SVA Welcomes New Human Resources Director

Heather Becker, PHR, SHRM-CP has recently joined SVA has the firm’s new Human Resources Director.

Heather is responsible for executing the HR strategy in support of the firm’s overall business plan and strategic direction. Heather consults with all levels of leadership on company change management, client consulting, HR policies and processes. Her experience includes employee relations, employment and compliance regulations, organizational strategy, performance management, compensation, and employee benefit programs and administration.

“We are extremely excited to have Heather join SVA in this position,” stated Carl Schultz, President and CEO. “With her experience and expertise, we will be able to recruit and retain talented staff members, allowing our team to continue to deliver measurable results.”

About SVA

Since our inception in 1974, we have focused on developing long-standing business relationships.  As our clients’ businesses and personal interests have grown, we have increased our service offerings to meet their expanding needs.

Now over 40 years later, SVA and its affiliates are recognized leaders offering a wide range of professional services including audit and accounting, tax, business information technologies, wealth management, trust and estate administration services.

The cornerstone of SVA will always remain the same, providing service and value to help our clients achieve measurable results, while exceeding their expectations.  SVA is not only dedicated to the clients we serve, we are dedicated to the communities we serve, maintaining a long tradition of involvement and support.

SVA is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, employs over 300 staff, and has additional offices in Milwaukee and Appleton, Wisconsin and Rockford, Illinois.

www.sva.com

Monroe Joins The Alliance as VP, Network Development & Provider Relations

MADISON, WIS., May 22, 2017 –Kyle Monroe has joined The Alliance® as vice president of network development and provider relations. The Alliance is an employer-owned not-for-profit cooperative of more than 240 employers who self-fund their health plans.

In this role, Monroe will be in charge of developing and maintaining relationships with health systems, clinicians and other providers to support The Alliance’s strategic goals related to moving health care forward.

Monroe comes to The Alliance from Norton Healthcare in Louisville, Ky. As Norton’s director of managed care, he oversaw payer relationships that accounted for $1.5 billion in annual revenue. Prior to that he was at Humana, a large national payer where he was instrumental in establishing their national contracting strategy and piloted a variety of new payment models in various markets around the country.

Monroe received his Master’s of Business Administration in Finance and Accounting from the University Of Louisville College Of Business and his Bachelor of Arts degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind.

“He brings a wealth of knowledge and fresh ideas to help us establish the right provider partnerships for our cooperative” said Paul Meyer, Alliance chief operating officer.

More than a provider network, The Alliance moves health care forward by controlling costs, improving quality and engaging individuals in their health. Members of the employer-owned, not-for-profit cooperative provide coverage to more than 85,000 individuals in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. The Alliance uses its purchasing power as a cooperative to negotiate with and provide access to an extensive network of doctors and hospitals paid to improve quality by performing better not doing more.

NGL receives Business Supporter Award from Operation Fresh Start

National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) was honored to receive the Business Supporter Award presented by Operation Fresh Start (OFS). NGL accepted the award during the Fresh Start Awards Luncheon on May 12.

OFS is a nonprofit that provides and promotes employment training, mentoring and education opportunities to Dane County youth ages 16 to 24. Founded in 1970, OFS has offered its services to more than 8,000 youth and adults who were looking to better their lives. NGL has supported OFS programming for five years.

“We understand the value and the need to support an organization like Operation Fresh Start. It’s a beneficial community resource that provides an opportunity for youth to learn not only job training, but leadership skills, education and a solid work ethic. For youth it’s a fresh start down the path to become a productive member of society. It’s an organization that truly makes a life changing impact on a person’s life,” said Mark Solverud, NGL President & CEO.

Solverud continued, “NGL is proud to be recognized for its support of OFS. We want to share that recognition with the corporations and individuals who donate to OFS. In addition, we want to acknowledge and thank all of the employees, the Board, the officers, the volunteers and anyone connected to the organization.”

About Operation Fresh Start

A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization, Operation Fresh Start has provided comprehensive employment and training services to over 8,000 youth and adults in Dane County, Wisconsin since 1970. For more information, visit www.operationfreshstart.org.

About NGL

Since 1910, National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL), a mutual insurance company, has been located 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 including specialty and student insurance. Additional 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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Vicki Bernards selected as next CFO at WPS Health Solutions

Vicki Bernards has been selected as the next Chief Financial Officer of WPS Health Solutions. She will succeed Tom Nelson, who is retiring on June 30, concluding a 35-year career at WPS. She began duties at WPS on May 8.

Bernards most recently was Vice President of Financial Analysis and Strategic Planning at Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) in Madison. She led the strategic planning, budget, and quarterly forecast process for TDS, and assisted in creating strategic plans for its business units. She also was responsible for financial analyses of business cases and potential acquisitions. Previously at TDS, she held positions in business development and analysis, and internal auditing.

Earlier in her career, Bernards was a real estate financial analyst for Famous Footwear/Brown Shoe Company in Madison and an internal auditor for the Carlson Companies in Minneapolis.

“Vicki brings strong planning and analytical skills to WPS to help with the financial aspects of our strategic planning and analysis,” President and CEO Mike Hamerlik said. “She will build on the strong financial program that Tom Nelson developed for WPS.”

