WPS Health Solutions shares a ‘Love Letter to First Responders,’ sends treats to hospital workers, adds red heart to face mask for Valentine’s Day

MEDIA ADVISORY | February 12, 2021

Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-977-7343
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com

WPS Health Solutions shares a ‘Love Letter to First Responders,’ sends treats to hospital workers, adds red heart to face mask for Valentine’s Day

Following up on the “face mask” replicas that were added to its Madison campus sign in December, WPS Health Solutions is celebrating Valentine’s Day by sharing a “Love Letter to First Responders” and adding red hearts to the sign at 1717 W. Broadway in Monona.

The temporary face masks call attention to the continued need for people to wear face coverings to reduce the spread of COVID-19, even as vaccines are being administered around the nation. The masks say, “We support first responders.”

For Valentine’s weekend, WPS is delivering treats and healthy snacks for Intensive Care Unit employees at hospitals in WPS communities: Madison; Wausau; Green Bay; Omaha, Neb.; Hampton, Va.; and southern Illinois. (Madison hospitals: SSM Health St. Mary’s, UnityPoint Health – Meriter, and UW Health)

Jessica Marking, a Brand Journalist in WPS Corporate Communications, wrote the following tribute, which is being shared with WPS employees and on the company’s social media channels.

A love letter to our first responders …

For so many serving in health care, your career path wasn’t a choice but a calling.

As battlefield health care providers, you have tended to the fallen of an invisible enemy during the COVID-19 pandemic. With overrun hospital beds and supplies, you have sacrificed for us.

Your face is covered with scars from your mask while your capable hands heal us and do not fear us. You’ve persevered in the face of total exhaustion. You have protected us.

Showing compassion for perfect strangers. Every day honoring the oath you pledged. Treating every color, every age, every human with decency and dignity. You have loved us.

Encouraging the fight within us and showing up day after day with no end in sight. You have advocated on our behalf. You have listened to our circumstances, our stories, our concerns, and our hurt. You have shown us patience.

Holding our hands when it is time to let go. You comfort our families in times of grief, guilt, and sorrow—and clap your hands in celebration of recovery. You have raised them in thanksgiving as you lifted us in good health. You have cried over us, prayed over us, and healed us.

People have called you heroes; people have called you warriors. From the bottom of our hearts, we call you angels.

At WPS Health Solutions this Valentine’s Day, we have a message for our employees, customers, and everyone else: Share your love for the first responders in your life.

Please #sharethelove by tagging @WPSHEALTHSOLUTIONS on Facebook and LinkedIn, and @WPS_HS on Twitter.

About WPS Health Solutions:

Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation is a nationally regarded benefits administrator for a variety of U.S. government programs and a leading not-for-profit health insurer in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation utilizes “WPS Health Solutions” to refer to our entire enterprise. Within our enterprise, there are three divisions, including Government Health Administrators, Military and Veterans Health, and WPS Health Insurance/WPS Health Plan/EPIC Specialty Benefits. WPS Government Health Administrators manages Medicare Part A and Part B benefits for millions of seniors in multiple states, and WPS Military and Veterans Health serves millions of members of the U.S. military and their families through TRICARE and Veterans Affairs programs. Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation has been based in Madison, Wis., for nearly 75 years. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.

Summit Credit Union’s Cottage Grove Headquarters Becomes COVID-19 Testing Site

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:           

Media Contact:
Emily Decorah
(608) 243-5000
publicrelations@summitcreditunion.com  

Summit Credit Union’s Cottage Grove Headquarters Becomes COVID-19 Testing Site
Financial cooperative hosting free drive-thru testing in partnership with testing provider JangoDX, Wisconsin Department of Health Services

MADISON, Wis.—February 11, 2021—Summit Credit Union, a Madison-based financial cooperative, is now hosting COVID-19 testing at its Cottage Grove headquarters, located at 1709 Landmark Drive. The free drive-thru testing service is part of a partnership with testing provider JangoDX and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS).

“We are thrilled to be able to offer our headquarters as a testing site. This is so important to the health and well-being of our community. The site is easy to get to and will be open seven days a week,” said Summit Credit Union CEO & President Kim Sponem.

