Funds will support three priority areas over
the next 5-10 years.
GREEN
BAY, Wis., June 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin (AHW) Endowment, Wisconsin's largest health philanthropy,
announced it is investing $50 million
in three priority areas – hypertension control, childhood
behavioral health, and health workforce well-being – to accelerate
improving the health and wellness of all in Wisconsin and promote health equity across the
state.
This landmark investment was announced by Jesse Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, director of the
Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment and senior associate dean
at the Medical College of Wisconsin, at
AHW's Advancing Health for ALL Wisconsin conference held at
Lambeau Field.
"The Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment is uniquely
positioned to address a number of long-standing and growing health
challenges in our state. This landmark investment aims to
significantly move the needle and create positive, sustainable
change in several areas with the greatest opportunity for impact
over the next 5-10 years," said Dr. Ehrenfeld. "Beyond these
critical funds, AHW's capability to engage local, state, and
national experts; convene stakeholders; and provide operational
support for large-scale health improvement projects can lead to
broad and lasting health improvements for the people and
communities we serve."
Input and feedback from statewide health partners and
stakeholders, along with reviews of state and national health data
and trends, informed AHW's 2024-2028 Five-Year Plan, which outlines
opportunities to build signature initiatives focused on targeted
health areas impacting wellness in Wisconsin. Hypertension control,
childhood behavioral health, and health workforce
well-being were approved as focus areas for investments up to a
total of $50 million by AHW's
governing bodies.
This year also marks AHW's 20th anniversary of
stewarding funds gifted to the Medical College
of Wisconsin from the conversion of Blue Cross & Blue
Shield United of Wisconsin into a
for-profit company. Since issuing its first grants in 2004, AHW has
invested more than $338 million in
nearly 650 health-focused projects (as of June 2023).
"Funds invested by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment
have helped to expand our reach and impact across the state,
leading to partnerships we wouldn't have otherwise been able to
accomplish," said John R. Raymond,
Sr., MD, president and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin. "One of the many
innovations initially supported by AHW was the creation of our
regional campuses in Central
Wisconsin and Green Bay,
which has helped MCW to enhance and build a contemporary healthcare
workforce that is addressing the maldistribution of physicians,
particularly in Wisconsin's rural
communities."
AHW is the only health philanthropy in the U.S. operating within
a private medical school. Learn more about its history and hear
perspectives on AHW's impact at
https://info.ahwendowment.org/our-story.
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content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/advancing-a-healthier-wisconsin-endowment-announces-50-million-investment-to-improve-health-well-being-of-wisconsinites-302177584.html
SOURCE Medical College of
Wisconsin