Hundreds of nurses at University of Wisconsin Health nurses voted to go on strike in early September as they push for unionization.
Labor Day 2022: What WA Workers Think About Unions
Patch
Category: Health
Nurses give UW Health official strike notice
Badger Herald
Strike to begin 7 a.m. Sept. 13, last until 7 a.m. Sept. 16.
UW Health nurses vote to strike unless union is recognized
Daily Cardinal
Hundreds of UW Health nurses voted to go on strike for safe, quality patient care and recognition of their union last month, according to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Wisconsin.
UW Health nurses give official notice of planned strike
NBC-15
Nurses at UW Health formally submitted Friday their advanced notice of a three-day strike they plan to hold starting on Tuesday, Sept. 13, according to a statement released by the group.
Madison area Lawmakers support UW Health Nurses at LaborFest
NBC-15
UW Health Nurses spent Labor Day hosting a press conference at LaborFest, featuring several area lawmakers throwing their support behind the nurses as they continue to push for union recognition.
UW Health nurses give official notice of strike
WKOW-TV 27
UW Health nurses in Madison gave official notice of their strike for quality care and union recognition on Labor Day.
UW Health nurses to go on strike as push for union continues
WISC-TV 3
After three years of fighting to unionize, UW Nurses are going on strike. The strike will begin at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, September 13, and run through Friday, September 16th at 7 a.m.
UW Health opens new transplant clinic at University Hospital
WISC-TV 3
UW Health unveiled a brand-new transplant clinic at University Hospital on Tuesday. The Pleasant T. Rowland Transplant Clinic is a 10,000-square-foot space situated near the hospital’s entrance that will serve adults who are donating an organ or receiving a transplant. UW Health doctors said that the new clinic is more convenient for patients and their families.
Ahead of return to school, UW-Madison prepares for possible monkeypox cases
The Capital Times
With the fall semester set to begin Wednesday, University Health Services is prepared to meet student demand for monkeypox resources at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said UHS executive director Jake Baggott.
UW nurses make it official: Strike starts Sept. 13
Wisconsin State Journal
UW Health nurses on Friday gave administrators an official advanced notice of their plan to strike Sept. 13-16, saying they seek quality patient care, safe staffing and recognition of their union.
‘They want us scared’: UW nurses claim hospital management responding to strike plans with ‘intimidation’
WISC-TV 3
Since they announced their plans to strike last week UW nurses claimed Thursday that hospital management has met their desire to have their union recognized with intimidation. That same day, Union leadership shared plans to submit a formal 10-day notice by the end of the week that pushes forward their promise to have hundreds of nurses walk off the job later this month unless their demands are met.
Alcohol Warning Labels Need an Update, Researchers Say
WebMD
Noelle LoConte, MD, an associate professor of medicine at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the lead author of the ASCO statement on alcohol and cancer risk, stressed that there is no doubt that alcohol is a carcinogen, causing about 5% of cancers globally, and also that its use has increased during the pandemic.
13 Surprising Reasons Your Partner Doesn’t Want Sex
The Healthy
It’s not talked about much, but it’s more common than you may think, according to University of Wisconsin experts. The condition affects approximately 10% of men per decade of life (i.e., 40% of men in their 40s, 50 percent of men in their 50s, 60% of men in their 60s).
Independent pharmacist says they are not experiencing same staffing challenges as Walgreens
Spectrum News
Quoted: Beth Martin is a Professor of Pharmacy Practice at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
As Walgreens continues to struggle with recruiting pharmacists, Martin explained there has been a national decline in students interested in attending pharmacy schools. She said the pandemic has also put a strain on the system, however, that time was also used to push the field forward.
“A lot of our community pharmacists innovated,” Martin said. “They made new connections. They saw new problems to solve, so I think if we all continue to use that frame of reference, that perspective, we can get through this.”
Wisconsin will be better off if UW nurses get a union contract
The Capital Times
UW Health nurses saw Madison, Dane County and Wisconsin through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic and — with nurses at other local hospitals and clinics — they continue to be in the forefront of efforts to respond to the lingering threat posed by COVID-19. They are the ultimate essential workers.
