UWO brings healthcare leaders together to strengthen Wisconsin’s workforce

Regional healthcare leaders take part in Healthcare Forward Symposium Aug. 5 at UW-Oshkosh-a panel hosted by NEW Healthcare Alliance and UWO with dialogue centered on the state's health professionals and care availability.

Healthcare leaders, educators, policymakers, workforce experts and students gathered Aug. 5 at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh for the Healthcare Forward Symposium, a regional forum focused on strengthening Wisconsin's healthcare workforce and improving access to care.

Hosted by the NEW Healthcare Alliance in partnership with UWO, the symposium explored rural healthcare, workforce shortages, emerging talent needs, digital transformation and opportunities for stronger collaboration across sectors.

For UW-Oshkosh, the conversation connects directly to the University's role in preparing nurses and healthcare professionals who serve communities throughout Wisconsin.

UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Dr. Manohar Singh said universities can play an important role in bringing education, healthcare, government and community partners together around shared workforce needs.

"Wisconsin's healthcare workforce challenges require sustained collaboration," Singh said. "Universities can connect education, research and talent development with the needs of healthcare providers, policymakers and communities. This symposium brings those voices together to better understand the challenges, identify shared priorities and move from dialogue to action."

Building the healthcare talent pipeline

Through its nursing and health professions programs, UWO helps prepare professionals who serve healthcare systems and communities throughout Wisconsin.

"There is real urgency in addressing Wisconsin's healthcare workforce challenges," said Seon Yoon Chung, dean of the Mary Novak-Jandrey College of Nursing, Health Professions and STEM and a member of the NEW Healthcare Alliance steering committee.

"We can meet these challenges through collaborative, regional solutions that feature cross-sector partnerships," Chung said. "It is critical to open talent pathways that support recruitment, retention, upskilling and career advancement across healthcare occupations."

Dr. Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Prevea Health and a member of the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents, emphasized the importance of expanding the overall healthcare talent pool rather than simply competing for existing workers.

"I recognize that healthcare organizations compete for patients, for contracts and-most relevant to the symposium-for the same people," Rai said. "The distinction I'd offer is that, while we compete over the talent pool, we do not compete over the size of it. Recruiting from each other is zero-sum; growing the pipeline is not zero-sum."

Rai also highlighted upskilling and reskilling existing employees as an important opportunity to strengthen the workforce in communities where people already live and work.

Partners around the same table

State Sen. Kristin Dassler-Alfheim joined healthcare and regional leaders for discussions about workforce needs and access to care.

Dassler-Alfheim noted that communities face different healthcare challenges and emphasized the value of bringing partners from across sectors together to develop sustained approaches that respond to those varying needs.

Patti Habeck, president and CEO of New North Inc., also participated in the discussion, bringing a regional economic-development perspective to conversations about talent development, employer needs and long-term collaboration.

Healthcare in a changing environment

Matt Kures, community economic development specialist and researcher with the UW-Madison Division of Extension, delivered the keynote address, Healthcare in the Digital Age, examining how changing technology is influencing healthcare delivery and workforce needs.

Healthcare students also shared their perspectives, while strategic sessions on Designing the Healthcare Workforce of the Future and Breaking System Bottlenecks examined recruitment, retention, education and career pathways.

The afternoon program focused on rural healthcare through a panel moderated by Marie Barry of the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative. Panelists included Kristie McCoic of Froedtert ThedaCare Health, Dr. Ashwani Bhatia of BayCare Clinic and Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Secretary Amy Pechacek.

Rebecca Deschane, vice president of talent development for New North Inc. and overseer of the NEW Healthcare Alliance, said collaboration among employers, educators, workforce organizations and policymakers is central to the effort.

"Bringing together healthcare leaders, educators, workforce experts and policymakers to engage in strategic discussions and identify collaborative solutions is the goal of the forum," Deschane said.

For Singh, the symposium also highlighted the broader role a public university can play in addressing complex regional challenges.

Universities can facilitate sustained dialogue through research, convenings and partnerships-connecting policymakers, healthcare leaders, educators and workforce organizations while also preparing the professionals communities need.

At UW-Oshkosh, that work is reinforced by the University's strengths in nursing and health professions and its role in developing Wisconsin's healthcare talent pipeline.

"UW-Oshkosh is ready to work alongside our partners to translate these conversations into stronger educational pathways, responsive workforce programs and expanded access to care, particularly in rural Wisconsin," Singh said.

The Healthcare Forward Symposium demonstrated how UWO can contribute on multiple fronts: educating the next generation of healthcare professionals, connecting research with workforce needs and creating opportunities for partners across sectors to turn dialogue into coordinated action for Wisconsin communities.