Currently, UW is feeling the effects of a national mental health crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a decrease in mental health and an increase in demand for mental health resources and providers.
Category: Health
‘I thank your mom every day’: Liver transplant recipient forms friendship with donor’s family
A liver transplant recipient formed a lasting bond with the family of his donor, according to UW Health.
UW Health starts limited use of artificial intelligence
When some UW Health patients send a message to their doctor, they’ll start getting a response written by artificial intelligence.
UW Health hopes residencies can support nurses as thousands plan to quit nationwide
Experts say a crisis looms in healthcare as hundreds of thousands of nurses plan to exit the workforce within the next few years.
How to use Narcan found in UW buildings
University Health Services Alcohol & Other Drug Misuse Prevention Specialist Jenna Retzlaff said Naloxone is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose by blocking the effects of the opioids, including heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid medication.
UW Health Interview with Dr. Kelly Collins
NBC 26 Today sat down with Dr. Kelly Collins, a pediatric transplant surgeon with UW Health Kids in Madison to talk about National Donate Life Month.
UW Health using Microsoft AI in Epic Systems medical records
UW Health is among three health care providers using artificial intelligence developed by Microsoft Corp. to draft message responses in electronic medical records by Verona-based Epic Systems Corp., the companies said Monday.
Patient who took up art after cancer diagnosis now displaying works at UW Carbone Cancer Center
When Allana Randall was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, she turned to the canvas to help pull her through.
Advanced care planning now can save money, reduce stress later, UW Health experts say
Sunday is National Healthcare Decisions Day, and UW Health is encouraging people to develop an advance care plan now to avoid stress and save money later.
A giant in UW Hospital’s transplant program retires
This past fall, in what would be his last season as an eminent transplant surgeon after more than four decades at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Anthony D’Alessandro — “Tony” to friends — decided to do some pre-retirement housekeeping.
Breaking fast: UW Health workers reflect on fasting on the job
Rabab Nasim is a critical care fellow at UW Health and works in the Intensive Care Unit. She says it’s challenging to fast on-the-job, especially when she works day coverage.
Froedtert, ThedaCare plan to merge, hope to launch combined health system by end of 2023
In December, University of Wisconsin-Madison Economist Alan Sorensen told Wisconsin Public Radio that mergers may give hospitals more leverage in negotiations with insurance companies.
“Those negotiations are enormously important for the bottom lines of these companies,” Sorensen said at the time. “A lot of times what’s driving the mergers is that (hospital systems) feel like if they’re bigger, they’ll do better in those negotiations, they’ll have more bargaining power, they’ll be more indispensable to the insurance company.”
Six-week waits, 1 counselor for 8 rural districts: These are some of the hurdles facing youth mental health
Universities across the state are beginning the process of embedding their school psychology graduate students into local public schools. That’s the case for UW-Madison, which is using a new $6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to recruit and train 24 new school psychology graduate students, with an emphasis on students of color, into Madison’s public schools over the course of five years.
Do schools need to know when your last period was? Here’s what’s on student athlete forms and who sees it.
The forms are meant to stay in the provider’s office, as with other medical evaluation forms a patient might fill out during an exam, said David Bernhardt, a UW Health Kids general pediatrician, sports medicine physician at UW Health and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
“The form is not designed to go back to the school, so the history and the physical exam form are meant as a framework to guide the provider in getting information in an efficient way,” he said.
‘We’re testing the waters’: Researchers sample bears, deer for COVID to see how the virus spreads
“It’s really dynamic. We can expect that there will be mutations that pop up and a lot of them won’t be very successful at being transmitted and maintained in populations of animals,” Thomas Yuill, a professor emeritus of pathobiological science, forest and wildlife biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
‘A nightmare’: Texas parents say their baby was taken by CPS after using midwifery care for jaundice
Jaundice occurs when blood contains an excess amount of bilirubin. “For most babies, this is not a big deal, it clears out,” Tiffany Green, an associate professor in the obstetrics and gynecology department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told Yahoo News. “But for a certain small subset of babies, high levels of bilirubin can lead to brain damage, including cerebral palsy and other illnesses.”
Participating in clinical trials
Thousands of clinical trials underway in Wisconsin require thousands of volunteers – people whose ailments, desire for compensation or altruism motivate them to take part in medical research. We talk with Betsy Nugent, the director of clinical research for the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine.
