May 9, 2025, Assembly Summary

On Friday, May 9, 2025 WCHQ brought together nearly 150 healthcare stakeholders from across Wisconsin for an assembly focused on improving value through multi-stakeholder collaboration..  Attendees  learned about the role of research in enhancing health outcomes, the benefits of employer-provider partnerships, and the significance of patient access and affordability. Speakers  emphasized   innovative approaches, data-driven analytics, and community engagement to address healthcare disparities, enhance patient experience, and reduce costs.

Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Is Essential to Improve Healthcare Value

Multi-stakeholder collaboration allows for the integration of diverse perspectives and expertise, leading to more comprehensive and effective solutions that improve healthcare quality and reduce costs.

Consider who might be missing from the collaboration table and who could be invited into the conversation. Expanding the discussion to include relevant organizations can broaden perspectives and strengthen collaborative efforts.

To learn more about how you can get involved in our efforts to improve value through multi-stakeholder engagement contact Abbey Harburn.

Thank You to Our Speakers

• Jennifer T. Fink, Ph.D., MS, University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee  
• Deanna Hahn, SSM Health at Work  
• Karyn Richmond, Sun Prairie Area School District  
• Prachi Arora, Novo Nordisk  
• Michael Yang, MD, Gundersen Health System
• Christopher Elfner, Bellin Health Partners
• Anne Gargano Ahmed, Wisconsin Department of Health Services  
• Deb Kunferman, The Alliance
• Mark Lodes, MD, Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin
• Megan Settle, MBA, Genentech

Thank You to Our Industry Partners

We are grateful to our industry partners for their support in our Improving Value Through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration assembly. Their support is instrumental in making these events possible:

• Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment
• Bayer
• ChartSpan
• Genentech
• GSK
• Merck
• Moderna
• Novartis
• Novo Nordisk
• Pfizer Oncology
• Pfizer Vaccines
• Seqirus

Since 2019, An Additional 200,200 Patients Have Been Screened for Clinical Depression

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, recognizing the vital role that mental health plays in overall health and well-being. WCHQ members are closing gaps and improving depression screening for patients across Wisconsin. Since 2019, the statewide rate of screening for clinical depression has increased from 67.4% to 86.3%, resulting in an additional 200,200 patients being screened. We have also seen an improvement in depression screening across all races and ethnicities. While disparities gaps of over 5 percentage points remain for Black/African American patients, screening rates continue to improve. WCHQ’s Behavioral Health Improvement Team is working to identify strategies that work to improve mental health and to disseminate best practices across health systems. For more information on the Behavioral Health Improvement Team, contact Renee Sutkay at rsutkay@wchq.org.  

Depression Screening Rates Over Time

Depression Screening Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Practice Transformation Intern

Responsibilities:

WCHQ is seeking an intern to support the development of a cardiometabolic toolkit—a digital resource designed to equip primary care providers with evidence-based strategies for managing cardiometabolic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. This work will include drafting, organizing, and promoting the toolkit, which will be structured similarly to our existing resources (you can view an example here: WCHQ Obesity Toolkit).

Who Should Apply:

This is a great opportunity for a student or early-career professional interested in public health, healthcare quality, or clinical communications. The intern will work closely with our team to shape a resource that will be shared widely across Wisconsin’s health systems.

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Jen Koberstein: jkoberstein@wchq.org  

WCHQ is committed to turning ideas into action, and we invite you to be part of the conversation at our upcoming events:

Upcoming In-Person Events

• August 1, 2025 – Advancing Care for Cardiometabolic Health
  Delve into strategies for improving care in cardiometabolic health through data-driven approaches. Register here

• November 14, 2025 – Wisconsin Healthcare Quality Impact Assembly
  Join us for our annual assembly to reflect on progress, share new data, and set the course for WCHQ’s 2026 initiatives. Register here

Learn More