Bernards earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from UW-Madison. She is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis Professional, and a Certified Internal Auditor.

About WPS Health Solutions

WPS Health Solutions is a nationally regarded government contractor and a leading Wisconsin not-for-profit health insurer. The WPS Health Insurance division offers affordable health plans and benefits administration. The WPS Government Health Administrators division administers Part A and B Medicare benefits for millions of seniors in multiple states, and the WPS Military and Veterans Health division serves millions more members who are active in the U.S. military, veterans and their families. In 2017, the international Ethisphere^® Institute named WPS one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies^® for the eighth straight year. For more information, please visit wpsic.com.

Five Recipients Win The Alliance Health Transformation Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Teri Van Tassel, Vice President, Marketing & Member Services

608.210.6633

E-mail: tvantassel@the-alliance.org

www.the-alliance.org/press

FIVE RECIPIENTS WIN THE ALLIANCE HEALTH TRANSFORMATION AWARD

MADISON, Wis. (May 17, 2017) ─ Five awards were given to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to transforming health care in their community when The Alliance held its Annual Seminar on May 16.

This year’s award recipients are:

• Gundersen Health System, La Crosse, Wis.

Gundersen Health System has changed how traditional health care services have been sold and delivered in northwestern Wisconsin. Gundersen provides quality care; works to be a collaborative partner with employers and the community; makes cost-conscious decisions; and has won national attention for its environmental practices.

Gundersen Health System is being recognized for exploring new approaches to delivering and paying for care. They are improving the quality of care using a systematic, process-oriented approach that can be adapted and implemented by other organizations. And they are collaborating with other organizations to develop solutions to significant health care problems as well as advancing their own understanding of how to engage consumers.

• John Nygren, Wisconsin State Representative, Marinette, Wis.

Representative John Nygren represents northeastern Wisconsin’s 89^th Assembly district and pushed the state of Wisconsin to recognize the opioid addiction problem before it became a national headline. Rep. Nygren learned about the high cost of opioid addiction when his daughter nearly died of a heroin overdose. Her struggles with addiction started with the opioid medication OxyContin and eventually led to heroin.

Rep. Nygren started the Heroin, Opiate Prevention and Education (HOPE) Agenda, which has led to significant legislative awareness and policy changes that aim to strengthen Wisconsin efforts to counter the epidemic of opioid abuse. As part of the HOPE Agenda, Rep. Nygren has successfully introduced 17 bills since 2013 to help combat the opioid addition problem.

Rep. Nygren is being honored for improving the quality of care using a systematic and process oriented approach that can be adapted and implemented by other organizations.

• OpenNotes, Catherine DesRoches, Brookline, Mass.

OpenNotes is a growing national movement that invites patients, families and clinicians to come together and improve communication through shared clinician notes and fully transparent medical records.

Today, more than 11 million U.S. patients have access to their notes. One early study showed that OpenNotes has the potential to decrease costs, with patients who read their notes doing a better job of managing their medical regimen and taking medication as prescribed.

OpenNotes is being recognized for exploring new approaches to delivering care as well as paying for care; and for improving the quality of care using a systematic, process-oriented approach that can be adapted and implemented by other organizations. It also allows other organizations to develop solutions and advance our understanding of how to engage consumers in making better health care decisions.

• Miniature Precision Components, Walworth, Wis.

Miniature Precision Components (MPC) is a manufacturing company that produces automotive parts. Based in Walworth, Wis. with nine other locations they consistently create opportunities to engage consumers in decisions about better health and better health care.

Over the years, MPC has:

• Created a robust wellness program;
• Proven its ability to help employees adopt healthy behaviors;
• Modeled good employee communications; and
• Offered incentives to capture greater savings through the QualityPath program. More than 12 MPC employees have used QualityPath for joint replacements, which is the highest participation achieved by any QualityPath employer.

MPC is being recognized for both advancing our understanding of how to engage consumers in making better decisions about their care and for providing extraordinary leadership among employers related to health benefits.

• Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality (WCHQ), Madison, Wis.

The Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality (WCHQ) is pushing the envelope to measure, publicly report and improve the quality of care for the people of Wisconsin. WCHQ has made it a priority to meet the needs of purchasers and consumers by making changes to measures in their portfolio to accommodate the interests of purchasers. They also have committed to adopting measures prioritized by a group of purchasers and payers. To broaden their efforts they are now exploring the possibility of including delivery systems in other states.

WCHQ is being honored for meeting two award criteria: improving the quality of care using a systematic, process-oriented approach that can be adapted and implemented by other organizations, and collaborating with other organizations to develop innovative solutions to significant health care problems.

The Alliance moves health care forward by controlling costs, improving quality, and engaging individuals in their health. Members include more than 240 self-funded employers and insurance trusts covering more than 85,000 individuals in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. The Alliance uses the purchasing power of cooperative members to negotiate with and provide access to an extensive network of doctors and hospitals paid to improve quality by performing better not doing more.

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*Please contact us if you would like photos of the award recipients.

*We can connect journalists with award winners and The Alliance Board of Directors upon request.