UW Health: Invests in workforce housing for Dane County

MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority Board approved a $1 million workforce housing development investment that will benefit its employees and others in Dane County.

This marks the second time the UW Health board has invested $1 million in the Dane Workforce Housing Fund, joining other large, local employers in the effort to create more affordable housing for the Madison area workforce.

The fund began with a collaboration between the United Way of Dane County and the Economic Stability Council to tackle an affordable housing shortage in Dane County, according to Lorrie Heinemann, president and chief operating officer, Madison Development Corporation, the manager of the fund.

“Investors in the Dane Workforce Housing Fund fill a gap in the financing that could not be filled by another source of capital at a reasonable cost, giving developers a lower interest rate, and allowing them to offer some of their apartments at affordable rents to people making between 50 and 80% of the Dane County area median income,” she said.

The Dane County area median income in 2023 was $123,400 for a family of four, according to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

UW Health has many employees in this group, according to Chuck Klein, manager of talent acquisition, UW Health. Madison area housing costs come up frequently in conversations while recruiting new employees, he said.

“People tell us they are surprised by how expensive housing is in Madison, particularly people who are moving from out of state,” Klein said.

While the issue affects many Madison area businesses, housing costs can be especially challenging for employees at UW Health because some jobs require employees to be on call regularly, which requires that they live within a certain distance from one of the hospitals.

“That’s basically the west side of Madison for employees at University Hospital, and affordable options are challenging to find,” he said.

UW Health joined a dozen other investors in the Dane Workforce Housing Fund I, investing the first $1 million in that initial round of funding that launched in 2020. The goal of the first round of the fund was to raise $10 million to build 500 units. When the fund closed in late 2023, it exceeded that goal by raising $11.8 million from 14 investors and building 747 new housing units. New apartment buildings created by the first round of funding include Uno Terrace Apartments in Madison, The Trotta and The Kestrel in Middleton, and Limestone Ridge in Fitchburg. The projects tend to have mixed-rate rents, with some offered at market rate and others to earners making less than the area median income.

The Madison Development Corporation is currently raising funding for Fund II, to build on the progress Fund I achieved, with the goal of reaching $10 million by February 2024. Employers interested in investing in the fund can call (608) 535-4572.

“We look forward to the next phase of this work,” Heinemann said. “We’re grateful to UW Health and all the investors who are working to be part of the solution that creates more quality workforce housing in Madison.”

This fund is an investment, not a donation for UW Health, but it is also more than that, according to Robert Flannery, chief financial officer, UW Health.

“This investment is part of our mission to improve health in Dane County,” he said. “Through collaboration with community organizations and other major local employers, we can improve health equity with better access to housing, including for our workforce.”

The full list of investors includes BMO Harris Bank, Exact Sciences Corporation, First Business Bank, Lake Ridge Bank, Madison Development Corporation, Madison Gas and Electric Foundation, Oak Bank, Oscar Rennebohm Foundation, Summit Credit Union, Park Bank, TruStage Foundation, UW Credit Union, UW Health and WPS Health Solutions.

Madison Reading Project Celebrates Two Years Working with Dolly Parton to Bring Free Books to Local Kids

For Immediate Release
January 26, 2024

More Information:
Rowan Childs, (608) 347-7970
Rowan@madisonreadingproject.com
Website: madisonreadingproject.com

Madison Reading Project Celebrates Two Years Working with Dolly Parton to Bring Free Books to Local Kids

MADISON – Madison Reading Project and The Dolly Parton Imagination Library celebrate two successful years of partnering to bring free books to more than 11,250 young Dane County children. 

Last year, Madison Reading Project helped connect thousands of Dane County families to the international Imagination Library book-by-mail program. That’s over 113,650 Imagination Library books received by local children. Any child residing within the boundaries of Dane County can be mailed a free brand-new book every month until their fifth birthday.

“We’re proud to serve as the local affiliate for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library since 2022, helping to get free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to the youngest children in our community,” says Rowan Childs, Madison Reading Project founder/executive director. “It’s our mission to connect our community with free books and literacy resources to ignite a love for reading.”

“Our goal is to reach all of the nearly 7,000 newborn babies in the county with the Imagination Library program and increase awareness with our Baby’s First Pages early literacy program,” says Sarah Burke, Early Literacy Coordinator. “In 2023, we targeted the Imagination Library outreach to newborns at UnityPoint-Meriter and SSM Health St. Mary’s hospitals. 

“We also launched an early literacy Facebook page to help connect local Imagination Library enrollees with content related to child development, tips for reading books with children, information on forthcoming books, and insights from staff literacy experts.”

Funding for Imagination Library is made possible by a grant from the Roots & Wings Foundation, with the mission of helping children grow strong from the roots up.

“Roots & Wings’ continued financial support allows us to grow our outreach to more children,” Childs adds. “As Dolly famously says, ‘When you can read, you can do anything you dream.’ We can’t agree more.”           

