Old National Bank announces $1 million in donations following Louisville tragedy

LOUISVILLE, KY, April 24, 2023 – Today, Old National announced $1 million in total donations in response to the tragic April 10 event at its downtown Louisville location. $600,000 of the total will go to provide additional support and care for those impacted while the remaining gifts demonstrate Old National’s immense gratitude to the entire community and particularly to the many heroes who emerged.

Donation distribution:

• $600,000  – “Love for Louisville Old National Survivors Fund” – established by Community Foundation of  Louisville: Fundraiser by National Compassion Fund : Love for Louisville Old National Survivors Fund (gofundme.com)
• $150,000 – Louisville Metro Police Foundation (supporting Officer Nickolas Wilt): https://saferlouisville.org.
• $150,000 – University of Louisville Hospital Trauma Center: uoflhealth.org/services/trauma-center/.
• $100,000 – American Red Cross: www.redcross.org

The “Love for Louisville ONB Survivors Fund” directly benefits Old National team members and their families who were victims of the attack. This newly established fund will be managed by the Community Foundation of Louisville in partnership with the National Compassion Fund (NCF). 100% of donations collected will go to those impacted. All funds donated will be distributed to the families of the deceased victims, injured survivors and for care to those who were present and experienced psychological trauma.

“Old National is committed to providing continued care and support to all our impacted team members and the families of those who lost their loved ones,” said Old National Bank CEO Jim Ryan. “We are grateful to our friends at the Community Foundation of Louisville for establishing this additional source of support for those impacted. This newly created fund will provide an opportunity for those yearning to help to have a direct impact.”

“From law enforcement representatives who risked their lives to first responders and the amazing team at the University of Louisville Hospital Trauma Center, there were so many brave and selfless individuals who emerged to care for our Old National family members,” said Jim Ryan. “We hope that these gifts reflect our immense gratitude for these heroes and our appreciation for the work of the American Red Cross to ensure life-saving blood is available during the most critical time of need.”

Ryan also noted the tremendous and overwhelming support that has been displayed since the days following the tragedy along with a strong desire by friends, team members, partners and community members to provide care through action. For those who have the means, we encourage donating to the organizations listed at the beginning of this release and/or providing support by giving the gift of life through a blood donation. More than anything, Ryan asked that members of the community help keep the memories of those who perished alive by “loving more, caring more deeply and supporting one another unconditionally.”

WPS publishes new Corporate Social Responsibility Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-512-5754
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com

WPS publishes new Corporate Social Responsibility Report
Report highlights achievements during 2022

MADISON, Wis.—April 5, 2023—The 2022 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, with a special emphasis on the people, progress, and partnerships that helped keep the company successful over the last year.

In 2022, WPS Health Solutions worked through its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team to increase diversity across the company. During the year, new employee resource groups were created to help build communities for all employees. The groups now include options for professional development, women, veterans, and people living with disabilities and mental health concerns.

WPS Health Solutions received numerous awards in 2022, including being named a Top Workplace by the Wisconsin State Journal and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, making the Achievers’ 50 Most Engaged Workplaces list, winning several Top Workplaces USA awards, and being named the Disabled American Veterans Patriot Employer and Large Employer of the Year.

Despite a challenging economy, WPS gave charitable donations totaling more than $211,200 to 39 local and national organizations. The WPS Charitable Foundation donated more than $250,000 to 28 organizations.

“The report enables us to share our employees’ commitment to high ethical standards and conducting business with integrity. It helps anyone interested in WPS to get to know us a little better,” Vice President of Communications DeAnne Boegli said.

“People, Progress, and Partnerships” is the theme for the 2022 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.

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.

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UW–Madison 2023 Senior Class Gift Leaves a Legacy of Supporting Mental Health and Well-Being

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2023   

Contact Information:
Kevin Jacobson, University of Wisconsin–Madison Senior Class Communications Director
Email: seniorclass@chancellor.wisc.edu
READ RELEASE ONLINE: union.wisc.edu/about/news/2023-senior-class-gift

UW–MADISON 2023 SENIOR CLASS GIFT LEAVES A LEGACY OF SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

MADISON – The University of Wisconsin–Madison Senior Class Office (SCO) will gift funds to the Center for Healthy Minds Higher Education Fund as its 2023 senior class gift.

