WiHPCA News

Wisconsin Sen. Andre Jacque (R-De Pere) recently visited the Unity Hospice Jack and Engrid Meng Hospice Residence in De Pere, WI, to meet with staff, tour the facility and discuss the important role of hospice and palliative care in the community. Jacque’s’ visit was part of a larger effort by the Wisconsin Hospice and Palliative Care Association (WiHPCA) to connect hospice professionals with their local state legislators to discuss the benefits of hospice and palliative care services.

“I am grateful to Sen. Jacque for visiting Unity and touring the Meng Hospice Residence to gain deeper insights into the state of the healthcare landscape in Northeast Wisconsin,” said Alisa Gerke, Unity Hospice Executive Director. “It is crucial for legislators to understand the evolving health care needs of our communities, especially for vulnerable patients and families, as well as the regulatory burdens faced by nonprofit hospices. We welcome Sen. Jacque’s interest in ensuring nonprofit hospices remain a sustainable care option for all.”

During his visit to Unity Hospice, Sen. Jacque was able to learn more about the value of hospice and palliative care for local patients and their families. He was also able to discuss with Unity staff the regulatory challenges faced by hospices across the state and the need for forward thinking policies to improve the quality of life for Wisconsin patients facing life-ending or life-limiting illness.

“I greatly appreciated the invitation to visit Unity's main campus and the dialogue I had with staff about the challenges they face in providing compassionate care in a loving environment,” said Sen. Jacque.

Jacque, who was first elected to the Senate in 2018 after serving four terms in the state Assembly, currently represents the 1^st Senate District in northwest Wisconsin, which includes Door and Kewaunee Counties and portions of Manitowoc, Calumet and Brown Counties, including the City of De Pere.

Unity Hospice is a nonprofit partnership of Bellin Health, HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, and HSHS St. Vincent Hospital. They are committed to providing holistic, highly specialized care and support for terminally ill patients and their families in northeastern Wisconsin. 

On June 6, the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce held a public meeting on the campus of Marquette University’s School of Dentistry.  The bulk of the livestreamed portion of the meeting was taken up by a panel discussion on education and training.  The following individuals participated in this discussion:

• Christina Patrin, Health Science Education Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI)
• Danielle Cook, Education Director, Health Sciences, Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS)
• • Note:  She is a task force member.
• Dr. Melissa Weege, Clinical Associate Professor, Radiation Therapy Program Director, UW-La Crosse
• Rebecca Larson, Executive Vice President for External Relations, Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities

These panelists each gave some background information on their respective organizations, then discussed challenges, and possible solutions.  Patrin noted that while 60 percent of school districts in the state have a direct patient care training pathway (program) embedded in their schools, she noted that it is difficult to start such pathways at high schools.  Cook, Weege and Larson noted a number of similar challenges, including lack of classroom space, challenges in hiring faculty due to relatively low compensation levels, and continuing financial challenges for students. 

Next, the panelists proposed various solutions, including the following:

• Loan forgiveness for all health faculty, not just nursing faculty.
• Need incentives to help hire part-time health faculty.
• Need to do more to promote health care careers early on, even in elementary school.

The task force then moved on to the various breakout discussion groups and then adjournment, neither of which were covered in the livestream of this task force meeting. 

It is also worth noting that in preparation for the June meeting, a document listing draft task force recommendations was prepared.  The following is a high-level summary of these draft recommendations:

• Education and Training

• Recruitment and Retention

• Regulatory Policy

Help shape WiHPCA’s Policy Agenda for the 2025-26 legislative session. The WiHPCA Legislative Priorities Survey provides a tremendous opportunity to offer your input on what policy issues are most important to you and your organization. The purpose of surveying the full WiHPCA membership is to help association leadership develop a policy agenda and determine what legislative and regulatory issues we should on focus during the 2025-2026 Wisconsin legislative session.

The survey takes only a few minutes to complete and will provide invaluable information used to help shape WiHPCA’s advocacy priorities moving forward. The survey results will be presented to the WiHPCA’s Legislative Committee and Board for further consideration. In addition to the member survey data, WiHPCA leadership will consider the following criteria when finalizing the association’s policy agenda and issue priorities: 1.) The benefit to WiHPCA members; 3.) The extent to which it will improve hospice and palliative care in Wisconsin; and 3.) The likelihood of legislative/regulatory success.

Once the WiHPCA Board finalizes the policy agenda and legislative priorities for 2025-2026, it will be presented to the full membership and used by the WiHPCA Government Affairs team to guide the association’s advocacy efforts over the next two years.

We value your input and encourage you to complete and submit the brief survey as soon as possible. Please CLICK HERE to take the survey.