JangoDX has been working with the Wisconsin DHS to expand testing availability throughout Dane County. In the FDA-approved, self-administered test, individuals are provided test kits and instructions on how to complete their test. The process collects patient information and swabs in under five minutes and provides results within 3-7 days.  

The drive-thru testing lane is set up in the back parking lot of the Summit headquarters, located at 1709 Landmark Drive in Cottage Grove. Testing is offered seven days a week from 8 am – 3 pm, with hours subject to change due to weather and other factors. Please check the site’s availability at https://jangodx.com/community-testing/ or by calling JangoDX at 1-800-936-0534 and selecting Option 1.

About Summit Credit Union:

Established in 1935, Summit Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative. Summit is the 2nd largest credit union in Wisconsin and holds $4.4 billion in assets and has more than 209,000 members and 679 employees across 45 locations throughout south-central and southeastern Wisconsin. Kim Sponem has been CEO & President of Summit Credit Union, and its predecessor organization, CUNA Credit Union/Great Wisconsin Credit Union, since 2002. Recognized for its excellence in employee engagement, Summit was named a Top Workplace in the USA in 2021 by Top Workplaces USA and the Top Large Workplace in the Madison area for 2020 by the Wisconsin State Journal. For more information, visit www.summitcreditunion.com or call 608-243-5000 or 800-236-5560. 

For additional media information, visit https://www.summitcreditunion.com/about-summit/press-room or follow Summit on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  ###

Parent Company of Wisconsin Bank & Trust Recognized as a Forbes Best Bank in America for 2021

CONTACT:
Brent Giles
President and CEO
608.203.1224
bgiles@wisconsinbankandtrust.com

Allison Lindorfer
Marketing Specialist
715.781.2665
alindorfer@wisconsinbankandtrust.com

PARENT COMPANY OF WISCONSIN BANK & TRUST RECOGNIZED AS A FORBES BEST BANK IN AMERICA FOR 2021

February 9, 2021 – Madison, WI — Wisconsin Bank & Trust through its parent company, Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLF), has been named a “Forbes Best Bank 2021.”

In its annual review of the largest publicly traded banks and thrifts, Forbes ranked Heartland 52^nd  among a nationwide group of 100 leading banking organizations with assets ranging from $9 billion to over $2 trillion.

“We are proud to be named among the Best Banks in America for 2021,” said Brent Giles, President and CEO at Wisconsin Bank & Trust. “As a community bank, what sets us apart is our strong commitment to our customers, combined with access to ‘big-bank’ products and services as part of Heartland.”

“The Forbes ranking underscores the benefits of our unique structure—the strength and capabilities of a big bank, combined with the personal touch and local decision-making of a community bank,” Giles said. Wisconsin Bank & Trust offers full-service branches where experts can meet all financial needs throughout the community.

To compile the rankings, Forbes used data collected by SNL Financial through the third quarter of 2020 on the country’s largest publicly traded banks and thrifts. The data covered 10 metrics of financial health: return on average equity; net interest margin; nonperforming loans (NPLs) as a percentage of loans; nonperforming assets as percentage of assets; reserves as a percentage of NPLs; two capital ratios (Tier 1 and risk-based); and leverage ratio. Forbes generated its ranking based on an average of the individual ranks of each metric.

About Wisconsin Bank & Trust

Wisconsin Bank & Trust (WBT), a subsidiary of Heartland Financial USA, Inc., (NASDAQ: HTLF), is a business-focused community bank with assets of more than $1.2 billion. With 13 banking centers and one loan processing office, Wisconsin Bank & Trust serves customers in the Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Sheboygan, Monroe and southwest areas of Wisconsin. WBT offers a wide range of personal and business banking, private client and mortgage lending services. For more information, visit www.wisconsinbankandtrust.com or call 608.203.1214. Wisconsin Bank & Trust is a member of the FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.

About Heartland Financial USA, Inc.

Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is a $17.9 billion diversified financial services company providing commercial and retail banking, residential mortgage, wealth management, investment services and insurance services.  Heartland currently has more than 130 banking locations in more than 100 communities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Texas and Wisconsin.  Additional information about Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is available at www.htlf.com.

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State Bar of Wisconsin: Wisconsin lawyers offer free legal advice to small businesses impacted by the pandemic

MADISON, WI – Small businesses in Wisconsin now have a place to go for free legal advice on issues they face due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a tough economy.

