Category: Corporate Social Responsibility
Photo by Richard Hurd
WPS Health Solutions: A Walk to Remember draws crowd to honor the fallen
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-512-5754
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com
A Walk to Remember draws crowd to honor the fallen
Memorial event held at WPS Health Solutions’ Monona campus
MADISON, Wis.—June 3, 2022—On May 27, WPS Health Solutions hosted A Walk to Remember. The event was held on the main WPS campus in Monona and offered employees, their family members, and the community a chance to honor U.S. military personnel and veterans who have died.
WPS Military and Veterans Inclusion Lead Tim La Sage, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and two-time recipient of the Purple Heart, said, “Memorial Day honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. This solemn occasion is a time to reflect on those who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting and defending our country. We will never forget our military members who have passed.”
The event drew 27 walkers from the area. All participants were able to sign a banner with the names of those they were remembering during the Memorial Day weekend.
Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions), founded in 1946, is a nationally regarded benefits administrator for a variety of U.S. government programs and a leading not-for-profit health insurer in Wisconsin. WPS Health Solutions serves active-duty and retired military personnel, seniors, individuals, and families in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and around the world. WPS Health Solutions, headquartered in Madison, Wis., has more than 2,700 employees. Within the enterprise, there are three divisions: WPS Government Health Administrators, WPS Military and Veterans Health, and WPS Health Insurance/WPS Health Plan/EPIC Specialty Benefits. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.
©2022 Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
WPS Health Solutions: Safely dispose of unneeded medications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-512-5754
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com
Safely dispose of unneeded medications
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 30
MADISON, Wis.—April 27, 2022—Prescription drugs can be dangerous when they are used improperly. National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is your chance to ensure that doesn’t happen with your prescriptions.
An estimated 2.1 million people in the United States suffer from an opioid use disorder. Opioids are one of the most widely abused prescription drugs. The National Institutes of Health outlines how addictive opioids are in chilling detail:
- People who have opioid prescriptions who misuse them: 21–29%
- People who take opioids for chronic pain who develop an opioid use disorder: 8–12%
- People who misuse opioids that move on to heroin: 4–6%
“The opioid epidemic has touched every community and neighborhood in our country,” Dr. Jonah Fox, Medical Director at WPS Health Solutions, commented. “Everyone can assist in preventing opioid addiction by participating in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and removing unneeded medication from their homes.”
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 30, you can take unused prescription drugs to collection sites across the country. Visit dea.gov/takebackday to locate a collection site near you.
Take Back Days happen twice a year and allow you to dispose of prescription drugs safely and anonymously. It’s a great way to ensure they don’t get misused, lost, or stolen. During the most recent take back day, the Drug Enforcement Administration collected 372 tons of prescription medications.
Accepted items at most locations include:
- Prescription and over-the-counter medications
- Ointments
- Patches
- Non-aerosol sprays
- Inhalers
- Creams
- Vials
- Pet medications
Some items are not accepted, including:
- Needles and other sharps
- Asthma inhalers
- Mercury thermometers
- Medications containing iodine
- Illegal drugs
- Aerosol cans
Check with your local collection sites if you have questions. Visit the Food and Drug Administration website to find out more about how to safely dispose of drugs.
About WPS Health Solutions®
Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions), founded in 1946, is a nationally regarded benefits administrator for a variety of U.S. government programs and a leading not-for-profit health insurer in Wisconsin. WPS Health Solutions serves active-duty and retired military personnel, seniors, individuals, and families in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and around the world. WPS Health Solutions, headquartered in Madison, Wis., has more than 2,700 employees. Within the enterprise, there are three divisions: WPS Government Health Administrators, WPS Military and Veterans Health, and WPS Health Insurance/WPS Health Plan/EPIC Specialty Benefits. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.
©2022 Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
WPS publishes new Corporate Social Responsibility Report
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ryan Kanable
Communications Manager
608-345-0517
ryan.kanable@wpsic.com
WPS publishes new Corporate Social Responsibility Report
Company shares achievements during 2021
MADISON, Wis.—April 5, 2022—The 2021 WPS Health Solutions® Corporate Social Responsibility Report is now available on wpshealthsolutions.com. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the major lines of business at WPS Health Solutions, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2021, with a special emphasis on the people, pivots, and partnerships that helped keep the company successful over the last year.
“The report allows us to showcase our employees’ commitment to high ethical standards and conducting business with integrity. It helps anyone who is interested in WPS to get to know us a little better,” says DeAnne Boegli, Vice President of Communications.
“People, Pivots, and Partnerships” is the theme for the 2021 report. More than 75 years since its founding, WPS Health Solutions continues its work to protect the health and financial well-being of its customers through three lines of business: WPS Health Insurance®, WPS Government Health Administrators®, and WPS Military and Veterans Health®, as well as two subsidiaries: WPS Health Plan, Inc. and The EPIC Life Insurance Company.
Employees of WPS Health Solutions aspire to do their best by exhibiting the company’s four core values: Individual Responsibility, Customer Focused, Mutual Respect, and Driven and Passionate. The mission of WPS Health Solutions is this: Together, making health care easier for the people we serve.