After the state legislative session concludes in even-numbered years, the Legislative Council – the legislature's in-house, non-partisan group of attorney advisors – organizes study committees that perform in-depth reviews of various state policy matters facing Wisconsin.  Committees are comprised of both legislators and citizen members. 

Study committees hold hearings, during which they hear public testimony – including from subject-matter experts – on state policies that may need to be fixed or updated.  Once a committee has completed receiving public testimony, it generally drafts legislation for possible introduction and consideration by the legislature.  Recently, the scope of the Study Committee on the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Wisconsin was announced: 

“The Study Committee is directed to review current uses of artificial intelligence technology and make recommendations for legislation regarding the use and development of artificial intelligence technology. The committee may review the use of artificial intelligence in disinformation and artificial imagery and the feasibility of establishing a process to ensure continued state monitoring of high-risk use of artificial intelligence.”

State Senator Julian Bradley (R-Mukwonago), who will serve as chair, recently announced via press release the members of the committee.  Rep. David Armstrong (R-Rice Lake) will serve as vice chair.  Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) and Rep. Clinton Anderson (D-Beloit) are the other legislator members.  Of the eight Wisconsin citizen members, there is one representative from the health care field – Jay Hill, who serves as vice president of advanced technologies for GE HealthCare.  The full committee membership list may be viewed on the Legislature’s website.

In his press release, Sen. Bradley also notes that this study committee “…will travel throughout the state to consider how the new technology will impact workforce, healthcare, law enforcement, government, and consumer protection.” 

The committee’s first meeting was held at the Waukesha County Technical College in Pewaukee on Wednesday, July 24. 

Each year on July 1, DHS is required by state law to adjust the maximum fees (factoring in the change in the consumer price index) that health care clinicians may charge for patient medical records.  The updated fee schedule may be viewed on the Legislature’s website. 

The 2023-2024 state legislative session, which began in January 2023, has ended. The State Assembly held its final floor date for the regular session on February 22, 2024, and the State Senate held its final regular session day on March 12, 2024.  While the Senate reconvened on May 14, 2024, for a “Veto Review” session day, during which they voted to override the Governor’s vetoes of nine bills, it appears unlikely that the Assembly will also reconvene to vote to attempt to override these vetoes.  Furthermore, it does not appear likely at this time that either chamber will reconvene before the November general election.

The following are highlights from the current biennial budget law, as well as other relevant legislation introduced during the 2023-2024 legislative session.

·     2023-2025 State Budget:

o   Allied Health Professional Training:  Provided $2,500,000 annually to expand allied health professional education and training grants.  Expanded eligibility for the program to include registered nurses.

o   Nurse Educators:  Maintained $5 million in annual funding for this program. 

o   Occupational Credentialing

§  Software:  $3.57 million for occupational credentialing software and related maintenance.

§  License Processing Staffing:  7 license processing contract workers (on a four-year employment contract).

§  Customer Service Call Center Staffing:  6 license processing-focused customer service call center contract workers (on a two-year employment contract).

·     Other 2023-2024 Legislative Highlights

o   Registered as “Other” – Enactment of Senate Bill 178:  Under this bill, if an individual is required to report deaths under current law (including hospices in certain circumstances) and has knowledge of a death that has occurred within 24 after a patient has either presented at, or is admitted to, a hospital or other similar facility (including hospices), that individual must contact the appropriate medical examiner or coroner to determine if the death is reportable under current law. As this legislation would dramatically increase the number of deaths that hospices would need to report – especially since these deaths are expected – WiHPCA members and its government relations team aggressively advocated the legislature to provide an exemption for hospices.  The version of this bill, which is now law, includes such an exemption.

o   Support – Assembly Passage of Assembly Bill 736:  Creates a state Palliative Care Council, which would be “housed” at the state Department of Health Services (DHS).  The intent behind this proposed council would be to increase awareness of palliative care, which is often misunderstood by the general public, as well as some health care providers.  This legislation passed the Assembly unanimously and received a hearing in a Senate committee.  However, despite a strong advocacy push by WiHPCA members and its government relations team, the full Senate did not vote on this legislation prior to the adjournment of the 2023-2024 legislative session. 

·     Governor Signs Bill Creating New State Legislative District Maps

o   On December 22, 2023, the State Supreme Court issued a ruling that Wisconsin’s state legislative district maps are unconstitutional and the maps for each such district must be redrawn before the 2024 elections.  State Supreme Court justices voted 4-3 in favor of this ruling.  The decision focused on specific state legislative districts that include non-contiguous portions of land, which the court found violated the state constitution.  Specifically, the court ruled that the legislature must redraw the boundaries for each state Assembly and state Senate district in advance of the August 2024 primary election. 

o   In mid-February 2024, the Legislature passed a bill with a compromise version of state legislative district maps.  On February 19, 2024, Governor Evers signed this legislation.  As such, these new legislative district maps have taken effect for legislative candidates who are elected in November 2024.  These new maps may be viewed on the Legislature’s website.

