La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium

The Consortium was founded in 1993 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and a collaboration of the five founding partner institutions. While it was created in response to projected health care workforce shortages, it also facilitates improvements in regional health and healthcare and supports applied research in health and medically related disciplines.

The first project of the Consortium was to establish the Health Science Center, a facility for education and research that would house programs of the partnering institutions. The building was opened in the summer of 2000 and today is home to programs, classes, and research efforts of Gundersen Health System, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Western Technical College.

In 2005, the Consortium began engaging not only within their partnership but in the community, recognizing the value of the education/healthcare collaboration to the community at large. Several teams were established to explore project work in the areas of improving population health, addressing healthcare workforce shortages, increasing graduates in healthcare programs, and finding collaborations among researchers. Today, we are involved in a number of community-based projects that reach beyond the core partnership into our surrounding region.

In 2009, the La Crosse County Health Department and the School District of La Crosse joined the Consortium as partners.

Counties Served

Wisconsin: Buffalo, Clark, Crawford, Grant, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Sauk, Trempealeau, Vernon

Minnesota: Fillmore, Houston, Wabasha, Winona

Iowa: Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Winneshiek

Mission:  "Fostering collaboration for healthier communities"

What are we doing to accomplish our mission of "fostering collaboration for healthier communities"?

The Consortium acts in many roles, depending on the needs of the community.  We can serve as a leader of a collaborative effort, a convener of partners, a participant in coalitions and teams, or an assistant to organizations seeking shared funding or planning.

We work both internally, to help our partners and their collaborators find common solutions to issues that affect everyone, and externally, assisting community partners and collaboratives with managing complex projects and encouraging dialogue within the community through events and presentations.

Publications

The final report describing alcohol trends in La Crosse County from the Changing the Culture of Risky Drinking Behavior Coalition.

Burden of Health Disparities in Chronic Illnesses (2014)

A report describing disparities in chronic disease outcomes related to differences in race, age, income, and other socioeconomic factors.

Burden of Mental Illness Report (2011)

A report detailing the impact of mental illness on the greater La Crosse region.

Burden of Obesity and Physical Inactivity Report (2009)

A report describing the economic impact on the community of obesity and a lack of physical activity in the population.

• President

  Kevin Dean
  Western Technical College
  Dean of Health and Public Safety

• Vice President/Secretary

  Scott Rathgaber
  Emplify Health
  Chief Executive Officer

• Treasurer

  Tanner Holst
  Mayo Clinic Health System
  Administrative Chair, Practice

• Ju Kim
  University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
  Dean, College of Science and Health
• Aaron Engel
  School District of La Crosse
  Superintendent
• Scott Okuno
  Mayo Clinic Health System, SW WI
  Physician Lead
• Tonya Wagner
  Viterbo University
  Vice President of Academic Affairs and Institutional Effectiveness
• Audra Martine
  La Crosse County Health Department
  Director/Health Officer
• Megan Smith
  Viterbo University
  Dean - College of Nursing and Health
• Roger Stanford
  Western Technical College
  President
• Kraig Schuster
  Emplify Health
  Vice President, Team 4 and Critical Access Hospitals
• Stephanie Pope
  University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
  Vice Chancellor - Administration and Finance


•  
•  

La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium

1300 Badger St., Office 3065

La Crosse, WI 54601, U.S.A.

ph: 608.785.5150

fx: 608.785.5154

info@lacrosseconsortium.org