National Guardian Life: Jennifer Kaset and Judy Olson Promoted to Vice President, Sales and Business Development

Madison, Wis. (May 26, 2023) – National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is pleased to announce that Jennifer Kaset and Judy Olson have been promoted to Vice President, Sales and Business Development. These promotions will further strengthen strategic partnerships and deepen relationships to enhance sales growth potential in the insurance marketplace.

“Jennifer and Judy have been instrumental in helping NGL continue to grow our sales, drive new opportunities and deepen our relationships with our Marketing Partners. They are knowledgeable and dependable leaders in the insurance industry. I look forward to seeing what they can achieve in their newly expanded roles as they lead their teams,” said Jeremy Ragsdale, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.

Kaset has nearly 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. She joined NGL in December 2019 as Regional Vice President, Sales, focusing on developing and nurturing Preneed partnerships with NGL’s marketing organizations, independent agents and agencies. She also oversees partners’ service needs as they strive to achieve their marketing goals.

“My passion for the funeral profession aligns with NGL’s core values of integrity, dependability, collaboration, compassion and growth. These values are always top of mind and demonstrated with each interaction. I’m proud to offer valuable products to the funeral homes we serve and to represent one of the best Preneed providers in the industry,” shares Kaset. “I am grateful to work with amazing colleagues and look forward to being a part of NGL’s future growth in Preneed distribution as we grow our market share and value of new business.”

Olson has more than 15 years of experience in the insurance industry. In her new role, se will continue to work with NGL’s Preneed and AssetGuard Marketing Partners to support their growth and business development opportunities. Olson joined NGL in January 2008 and has served in roles including Regional Vice President, Sales; Assistant Vice President and Director of Partner Support at NGL, where she led a team dedicated to supporting key business relationships with NGL’s marketing organizations.

“I’m fortunate to be able to combine my background in both marketing and sales with my dedication to building collaborative relationships, providing excellent customer support, and providing all of our partners with resources for business development,” shared Olson. “NGL has been providing families with valuable insurance coverage for over a century. Reliability, quality and stability are attributes partners and policyholders can expect from NGL. We are dedicated to helping families face life’s financial challenges with confidence, dignity and grace.”

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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Wisconsin Union: Free Outdoor Movies, Including Surprise Sunday Selection, to Bring the Cinema to Memorial Union Terrace

MADISON – This summer is bringing a beloved tradition back to the Memorial Union Terrace but with an exciting new addition. The Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Film Committee’s 2023 Lakeside Cinema series will bring free outdoor movies of many genres to the Terrace each Monday, with a select group of Sunday titles to be announced just before each screening to make for some summer surprises.

The Sunday series, titled Secret Sunday Scaries, features an array of spooky-themed films whose titles will be hinted at and then announced on the WUD Film Committee’s Instagram and Facebook accounts on the Thursday afternoons before each screening. Each screening begins at 9 p.m. Secret Sunday Scaries dates and film ratings are as follows:

• June 11, PG-13
• June 25, R
• July 9, PG-13 
• July 23, unrated
• Aug. 6, G

Along with these select Sunday screenings, from May 29-Sept. 4, patrons can enjoy free Lakeside Cinema films every Monday evening at 9 p.m. on the UW Credit Union Terrace Stage. The scheduled dates, titles and film ratings are as follows:

• May 29: “Good Burger,” PG
• June 5: “Booksmart,” R
• June 12: “But I’m a Cheerleader,” R
• June 19: “Black Panther,” PG-13
• June 26: “Men in Black,” PG-13
• July 3: “High School Musical 2,” G
• July 10: “Grown Ups,” PG-13
• July 17: “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” PG-13
• July 24: “The Big Lebowski,” R
• July 31: “The Princess and the Frog,” G
• Aug. 7: “Cars,” G
• Aug. 14: “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” PG-13
• Aug. 21: “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” PG
• Aug. 28: “Muppet Treasure Island,” G
• Sept. 4: “Pitch Perfect 2,” PG-13

“Our Terrace screenings celebrate Madison as a city and as a community,” said Heewone Lim, WUD summer film coordinator and University of Wisconsin–Madison student. “In a regular theater viewing experience, you wouldn’t be able to sit in our iconic sunburst Terrace chairs or split a cup of ice cream from the Daily Scoop with friends and family. With Lakeside Cinema, we’re able to provide a space where our audience can make and share memories, creating something that the entire Madison community and visitors can enjoy.”

Filmgoers can enjoy the many dining options found at Memorial Union and the Terrace, including hot dogs, chips, and sodas for $1 each – a special deal exclusively offered on Lakeside Cinema Sunday and Monday screening evenings at the on-site Brat Stand starting at 8 p.m.

