UW Health: Developing a COVID-19 Winter Resilience Toolkit is Important for Mental Health

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UW Health: Developing a COVID-19 Winter Resilience Toolkit is Important for Mental Health

Madison, Wisconsin – Approximately 4-6 percent of the US population experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a type of depression that typically occurs during the winter months, and another 10-20 percent have a milder form of the condition.

Cold weather and a lack of sunlight seem to be triggering factors for this condition, and Wisconsin will have no shortage of either one of these over the next six months.

Between the end of daylight saving time this weekend, the colder temperatures, stress related to COVID-19 and even the political divisions facing our country at election season, people are more at risk than ever to experiencing SAD and the winter blues.

But UW Health psychologist Shilagh Mirgain says that developing a COVID-19 winter resilience toolkit can help people stay happier and healthier this winter. The following are some important tools that Mirgain says we should develop as we enter these winter months:

• Be active: Regular exercise has been shown to reduce depression and help prevent it.
• Shift your focus: Instead of dwelling on your problems turn your perspective outside of yourself, such as do a kind act, help someone, express gratitude to others or feel awe for the world around you.
• Stay connected: Connect with others in person or virtually.
• Get outside: Spending time outdoors is always good for mental health.
• Engage in self-care: Eat healthy foods, prioritize good sleep, and maintain a daily routine.
• Vitamin D3: In northern climates, like Wisconsin, the sun’s rays are not strong enough to give us what we need. Talk with your doctor about supplements. The daily recommendation in the U.S. is 1,000 international units. Mushrooms and fish are also a natural source of vitamin D.
• Light therapy: Consider using a light therapy box, which have been proven to be effective for certain individuals with SAD.
• Call your doctor: Speak with your physician if you experience feelings of being down and have no interest in doing the things you used to enjoy, especially if these symptoms are disruptive or you are having thoughts of suicide.

Some of the most common symptoms of SAD include loss of interest or pleasure in things typically enjoyed; fatigue; concentration problems; sleep problems; weight gain; feelings of sluggishness or restlessness; irritability; sense of helplessness or hopelessness.

WPS Health Solutions plans new Support Center on Madison campus

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

WPS Health Solutions plans new Support Center on Madison campus

MADISON, Wis.—Oct. 30, 2020—WPS Health Solutions is embarking on the first phase of a Facility Master Plan for its Madison campus, which includes construction of a new Support Center and the potential sale of the Nordby Building, adjacent parking ramp, and excess land available for development along the Yahara River.

Some components of the plan are driven by the desire to vacate two off-campus facilities before leases expire. The Support Center, proposed to be built near the Koenig Building, will consolidate operations from Todd Drive and the Veridian Building. The Support Center will house print and mailing operations, a distribution center (warehouse), and technology support services.

“WPS continually works on long-term planning to anticipate changing business needs, with a strategy for competitiveness, growth, modernization of facilities and technology, and enhanced data security,” said President and CEO Mike Hamerlik.

“The Facility Master Plan has been in development for over a year and is not a direct reaction to COVID-19, although the company expects a number of employees temporarily working at home because of COVID-19 will ask to become permanent remote workers when the pandemic subsides,” he said.

With the transition to more remote workers over the last several years, WPS has experienced a need for less office space on the Madison campus. The Broadway Building, which currently has minimal occupancy, will absorb some of the employees moving from Nordby. Corporate Center and the Koenig Building also will accommodate some of the employees from the Nordby Building. A specific timetable for the moves has not been determined.

The Facility Master Plan also includes the potential to construct two more buildings on the Madison campus. Phase 2 proposes to construct a hub attached to the west end of Corporate Center. It would feature a new main entrance and lobby for the campus. Phase 3 proposes to add a building to the hub if additional space is necessary.

The Facility Operations team, led by Ken Roseth and Andrew McCready, is coordinating the project. Their goal is to modernize the campus and build facilities that can accommodate WPS for many years ahead.

“Moving forward on this long-term master plan will modernize WPS facilities and shows the company’s commitment to the Madison area,” Roseth said.

The Nordby property is listed through Andrew Jensen of Cushman & Wakefield Boerke.

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.

Schematic design of the Support Center, next to Koenig, is subject to change.

Exterior schematic view of the Support Center, subject to change.

Seven More Wisconsin Nonprofits to be Powered by Renewable Energy through RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good Program

RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good program has awarded over $190,000 in cash grants and materials to Wisconsin nonprofits for installing on-site solar energy systems. Seventeen organizations will install 719 kilowatts of clean, renewable electricity leading to nearly $1.4 million in renewable energy investments in Wisconsin.

The following organizations have been offered Fall 2020 Solar for Good grants to install new solar electric systems:

All Saints Lutheran Church, house of worship, Fitchburg.

Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, after-school youth programming, Madison.

Community Clothes Closet, free clothing provider, Menasha.

Couleecap Inc, poverty alleviation, Westby.

Ezekiel Lutheran Church, house of worship, River Falls.

Friends of Sauk County Fairgrounds, historic preservation, Baraboo.

Grace Evangelical Free Church, house of worship, Viroqua.

Habitat for Humanity of Dane County, affordable housing provider, Madison.

Habitat for Humanity Restore, affordable housing support, Beaver Dam.

Just One More Ministry, food pantry, Glendale.

Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity Restore, affordable housing support, Greenfield.

Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, house of worship, Madison.

The BRICK Ministries, poverty alleviation and food pantry, Ashland.

Walnut Way Conservation Corps, community conservation organization, Milwaukee.

Yerkes Future Foundation, education and historic preservation, Williams Bay.

Two organizations have asked to remain anonymous at this time.

