UW Health released a statement Thursday saying that a union’s recent threat stems from frustration with a previous agreement made to stop a strike. The union has since responded, stating some of UW Health’s statement is also inaccurate.
Nurses at UW Health submitted paperwork Thursday urging Wisconsin’s Department of Health Services to investigate concerns about patient safety.
It’s the latest escalation amid an ongoing labor dispute with the health care system, as nurses who are pushing for collective bargaining power raise alarms about the effects of under-staffing, employee turnover and worker burnout.
Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder could have access to medicinal psilocybin treatment under a bipartisan bill.
The proposal would create a pilot program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison run in collaboration with the university’s Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances and its School of Pharmacy. Veterans age 21 and older suffering from treatment-resistant PTSD would be eligible to participate as long as they are not currently serving as law enforcement officers.
Earlier this summer, the Healthy School Meals for All coalition and UW-Madison Professor Jennifer Gaddis released the first statewide survey of the Wisconsin school nutrition workforce.
That report found that of the approximately 5,089 K-12 school nutrition workers across the state, 94% were women, and 88% were white.
It also found that four out of five school food workers who were not managers worked part-time, and that a quarter of schools across the state offered poverty-level starting wages for school nutrition workers.
“Oftentimes we’re just scratching our heads as to what to do about it,” said Dr. Zachary Goldberger, a cardiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health who wasn’t part of the new research.“Now that these scientists have helped us to understand that there’s a possible mechanism for it, you could potentially imagine that there’ll be therapies on the horizon,” he said.
Editor’s note: This is the final chapter of a 5-part series in which former University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson and Vice President Jim Langdon reflect on their experience guiding the system though the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison
A 23-year-old woman who had her uterus and breasts removed at UW Hospital after a self-diagnosis of gender dysphoria that she said was not confirmed by a doctor is suing the hospital and two UW surgeons, alleging they operated on her without proper informed consent.
Last October, Raichik posted a video of Dr. Katherine Gast, co-director of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s UW Health gender services program, describing gender-affirming operations. The backlash was swift, with thousands of Twitter accounts sharing the post, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
In fact, the UW Health spokesperson said the hospital isn’t certain if its decrease in applications is an indication of a trend – though she noted that some applicants have asked about the 1849 law in their interviews.
Dr. Ellen Hartenbach, chair of the OB-GYN department at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, also told Wisconsin Health News in May that the university is uncertain if abortion restrictions caused this year’s decrease in applicants.
Every year, 60 to 70 school psychologist positions in Wisconsin go unfilled.
That’s based on the most recent data collected by the Wisconsin School Psychologists Association. And it’s a good reminder why Katie Eklund, co-director of the School Mental Health Collaborative at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, spends her time focusing on workforce initiatives.
Take the case of Rufus Sweeney, a 4th-year medical student at UW-Madison and Oklahoma Choctaw. When he discovered his pre-diabetes condition, he turned to glucose monitoring apps in the market that recommended lifestyle changes, from diet adjustments to sleep tweaks. His breakthrough came when he prioritized physical activity over all other app notifications.
The Student Advisory Board was established to facilitate communication between the student body and Mental Health Services, allowing them to address the mental health needs of students on campus, University Health Services Outreach Assistant Director Danyelle Okesanjo said.
Another prisoner, Edgar Salinas-Leal, 36, said he suffers from severe migraine headaches for which he received regular and routine treatment shots at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Hospital, however, since COVID lockdowns, the prison canceled his appointments and they have not resumed.
This is the fourth chapter of a 5-part series in which former University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson and Vice President Jim Langdon reflect on their experience guiding the system though the COVID-19 pandemic. As the health care crisis raged, facilities on the front lines began to have severe staffing issues. Drawing inspiration from the foundations of the UW System, they found ways to help students jump from the classroom to the community to assist.
Lola Loustaunau, an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School for Workers, said that “it would really open the door for a lot of protections for workers” if OSHA consistently inspected small dairy farms that provide housing to immigrant workers.