What’s behind Wisconsin’s county health rankings
The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute has released its new county health rankings. We speak with Sheri Johnson, the institute’s director about the variables that produce the healthiest communities.
UW Hospital unlawfully charged patient for electronic medical records, Wisconsin Supreme Court says
UW Hospital violated state law by charging a Sun Prairie patient $110 to send her medical records to her attorneys electronically, the state Supreme Court ruled this week.
Wisconsin pediatrician says improving social media requires input from teenagers
The leader of the social media and adolescent research team at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Dr. Megan Moreno, says conversations about social media best practices need to include teenagers.
Following PFAs from toilet paper to the Great Lakes
The growing research into PFAs contamination finds sources in everyday consumer goods like toilet paper and traces PFAs into Green Bay and the Great Lakes. We talk to Christy Remucal, is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and the director of the Water Science and Engineering Laboratory at UW-Madison, about where we’re finding PFAs in Wisconsin’s waters.
‘Not everyone in every county has the same opportunity to be healthy’: Outcomes among Wisconsin counties are unequal
Health outcomes are not even across Wisconsin’s 72 counties, and even the healthiest counties have sharp disparities, with Black residents far more likely to die prematurely, according to new data from the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Population Health Institute.
Uncovering the causes of infant and maternal mortality
Two new reports from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention detail infant and maternal mortality rates in the U.S. We talk with Tiffany Green, a reproductive health expert and assistant professor in the Departments of Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, about what needs to be done to save the lives of mothers and their babies.
‘Science of reading,’ whole language,’ ‘balanced literacy’: How can Wisconsin resolve its ‘reading wars’ and teach kids to read?
Quoted: On the other side of the debate is Mark Seidenberg, a psychology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, one of the leading scientists cited by advocates for the science of reading. Seidenberg said there is a large volume of research that sheds light on how children learn to read and that supports the science of reading approach.
Can using such approaches raise the overall success of kids in becoming readers? “I think it’s huge,” Seidenberg said in an interview.
Pharmacists say they are burning out because of working conditions
The new findings support Bernstein’s conclusion, said David Mott, a professor in the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy and the principal investigator on the new survey, which gathered almost 5,000 responses.
How to choose from 7 of the best meditation apps
The Healthy Minds Program app was developed at the Center for Healthy Minds at University of Wisconsin—Madison. The Healthy Minds framework is based on four pillars critical for mental health and emotional well-being: awareness, connection, insight, and purpose.
Wisconsin’s healthiest, least healthy counties; UW reveals new data
Ozaukee County ranks the healthiest in Wisconsin and Menominee is the least healthy county in the state, according to new data from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released on Wednesday, March 29.
Helping People Pay Their Sky-High Water Bills Is a SNAP
Written by Manuel P. Teodoro, an associate professor at the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Teodoro studies water sector management, regulation, and finance.
How the Gun Became Integral to the Self-Identity of Millions of Americans
University of Wisconsin–Madison researcher and assistant professor Nick Buttrick studies the psychological relationship that millions of Americans have with their guns. Buttrick’s research builds on the historical record to show that in the U.S.—the only country with more civilian firearms than people—white Southerners started cultivating the tradition of the home arsenal immediately after the Civil War because of insecurities and racial fears. During the rest of the 19th century, those anxieties metamorphosized into a fetishization of the firearm to the point that, in the present day, gun owners view their weapons as adding meaning and a sense of purpose to their lives.
Scientific American spoke with Buttrick about the psychological roots of the gun culture that has contributed to the more than 100 mass shootings that have occurred in the U.S. so far this year.
Milwaukee’s free doula program hopes to empower women, lessen race-based health challenges
Noted: While the program was initially funded through a partnership between the city and the county, the city has taken on the program on its own since, with the support of a grant from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Wisconsin Partnership Program.
DHS COVID-19 testing programs wind down as interest in tests changes
Quoted: Ajay Sethi, professor of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the free at-home tests are not only convenient but have been critical in making sure there’s equitable access to testing.
“Not everybody can afford tests if there was a charge for them,” he told Wisconsin Public Radio in February. “So they should continue to play a role. And it’s our job as a society to continue to promote COVID testing, because knowledge of your status of being infected with COVID goes a long way in taking the right steps to prevent spreading that virus to other people.”
Mom and son celebrate matching residency programs together: ‘Still incredible to me’
Noted: Cao, 54, a research scientist at the University of Kansas, graduated from medical school in China and practiced internal medicine for a decade before immigrating to the U.S. with her family in 2006. Meanwhile, Liu, 26, is a current student at the Medical College of Wisconsin and is expected to graduate this May.