Local docs launch Medical Organization for Latino Advancement Wisconsin chapter
Madison 365
The Latino community is the fastest-growing segment of the population in Wisconsin, but the number of physicians from that community has been declining nationwide over the past 30 years. Fewer than five percent of physicians in the US identify as Hispanic or Latino.
“We know in medicine that if you see a physician that looks like you, that understands culturally where you’re coming from, the health outcomes are better,” UW Health family physician Dr. Patricia Tellez-Girón told Madison365. “But we need to start growing our own because we don’t see that the society at large is really aiming for that.”
UW Health psychologist offers coping mechanisms for students ahead of new school year
WBAY
Walking down the hallway on the first day of school can be nerve racking for students.
“It’s a large transition between the freedom of flexibility of summer to more of the routine and rhythm of school,” said Dr. Shilagh Mirgain, a Distinguished Psychologist at UW Health.
Dr. Mirgain said anxiety can start to creep up and impact a child’s sleep, mood and focus. However, parents can step in before school starts this week by paying attention to routine.
No appointments needed for monkeypox vaccine at Menomonee Valley Drive-Thru Clinic in Milwaukee
CBS 58
Quoted: “We have an opportunity, actually, to sort of prevent this from becoming a long-term issue,” Dr. Dan Shirley, medical director for infection prevention at UW Health, said.
Recent study looks at relationship between meth, opioids in rural nonfatal overdoses
Wisconsin Public Radio
A recent study looked at the relationship between meth and opioid use with non-fatal drug overdoses in rural areas across 10 states, including Wisconsin. We speak with an author of the paper on who uses multiple drugs and how they can best receive treatment, Dr. Randall Brown.
Living with lactose intolerance in the land of milk and cheese? It’s possible
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: As someone who’s a registered dietitian who also works in the dairy field, it’s ironic that Andrea Miller deals with lactose intolerance herself. She’s a registered dietitian and outreach program manager for the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“For most people, cultured products as a whole will digest and absorb well because of what they contain (natural enzymes) and the fact that lactose has been eaten up in the process of culturing,” she says.
The 7 best meditation apps you can use for free
Business Insider
Like Smiling Minds, the Healthy Minds Program emphasizes its scientific credentials. The app is developed by a nonprofit called Healthy Minds Innovation, which is affiliated with the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The City That Hates Exercise the Most in Every State
MSN
Exercise trends vary considerably across the country, from state to state as well as from city to city. Using data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute joint program, 24/7 Tempo identified the least physically active metropolitan area in each state.
9 top-rated natural deodorants to try in 2022
NBC select
“A lot of [natural deodorants] also have coconut oil, which has some natural antibacterial properties, as well as shea butter, which is going to make [the formula] thicker and allow the deodorant to create a film over the armpit so it’s not secreting as much sweat,” said Dr. Apple Bodemer, a board-certified dermatologist and associate professor of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. However, she warned that deodorants containing these ingredients can be “tricky” since they can stain fabric.
UPDATE: UW Health says nurses’ plan to strike ‘disappointing’
WISC-TV 3
Nurses at UW Health have voted to strike next month if the healthcare provider doesn’t address their concerns about patient care and recognize their union.
UW Health nurses threaten strike over organizing effort
NBC-15
Nurses pushing for UW Health to accept their attempts to organize and join a union are threatening a three-day walkout next month. On Wednesday, they voted overwhelmingly to stage a strike three weeks from now if the health system’s board and administrators do not agree to begin negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement.
Hundreds of University of Wisconsin Health nurses vote to strike if union not recognized
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Hundreds of nurses with UW Health voted Wednesday to hold a three-day strike in September if hospital administrators do not recognize their union, an escalation in a yearslong fight to regain bargaining rights.
UW Health nurses vote to authorize 3-day strike in September as they seek to regain union
Wisconsin State Journal
UW Health nurses on Wednesday voted to authorize a three-day strike next month as they seek to regain union recognition lost in the wake of Act 10’s passage in 2011, health care workers union SEIU Healthcare said Thursday morning.
After the deaths of 2 UWM students, UW campuses make Narcan more widely available
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Small but potentially lifesaving boxes were installed across the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus this summer. Inside of each is two doses of the opioid overdose reversal medication known as Narcan.
