Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/1205592
w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 0 • I NSIGH T | 25 community that is so engaged. e Packers have two missions. One, of course, is football. e other is improving community health." HEART TO HEART Bellin's latest collaboration is around the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States — heart disease. Bellin began working with Neenah-based edaCare to fight those statistics, creating the region's largest cardiovascular care team. While observers may see Bellin and edaCare as competitors for patients, they are no strangers to working together in endeavors such as AboutHealth, Robin with HealthPartners insurance plans and Bellin-edaCare Healthcare Partners, an accountable care organization formed in 2008 that produced $14 million in savings over a three-year period while improving the quality of care provided to Medicare recipients. "Instead of competing, we can build a team that suits the geography. If we're going to improve quality experience and affordability, it's going to require partnerships," Woleske says. "We can afford to have more sub-specialization when we're treating a larger population, and you get better at it when you get to do it more." Bellin, for example, was the first hospital in the area to offer a comprehensive heart program, and it has been named one of IBM Watson Health's Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals in the nation 10 times. Woleske is excited about expanding Bellin Health Cardiology Associates care to the Appleton area. In addition to combining records, the Bellin-edaCare partnership allows the team to become more specialized, bringing innovative procedures to the region, including the MitraClip heart valve repair and the Watchman implant. e combined team includes nearly 50 cardiology care providers covering nine hospitals and almost 20 outreach centers across 17 counties in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. "Given that heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death for men and women today, our communities deserve the most extensive team of cardiology physicians, surgeons, advanced practice clinicians and other professionals," Dr. Imran Andrabi, president and CEO of edaCare, said when the partnership was launched in October. "By combining the talent and resources of our two organizations, patients and families will have access to highly specialized cardiovascular care experts and advanced technology." Looking over the city, Woleske says she is frequently reminded of Bellin's mission — bringing affordable, quality health care to the region regardless of a person's socioeconomic situation. "Over the years, we have really subscribed to a constancy of purpose," Woleske says. "Our job is to be out there." C O U R T E S Y O F B E L L I N H E A LT H Students sit outside Bellin College in Green Bay between classes. The college partners with more than 85 clinical partners in the area. "Over the years, we have really subscribed to a constancy of purpose. Our job is to be out there." — Chris Woleske, president and CEO of Bellin Health Copyright Insight Publications