Every year, the students of the UW–Madison SCO choose a project or beneficiary of its senior class gift. SCO raises funds to leave a legacy for the class and improve UW–Madison in a tangible way.

The class of 2023 has faced many challenges, including going home halfway through the 2019-20 academic year due to COVID-19. In recognition of those challenges and their impact on the mental health of the graduating class, the Senior Class Office will partner with the Center for Healthy Minds, an organization founded by UW–Madison psychology professor Richard J. Davidson, Ph. D.

The Center for Healthy Minds operates with a mission to cultivate well-being and relieve suffering through a scientific understanding of the mind while envisioning a kinder, wiser and more compassionate world. Student leaders at UW–Madison prioritized these ideals by launching Healthy Minds on Campus, a student organization designed to extend the Center’s research to all corners of campus in a tangible way.

“We believe that this student-initiated organization will systematically improve the well-being of students at UW–Madison,” said Liam McLean, University of Wisconsin–Madison Senior Class Office president.

The Healthy Minds on Campus plans to host monthly guest speaker events focused on mental health, well-being and flourishing; forums, called Community Conversations, during which students can discuss mental health and well-being with their peers; and an annual mental health and well-being retreat. The organization also plans to work to raise awareness of the importance of well-being and evidence-based practices and habits that support well-being.

The SCO board encourages those graduating in the class of 2023 and all those interested in supporting the Center for Healthy Minds’s Higher Education Fund to donate to the class gift here. Donations will go toward advancing the development of work to support student and campus mental health goals, which aims to set a standard for a mental health awareness and establish a resource model that can spread to campuses across the nation.

Learn more about SCO and the 2023 senior class gift.

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About the University of Wisconsin–Madison Senior Class Office

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Senior Class Office Senior Class officers work each year in partnership with Student Affairs, the Wisconsin Union, the Office of the Chancellor, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association and Foundation to create an unforgettable senior class experience. This includes helping to plan both winter and spring commencement ceremonies, select the class gift, plan senior-inspired events, and advocate for the entire class. By bringing diverse passions together, the officers unite the senior class and cultivate Badger pride. Learn more at seniorclass.students.wisc.edu.

WPS Health Solutions: Discover treatment options for post-traumatic stress disorder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-512-5754
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com

Discover treatment options for post-traumatic stress disorder
WPS Health Solutions shares how millions of people deal with diagnosis each year

MADISON, Wis.—Feb. 15, 2023—Post-traumatic stress (PTS) can often be a result of exposure to severe trauma. It’s a normal response to a traumatic event. But sometimes, the effects of PTS are more extreme, and symptoms won’t go away on their own. That’s when it becomes post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). About six out of every 100 people will have PTSD at some point in their lives, and 12 million adults in the U.S. are diagnosed in a given year.

What are some of the treatment options for PTSD?

“There are a variety of treatment options for PTSD. Examples include talk therapy, medications, and lifestyle changes,” according to Dr. Ken Robbins, WPS Medical Director of Behavioral Health. “When considering options for treatment, talk therapy or psychotherapy—which involve talking with a professional about the experience and symptoms—is generally the first step.”

There are a few different types of therapy that are effective for treating PTSD, according to the American Psychological Association. These include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT involves discussing the trauma and your symptoms, and helping you implement better thought and behavioral patterns.
• Exposure therapy. This type of therapy involves talking through the trauma and working through it in an environment that is safe and nurturing. It allows you to fully process the experience and take time to examine it however you need.
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. This is an interactive therapy that involves moving your eyes from side-to-side while recalling the traumatic events, so that you can process the events outside of the strong emotions that are attached to them.