Vasculitis Explained: Everything You Need To Know
Health Digest
Medical science has not developed a reliable means of preventing vasculitis as of this writing, per Medscape. However, anything that works to reduce inflammation in the body may help to prevent or reduce inflammation of the blood vessels. While noting that inflammation comprises a critical and complicated system of chemical reactions aimed at defending the body against illness and injury, the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health offers a handout detailing various steps that may be taken to reduce levels of unnecessary inflammation. These include not smoking (remember, Buerger’s disease may resolve through the cessation of smoking, according to Johns Hopkins Vasculitis Center), and getting adequate exercise and good quality sleep, stress management, and weight management.
Monkeypox & Covid-19 risk mitigation plans ahead of UW fall semester
WISC-TV 3
Back-to-school preparations are fully underway at UW-Madison. This year, that includes preparing for and thinking about two viruses, instead of one.
Donations to abortion groups poured in after Roe v. Wade overturned. Here’s what it means
USA Today
Quoted: Donations certainly show a really strong degree of energy and activism on the part of those donors who are concerned about major changes in American life, said Eleanor Neff Powell, associate professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“This is a really unusual dynamic where you’re having this big set of fired up voters on the left, as evidenced by these contributions,” Powell said. “It suggests that something not normal is happening in the election cycle.”
The power of body positivity propels ‘Victoria Secret’ from TikTok hit to Billboard charts
USA Today
Quoted: When we create the image of ourselves that we want to share online, we’re more likely to craft that persona to fit a certain standard, said Christine Whelan, a clinical professor of consumer science at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “Social media has definitely upped the ante … to enhance ourselves to fit what we think is the cultural ideal.”
Study: Climate hazards are making more than half of known infectious diseases worse
Wisconsin Public Radio
Climate hazards like flooding, drought and wildfires are making known infectious diseases worse for people, according to a new study.
The research identified more than 1,000 pathways for events tied to climate change like extreme rainfall, sea level rise and heatwaves to make people sick, according to Jonathan Patz, one of the study’s co-authors.
“We’ve known for a long time the impacts of climate change,” said Patz, a professor with the Nelson Institute and Department of Population Health Sciences at UW-Madison, describing direct effects like heat waves and mosquito- and water-borne disease. “In this study, these viral and bacterial diseases show up as worsening from the effects of climate change.”
More Athletes Are Getting Their Nutrition Through an IV. This Should Stop, Experts Say
HealthDay
“Finally, know what supplements and drugs are banned by your sport,” and check with your trainer or dietitian before taking anything, she concluded.More informationThe University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public health has more about athletes and nutrition.
Dane County hospitals: masks, COVID-19 screenings still required
Wisconsin State Journal
In a joint message, Access Community Health Centers, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, Stoughton Health, SSM Health, UnityPoint Health-Meriter, UW Health and Madison’s Veterans Hospital said they wanted to remind people that masks are still required in their facilities.
UW-Madison staff make preparations for Monkeypox cases ahead of the school year
NBC-15
“I think there does have to be some type of forethought as people come back to campus in the middle of this,” said Medical Director for Infection Prevention at UW-Madison, Dr. Dan Shirley. “It’s really keeping up to date and thinking about some of these factors leading to the spread of Monkeypox.”
With the fall semester weeks away, Wisconsin colleges prepare for monkeypox
Wisconsin Public Radio
Scientists Have Re-Created The Deadly 1918 Flu Virus. Why?
Forbes
In 2007, only two years after the 1918 flu sequence was completely decoded, influenza researcher Yoshihiro Kawaoka at the University of Tokyo and the University of Wisconsin described, in a paper in Nature, how he and his colleagues used the sequence to create live, infectious 1918 flu viruses. To demonstrate that these really were flu viruses, they infected 7 macaques with them. Not surprisingly, the macaques got severely ill, and the scientists eventually euthanized all of them.
Study: Active cancer, but not most previous cancer, makes COVID-19 more deadly
Wisconsin State Journal
People hospitalized with COVID-19 in the first 20 months of the pandemic were more likely to die if they had active cancer but not if they had a past history of cancer, according to a large new study led by UW-Madison researchers.
