Madison Originals member restaurants leading a food drive for 4 local food pantries

Read the press release here

Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin Receives Anticoagulation Center of Excellence Designation

MADISON, WISCONSIN – Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (GHC-SCW) is honored to announce it has received the Anticoagulation Center of Excellence designation. The three-year designation illustrates GHC-SCW’s commitment to providing the highest level of care to patients taking antithrombotic medications.

What is Anticoagulation Care?

Anticoagulation Care is also known as blood thinner therapy. It is important for treating blood clots and preventing strokes caused by a heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation. Blood thinners need more attention than some other drug therapies to keep the risk of clots balanced with the risk of bleeding. It needs special management around the time of surgeries.

The Anticoagulation Forum awards organizations the classification if it meets all criteria associated with five pillars, including drug therapy management, disease state management, transitions and coordination of care, service operational performance, and patient and family education.

“We are honored to receive the Anticoagulation Center of Excellence designation because it reaffirms GHC-SCW’s commitment to provide our patients with a high level of care and also to continuous improvement,” said Jillian Dougherty, GHC-SCW’s Anticoagulation Team Lead. “There’s always new information coming out that may help a patient, so it’s important for providers to be at the forefront of the most up-to-date research and drug therapy practices.”

In addition to recognizing the work already done, the Anticoagulation Center of Excellence aids organizations and health care providers in staying up to date on the latest research and best practices through a resource center that contains the most current comprehensive set of standards and workflows.

“Our primary purpose is to provide education and be a resource to patients and providers,” adds Dougherty. “We often form strong relationships with our patients as we work closely with them on their anticoagulation care. It’s one of my favorite parts of my role here at GHC-SCW.”

About Anticoagulation Forum

The Anticoagulation Forum is a multidisciplinary non-profit organization that works to improve the quality of care for patients taking antithrombotic medications. The AC Forum promotes the clinical application of evidence-based practices and provides education and networking opportunities for health care professionals. To learn more about the program, visit acforum.org

About GHC-SCW

Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (GHC-SCW) is Wisconsin’s first and Dane County’s only member-owned, non-profit health care cooperative. With the largest primary care network in Dane County, the Cooperative has more than 83,000 members and serves the greater Dane County area and the South Central Wisconsin region with insurance and clinical services. GHC-SCW is the first health plan in Wisconsin to offer patients a money-back guarantee if they are not satisfied with their experience at a GHC-SCW clinic. GHC-SCW is perennially a national leader for quality. In 2022, GHC-SCW achieved a rating of 4.5 out of 5 rating among commercial plans; no other health plan in Wisconsin scored higher, according to the National Committee for Quality Assurance. To learn more about GHC-SCW, visit ghcscw.com. 

Media Contact
Katelyn McLaughlin
Marketing and Communications Manager
608-251-4156 Ext. 4453
kmclaughlin@ghcscw.com

Acton Madison Children’s Business Fair

Could a ten-year-old create the next Uber? Find out at the Acton Madison Children’s Business Fair, showcasing children’s entrepreneurial genius!

On Saturday, March 18 from 9 am – 12 pm, the 1st annual Acton Madison Children’s Business Fair will host 24 young entrepreneurs ages 6-12 at 4100 Nakoma Rd, Madison, WI 53711. This event is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

Children from all over the greater Madison area will have the opportunity to create a product or service, develop a brand, build a marketing strategy, and then open for customers at this one-day marketplace. Each young entrepreneur is responsible for the setup, sales, and interaction with customers.

This event is sponsored by Acton Academy Madison West, Acton Academy, Next Great Adventure, local businesses within Madison, and the generous support of our donors and volunteers, who all believe that principled entrepreneurs are heroes and role models for the next generation.

“Today’s youth are tomorrow’s business innovators and leaders. The Children’s Business Fair gives students the opportunity to spread their entrepreneurial wings and get a head start on promising business careers,” said Jeff Sandefer, founder of the Acton School of Business, one of the sponsors of the fair.

Cash prizes will be awarded in each of the three age groups (6-7, 8-10, and 11-12) for “Most Business Potential,” “Most Creative Idea,” and “Most Impressive Presentation.”

Every important step in the business process is meant to be tackled by the budding entrepreneurs themselves.

“We are thrilled to host the Children’s Business Fair and bring this kind of community-wide event to Madison,” said Marisa Palmer, Co-Founder of Acton Academy Madison West, a new K-5 school situated in the Nakoma neighborhood. “The children who participate show real courage in taking this on, and being willing to bring their ideas to life. We celebrate that willingness to take a risk and make things happen in life.”

