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Medical College of Wisconsin to invest $50 million in improving three areas in next 5-10 years

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Medical College of Wisconsin to invest  million in improving three areas in next 5-10 years


GREEN BAY – The Medical College of Wisconsin is turning its attention to hypertension, childhood behavioral health, and the well-being of the state’s health care workers.

At a news conference Thursday at Lambeau Field, the Medical College of Wisconsin announced it will be investing $50 million as part of the MCW’s Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment into the three areas to improve them statewide over the next five to 10 years.

The three health-related issues were determined to be priorities based on state data and 18 months of focus groups, surveys, and discussions with health care workers and community partners, said Jesse Ehrenfeld, director of the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment.

Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin was established by MCW to steward funds from Blue Cross and Blue Shield United of Wisconsin. Since 2004, the endowment has invested $338 million into 643 projects statewide including the creation of the MCW Green Bay and Wausau campuses. La Crosse, Racine, Winnebago, Brown, and Marathon counties have the most projects of at least nine funded by AHW.

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It’s unclear what activities or specific projects will be supported by the $50 million invested into the three areas, but the investment is meant to “move the needle” on improving residents’ health in the three areas and expands research, said Joseph Kerschner, MCW dean of the School of Medicine, provost and executive vice president.

High blood pressure

About 1.3 million Wisconsinites have hypertension, and about half of them don’t have it under control, according to data from the state Department of Health Services. About one in six people who have it don’t know they have high blood pressure.

Ehrenfeld said access to care and home blood pressure monitors is important to helping people lower their blood pressure.

Health workforce well-being

Health care workers in the state are still dealing with levels of burnout especially after the pandemic. The Wisconsin Hospital Association described the state’s health care workforce as “critical but stable” in its 2024 Health Care Workforce Report. In 2022, staffing vacancy rates in hospitals was 9.9%, according to the report.

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With many workers heading to retirement, Ehrenfield said the endowment decided to prioritize reducing burnout and improving well-being at hospitals to improve the state’s physician shortage. Many health care workers don’t reach out for mental health or substance abuse support because they are afraid of being reprimanded by a medical board or losing their license, Ehrenfield said.

“We need to reduce that stigma,” he said. “They need to be well themselves to take care of others.

Childhood behavioral health

Over half of Wisconsin early care and education professionals reported an increase in challenging behaviors, according to a 2021 survey and are leading to childhood expulsions.

Ehrenfield said the funding will go toward creating more “support systems” around the state and continue the work of a previously AHW behavioral health project.

More: Family circles, robust resource databases, peer-support: what 8 years of mental health progress looks like

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Contact Benita Mathew at bmathew@gannett.com.



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Wisconsin

Fans run for exits after off-duty security guard accidentally shoots himself at Wisconsin Lutheran football game, officials say

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Fans run for exits after off-duty security guard accidentally shoots himself at Wisconsin Lutheran football game, officials say


An off-duty security guard accidentally shot himself at a Wisconsin Lutheran High School football game Friday night, sending the players and fans running for the exits, the school said in a statement.

The guard, who is not affiliated with the school, received medical attention and his injuries are not life-threatening, according to school officials.

Milwaukee police didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment late Friday night. The incident took place at Zeitler Stadium, which is just south of the school located near North 84th Street and West Bluemound Road.

The finish of the game, between Wisconsin Lutheran and Milwaukee Lutheran, was called off as a result of the incident. Wisconsin Luthern was leading 42-0 at the time.

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WISN-TV cameras were rolling at the football game when the incident took place. Following the “pop” sound, players on the field immediately ran for cover while students and parents in the stands scrambled for the exits.

The PA announcer can be heard saying, “Everybody hold tight.”

The school said it would be reviewing safety protocols. “We pride ourselves on maintaining a safe environment for our students and all who are involved with our football program,” the statement states.

About a year ago, shots erupted at a Milwaukee Lutheran football game against Pius XI Catholic, similarly sending people running for cover. No one was injured in the incident.

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Zac Bellman contributed to this report.



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Contentious clean power linkup between Iowa and Wisconsin finally enters service

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Contentious clean power linkup between Iowa and Wisconsin finally enters service


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A high-voltage transmission line carrying clean power from Iowa to Wisconsin overcame lengthy environmental pushback to enter service this week, some 13 years after grid operators approved the project, developers said Friday.

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The Cardinal-Hickory Creek 345,000-volt transmission line, which ships clean power from Iowa to Wisconsin, came to exemplify the struggles of constructing U.S. power lines at a time of swiftly rising electricity demand. Environmental groups had sued to stop it from traversing the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge near Cassville, Wisconsin, north of Dubuque. 

“Following years of work, including numerous opportunities for public input, extensive regulatory and environmental review, and construction, the entire Cardinal-Hickory Creek line has been placed in service,” said Dusky Terry, president of the line’s co-owner ITC Midwest. ATC and Dairyland Power Cooperative also are partial owners of the 102-mile project.

More: With Three Mile Island nuclear plant seeking to reopen, could Iowa’s Duane Arnold be next?

As of June, 160 renewable generation projects in the upper Midwestern states totaling nearly 25 gigawatts of capacity were dependent upon completion of the Cardinal-Hickory Creek line, the co-owners said.

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The Biden administration applauded the completion of the line and lauded it as a crucial step towards bringing clean power to the Midwest.

“It takes perseverance to build the infrastructure we need and the Cardinal Hickory Creek Project proves that we can get the job done by bringing clean, affordable power to Wisconsin and Iowa,” said John Podesta, senior advisor to President Joe Biden for international climate policy.

In May, a U.S. appeals court lifted a lower court’s order blocking a land exchange needed before developers could build the final stretch of the major clean-energy transmission line through the wildlife refuge.



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Wisconsin mourns the passing of its greatest high school basketball legends

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Wisconsin mourns the passing of its greatest high school basketball legends


Joe Wolf, a legendary figure in Wisconsin high school basketball, who led Kohler High to three Wisconsin state basketball championships, has died of an apparent heart attack. He was 59.

The news was broken on Thursday by a post on X from Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook editor Mark Miller and later confirmed by the Milwaukee Bucks. At the time of his death, Wolf was an assistant coach with the Wisconsin Herd, the Bucks’ G-League affiliate.

Wolf had an 11 year NBA career after being selected with the 13th overall pick, by the Los Angeles Clippers, in the 1987 NBA Draft. He played with nine different NBA teams including Milwaukee during the 1996-97 season. This came after a brilliant four-year college career at the University of North Carolina.

“The Milwaukee Bucks and Wisconsin Herd are deeply saddened by the unexpected passing of Herd assistant coach and Kohler native Joe Wolf,” said the statement from the Bucks. “Throughout his life, Joe touched many lives and was a highly respected, adored and dedicated coach and player across the NBA. His well-regarded talent was instrumental for the Bucks and Herd over eight years with the organization, including as a player and coach.”

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Before he became an All-ACC selection at North Carolina and a NBA player and coach, Wolf was a high school legend at Kohler.

In a 2005 poll by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wolf was voted the greatest high school basketball player in Wisconsin history.

“With his size and skills, he was the best I’ve seen,” Win Parkinson, who coached at Milwaukee Tech for 33 seasons, told the Journal Sentinel in 2005. “He was in the state tournament at the same time we were and I went to see him play at Sheboygan.

“He had a heck of a following and a heck of a career. I just look at him as one of the most complete players I’ve ever seen.”



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