WCHQ launched its 2025 educational series with Bridging Health Equity for Wisconsin’s Underserved Communities, a discussion-packed event focused on solutions to reduce health disparities across our state. 160 leaders from across the healthcare ecosystem came together to highlight initiatives that are making a difference today.  

Featured Presentations

Speakers highlighted numerous successful examples of actions designed to improve health for every Wisconsinite.

• Data-Driven Solutions: WCHQ has released numerous reports identifying the areas and people in Wisconsin that have health disparities compared to other areas. Public reports, available at www.wchq.org/disparities allow members and stakeholders to track progress and identify opportunities. Measuring disparities helps focus limited resources on areas that need attention, such as rural communities with lower levels of access to healthcare. See below for an example of how WCHQ members are closing disparities gaps in blood sugar control.
• Community-Led Initiatives: Hmong and Hispanic Community Health Workers are building trust and increasing healthcare access by meeting patients where they are through their work at the H2N Communication Network.
• Policy and System Change: Wisconsin Medicaid is investing in solutions like the OB Medical Home Program and medically tailored meals to improve patient outcomes and reduce disparities in chronic disease management.
• Technology and Innovation: Programs like MaternityMetrix are addressing maternity care deserts with virtual resources and culturally sensitive support.

These programs aren’t theoretical, they’re happening now. And if you missed this event, don’t worry, our upcoming sessions will dive deeper into actionable strategies for addressing health disparities, value, chronic disease, and quality improvement, with opportunities to collaborate and bring these solutions to your own organizations.

  

In addition to all that was shared at our event, you can access our Health Disparities research and improvement toolkits on our website. To get involved or to learn more about this important work, contact Renee Sutkay.  

Data-Driven Solutions in Action: WCHQ Members Begin to Close Disparities Gaps in Blood Sugar Control

WCHQ member health systems have focused disparities improvement efforts on care for patients with diabetes and high blood pressure and improving compliance with colorectal cancer screening. We are beginning to see the results of these efforts. Compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2018, blood sugar control in diabetes improved among all race/ethnicity and geographic groups in Wisconsin. Blood sugar control improved by 4.9% among Hispanic/Latino Wisconsinites and by 3.4% among American Indian Wisconsinites, which helped narrow the disparity gaps. For more information and analysis on disparities gaps in Wisconsin, read the 2024 Healthy Metric Report: Evaluating Change in Health Disparities in Wisconsin.

Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration

Thank you to our industry partners for their support of our educational events. During the Bridging Health Equity for Wisconsin’s Underserved Communities assembly, we were privileged to have 13 exhibitors who shared their insights and demonstrated their commitment to WCHQ and our collaborative efforts focused on Health Equity. Their support is instrumental in making these events possible.

• Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment
• American Cancer Society
• Dynavax
• Genentech
• GSK
• MetaStar/CAARN
• Novartis
• Pfizer Oncology
• Pfizer Vaccines
• Seqirus



For more information about our industry partnerships, contact Jen Koberstein.

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