Wisconsin has much to offer by way of high-quality health care and leading biomedical research, but we need to do better when it comes to providing adequate and affordable health care to every resident, no matter their zip code, race, gender, or socioeconomic status.
Tribal populations, rural folks, and people of color all experience vastly different health care systems and outcomes.
Solving these health challenges requires collaborative efforts among public health organizations, community-based organizations, state and local entities, and public and private foundations committed to making Wisconsin healthier and more equitable.
Numerous collaborative efforts are taking place around the state to improve public health in Wisconsin. This page provides a primer to public health funding sources, statewide initiatives, national best practices, and community health improvement data and resources.
The best way to address Wisconsin’s significant public health challenges is to pool resources, knowledge, and expertise and work together toward shared goals.
We believe these collaborative approaches can help Wisconsin forge a path to a healthier and more equitable future.
National Best Practices
Public health issues do not stop at state borders, of course. Even though there are variations from region to region, and state to state, some challenges invite national attention. The AHW Endowment is proud to be a certified Healthy People 2030 Champion.
Healthy People 2030
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Healthy People 2030 exemplifies the collaborative approach to promoting health and wellness.
It recognizes and supports public and private organizations around the country that are addressing social determinants of health, ending disparities, and improving health and wellness. Healthy People 2030’s priority areas include
- Health equity—“Eliminate health disparities, achieve health equity, and attain health literacy to improve the health and well-being of all.”
- Social determinants of health—the conditions in the environments where people live, work, and age that affect their health risks and outcomes.
- Health literacy—improving communication between patients and providers and increasing the health literacy of the population
Learn more about Healthy People 2030 and the resources this program offers to organizations on the frontlines of public health action and advocacy.
Region V Public Health Training Center
The Region V Public Health Training Center (RVPHTC) seeks to advance the skills of the current and future public health workforce to improve population health outcomes. Part of the Public Health Learning Network, the RVPHTC develops online and in-person trainings on a variety of public health topics.
Learn more about available trainings and other resources offered by RVPHTC.
Wisconsin’s Public Health Challenges
How do we know where Wisconsin stacks up when it comes to public health challenges? America’s Health Rankings does an excellent job of analyzing data. The organization publishes annual reports that track more than 80 measures of public health.
Their 2022 Annual Report found that the pandemic remains a challenge, especially for racial and ethnic minorities. It also may have contributed to a longer-term increase in drug deaths and premature deaths. Since the pandemic, rates of chronic conditions, cancer, arthritis, and depression have all increased.
The national report emphasizes the stark disparities that exist in almost every area of health and well-being. It tracks the physical, social, and mental health indicators across various groups, and demonstrates that every state in the union has work to do when it comes to creating a healthier and more equitable society.
America’s Health Rankings 2022 Annual Report scored Wisconsin as the 21st healthiest of the 50 states.
Statewide Initiatives Impacting Public Health
Creating a healthier and more equitable Wisconsin requires commitment, action, and investment in multiple sectors and at all levels of society. A number of statewide initiatives demonstrate this collaborative approach to public health.
Advancing Behavioral Health
AHW’s Advancing Behavioral Health Initiative is a $20 million, three-phase initiative that began with funded learning and planning, moved into a five-year implementation phase, and ends with a two-year sustainable transformation phase that supports 10 community coalitions in meeting their goals to create better and more equitable mental and behavioral health access for underserved populations.
Population Health Institute’s Wisconsin Healthiest State Initiative
The Population Health Institute’s Wisconsin Healthiest State Initiative is another collective effort to bring about equitable change in Wisconsin’s health outcomes.
Healthiest State Convenings are bringing together diverse leaders to set an agenda to address health equity challenges. These gatherings are used to identify shared priorities and develop a shared narrative that expands the understanding of what shapes health and equity. Every other year, a statewide Summit provides training and capacity building to support concrete efforts among the coalition partners.
Children’s Mental Health Initiatives (Wisconsin Department of Children and Families)
The Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health funds major initiatives that support the mental health of children and/or their families. The following are some of the major initiatives that receive support.
- Family Foundations Home Visiting Program, which provides home visits for pregnant women and families
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, which funds programs that improve social, academic, and employment skills of youth
- Trauma and Recovery Collaboration Project, which provides trauma-focused training for caregivers, community members, and people who serve children
Wisconsin Community Health Empowerment Fund
The Wisconsin Community Health Empowerment Fund (CHEF) creates CHEF teams that work to support existing community health coalitions to assist in funding their work to improve public health. The organization helps community health innovators build their organizations and grow their financial resources through long-term endowments.
Events: Join In on the Collaboration
Events take place throughout the year in Wisconsin that bring together major stakeholders and partners to brainstorm and strategize on how to best address Wisconsin’s health challenges.
Do You Have an Event?
If your organization is advancing public health, addressing health equity, or creating collaborative approaches, submit your event to advance collaboration to be included in our featured events.
Collaboration for a More Equitable Wisconsin
The pieces of the puzzle are all here. Now it’s up to us to put together a plan for transforming the public health ecosystem in Wisconsin.
When clinicians, researchers, funders, public health departments, nonprofits, and state and local entities come together with a shared purpose, the result will be a healthier, and more equitable Wisconsin.
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