·     Governor Creates Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce

Help shape WiHPCA’s Policy Agenda for the 2025-26 legislative session. The WiHPCA Legislative Priorities Survey provides a tremendous opportunity to offer your input on what policy issues are most important to you and your organization. The purpose of surveying the full WiHPCA membership is to help association leadership develop a policy agenda and determine what legislative and regulatory issues we should on focus during the 2025-2026 Wisconsin legislative session.

The survey takes only a few minutes to complete and will provide invaluable information used to help shape WiHPCA’s advocacy priorities moving forward. The survey results will be presented to the WiHPCA’s Legislative Committee and Board for further consideration. In addition to the member survey data, WiHPCA leadership will consider the following criteria when finalizing the association’s policy agenda and issue priorities: 1.) The benefit to WiHPCA members; 3.) The extent to which it will improve hospice and palliative care in Wisconsin; and 3.) The likelihood of legislative/regulatory success.

Once the WiHPCA Board finalizes the policy agenda and legislative priorities for 2025-2026, it will be presented to the full membership and used by the WiHPCA Government Affairs team to guide the association’s advocacy efforts over the next two years.

We value your input and encourage you to complete and submit the brief survey as soon as possible. Please CLICK HERE to take the survey.

This task force’s most recent meeting was held on May 9 at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus.  The initial portion of the agenda was a panel discussion on recruitment and retention that featured the following panelists:

• Dr. Hannah Maxey, Veritas Health Solutions (NOTE: She served as panel moderator.)
• Dr. Tom Kernozek, Professor and Chair, Department of Health Professions, UW – La Crosse (Task Force Member)
• Heather Schimmers, President, Gundersen Health System (Task Force Member)
• Ann Zenk, Senior Vice President of Workforce and Clinical Practice, Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA)

Zenk discussed the annual workforce report that WHA publishes.  WHA is concerned about the “silver tsunami” – the increase of those Wisconsinites aging into retirement.  She also discussed that in 2022, the nursing shortage hit Wisconsin hard, as nurses comprise over half of a hospital’s workforce.  Kernozek discussed UW-La Crosse’s health education programs and how they partner with local school districts and health systems with a presence in the area.  With respect to challenges, he discussed their faculty recruitment and retention issues.  Schimmers discussed the hiring challenges that Gundersen faces and how they made changes to try to improve.  She noted that there is high turnover within the first 1-2 years of joining the health care profession and that the industry is not preparing the workforce enough for the hardships they will face in the workplace.

The three panelists proposed a number of solutions:  Medicaid reimbursement expansion, loosen restrictions on requirements for faculty, uniform licensing processes, tax incentives for nursing preceptors (mentors), loan repayment programs for faculty, among others.

The next portion of the meeting featured Dr. Maxey reviewing the themes discussed during the breakout sessions held during the task force’s April 4 meeting:  education, incentives, funding, and apprenticeships.  Please note that these issues were addressed in our summary of the task force’s April 4 meeting. 

The final portion of the agenda featured breakout groups, which came up with numerous proposed solutions to workforce challenges.  The groups came up with numerous suggestions, including encouraging worker usage of employee assistance programs, target funding based on geography and need, expanding Medicaid, invest in apprenticeship and related programs, marketing campaign to seek health care workers, removing the state “benefits cliff” for workers who are promoted, encouraging high school students to seek concurrent training for certain roles (LPNs, etc.), tax incentives for preceptors (mentors), among others.

The meeting closed with an announcement that the task force’s June meeting will review prior workforce improvement suggestions and transform them into draft task force recommendations that will be prioritized.

In recent weeks, DHS announced that they expanded their statewide efforts to improve stroke awareness.  Wisconsin DHS has put in place the Wisconsin Coverdell Stroke Program in an effort to prevent strokes and improve stroke-related medical care.  For more information about this program, please see the DHS website.   

On June 10, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford announced her candidacy for the State Supreme Court seat that will be vacated next year by veteran Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, who is a member of the liberal court majority.  Prior to serving on the Dane County Circuit Court, Judge Crawford worked as an assistant attorney general in the state Department of Justice.  In addition, she served in the state Department of Corrections and the state Department of Natural Resources, as well as then-Governor Jim Doyle’s chief legal counsel.  She also worked as an attorney in private practice. 

As this is written, former Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel – who currently serves as a judge in Waukesha County – is the only other candidate who has announced a run for Justice Walsh Bradley’s seat on the State Supreme Court.  If additional candidates enter the race, a primary election will be held on February 18, 2025.  The general election will occur on April 1, 2025.