Terrace seating at film showings is available on a first come, first served basis. In the event of inclement weather, the Wisconsin Union team will aim to host the screening in der Rathskeller in Memorial Union. 

In addition to the summer screenings on the Terrace, the WUD Film Committee presents free film showings in the Marquee at Union South each fall and spring and is one of the 11 student-run committees and six clubs that make up WUD. These WUD student leaders create more than 1,000 free or low-cost events each year while cultivating real-world leadership skills. Many of them receive academic stipends funded by Wisconsin Union operating revenue and donations for their work. 

The Union’s free and low-cost events, as well as student leadership opportunities, are made possible through donations to the Wisconsin Union, purchases at the Union’s dining options and online store, as well as Wisconsin Union membership purchases. For a full lineup of Terrace season events, visit terracesummer.com.

Great Lakes Roofing Corporation Extends “Helping Hands” for the Re-Roofing of RMHC-Marshfield

Contact: Tiff Brennan
(608) 402-6072
tiff@brandhouse.marketing

Great Lakes Roofing Corporation Extends “Helping Hands” for the Re-Roofing of RMHC-Marshfield

Marshfield, WI, May 17, 2023 – Great Lakes Roofing Corporation (GLRC), a leading provider in commercial and industrial roofing and 2022 recipient of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Torch Award for Ethics, donated time and materials for the re-roofing of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Marshfield (RMHC-Marshfield).

The RMHC-Marshfield re-roofing project is part of GLRC’s “Helping Hands” program that aims to build and support communities. It proudly upholds the company’s adherence to the Roofing Alliance’s commitment to adopting all RHMC chapters nationwide. Materials for this project were donated in part by GAF and ABC Supply, who often work with the Roofing Alliance to support RMHC projects.  

In 2017, when the Roofing Alliance committed to adopting Houses, President of GLRC, Chris Lampien spearheaded the adoption of the RHMC-Madison location. Because of his personal experience with a medically fragile child at birth, he feels drawn to provide what he can to support other families experiencing complex medical situations.

“In 2022, our staff member, Karlie McNulty, reached out to the Ronald McDonald House in Marshfield to see if they could receive some holiday turkeys as a donation. Karlie learned the House no longer had an adoptive roofing partner, so we stepped up meet their needs. We believe in the mission of RMHC and are committed to giving what we can,” said Lampien.

“Ronald McDonald House Charities of Marshfield serves hundreds of families every year as a home away from home that provides comfort, support, and resources to families with hospitalized children. We’re incredibly grateful to Great Lakes Roofing and their partners at the Roofing Alliance for the generous donation of a new roof. Thanks to their generosity, our Ronald McDonald House will continue to provide a safe respite for families with sick kids when they need it most,” said Iilee Pederson, Executive Director of the RMHC-Marshfield.

Both established in 1983, GLRC and RMHC-Marshfield are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, making the latter’s re-roofing notable among GLRC’s community projects. Having gone through his own experience with a medically fragile child, GLRC Field Manager David Kaufman recounts how much the project means to him:

“My son was born two months premature, and I can relate to what the parents are going through with a sick child. My wife and I resided close enough to the hospital to be able to return home daily while our child received care, but if we lived further away we would have stayed at the local Ronald McDonald House. When your main concern is the care and wellbeing of your child, knowing that RMHC is available so that you can stay close enough to be there for your child, that’s an invaluable support system for parents,” said Kaufman.

Kaufman and his colleague McNulty will volunteer at the RMHC-Marshfield home in September, representing GLRC.

RMHC has 165 chapters across the U.S. The nonprofit seeks to support children’s access to medical care and ensure their families’ active involvement by providing secure and comfortable shelters near top children’s hospitals. GLRC, a member of the Roofing Alliance, has serviced the roofs of RMHC-Madison since 2017 and RMHC-Marshfield since 2022.

Headquartered in Germantown, Wis., Great Lakes Roofing Corporation is a national award-winning roofing company providing commercial/industrial building owners with the solutions they need to keep their products and people safe. GLRC is celebrating 40 years as a quality construction company that maintains its core values and family culture while providing clients with the safest and best services. GLRC’s mission is to be a client’s trusted partner and first choice in roofing solutions. Learn more at www.greatlakesroofing.net.

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StartingBlock Madison: Deadline Tomorrow (May 26) to Apply for Madworks Mission Based Accelerator

The Madworks Mission Based Accelerator, Summer 2023, runs every Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from June 14 through August 17. (Taking a break the week of July 4).

In order to learn more about you and your company, we’d like you to complete the Mission Based Accelerator application. Once we receive your application, we will be in touch to discuss next steps.

Learn more information here.

Apply here.