Last week, Cao learned she would be headed to the clinical pathology residency program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison while Liu learned he had matched with the radiation oncology residency program at the University of Pennsylvania in his hometown of Philadelphia.
Preventing the spread of dangerous, drug-resistant fungus
The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention warns they’ve seen an increase in the potentially dangerous, drug-resistant fungus Candida aurus. We speak with Dr. David Andes, a UW Health infectious disease physician and Division chief for infectious disease at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, about maintaining sterile facilities and staying safe.
Student-athletes aren’t immune from suicide risk. Colleges are taking notice.
Noted: Before cross-country runner Sarah Shulze, 21, died by suicide at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in April 2022, the athletics department was expanding its professional mental health support from two staffers to six to help the school’s approximately 800 student-athletes, said David Lacocque, the department’s director of mental health and sport psychology. The department, known until eight months ago as “clinical & sport psychology,” changed its name in part because student-athletes were asking for mental health support.
In addition to scheduled appointments, the sports liaisons attend practices, team meetings, training sessions, and competitions to help normalize mental health concerns.
“Gone are the days when we sit in our office and wait for people to knock on the door and talk to us,” Lacocque said.
Prof. Tiffany Green: Residents in Wisconsin were living in post-Roe world before Dobbs decision
Abortion rights took center stage at the Wisconsin Supreme Court debate this week. And it could be a bellwether for how voters in swing states are reacting to the end of Roe. Tiffany Green is an associate professor at The University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Population Health Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology. She joined American Voices to discuss.
Q&A: Dr. Ruthanne Chun on impacting her community, veterinary services for low-income pet owners
Dr. Ruthanne Chun, current section head of Clinical Oncology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, was recently acknowledged as one of the university’s Outstanding Women of Color honorees.
Patients report ‘alarming’ long waits for some medical care in Madison
After developing pelvic nerve pain in November 2021, Yvonne Pawlowicz said she waited five months to see a neurologist at UW Health and another four months to see a gynecologist. This January, the gynecologist referred her to UW Health’s pain clinic for a nerve block. The earliest appointment was in May.
‘Unacceptable’ waits for eye exams at UW Health a frequent complaint
After he lost his glasses while kayaking in May 2022, Brett Balinsky realized his corrective vision prescription had expired. He called the eye care clinic at UW Health, where the scheduler said the earliest appointment was in March 2023.
UW Health Interview with Dr. Amy Peterson
NBC 26 Today sat down with Dr. Amy Peterson, a cardiologist with UW Health Kids in Madison to talk about the rise in kids with high cholesterol.
Dr. Peterson explained why we are seeing a rise in kids with high cholesterol, as new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that one in five children have an abnormal cholesterol count.
Studies show rates of Black infant, maternal deaths increase in 2020, 2021
New data out this month from national health leaders show infant and maternal mortality rates have been on the rise the last few years. Additionally, people of color remain disproportionately affected.
“In some ways, this is not unexpected, per se,” Dr. Tiffany Green of UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health said. “You know, it’s hard sometimes because people were like, ‘Oh, this is a big deal.’ And we’re like, ‘Well, we’ve been talking about this for a very, very long time.’”
The catch was routine, the landing a little off. How one pass changed a high school football player’s life.
“Kidneys, to some extent, are usually protected by the ribs. But I think in (his) case, the pointy part of the football was aimed at the lower part of the kidney, which was not protected,” said Dr. Walid Farhat, a pediatric urologist with UW Health Kids and chief of pediatric urology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “I’d never seen a case like his before.”
Tomah Health, UW-Madison look to address rural pharmacist shortage through hands-on program
A new program for UW-Madison pharmacy students looks to help address a rural shortage while giving students a hands-on experience.
In May 2021, UW’s School of Pharmacy began the Advanced Pharmacy Experience rotation. The program rotates students in their fourth year into rural pharmacies to practice under the supervision of a pharmacist preceptor.
John Gross on drug-induced homicide penalties in Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin Law School professor John Gross, director of the Public Defender Project, explains efforts by lawmakers to increase penalties for drug overdoses resulting in homicide charges.
SSM Health to stop requiring all patients and visitors to wear face masks
UW Health and UnityPoint Health-Meriter still have mask requirements for patients and visitors. “We continue to monitor the improving trends related to the spread of COVID-19 in our communities and could adjust policies in the future,” UW Health spokesperson Emily Greendonner said.
