Media Releases

Three Honored for Community Leadership

(Oct. 20, 2005) — Nancy Kreuser, health officer for the City of Wauwatosa, The Medical College of Wisconsin and Kathy’s House are the winners of the 2005 Froedtert Hospital Hope and Spirit Awards for Community Leadership.


From left, Nancy Kreuser, MD, Wauwatosa Health Officer; T. Michael Bolger, president and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin (on the right, shaking hands with Froedtert President and CEO William D. Peasnick); and Dick Vogel, executive director and founder of Kathy's House. (Click on an image to see a larger version.)

Froedtert President and CEO William D. Petasnick recognized the contributions of the three winners at the hospital’s recent 25th year celebration.

Wauwatosa Health Officer Nancy Kreuser has led her department’s efforts to improve the health of the community by investigating disease reports, administering vaccines and tracking immunizations, and conducting health inspections to ensure food served in the community is safe.

Petasnick noted that her efforts enhanced community health education and healthy lifestyle choices and that Froedtert was especially grateful for her leadership in Milwaukee/Waukesha Counties Consortium for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and the department’s thorough investigation of the 2003 monkey pox outbreak.

The Medical College of Wisconsin, Froedtert’s academic partner, was also honored for its “commitment to leadership and excellence.” Nearly 200 of its faculty are among the Best Doctors in America. It is ranked in the top 50 medical schools for funded research and has 10 internationally and federally designated centers of biomedical research. Additionally, MCW has strong collaborative relationships in public health that include about 60 programs to meet the health and education needs of people throughout the state. Petasnick also noted that MCW makes significant contributions to the quality and availability of health care to the citizens of the state and the region. One in three physicians in Wisconsin is an alumnus of MCW. One out of every two doctors in southeast Wisconsin graduated from the Medical College.

He told the nearly 1000 guests that Kathy’s House “recognizes the important role a warm and welcoming environment plays in providing the care and comfort patients and they families need as they face the fear, worries and distractions that often come with medical treatment.” Dick Vogel, executive director and founder of Kathy’s House, accepted the award. The facility offers lodging with individual bedroom suites and communal kitchen, dining room and gathering room.

Froedtert hospital grants these Hope and Spirit community awards annually to health care leaders, either individuals or organizations, who have made outstanding contributions to the health of the community. The recipients are recognized for their dedication to improving the health status of the community, resolve to address a serious health issue, commitment to meeting health needs of the community, passion, courage and inspiration to others.

Froedtert Hospital is a 424 bed academic medical center staffed by faculty of the Medical College of Wisconsin. It serves as an eastern Wisconsin referral center for advanced medical practice care in 37 specialties and subspecialties. It is a major training and research facility with more than 1,000 medical, nursing and health technical students in training and over 2,000 active clinical trials each year. Froedtert, a member of Froedtert & Community Health, operates the region’s only adult Level One Trauma Center.

For more information, please contact Liz Hill at 414.805.9229.