Both adult sponsors and entrepreneurs are available for interviews on camera or off. For more information, please contact Marisa Palmer, Co-Founder at Acton Academy Madison West at marisa@actonmadison.com or Ellie Heiking, Director of Engagement at Acton Academy Madison West at ellie@actonmadison.com.

ArtLitLab: 2023 Summer Youth Arts Registration Opens February 1

Once again, we’re planning an exciting schedule of full-day and half-day camps. Spaces are limited, so early registration is encouraged.

ArtLitLab offers 10 weeks of summer arts for youth ages 7-10 and 11-14 taught by professional artists. Explore two new themes each week, such as printmaking, drawing, sculpture, Indigenous arts, photography, fiber arts, writing, letterpress, and more.

Summer youth arts is taught by professional artists. Stay tuned for the 2023 teacher roster!

Thanks to a partnership with Goodman Community Center, a snack and lunch (for all youth staying during lunchtime) will be provided every day!

Camp Tuition Assistance:

ALL seeks to make summer arts enrichment accessible to all youth. Please contact Education & Outreach Director Ceara Yahn at education@artlitlab.org to learn more about tuition assistance options prior to registering.

Schedule:

Summer Arts Camp will be held June 12 – August 18, 2023 at Arts + Literature Laboratory. Morning session will begin at 9:00am and end at 12:00pm. Youth can arrive no earlier than 8:40am and must be picked up promptly at 12:00pm unless the Lunchtime option is added.

During Lunchtime from 12:00-1:00pm, youth can enjoy lunch provided by the Goodman Commnity Center or a packed lunch from home, and teachers will lead campers on walks to nearby parks and playgrounds, or youth can relax and read, play games, or continue creative activities. If you register for a full day of camp, you must also register for Lunchtime Activities.

Afternoon session will begin at 1:00pm and end at 4:00pm. Youth should arrive at 1:00pm and must be picked up promptly at 4:00pm. Youth attending afternoon sessions are also wecome to add on Lunchtime for earlier arrival.

Camp participants will explore two different artforms each week – morning session 9:00am-12:00pm, and afternoon session 1:00pm-4:00pm. There may be some special camps that are only offered all day.

Campers are encouraged to bring water bottles clearly labled with their names each day. You may send your own snacks, or a snack provided by Goodman Community Center will be available. If your child has food allergies, please be sure to include this information in the registration form.

Registration Procedure & Policies:

Registration for individual weeks can be completed through our online registration platform on this page under Camps & Events.

TIP: Filter for the desired age group to simplify the options displayed!

Contact: Please email education@artlitlab.org or call 608-556-7415 if you have questions or need assistance with registration.

M3 Insurance Adds Seven New Shareholders

M3 Insurance recently announced seven new company shareholders: Keith Berry, Senior Retirement Plan Consultant; Jay Brown, Senior Account Executive; Lacey Endres, Vice President of Property & Casualty Operations; Matt Mekemson, Senior Account Executive & Managing Director; Rebecca Menefee, Vice President of M3 Elevate; Jesse Roberts, Senior Business Development Executive; and Kelsey Stacks, Senior Account Executive.

Berry provides guidance around employer-sponsored financial plan designs, drawing on his deep understanding of retirement plans, fiduciary obligations, and the regulatory environments. He joined M3 Financial in 2013.

Brown advises clients on plan design and risk management solutions with a focus on property & casualty for the construction & real estate industry. He joined M3 in 2022 with the Trottier Insurance Group acquisition.

Endres partners with executive leadership to set the strategy for the agency’s property & casualty operations. Her leadership focus includes M3’s property & casualty client services, brokerage, surety, and risk management teams. She joined M3 in 2007.

Mekemson specializes in property and casualty insurance with a focus on construction and real estate clients. He also acts as managing director of M3’s Kenosha office, overseeing overall office functions, facilitating cross-division growth strategies, and serving as a primary conduit from the Kenosha office to senior leadership. He joined M3 in 2022 with the Trottier Insurance Group acquisition.

Menefee provides sales leadership and employee development support, executing on various strategies to grow and retain M3’s client base within the M3 Elevate division. She joined M3 in 2016.

Roberts educates the business community about M3 services, including insurance and risk management, employee benefits and retirement planning. He joined M3 in 2016.

Stacks consults with and advises clients about the design, implementation, and management of their benefit programs. She joined M3 in 2016 as part of the M3YOU program.

Each of M3’s 57 shareholder partners is a current employee who is actively involved in our business and must sell his or her shares prior to retirement. This ownership structure ensures engagement while aligning with M3’s commitment to remain privately held.

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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.