Chemotherapy and other treatments can suppress immune systems and cancer can deplete other physical reserves, making it harder to fight infections like COVID-19, said Dr. Margaret Nolan, the UW-Madison scientist who headed up the study.
Antibody drug reduces asthma attacks in urban children, UW-led study finds
Wisconsin State Journal
An antibody drug decreased asthma attacks by 27% in Black and Hispanic children and adolescents who have severe asthma, are prone to asthma attacks and live in low-income urban neighborhoods, a federally funded study led by UW-Madison researchers found.
Medications like mepolizumab have “revolutionized” treatment for adults with severe asthma, but data in children and diverse populations had been limited, said Dr. Daniel Jackson, a UW School of Medicine and Public Health professor of pediatrics who led the study, funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Federal food aid in Wisconsin has evolved, but users still face decades-old barriers
PBS Wisconsin
Noted: That is why rather than skyrocketing, food insecurity rates remained largely unchanged during the pandemic, said Judi Bartfeld, project coordinator for the Wisconsin Food Security Project at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She said the “robust” federal response kept people fed, despite widespread unemployment.
Electrical transformer malfunction caused UW Hospital emergency room patient diversion
Wisconsin State Journal
Power was fully restored to UW Hospital Saturday evening after a malfunction to one of the building’s electrical transformers caused the emergency department to divert patients for more than five hours while power to “critical” infrastructure and equipment ran on a backup generator.
Open Letter Calls For COVID Protections on UW-Madison Campus
WORT FM
Over 80 UW Madison staff members and community members have signed an open letter calling for increased COVID protections on the UW-Madison campus.
More scientists are studying pediatric cancer
The Washington Post
“These changes in recent years have prompted approaches that are beginning to make a real impact on improving the care and outcome of children with diseases thought incurable 10 years ago,” says Paul Sondel, the Reed and Carolee Walker professor of pediatric oncology at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and a pediatric oncologist for more than 40 years. “Nevertheless, while we are seeing new progress, we know there is still a long way to go to be able to cure all children with cancer.”
How to get kids on a healthy sleep schedule before the school year starts
WKOW-TV 27
Good sleep habits are important for both kids and adults, but they’re especially important for kids so they can get the most out of school, according to Dr. Rachna Tiwari, pediatric sleep specialist, UW Health Kids, and clinical assistant professor, UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Tiwari says kids who don’t get enough sleep may struggle with focus or be irritable.
UW Health Nurses fight for union recognition following the pandemic
WKOW-TV 27
For more than two and a half years, UW Health Nurses have asked for their union to be recognized. They said having a union would allow them to “have a seat at the table” in advocating for themselves, their patients and their community.
Emily Kumlien, UW Health Press Secretary told 27 News:
“At UW Health, we encourage our nurses to make their voices heard. Hundreds of them are doing that through our shared governance system of nursing councils, driving the continuous improvement that makes us not just a great place to work, but the #1 hospital in Wisconsin 11 straight years.”
Kathleen Gallagher: How a Madison area non-profit is accelerating demand for psychedelic mushrooms used to treat mental illness
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: Beyond Usona, the Midwest has been waking up to psychedelic medicine’s potential. UW-Madison and University of Michigan both started research centers for psychedelic drugs in 2021. Ohio State launched such a center earlier this year. University of Chicago has a leading researcher in the field in Harriet de Wit. And the Medical College of Wisconsin has one of the best serotonin-based pharmacology researchers in John McCorvy.
13 Surprising Reasons Your Partner Doesn’t Want Sex
The Healthy
It’s not talked about much, but it’s more common than you may think, according to University of Wisconsin experts. The condition affects approximately 10% of men per decade of life (i.e., 40% of men in their 40s, 50 percent of men in their 50s, 60% of men in their 60s).
University of Wisconsin medical students examine state’s future after reinstatement of 173-year-old abortion ban
The Daily Cardinal
The Supreme Court’s controversial Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which was released on June 24, has led to vast disparities in reproductive healthcare access between states. In Wisconsin, the reversal of Roe v. Wade allowed the state’s 173-year-old abortion legislation to be enforced.