Enroll a child at: www.madisonreadingproject.com/imaginationlibrary

Imagination Library is one of several Madison Reading Project literacy programs. Chartered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2014, Madison Reading Project has given more than 500,000 books to children in the greater Dane County area.

Roots & Wings is a family foundation established in 2019 by Judy and Gordon Faulkner. Roots & Wings makes grants across healthcare, early childhood, basic needs, and human rights. The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations that help low-income children and families reach their full potential through prevention, early intervention, and in-depth programming that changes lives.

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UW-Madison to host Community Blood Drive with ImpactLife Friday, February 9

7475 Mineral Point Road Suite 49 | Madison, Wisconsin | (563) 359-5401

Madison, WI – UW-Madison will host a community blood drive with ImpactLife, the provider of blood components for local hospitals. The blood drive will be from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Friday, February 9 at Library Mall UW Madison Campus, inside Donor Bus.

APPOINTMENTS ARE ENCOURAGED. To schedule, email smurthy@impactlife.org.

What: University of Wisconsin/Madison Community Blood Drive

When: Friday, February 9, 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Where: Donor Bus, Library Mall UW Madison Campus, Madison, WI
Appointments: To donate, please contact ImpactLife Madison at (800) 747-5401 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 5808 to locate the drive.

Donor Eligibility Criteria: Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission form available through www.bloodcenter.org) and weigh more than 110 pounds. A photo I.D. is required to donate. For questions about eligibility, please call ImpactLife at (800) 747-5401. Donors who last gave blood on or before 12/15/23 are eligible to give at this drive.

About Blood Donation: Blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that takes about 45 minutes to one hour. Individuals with diabetes or controlled high blood pressure may be accepted as eligible donors.

About ImpactLife: ImpactLife is the provider of blood and blood components to more than 125 hospitals in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin. In your area, ImpactLife is the exclusive provider to SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital, Stoughton Health.

National Guardian Life Insurance Company: Nominations now open for National Funeral Directors Association’s second annual Inspiration Award

Following a motivational inaugural year, National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is pleased to once again sponsor National Funeral Directors Association’s (NFDA) second annual Inspiration Award. Nominations are now open with NFDA accepting submissions through February 16 in recognition of an exceptional woman who has made noteworthy professional contributions to the funeral service industry or related fields.

“I’m excited and honored to be part of the annual Inspiration Award through NGL’s sponsorship. There are many outstanding women in the profession who deserve to be recognized for their successes and have their story shared. I look forward to learning who the next exceptional female that has elevated the funeral service will be,” said Jennifer Kaset, Vice President, Sales and Business Development at NGL.

The 2024 Inspiration Award recipient will be announced during the 2024 Professional Women’s Conference in Savannah, Ga, April 28-30, 2024.

Last year, Kaset had the privilege of presenting the 2023 NFDA Inspiration Award to Ellen Wynn McBrayer. Ellen is a licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer, Certified Celebrant, Certified Funeral Service Practitioner, Certified Preplanning Consultant and is the President and Chief Financial Officer of Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes and Crematory, a third-generation family business.

Click here to learn more, including criteria and guidelines about the NFDA 2024 Inspiration Award.

About NGL

Established in 1909 National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is an insurance company headquartered in Madison, Wis. Licensed to do business in 49 states and the District of Columbia, NGL markets preneed and individual life and annuities, as well as group markets products. Information about NGL can be found at www.nglic.com; Facebook: Facebook.com/NGLIC and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-guardian-life-insurance-company.

National Guardian Life Insurance Company is not affiliated with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America a/k/a The Guardian or Guardian Life.

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Connie Perry, PharmD, Joins M3 Insurance as Managing Director of Pharmacy Solutions

Connie Perry has joined M3 Insurance as the managing director of pharmacy solutions, bringing a new level of expertise, specialization, and service to M3 clients.

In her role, Perry will lead M3’s pharmacy solutions team, using her clinical background as a PharmD and decades of experience in the PBM space to create a comprehensive pharmacy solutions stack for employers and pair it with the transparent and independent approach that has become a signature of M3.

Perry has over 25 years of industry experience and a doctorate in pharmacy from the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy, specializing in critical care during her residency. Her experience spans across various sectors including clinical roles in hospitals, academia and a Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) (Walgreens Health Initiatives).

Perry was a lead consultant for national insurance brokers before joining M3. As a seasoned leader, she has successfully led national pharmacy practices and played a pivotal role in launching a pharmacy coalition tailored for mid-market employers.

M3 is excited to welcome Connie Perry, launch our pharmacy solutions specialization, and provide our clients with expanded resources and leverage to strategically manage their pharmacy benefits.

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About M3

M3 is a top insurance broker and risk management firm in America. We’re leaders in the products we represent and the industries we serve. M3’s people are an extension of your team, providing world-class resources to help you manage risk, purchase insurance, and provide employee benefits. And our focus on community builds better places to live and work.