If you have questions, contact Leslie Weissburg at leslie@startingblockmadison.org.

Outcomes looking good for WPS midway through Depression Screening Innovation Challenge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Outcomes looking good for WPS midway through Depression Screening Innovation Challenge

MADISON, Wis.—May 23, 2023—At WPS Health Solutions, the company’s WPS Government Health Administrators division has reached the halfway point in its 12-month Depression Screening Innovation Challenge Grant project issued by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Midway through the project, the outcomes of the division’s efforts look promising. 

In November 2019, CMS issued a challenge to Medicare Administrative Contractors. WPS accepted the challenge and is now in its third year of working toward increasing the use of chronic care management and depression screening for Medicare beneficiaries in Medicare Jurisdictions 5 and 8. Based upon success in years one and two, WPS added combating health inequities to the project’s scope.    

The Innovation Challenge project team is led by the WPS Government Health Administrators Medical Director, Dr. Joelle Vlahakis. Her team includes data analysts, educators, billing specialists, and a population health specialist.  

“Innovation requires the willingness to recognize when an idea needs to be altered or abandoned in favor of a better idea, and we are up for the challenge,” Vlahakis said. “Our priorities align with CMS’ priorities, and we have a special interest in areas where health care disparities are high.”  

The company’s efforts in the first and second years of the depression screening pilot were successful, and WPS saw a 13% increase in screening in Jurisdiction 8 in the first year alone. Increased depression screening appears to have lowered the rate of suicide attempts in both jurisdictions in the project’s first two years.  

“When patients enroll in chronic care management, their care is focused on what makes their life better. Care is less fragmented and dependent upon the use of emergency rooms or hospital stays. And providers of the care report that they can spend more time seeing patients face to face and less time managing crises,” Vlahakis said. 

Building on its success, WPS is using the Area Deprivation Index—a measure for the theoretical domains of income, education, employment, and housing quality—to combat health inequities in Jurisdiction 8. The ADI and beneficiaries’ ages are potent predictors of the risk of depression. ADI has been the foundation for WPS identifying places where social determinants of health are most likely to contribute to health inequities. 

“Our project team has found that connecting with organizations, societies, and other large groups has been productive and instructive. Aligning ourselves with such stakeholders, especially those whose purpose is to address the social drivers of health, has been especially compelling and useful. What we did not expect is that our one-on-one conversations with individual providers, clinicians, administrators, or even beneficiaries would also shape our approach to the project,” Vlahakis explained. 

The Innovation Challenge core work group is divided into two smaller groups. One work group focuses on the data and its analysis, and the other on educational outreach.   

Through WPS’ Provider Outreach and Education Department, the team educates practitioners, clinicians, and their support teams through webinars, a YouTube channel, and in-person events. Audiences vary (support staff, clinical staff, and providers, for example), and discussions are tailored to the skills demanded of each role. The team has worked to create a platform for high-quality education that is simple and accessible.  

Data analysis is another driving force in what WPS is accomplishing. Employees are examining and targeting their efforts based on three major points of data: 

1. Health care providers with a low utilization rate of depression screening  
2. Health care providers with the greatest number of beneficiaries in their jurisdiction  
3. An ADI score that falls greater than the 70th percentile where the risk of depression is highest 

WPS reported the following for Jurisdiction 8:  

• Based on 2021 data, WPS has established an average monthly goal of 7,341 depression screening claims. According to Medicare claims data from September 2022 to February 2023, WPS averaged 7,641 claims per month, which is 300 claims above the goal and is a 9% increase from 2021. 
• To analyze the efficacy of the educational intervention program on the most at-risk Medicare beneficiaries, WPS is tracking the primary benchmark of a 2.5% increase in depression screening claim count for beneficiaries who live in the most at-risk neighborhoods. Based on 2021 data, WPS has established an average monthly goal of 2,444 depression screening claims. In the second quarter of year three, WPS averaged 2,366 claims per month, which is 78 claims below the goal and a 1% decrease from 2021.  
• To analyze the downstream impacts of its educational intervention program, WPS is tracking the primary benchmark of a 5% reduction in the number of claims featuring a suicide attempt diagnosis. Based on 2021 data, WPS established a monthly goal of 82 claims featuring a suicide attempt. In the second quarter of year three, WPS averaged 51 claims per month, which is 31 claims beyond the goal and equates to a 41% decrease from 2021. 

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 2,600 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.

About WPS Government Health Administrators^®

As a large contractor for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, WPS Government Health Administrators, a division of Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation, manages Medicare Part A and Part B benefits for more than 7 million seniors in multiple states.

WPS Government Health Administrators is headquartered in Madison, Wis. Visit the WPS Health Solutions About page for more information.

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