La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium
- MISSION:
Fostering collaboration for healthier communities
- WHO WE ARE:
The Consortium was founded in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and a collaboration of the five founding partner institutions. While it was created in response to projected health care workforce shortages, it also facilitates improvements in regional health and healthcare and supports applied research in health and medically related disciplines.
The first project of the Consortium was to establish the Health Science Center, a facility for education and research that would house programs of the partnering institutions. The building was opened in the summer of 2000 and today is home to programs, classes, and research efforts of Gundersen Health System, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Western Technical College.
In 2005, the Consortium began engaging not only within their partnership but in the community, recognizing the value of the education/healthcare collaboration to the community at large. Several teams were established to explore project work in the areas of improving population health, addressing healthcare workforce shortages, increasing graduates in healthcare programs, and finding collaborations among researchers. Today, we are involved in a number of community-based projects that reach beyond the core partnership into our surrounding region.
In 2009, the La Crosse County Health Department and the School District of La Crosse joined the Consortium as partners.
Counties Served
Wisconsin: Buffalo, Clark, Crawford, Grant, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Sauk, Trempealeau, Vernon
Minnesota: Fillmore, Houston, Wabasha, Winona
Iowa: Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Winneshiek
- WHAT WE DO:
Mission: "Fostering collaboration for healthier communities"
What are we doing to accomplish our mission of "fostering collaboration for healthier communities"?
The Consortium acts in many roles, depending on the needs of the community. We can serve as a leader of a collaborative effort, a convener of partners, a participant in coalitions and teams, or an assistant to organizations seeking shared funding or planning.
We work both internally, to help our partners and their collaborators find common solutions to issues that affect everyone, and externally, assisting community partners and collaboratives with managing complex projects and encouraging dialogue within the community through events and presentations.
- OTHER PROJECTS:
Community Advance Care Planning Discussion
Wednesday, April 17, 2024 - 6:00 -7:30 pm
Southside Neighborhood Center
Event details
Registration Link
Nurse Networking Summit
Nurse Networking is a group of nurses throughout the community who are actively engaged in a variety of nursing services (including retired volunteer work). Their purpose is to create opportunities for our profession to come together in a softer way-not for the primary goal of continuing education, but for the primary goal of helping us remember why we chose nursing as a profession and why we still feel this is a worthy job. By creating the opportunity to meet others who are very different than us and yet united in several key ways, we can find support and personal growth for ourselves and for our mission. Summit is usually held in early spring.
2023 Presenter: Lacey Heward
Publications
Burden of Risky Alcohol Use in La Crosse County (2017)The final report describing alcohol trends in La Crosse County from the Changing the Culture of Risky Drinking Behavior Coalition.
Burden of Health Disparities in Chronic Illnesses (2014)
A report describing disparities in chronic disease outcomes related to differences in race, age, income, and other socioeconomic factors.
Burden of Mental Illness Report (2011)
A report detailing the impact of mental illness on the greater La Crosse region.
Burden of Obesity and Physical Inactivity Report (2009)
A report describing the economic impact on the community of obesity and a lack of physical activity in the population.
- STAFF:
- BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
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President
Kevin Dean
Western Technical College
Dean of Health and Public Safety -
Vice President/Secretary
Scott Rathgaber
Gundersen Health System
Chief Executive Officer -
Treasurer
Robert Hetzel
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance
- Ju Kim
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Dean, College of Science and Health - Tanner Holst
Mayo Clinic Health System - Franciscan Healthcare
Regional Chair - Administration - Aaron Engel
School District of La Crosse
Superintendent - Megan Smith
Viterbo University
Dean - College of Nursing and Health - Roger Stanford
Western Technical College
President - Kraig Schuster
Gundersen Health System
Vice President, Team 4 and Critical Access Hospitals - Audra Martine
La Crosse County Health Department
Director/Health Officer - Carolyn Flock
Mayo Clinic Health System - Franciscan Healthcare
Program Manager - Research Operations
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- CONTACT US
La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium
1300 Badger St., Office 3065
La Crosse, WI 54601, U.S.A.
ph: 608.785.5150
fx: 608.785.5154