This round of Solar for Good grants features a diverse group of organizations from across Wisconsin. The Boys and Girls Club of Dane County will install over 250 panels at their Madison-based facility and plan to demonstrate the benefits of solar energy to the young people they serve. An 11-kilowatt array will be installed at the BRICK Ministries in Ashland with the help of donated solar panels from One Energy Renewables, a large-scale solar developer. And a 60-kilowatt array is planned at the famous Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, home of the world’s largest refracting telescope used for astronomical research.

“The grant and the installation of solar panels underscores the ongoing value of Yerkes Observatory as a place for scientific discovery and education,” stated Dianna Colman of Yerkes Future Foundation. “Students and visitors will experience firsthand the impact of solar power…even on a building dating back to 1897.”

In addition to the Couillard Solar Foundation, Solar for Good’s founding funder, this cycle of grants also received backing from the Array it Forward initiative at First Unitarian Society in Madison. The First Unitarian Society won a Solar for Good grant in 2018 and wanted to share the benefits they received from their solar array with other nonprofits across Wisconsin. Array it Forward is made possible through donations solicited from their congregation and the community.

“Solar for Good shares our values and priorities for stabilizing our climate and speeding our transition to renewable energy,” said Carol Phelps, a contributing donor to Array it Forward. “This will make life better for the children of the world…when people unite to tackle climate change, there is great hope for the future.”

The 17 nonprofit organizations are a part of Solar for Good’s 7th round of funding. Since its inception in 2017, Solar for Good has offered solar grants to 96 Wisconsin-based nonprofits.

When each of the solar projects are energized, these nonprofits will have added over 4 megawatts of clean, renewable energy to Wisconsin’s electric mix, enough to power approximately 900 homes. Solar for Good projects will represent a total of $9.2 million of private investments in Wisconsin renewable energy over the past three years.

About Solar for Good RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good initiative fosters the expansion of solar power among mission-based nonprofits and houses of worship in Wisconsin. Through a generous partnership with Couillard Solar Foundation and Array it Forward, RENEW Wisconsin awards grants and solar panels to nonprofit organizations, helping them switch to clean, renewable, solar energy. 

About RENEW Wisconsin RENEW Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization which promotes renewable energy in Wisconsin. We work on policies and programs that support solar power, wind power, biogas, local hydropower, geothermal energy, and electric vehicles. More information on RENEW’s website: www.renewwisconsin.org.

WPS Health Plan, Inc. expands to 22 counties on Health Insurance Marketplace for 2021

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

WPS Health Plan, Inc. expands to 22 counties on Health Insurance Marketplace for 2021 

MADISON, Wis.—Oct. 29, 2020—WPS Health Plan, Inc. will offer health insurance coverage in 2021 in 22 Wisconsin counties through the Federally Facilitated Marketplace, also known as the exchange (healthcare.gov). This is an expansion from eight counties for the 2020 plan year.

“We are excited to offer WPS Health Plan individual products to more Wisconsin residents during the annual Open Enrollment Period, Nov. 1 through Dec. 15,” said Jeremy Ott, Vice President, WPS Health Insurance Economics. He noted that WPS Health Plan previously was marketed as Arise Health Plan.

On-Marketplace counties for WPS Health Plan in 2021 are: Brown, Calumet, Dodge, Door, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Kenosha, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marquette, Milwaukee, Oconto, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago.

Eligible individuals who purchase an on-Marketplace plan may qualify for a tax credit to help reduce premiums or cost-sharing reductions to help reduce their deductible and out-of-pocket costs. Beginning Nov. 1, consumers can compare plans, calculate potential tax credit, and enroll in a plan at wpshealth.com/individual-family/individual-family-hmo.

About WPS Health Plan, Inc.

WPS Health Plan, Inc. is a legal, for-profit corporate entity that has the certificate of authority to sell health insurance including HMO products in the state of Wisconsin. It also maintains accreditation with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), which is required to sell on the Federally Facilitated Marketplace. WPS Health Plan is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Insurance). Consumers will continue to see the WPS Health Insurance name as well as the newly branded WPS Health Plan.

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.

Stacey Boelter Joins Oak Bank as Mortgage Loan Processor

For Immediate Release
Contact: Karen Virnoche, 608.441.6000
kvirnoche@oakbankonline.com

Stacey Boelter Joins Oak Bank as Mortgage Loan Processor

Fitchburg, WI – Oak Bank, Fitchburg’s community bank since 2000, is pleased to welcome Stacey Boelter to the team as a Mortgage Loan Processor.

In her role, Stacey will underwrite and process mortgage loans for clients that are purchasing a home or refinancing an existing loan to take advantage of today’s historically low interest rates.  Stacey will help our clients pursue the dream of home ownership with a caring, client-centric approach that Oak Bank is known for. 

“Stacey has a proven track record of working with clients in community banks for over 20 years and we look forward to her sharing her talents with our team and clients,” said Terry Taylor, Oak Bank President & COO. “Being able to make a difference for so many families in our area truly exhibits our commitment of ‘putting us to work for you’.  We know what it means for our clients to feel confident during their home buying process, and our Home Lending division instills that trust from the very beginning.”

“I’m thrilled to be a part of a company that employs so many people dedicated to forming quality relationships both internally and externally,” said Stacey. “Being with family and friends is my favorite way to spend time, which makes working at Oak Bank a perfect match.”

Stacey graduated from Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota and now resides in Madison with her family and pet dog and cat.

About Oak Bank
Oak Bank has been deeply rooted in the Fitchburg community and Madison area for 20 years, meeting the financial needs of homeowners and businesses by offering top-notch service, quick answers and unique solutions, all while supporting over 125 local nonprofits each year. Visit oakbankonline.com to learn more.

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