In 2021, WPS Health Solutions took steps to guard against bias and prejudice in the workplace, including a commitment from President and CEO Mike Hamerlik who joined more than 1,600 CEOs across America by signing a pledge for CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion™. The company also onboarded a new Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, who has helped advance diversity and inclusion work. During the year, a DEI Employee Council and a DEI Executive Council were created to assist with integrating DEI concepts into business practices throughout the company.
WPS Health Solutions received numerous awards in 2021, including being named a Top Workplace by the Wisconsin State Journal, making the Achievers’ 50 Most Engaged Workplaces list and its Elite 8 in the category of Culture Alignment, and winning Top Workplaces’ Culture Excellence Awards for Work Life Flexibility and Remote Work.
Despite a challenging economy, WPS gave charitable donations totaling more than $198,000 to 39 local and national organizations. The WPS Charitable Foundation donated more than $246,000 to 33 organizations.
About WPS Health Solutions®
Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions), founded in 1946, is a nationally regarded benefits administrator for a variety of U.S. government programs and a leading not-for-profit health insurer in Wisconsin. WPS Health Solutions serves active-duty and retired military personnel, seniors, individuals, and families in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and around the world. WPS Health Solutions, headquartered in Madison, Wis., has more than 2,700 employees. Within the enterprise, there are three divisions: WPS Government Health Administrators, WPS Military and Veterans Health, and WPS Health Insurance/WPS Health Plan/EPIC Specialty Benefits. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.
©2022 Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Photo by Richard Hurd
Second Harvest is Providing $200k in Funding for Capacity-Building Grants to Improve Food Equity
MADISON, Wis., January 31, 2022 – Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin announced that they will be providing up to $200,000 in community-directed capacity-building grants to area groups or organizations. These grant dollars are available to advance efforts to increase food equity, as defined by our community. The overarching goal is to learn from and build long-term nutrition distribution strategies with racially diverse communities to address health disparities and advance food equity.
“Everyone in our community should have equitable access to nutritious and culturally-significant food,” said Second Harvest president/CEO Michelle Orge. “We’re excited to see and support the ideas that come from the groups and organizations who will apply for a grant. Their insights on how to increase food equity in our community will help us increase collaboration and strengthen our entire network”.
The grants are designed to increase the distribution of food to racially marginalized communities through new methods, increased product availability, and deeper collaborations.
To be considered for one of the capacity grants:
- Eligible applicants are designated as a registered 501c3 -or-
- Organizations, mutual aid groups, collectives, and tribal organizations that are fiscally sponsored by a 501c3 non-profit
- Applications should support community(ies) within the 16 counties in the Second Harvest service area
- Efforts should be led by, or conducted in partnership with, racially diverse communities impacted by food insecurity
Grant request submissions for a minimum of $2,500 up to a maximum of $75,000 will be accepted until 11:59 pm on March 14. Award amounts will vary according to the strength of the application’s focus on equity and access. Grant funds must be used between April 2022 – June 2023
For more information about the grant, including the grant application packet, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org/Grant.
Photo by Richard Hurd
WPS Health Solutions delivers treats to hospital workers to boost morale and encourage booster shots
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-512-5754
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com
WPS Health Solutions delivers treats to hospital workers to boost morale and encourage booster shots
MADISON, Wis.—Feb. 3, 2022—On Wednesday, Feb. 2, WPS Health Solutions delivered treats and healthy snacks to health care workers in Madison, Wis., to boost their morale and to shine a light on the importance of COVID-19 booster shots for everyone to promote public health.
WPS employees visited SSM Health St. Mary’s, UnityPoint Health-Meriter, and UW Health with baskets of goodies for health care personnel who continue to work through staffing shortages and large numbers of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. WPS encourages those who are eligible to receive a booster shot after they have completed their COVID-19 vaccine primary series.
“Booster shots are an important public health tool to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, and we strongly recommend booster shots for all who are eligible,” WPS Health Insurance Medical Director Dr. Jonah Fox said. “Booster shots have been shown to increase protection against COVID-19 and decrease the likelihood of severe outcomes associated with the virus.”
The baskets of goodies were delivered to the 65 employees in the SSM Health St. Mary’s COVID-19 unit and 145 employees in the UnityPoint Health-Meriter intenive care and COVID-19 units. Over at UW Health, the snacks were dedicated to Peer Support Rounding, where trained peer supporters offer real-time, in-person support of clinical staff and physicians.
“As COVID-19 surges again this winter, health care workers continue to battle through the pandemic,” WPS Director of Events and Strategic Partnerships Megan Willauer said. “We wanted to find a way to boost morale and encourage those who are able to get vaccinated or to get a booster shot to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.”
About WPS Health Solutions
Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions), founded in 1946, is a nationally regarded benefits administrator for a variety of U.S. government programs and a leading not-for-profit health insurer in Wisconsin. WPS Health Solutions serves active-duty and retired military personnel, seniors, individuals, and families in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and around the world. WPS Health Solutions, headquartered in Madison, Wis., has more than 2,800 employees. Within the enterprise, there are three divisions: WPS Government Health Administrators, WPS Military and Veterans Health, and WPS Health Insurance/WPS Health Plan/EPIC Specialty Benefits. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.
©2022 Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation. All rights reserved.
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Note: Photo shows health care workers from SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital. WPS employees Breanne Ivens and Megan Willauer are in front.