The Partnership’s health system members are: Aurora Health Care, Children’s Hospital & Health System, Inc., Columbia St. Mary’s, Froedtert Health, and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare. Serving eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, these five health systems make significant investments in the community’s health by providing uncompensated care and prevention services to Milwaukee County’s vulnerable populations. This is a direct reflection of their non-profit mission and commitment to serve those who are most in need.
The Partnership’s community health center members are: Milwaukee Health Services, Inc., Outreach Community Health Centers, Progressive Community Health Centers and Sixteenth Street Community Health Center. Combined, they operate a total of nine clinics offering primary and dental care, as well as mobile mental health services and environmental health programs. In 2010, Milwaukee’s federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) cared for over 77,000 patients, of whom 27% were uninsured.
The Medical College of Wisconsin is the Partnership’s academic member. It represents the largest physician practice in the region and plays an important role in public and community health and research.
The Partnership’s public members have been integral to improving care for vulnerable populations. They are the City of Milwaukee Health Department, Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). Milwaukee County is a major provider of mental health services, operating a 97 bed psychiatric hospital and psychiatric crisis center. The City has oversight for public health surveillance and programing. The State’s DHS and Medicaid Office set policy and programs relative to public insurance coverage and govern and administer safety-net programs for low income children, families, elderly, and disabled individuals. The Partnership’s government entities play a key role in supporting its mission to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare disparities.
Collaborating partners provide an array of expertise and support to the Partnership. The Medical Society of Milwaukee County has been a funder and an important advocate for improving primary and specialty access, including in behavioral health. The Milwaukee Free Clinic Collaborative represents 25 free and community clinics that provide critical support to the safety net, offering primary care and medications to vulnerable patients. The Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality, (WCHQ) is a consortium of hospitals, providers and health plans working to improve healthcare quality and cost effectiveness. Its commitment to transparent, publicly reported measures has made it a national leader in driving healthcare quality improvements. The Wisconsin Health Information Exchange (WHIE) provides infrastructure for the ED Linking project, an essential component in advancing the Partnership’s goal of care coordination. Together, the WCHQ and the WHIE have been powerful resources in improving care for individuals with chronic health conditions. The Wisconsin Hospital Association and the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association, representing health system and FQHC members respectively, are critical stakeholders in helping frame the Partnership’s public policy agenda.