Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative awarded federal grant for primary care improvement

Sauk City, WI. (7/3/17) – Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC) is grateful to announce it has received a $300,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Network Development Grant Program for a primary care quality improvement initiative intended to drive improvements in the care of patients with diabetes and hypertensive disease. The grant award is for the first year of what is anticipated to be a 3-year initiative.

The Rural Wisconsin Primary Care Outcomes Improvement Project is a collaborative effort between RWHC, the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality (WCHQ), the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA), Physician Compass, and eleven RWHC member hospitals. These project partners will be working together to achieve their common goals of improving HbA1C and blood pressure control in the project’s patient population.

“Rural Wisconsin communities have higher than average rates of poverty, obesity, and tobacco use, three key risk factors for diabetes and hypertensive disease,” said Tim Size, RWHC’s Executive Director. “We are promoting wellness through collaborative self-management and lifestyle improvement in order to reduce these risk factors. RWHC is very excited to have received funding to do this important work.”

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RWHC (Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative) has been providing affordable and effective services to healthcare organizations since 1979. RWHC is owned and operated by thirty-nine rural acute, general medical-surgical hospitals. The Cooperative’s emphasis on developing a collaborative network among both freestanding and system affiliated rural hospitals distinguishes it from alternative approaches. RWHC offers a variety of programs and services to its members as well as to other clients across the nation.