“If they are politically interested in doing something,” she added, “it looks like they have all the basis to do it.”
Written by Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and author of “Big Country with an Empty Nest” (China Development Press, 2013).
Dr. Stacey Ishman, an otolaryngology instructor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, estimated that she has treated about eight patients with insects in their ears over her 23-year career — often people who did outdoor activities like camping.
“Most of the time the ear is completely fine,” said Ishman, who also wasn’t involved in the new report. “If there’s some injury to the ear canal, quite honestly it’s more often from people trying to get it out than it is from the bug itself.”
In 2022, Wisconsin saw a record-setting increase in domestic violence-related suicides and homicides, up 20 percent compared to the previous year. We talk to Mariel Barnes, an assistant professor in the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW-Madison, about why Wisconsin’s domestic violence problem is worsening, and what we can do to improve outcomes for victims.
Expired and unused medications can fall into the wrong hands. Consider that less than 30% of opioid prescriptions are actually taken as prescribed for medical purposes. According to a recent study from Medical College of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, roughly 70% of people in Wisconsin hold onto their opioid prescriptions well past their need for medication, and it reaches nearly 90% in older Wisconsinites. One study found that leftover prescriptions accounted for nearly 40% of recreational use in high school seniors.
UW Hospital reported a 4.1% operating margin last year, but had a net income loss of $15.5 million. UnityPoint Health-Meriter had a 3.0% margin and loss of $17 million.
Meriter’s loss reflects stock market investment losses and the rising costs of medical supplies, pharmaceuticals and staffing, spokesperson Nicole Aimone said. UW Hospital faced similar “financial headwinds,” spokesperson Sara Benzel said.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of the partners behind the tech hub application, and contributes to the biohealth industry through academic research and providing an educated workforce through its medical physics, biotechnology and medical engineering programs.
In a statement, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said the university is thrilled to be part of the collaboration that helped secure the federal designation.
“Our culture of innovation and strong collaborative spirit, both within the university and across the state, make us well-positioned to make the most of this important opportunity,” she said.
In 2018, the UW-Madison’s Division of Extension received a $2.5 million five-year grant from the CDC’s High Obesity program to address obesity in Menominee County. The funding led to the Kemāmaceqtaq: We’re All Moving initiative, which worked with county and tribal government and community groups.
Gauthier, who helped lead the initiative, said the last five years of work have focused on changing policies and making environmental improvements to support healthy choices. The initiative has helped local government buildings, schools and community groups adopt new nutrition policies, supported a local farmers market program and led a walking audit of the county to identify how to improve infrastructure for walking and biking.
Amber Canto is director of the Health and Wellbeing Institute with the UW-Madison’s Division of Extension and project director for the High Obesity Program grant funding. She said they’ve received another five-year award to continue their work in Menominee County and begin work in Ashland County, which now also has an obesity rate of more than 40 percent.
Canto said they’ve tracked increases in healthy food options and recreationally-accessible miles, but the bigger impacts are harder to quantify this early on.
“That data has shown, from a theory perspective, that if these opportunities are present that the behavior and therefore the health outcomes will shift over time,” she said at Monday’s hearing.
Wisconsin on Monday was named one of 31 regional tech hubs by the Biden administration, a designation involving Madison companies such as Exact Sciences and Accuray that allows the state to compete for $40 million to $70 million to grow its biohealth industry.
In a lab near UW Hospital, Megan Jandy grows stem cells from people with Down syndrome — 10 batches of cells, most in three-dimensional clusters, each batch featuring one group with the extra chromosome that causes the disorder and one group without it.
Consortium members include GE HealthCare, Rockwell Automation, Exact Sciences Corp., Accuray, Plexus, Employ Milwaukee, Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Milwaukee and Madison area technical colleges, Milwaukee 7 and the Madison Regional Economic Partnership.
