Wisconsin hospital supporters converge on state Capitol

More than 1,000 attend education event; 600 meet with legislators

MADISON (April 28, 2015) —– More than a thousand hospital and health system leaders, volunteers, trustees and employees from across Wisconsin converged on Madison today to attend the Wisconsin Hospital Association (WHA) Advocacy Day event at Monona Terrace. After a morning of education events, more than 600 of the attendees trekked to the State Capitol to meet with their legislators and staff.

The annual event routinely draws hundreds of hospital supporters to Madison. This year, however, broke all previous attendance records. WHA President/CEO Eric Borgerding attributes the increase in attendance to the intense interest in preserving Wisconsin’s high-quality, accessible health care.

“Sound public policy is created when stakeholders work together to understand the issues. By coming to Madison, hospital supporters are demonstrating their desire to build a relationship with their legislators to help them understand the impact proposals at the State Capitol have in the local hospitals where they work or volunteer,” according to Borgerding. “Health care is an economic asset in our communities and in our state. We want to ensure that Wisconsin health care is always ranked among the best in the nation well into the future by ensuring sound public policy. There is no better way to do that than when over 1,000 hospital advocates come to Madison, meet with their legislators, and make their voices heard.”

The day’s events included a keynote address from Gov. Scott Walker and a panel discussion featuring several legislators, including: Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls), Sen. Jen Shilling (D-La Crosse), Rep. Joe Sanfelippo (R-West Allis) and Rep. Peter Barca (D-Kenosha).