Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health Receives Community Partnership Grant Development Grant Awarded to Fund Evaluation of Innovative Wisconsin Adolescent Health Care Communication Program

Contact:  Amy Olejniczak, (608) 251-0139

Madison – The Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health (WAWH) is incredibly proud and honored to learn that the Wisconsin Partnership Program has selected our Wisconsin Adolescent Health Care Communication Program to receive one of 16 Community-Academic Partnership Fund grants. The fund supports efforts to improve the health of Wisconsin Communities.

The Wisconsin Adolescent Health Care Communication Program (WAHCCP) empowers Wisconsin adolescents to utilize the health care system to help them be their healthiest and make healthy, informed sexual health decisions.  Launched just over one year ago, the program was established to help bridge the communication gap between Wisconsin teens and their health care providers.

Recognizing that teens themselves are the population best equipped to offer health care providers accurate, authentic insight about adolescent concerns and preferences, this innovative program allows providers the opportunity to gain privileged access to this population through teen-lead workshops. At the same time, the program works to empower teens to utilize providers as valuable and trusted resources by harnessing the power of peer education through teen-lead workshops for youth. These two workshops employ complementary strategies to bridge the communication gap between health care providers and teens.

“We are so incredibly honored to be receiving this generous investment into our critical work,” said WAHCCP Program Director, Amy Olejniczak.  “This opportunity will allow us to strengthen our program at a time when there is a critical need for prevention efforts that reverse dangerous health outcomes and trends among our youth.”

Funding for this project was provided by the UW School of Medicine and Public Health from the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP). Projects supported by WPP emphasize evidence-based public health and prevention approaches to improving the health of communities.

WPP supports projects that combine the unique skills of community groups, nonprofits, and government agencies with those of university faculty and staff. Blending the expertise of both partners leads to stronger projects with the best potential to improve health in the state’s communities.

“We are extremely excited for the new year and this unique opportunity to collaborate with a proven academic health care leader in Wisconsin,” said Olejniczak.  “Through this partnership, we will truly take steps to improve the health of our future generations.”

To learn more about the Wisconsin Adolescent Health Care Communication Program, visit: www.wahccp.org.