This is the third chapter of a 5-part series in which former University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson and Vice President Jim Langdon reflect on their experience guiding the system though the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Milwaukee nonprofit and Froedtert Health are launching a new initiative to improve health outcomes for pregnant people and infants by offering prenatal care in a community setting.
Funded by a grant from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Penfield Children’s Center will be offering group pregnancy care sessions. Participants with similar due dates will meet regularly at the nonprofit’s location for pregnancy-related classes and to get an individual prenatal check-up through a new maternal mobile clinic operated by Froedtert. They’ll also be able to access postpartum care at the mobile clinic and work with a social care navigator at Penfield to access additional support.
A recent study on stress in rhesus monkeys by Dr. Ned Kalin, a psychiatrist at the University of Wisconsin—Madison discovered genetically inherited overactivity in three brain regions may cause someone to be more vulnerable to developing anxiety.
Far from being something to brush off lightly, concussions are classified as traumatic brain injuries, Julie Stamm, author of the book “The Brain on Youth Sports: The Science, the Myths, and the Future,” told CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the podcast Chasing Life.
“I often use the term concussion because it’s just so commonly used in sport especially. But it is a traumatic brain injury, and it’s often classified as a mild traumatic brain injury — and even that feels like it minimizes the injury,” said Stamm, a clinical assistant professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Emma Mohr, pediatric infectious disease physician at UW Health, said she is encountering more families who are questioning recommended vaccinations for their kids than prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. She said hearing about the development of the COVID-19 vaccines — and often the misinformation spread about the shots — has put all vaccinations at the forefront of parents’ minds.
“They say ‘oh, people were questioning the COVID vaccine and researching it. Now our doctor is offering us a different vaccine, should we be questioning this one and researching this one?'” Mohr said.
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) also opposes the ban on transgender girls and women from competing in sports designated for women. And University of Wisconsin-Madison officials previously warned that the university’s teams would be out of compliance with NCAA policies if the legislation is enacted.
Nationwide, big-name retailers and small community pharmacies are struggling to find pharmacists. The challenge to recruit more is magnified in rural areas.
UW-Madison is offering a new program to help build a pharmacy workforce in Wisconsin. It’s called the PharmD Early Assurance Program.
Tommy Thompson was a cabinet secretary during 9/11. He took what he learned and used a ‘War Room’ to guide University of Wisconsin during COVID-19.
Two bills that never got a vote in the State Senate in 2021 were reintroduced and are now up for a vote in the Legislature that would ban transgender girls and women from competing in sports designed for women at publicly funded K-12 schools, University of Wisconsin System campuses and state technical colleges.
Editor’s note: This is the second chapter of a 5-part series in which former University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson and Vice President Jim Langdon reflect on their experience guiding the system though the COVID-19 pandemic. After making a controversial decision to return to in-person classes in the fall of 2020, they discuss the innovative testing program that helped limit the spread of COVID at colleges and the communities they serve.
Dr. Collin Kreple, a UW Health neurologist who delivered Francis’ tofersen injection in September, said it may take longer than the short period of the drug’s clinical trial to reveal its clinical effectiveness. Another study has started in people with SOD1 mutations who don’t have symptoms yet.
The survey included respondents from five schools: Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Harvard University, New York University, and University of Central Florida. A majority (58%) reported working or receiving grants to help cover the cost of living during school. Fourteen percent of respondents reported both receiving financial aid and experiencing period poverty.
Quoted: “Unfortunately, we haven’t made nearly as much progress as we would like,” said Dr. Camille Ladanyi, a gynecologic surgeon at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “We are unable to really, truly individualize care as much as we would like to as providers.”
On Oct. 4, it generated heated public testimonies at the state Capitol. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is expected to veto the Republican bill if it passes committee and reaches the floor, but the bill’s introduction, perhaps ironically, does harm in and of itself, said Stephanie Budge, an associate professor in counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“Research shows there’s a psychological impact of these anti-LGBTQ+ bills. Even before we consider if it passes, there’s so much harm, because it’s dehumanizing,” Budge said.
