cases for crisis care, leading to emergency departments in the area being occupied by psychiatric patients rather than those with other acute health needs.
The lawmakers argue northwestern Wisconsin’s behavioral health safety net has “frayed to the point of crisis” following these closures.
“Market modeling shows that every metro area from Wausau to Eau Claire is 30-80 inpatient behavioral health beds short, despite having far smaller populations than Milwaukee or Madison,” they wrote. “Rogers Behavioral Health is aiming to close that gap in Wisconsin.”
The proposed facility would include a “crisis stabilization unit” for short-term stays, a longer-term residential treatment center, a partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient program with therapy services, staff-supported housing and more.
Under the bill, DHS can only award the grant if Rogers Behavioral Health submits a letter of intent outlining its plans for building the mental health facility as described in the bill, as well as proof of purchase or lease of land.
The cosponsorship deadline is 5 p.m. tomorrow.
See the bill text.
— UW Health today launched a surgical tech apprenticeship degree program, calling it the first of its kind in the country.
Surgical technologists prepare the operating room before surgery, assist the surgeon and handle instruments and other supplies needed during the procedure.
The program is the first registered apprenticeship track in the United States to offer all the coursework required for an associate degree as well as credential eligibility to take a board examination for the job, according to a release.
The health system today announced it created the program with the state Department of Workforce Development, Madison College and the Workforce Development Board of South Central Wisconsin. It includes both academic credit and apprenticeship training elements, and was created in part to help address workforce shortages in health care.
Bridgett Willey, director of allied health education and career pathways for UW Health, says surgical technologists are “an essential part” of the surgical care team.
“Like many health care roles, surgical technologists are in high demand and critical to health care systems’ abilities to provide surgical procedures,” she said in the release.
The first class in the three-year program is open to UW Health staff and will have six students. Faculty at Madison College will provide classroom instruction, and participating apprentices will work in various roles adjacent to surgical services.
See more in the release below.
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