Community Benefit in Action
Partnership With Westside Healthcare Association
Froedtert Hospital Partners with Westside Healthcare Association to Enhance Care to Underserved Area
A diagnosis of high blood pressure in recent years requires George Wiggins, 72, to take medication. For the last six years, Wiggins has been a patient of the Westside Healthcare Association (WHA), where he is being closely monitored by his primary care physician.
Wiggins is one of about 70,000 people who live in the WHA service area, composed of mostly racial and ethnic minorities in Milwaukee’s north and west sides. The majority of the area’s households are low-income. Many residents are uninsured or underinsured for health care and impacted by significant health disparities.
“I see my physician at Westside about three or four times a year, or anytime I feel bad,” Wiggins said. “He’s very concerned about me and takes the time to listen and answer my questions.”
Westside’s service area consists of 36 census tracts, with 33 considered medically underserved areas, and 13 designated by the federal government as primary care health professional shortage areas.
As part of a major partnership over the last several years, Froedtert Hospital has worked with WHA, a Federally Qualified Health Center, to increase its capacity to serve patients. During this partnership, Froedtert has provided substantial cash contributions and in-kind administrative, marketing and staff training support to help WHA enhance community health services and improve access for underserved populations.
Jenni Sevenich, chief executive officer of WHA, reports that many benefits have resulted from the WHA strategic linkage with Froedtert.
“The relationship we have with Froedtert helps our bottom line as a community health center, from both the in-kind and outright contributions they make,” Sevenich said. “Our community suffers from major health disparities. In order to address these, our health center needs access to services we can’t provide, such as medical specialists and expanded health education programs.
In 2006, WHA provided primary health care and dental services to nearly 7,000 patients. A combined staff of 35 full-time equivalent employees works at the two WHA clinics in the central city — the Lisbon Avenue Health Center at 3522 W. Lisbon Ave., and the Hillside Family Health Center at 1452 N. 7th St.
In October 2006, WHA received approval for an affiliation agreement with Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin from the federal Bureau of Primary Health Care. The Bureau assists states and local communities in providing health care to medically underserved populations through health centers.
“I’ve always felt that partnerships are essential,” Sevenich said. “Collaboration is key in this environment of limited resources to bring the best care possible to the community.”
Author: Marla Fraunfelder Last Review Date: Aug. 22, 2007 |