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.

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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Kraus-Anderson completes Kia Subaru renovation in Janesville, Wis.

JANESVILLE, Wis. (May 2023) – The Madison office of Kraus-Anderson (KA) has completed the renovation of Janesville Kia and Janesville Subaru located at 3301 North Pontiac Dr. in Janesville, Wis.  The dealerships are owned by Janesville-based Home Run Auto Group.

Designed by R.B. Custom Designs, the $1.76 million, 7,485-square-foot project renovated an existing, abandoned motorcycle storage building into a car wash and auto detailing center.  The new building offers two car wash bays, two detailing bays, a photo booth room, undercoating bay and a new surface lot for overflow parking for both Kia and Subaru dealerships.

KA constructed the Janesville Kia and Janesville Subaru in 2016, and has built several other dealerships for Home Run Auto Group, including Kenosha Subaru in Bristol, Wis., and Racine Honda and Racine Hyundai in Mount Pleasant, Wis.

About Kraus-Anderson

Established in 1897, Kraus-Anderson (www.krausanderson.com) is an integrated construction management and real estate development enterprise working independently and in collaboration with a family of companies, including insurance, mortgage and realty operations. Kraus-Anderson, an EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability employer, is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. and has regional offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wis., Bismarck, N.D., and Duluth, Bemidji and Rochester Minn.

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Johnson and Phelps to join Jeter at AmFam Championship

Former Masters, British Open champion and Olympian to participate in celebrity foursome hosted by Andy North

Two-time major winner and 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson and Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history, will join baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter in this year’s AmFam Champ Celebrity Foursome hosted by Andy North.

The Celebrity Foursome is a fan favorite at the PGA TOUR Champions American Family Insurance Championship, which begins Friday, June 9 at University Ridge Golf Course in Madison. Following the final grouping of tournament play on Saturday, June 10, the celebrities will play a 9-hole exhibition for charity starting on the 10th hole. The expected tee time is 2 p.m.

“We’re very excited to welcome Zach and Michael to this year’s Celebrity Foursome,” said North, the Wisconsin native who continues to give back to the Madison community through his charitable work. “When you talk about athletes who have competed and won at the highest levels of sport, you know they’ll be ready to play.”

Johnson, who this fall will lead the U.S. team to Rome, Italy, for the Ryder Cup, has 12 career wins, including the 2007 Masters title and 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews, which he won in a 4-hole playoff. He is only the sixth golfer to win majors at Augusta and St. Andrews. A touring professional since 1998, he has played in five Ryder Cups and four Presidents Cups.

Phelps, an avid golfer who has participated in several Pro-Ams including the Ryder Cup, Waste Management Open and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest athletes. He holds 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold. In 2008, he established the Michael Phelps Foundation to promote water safety, healthy living and the pursuit of dreams, especially for children. The Foundation has provided learn-to-swim, healthy living (emotional and physical), and goal-setting programming to more than 250,000 children and young adults around the world through strategic partnerships with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Special Olympics International and the Level Field Fund. The Michael Phelps Foundation will host an inaugural fundraiser on September 18 in Scottsdale, Arizona, Tee it Up.

North, a two-time U.S. Open champion (1978, 1985) with over 600 career starts on tour, will be hosting the celebrity foursome event for the fifth time. Derek Jeter, an American Family brand ambassador who was a 14-time All-Star and five-time World Series Champion for the New York Yankees, will be playing in the group a fourth time.

Tournament ticket information

Tickets for the American Family Insurance Championship are available for purchase at amfamchampionship.com. Tickets, which can be used for any one day of the tournament, and prices include:

• Adult general admission ticket: $25
• Champions ticket (age 50 years or older): $15
• Youth general admission ticket (with paid adult): Free
• Active duty, reserve and retired military personnel ticket: Free
• First responder ticket: Free

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About the American Family Insurance Championship
The American Family Insurance Championship was created in 2016 by American Family Insurance, PGA TOUR Champions and PGA TOUR player and Wisconsin native Steve Stricker. Since its inception, the championship and associated events have raised nearly $15 million for the American Family Children’s Hospital and other charities. The 2023 championship will be held June 3-11 at the University Ridge Golf Course in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information: Web: amfamchampionship.com; Twitter: @AmFamChamp; Facebook: American Family Insurance Championship; Instagram: amfamchampionship. #AmFamChamp

About PGA TOUR Champions 

PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 34 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. Follow PGA TOUR Champions online at PGATOUR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter (@ChampionsTour), on Instagram (@pgatourchampions) and on TikTok (pgatourchampions).

All events are televised in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Tournament programming is available via 25+ TV linear partners in 145+ countries and territories, with 25 channels carrying long-form and/or highlights coverage, and 200+ hours of live coverage distributed in 135+ countries and territories. Programming is also available via the OTT platform GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR in every market outside of the United States, excluding China and Korea, with live coverage distributed in 130+ countries and territories.