A new study led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison examined the contents, organization and behavior of midbodies to gain a better understanding of what they do in the body.
“People thought the midbody was a place where things died or were recycled after cell division,” said Ahna Skop, corresponding author of the study. “But one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. A midbody is a little packet of information cells use to communicate.”
Once considered by many “the height of medical progress,” according to Jenell Johnson, a professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and author of “American Lobotomy,” the lobotomy “ought to remind us to be humble about the limits of our knowledge in the present.”
The procedure, Johnson stressed, was “a kind of brain damage” that involved separating the connection between the parts of the brain that control executive function and emotion.
Sandra Stuttgen, a former veterinarian and current agriculture educator for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Extension, said the new requirements are a part of the federal agency’s efforts to address how animal use of common drugs is contributing to the global problem of antibiotic resistance.
“As humans, if we have a condition where we need antibiotics, we want them to work,” she said. “They’re trying to protect the antibiotics that are of human significance, so it’s the drugs that humans and animals share.”
Hearing the words “you have cancer” can be life changing and earth shattering, especially when you’re just a few months away from saying “I do.”
Education researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have secured a federal contract to open and operate a national center to combat growing mental health concerns in K-12 schools.
UW Health is calling for people with irritable bowel disease to participate in a COVID-19 vaccine study.
IBD is a blanket term for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. The drugs used to treat those two conditions can leave patients immunosuppressed, which raised concerns about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines for those patients. “Our goal is to, as new vaccines come out or new recommendations, to keep doing this type of research that will help patients inform whether they need a different vaccine schedule,” gastroenterologist Dr. Freddy Caldera said.
This is the first installment of a 5-part series in which former University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson and Vice President Jim Langdon reflect on their experience guiding the system though the COVID-19 pandemic.
Interview with Amy Williamson, associate director of the University of Wisconsin’s Collaboration on Reproductive Equity.
Shannon is a professor and chair in the department of neurology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison.
In a statement, UW School of Medicine and Public Health Dean Robert N. Golden and UW Health CEO Dr. Alan Kaplan said they will continue to support transgender and nonbinary patients.
“UW Health and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health are committed to providing gender-affirming care that is evidence-based, patient-centered, and that focuses on the health and wellbeing of patients seeking the bright future they deserve,” the statement reads. “We will continue to lead clinical, research and education endeavors that allow patients to live their best and most fulfilled lives.”
UW Health is among the primary providers of gender-affirming health care in Dane County after the launch of its Comprehensive Gender Services Program in 2022.
UW Health has not taken a position on the new bill, spokesperson Sara Benzel said.
To dig deeper, the researchers used the participants’ MRI scans and further assessed whether they lived in disadvantaged neighborhoods based on their zip code’s area deprivation index (ADI). The team was able to determine that by using Neighborhood Atlas, which was developed at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine’s Public Health.
UW Health is looking for 75 people to test a new Lyme disease vaccine that targets more strains of the tick-borne illness than a little-used shot taken off the market more than 20 years ago.
UW Health also offers free training to become a nursing assistant. At the end of the course, graduates earn their CNA credentials by passing the exam administered by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
“It’s shocking to suggest that we need more studies to know whether N95 respirators are effective against an airborne pathogen,” said Kaitlin Sundling, a physician and pathologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in a comment following the June meeting. “The science of N95 respirators is well established and based on physical properties, engineered filtered materials, and our scientific understanding of how airborne transmission works.”
He also be happens to be on a six-person team from UW-Madison that has developed a machine-learning network that can help neurosurgeons mitigate the impact of cerebral hemorrhaging.
UW Health nurses again are turning up the heat at Madison’s largest hospital over wage caps and greater pay transparency.
Sarah Clifford Glapa, UHS associate director of marketing and health communications, said in an email that Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s (PPWI) recent decision to restore abortion services to two Wisconsin health clinics increases “local access to care for students,” including abortion referrals.