Mental health: The benefits of walking
There are many ways walking benefits the mind. For example, it can improve sleep and reduce stress. We talk with Dr. Shilagh Mirgain, a Distinguished Psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, about how walking helps our mental health.
UWSMPH connects mentors, underrepresented medical students
BEAM provides faculty with mentor training to guide medical students through undergraduate experiences.
Dr. Sarah Nolan presents on approaches to mental health issues on campus
Hosted by the Graduate School Office of Professional Development, Nolan presented “Collective Care: The Future of Well-Being for Our Campus Community.” With rising rates of mental health distress amid both graduate and undergraduate students, the presentation provided comprehensive care approaches to combat this issue.
UW Health experts speak on the importance of get screened for colorectal cancer
March is colorectal cancer awareness month, and UW Health experts are urging patients to get screened.
UW joins Osher Collaborative to further integrative health program
UW-Madison one of 11 universities in Osher Collaborative.
Strep throat has hit Wisconsin hard. Here are answers to 10 important questions.
Dr. Greg DeMuri, a pediatric infectious disease doctor for UW Health Kids and professor at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health, said this year’s strep season has been unlike anything he’s seen in his decade studying and treating the disease.
High stroke risk threatens the keepers of Oneida culture. Now, tribe works with UW to improve health.
Now, at a special health education event on the farm, she watched as Chef Arlie Doxtator, her nephew, cooked roasted corn mush in a clay pot and taught attendees about the benefits of traditional foods. Joining Doxtator remotely was Dr. Robert Dempsey, a University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher and neurosurgeon.
What Scientists Know About Long COVID, 3 Years In
Dr. Nasia Safdar, medical director of infection control at the University of Wisconsin, told CNET in 2021, when scientists were first getting a grip on long COVID, that the key to discerning the condition is to pay attention to new symptoms that develop or ones that never go away, starting about 30 days post-infection. This separates long COVID from the initial viral infection itself.
A simple way to mitigate doctor burnout
A controlled (but not randomized) study performed at the University of Wisconsin Health evaluated the impact of scribes on physicians involved in primary patient care. In the study, which included 37 scribe users and 68 controls, scribes were physically off-site and joined patient visits via an audio-only cellphone connection to hear and document visits in real time.
Four elements of quality campus-based eating disorder treatment
University of Wisconsin at Madison: Students with concerns about eating and related issues complete an eating disorder assessment. The three-session assessment explores mental health and social history. Diagnosis and treatment plans are discussed, as is a treatment plan. Care is delivered by a team of group and individual counselors, psychiatrists, and medical and nutrition providers. Students are seen weekly or biweekly.
More Doctors Can Now Prescribe Buprenorphine to Opioid Users. Will It Help?
Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, an addiction physician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who has trained doctors in prescribing buprenorphine, said there were “so many health shortage concerns in rural areas” that it would be hard for health providers to meet demand, “because there aren’t enough clinicians.”
UW-Madison opens integrative health center
UW-Madison has opened the Osher Center for Integrative Health, joining 10 other universities in the Osher Collaborative for Integrative Health, which focuses on complementary therapies such as acupuncture and yoga as well as medications and other standard treatments.
The UW center, housed in the Department of Family Medicine at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, is funded through a $5.5 million endowment from the Bernard Osher Foundation received in 2021.
UW Health Kids celebrates Child Life program’s 30th anniversary
UW Health is celebrating the 30th anniversary of a program that helps children and their families cope with the fear and anxiety of staying at a hospital.
Sarah Davis and Jill Jacklitz: Don’t nickel and dime patients for online messages to their health providers
Davis and Jacklitz are co-directors of the Center for Patient Partnerships at UW-Madison, which teaches health advocacy.
UW-Madison students receive training dedicated to suicide prevention
A group of UW-Madison students decided to spend their Sunday participating in the training. Sophomore Daniel Shveytser said he wishes the training was offered in more places around campus.
What is red light therapy? Benefits, uses and more
“In terms of red light therapy for facial rejuvenation, we don’t really have many human studies to look at,” said Dr. Apple Bodemer, a board-certified dermatologist and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “most experts say that they don’t know yet if red light therapy is effective for all its claimed uses. Most say that the studies so far show some potential,” but ultimately, more studies are needed to prove its efficacy.