In addition to therapy, medication is another great option available. There are a wide variety of options people can discuss with their doctor. 

Lifestyle changes and self-care practices are another important component of managing your symptoms. There are many different avenues you could take, but some of them might include:

• Learning about PTSD to better understand the symptoms
• Meditating
• Exercising
• Journaling
• Attending a support group
• Having a strong social network
• Reducing negative coping mechanisms

Beyond just treatment—how can I help myself?

One of the hardest things people are forced to do sometimes is make the choice to recognize that they need help and to try to take that first step. It’s important to remember that while therapy and treatments take time, they are scientifically proven to be a contributor to getting better.

To help yourself while pursuing other options for treatment:

• Talk with your doctor regularly about your treatment and other options.
• Engage in physical exercise to help reduce stress.
• Set realistic goals for yourself.
• Try to spend time with people you care about.
• Expect a gradual change in your symptoms, not immediate.
• Identify coping mechanisms to help yourself in times of crisis. 

Why do some develop PTSD and others do not?

It’s important to remember that not everyone who lives through a traumatic event will develop PTSD. In fact, most will not. 

There’s a variety of factors as to why a person will or won’t develop PTSD. Some of them are listed below. Risk factors are elements that will likely further develop PTSD, while resilience factors are components that help reduce the risk.

Some factors that increase the risk include:

• Living through dangerous events and traumas (for example, combat veterans).
• Getting injured or seeing another loved one hurt.
• Childhood trauma.
• Having little or no social support.
• Dealing with extreme stress around the event.
• Having a prior history of mental illness.

Some factors that promote resilience include:

• Seeking and receiving help from others.
• Learning to feel confident about yourself and your actions.
• Having positive coping mechanisms and ways to “get through things.”
• Being able to act and respond effectively, despite being afraid.

When should I seek help?

If you are having post-traumatic stress reactions that are lasting for longer than a month, or are severe, or if your daily life is being disrupted, you should seek professional help to see if you may have PTSD. Getting treatment as soon as possible can prevent PTSD symptoms from getting worse.

Some other ways to get help include:

• Reach out to a close friend or a loved one.
• Contact a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. There is also a chat service through this same lifeline.
• Make an appointment with a doctor or mental health professional.

If you feel like you are suicidal or in immediate danger, get help right away. Call 988.

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.

Note: This information is not intended to be medical advice.

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Nearly 26,000 meals donated by National Guardian Life Insurance Company to fight hunger

Donations for Share Your Holidays campaign benefit Second Harvest Foodbank

Madison, Wis. (January 25, 2023) – National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) proudly supported the 27^th Annual NBC15 Share Your Holidays to eliminate hunger campaign to benefit Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. The food/fund drive campaign helped raise 5.37 million meals surpassing its goal of 5 million meals.

NGL’s $10,000 Bronze sponsorship provided 25,000 meals for people who are struggling with hunger in our community. In addition to NGL’s corporate sponsorship, three of NGL’s team members volunteered during the Grand Finale Phone-A-Thon and seven team members volunteered for the Sort-A-Thon on December 14. Including the volunteer value time, NGL’s commitment to help those facing hunger meant nearly 26,000 meals were donated! The impact means that 23 people in our community will be fed for more than a year.

“We are grateful to support Second Harvest Foodbank and proud to be part of the positive impact they are making in our community. The unfortunate reality is that all area food banks are experiencing an increase in demand for food assistance. Second Harvest helps fill a crucial role for people who are facing hunger. At NGL, we believe everyone should have access to healthful, nutritious foods and that no one should feel hunger or worry where their next meal will come from,” said Maria Lubick, Assistant Vice President, Corporate Communications & Community Engagement at NGL.

For every $10 donation Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin is able to provide up to 25 meals to adults, children and seniors who are struggling with hunger.

About Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin

Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin, southwestern Wisconsin’s largest hunger relief organization, is a nonprofit that is committed to ending hunger in 16 southwestern Wisconsin counties through community partnerships. Learn more at:  www.secondharvestmadison.org.

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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