UW-Madison unlikely to provide abortion medication despite growing demand
The Daily Cardinal
Some colleges have, or plan to make, abortion medication available … the University of Wisconsin-Madison is unlikely to follow. As of now, University Health Services (UHS) on campus does not provide abortion medication.
“[Abortion medication] care falls outside the scope of our services. This is not affected by the recent Supreme Court decision,” UHS health communications strategist Sarah Clifford said.
UW-Madison responds to rise of COVID-19 cases in Dane County
The Daily Cardinal
The University of Wisconsin-Madison responded with recommendations from Public Health Madison and Dane County (PHMDC) health officials as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared Dane County a “high” community level of transmission as of July 21. This is because of an increase in hospitalizations and confirmed cases around the county.
In Wisconsin, what are my options if genetic testing shows the fetus isn’t viable?
Wisconsin Public Radio
Quoted: “In the absence of any maternal illness, genetic abnormalities in the fetus — including those that would not allow the fetus to survive outside the womb — do not constitute a life-threatening condition for the mother,” Dr. Lisa Barroilhet, interim chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, said in a written statement. “Because the abortion is not being performed to save of the life of the mother, it would not be legal in Wisconsin per the 1849 statute.”
‘I have all of this knowledge’: Lawmakers meet amid frustration over state license delays
WKOW-TV 27
“While UW Health has a resident program that enables recent RT graduates to be hired and begin working under a licensed RT, they are limited in the work they can perform until they obtain a license,” UW Health Press Secretary Emily Kumlien said in a statement. “Though challenges continue, UW Health is working to fill vacancies across the health system.
UW Health’s Dr. Jeff Pothof weighs in on latest COVID-19 news
Channel 3000
UW Health’s chief quality officer Dr. Jeff Pothof joins Live at Four to talk about the latest COVID-19 headlines.
Lethal inaction: The era of ‘eco-anxiety’ is here. What is it and how does it apply in Wisconsin?
Green Bay Press-Gazette
Quoted: “Younger generations keep seeing this message of doom and gloom and the end of the world in 12 years, 15 years and so on,” Dominique Brossard, professor and chair in the Department of Life Sciences Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said. “We know from research in the psychology of risk that if you keep on talking about doom, what you end up doing is fueling a feeling of helplessness, anxiety.”
Monkeypox has spread to Wisconsin. Here’s what you need to know about the disease and how to avoid it.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Quoted: “It’s usually not just contact in passing, but really close skin-to-skin contact, that’s the major risk to spread,” said Dr. Dan Shirley, medical director of infection prevention at UW Health.
What Happens To Your Body When You Drink Soy Milk Every Day
Health Digest
Research from the American Chemical Society concluded that the oxalate in soy and foods made from soy might increase the chances of developing kidney stones (via Science Daily). This is because oxalate and calcium are two key components of a type of kidney stone. However, registered dietician Dr. Kristina Penniston told the University of Wisconsin that oxalate-rich foods tend to contain other components that could inhibit kidney stones from forming. Additionally, not getting enough calcium (which is added to some soy milks) can lead to your body absorbing too much oxalate, which can result in calcium oxalate stones.
Appleton confirms 3rd monkeypox case
WBAY
“In Chicago and New York, in areas where there’s hundreds of cases, there are vaccine programs that are starting to get launched. And Wisconsin is prepared to do that, but there’s some details to work out when there’s sort of an opportunity to do that. Where there’s a lot of cases, we can expect a vaccine program at some point,” Ajay Sethi, a population health sciences professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison said.
University of Wisconsin Hospitals ranked best hospital in the state for 11th year in a row
NBC-15
The University of Wisconsin Hospitals has been ranked as the number one hospital in Wisconsin by the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospital list for the eleventh year in a row.
Masking recommended again as COVID-19 rises anew in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Examiner
Quoted: “When we get that high community level CDC indicator, that’s when community-wide masking is really necessary,” said Ajay Sethi, a University of Wisconsin epidemiologist. Even at lower community levels of COVID-19, “people who are especially vulnerable to severe disease should always be wearing their mask indoors,” he added.