Starting Feb. 5, volunteer attorneys with the State Bar of Wisconsin Business Law Section will meet with small-business owners each Friday for an hourlong appointment, as part of the section’s new Small Business Assistance project.

The project, implemented in collaboration with the Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics program, pairs volunteer attorneys and law students with pre-screened small-business owners who have legal questionsrelated to their business.

The Small Business Assistance will support a wide-variety of small businesses, including those that provide business services; restaurants and bars; retail; health, beauty and fitness; automotive repair, travel and lodging; and recreation, according to Patricia J. Lane, section board member and organizer of the project. Lane is a partner with Foley & Lardner in Milwaukee.

How it Works

Wisconsin-licensed lawyers will offer free consultations, by Zoom or by phone, of up to one hour. If a business
law issue cannot be adequately addressed during the session, the business person may be referred for an additional one-hour session at no charge. Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Finance and lending
• Insurance claims/coverage
• Commercial leases and contracts
• Tax
• Labor and employment
• Real estate
• Commercial debtor/creditor
• Regulatory compliance, including privacy and COVID-19 related requirements

Exclusions: Litigation; entity selection and formation; patent, trademark, or other intellectual property issues; or commercial real estate transactions.

A Very Real Need

Small businesses account for 99.4% of all businesses in Wisconsin, and they employ nearly half the state’s workforce. Lane recognized the need after hearing that business lawyers were receiving many questions from small-business owners on issues regarding compliance with COVID-19 governmental orders and whether force majeure clauses in contracts may be invoked to excuse performance, and governmental loan programs, including determining eligibility and compliance.

“Other owners needed assistance with business-interruption insurance claims and labor matters,” Lane said.

While the project currently offers an hour-long consultation for three businesses per week, additional consultations may be added in the future. “We will calibrate our future level of service to meet demand,” Lane said.

The project, she says, is expected to last indefinitely.

“One way we can help these business – and thereby the community at large – is to provide free legal advice. We hope this will increase the chances that a local business will be able to survive and thrive – thereby preserving jobs,” she said.

Request an appointment today for your free one-hour consultation.

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FPC Live Announces the “Return to Live”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, February 8, 2021

FPC Live Announces the “Return to Live”
A New Breese Stevens Field Series

Madison, WI – February 8, 2021 – FPC Live will be announcing the first artist in their “Return to Live” Series at Breese Stevens Field on Tuesday, February 9 at 9:00am local. The show date is set for Thursdsay, May 6^th and is expected to be the kick-off show in the series. This exciting, socially-distanced series will take place throughout the 2021 season and replicate the company’s successful “Around the Bend” socially-distanced concert series in Charleston, South Carolina which hosted 11 concerts in the fall of 2020 with plans for more shows this spring and summer.

“We are thrilled to safely bring live music to Madison,” said Matt Gerding, President of FPC Live. “Our experience in other parts of the country have proven that fans can safely enjoy outdoor live events, and we look forward to bringing shows back to our hometown.”

The “Return to Live” concerts will look different than previous Breese concerts. Reserved, socially-distanced 8 x 8ft pods will be sold rather than individual tickets. Each pod can accomadate up to four guests. Breese Stevens Field normally hosts up to 10,000 fans for concerts; however, current plans for the series have a capacity of 1,512 in the stadium with pods divided among the field and stands. Other safety plans, include staggered entry and exit times, required face coverings, cashless concessions, and more. General information and safety guidelines are available at www.fpc-live.com/madisonreturntolive.

“We are confident in bringing our successful socially-distant concert model to Madison, and we know the community will continue to follow the mitigation steps supported by Public Health Madison Dane County (PHDMC). These efforts work, and we know Madison’s music lovers can count on everyone to mask up and stay safe so we can enjoy live music again this spring and summer,” added Gerding.

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About Frank Productions

Frank Productions (FPC Live) is a full-service concert promotion company involved in every facet of live events including production, logistics, ticketing, marketing, sponsorships, food and beverage, operations, and merchandising. Frank Productions produces and promotes live entertainment events in arenas, amphitheaters, performing arts centers, clubs, and other venues across the country. For additional information, visit www.FPC-Live.com.

Frank Productions (FPC Live) Media Contact:
Matt Gerding, President
matt@fpc-live.com