Director's message from

Beth Haskovec

The health status of people—which includes their physical, mental, and emotional well-being—plays a key role in determining how well they learn, participate in the economy, and thrive. Wisconsin residents clearly told the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity that lack of access to essential physical and mental health services is hurting the people and the economy of rural Wisconsin.

One recommendation in the commission’s Rural Voices for Prosperity report was to expand career pathways for rural medical professionals and caregivers. The Workforce Innovation Grant program provided the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire a $9.4 million dollar grant to develop a comprehensive, multifaceted approach to alleviate workforce shortages in health care, education, and social services while improving the health and well-being of families and individuals in rural regions of Wisconsin. Partnering with local school districts and social services organizations, the university will work to place education and social work students in rural settings to encourage them to stay and build their careers there. The campus will also partner with the Mayo Clinic Health System in northwest Wisconsin to design an innovative curriculum and offer clinical experiences aimed at encouraging more students to become nurses. UW-Eau Claire also will establish new degree programs in growing health care fields such as public health, health care management, and psychiatry.

WEDC has made strategic investments supporting entrepreneurs in the mental health and wellness field through the Main Street Bounceback Grants program, seeding hundreds of small businesses that provide mental health counseling, chiropractic services, and holistic wellness in rural communities across the state.

In addition, rural communities have leveraged WEDC’s Community Development Initiative grants to support the rehabilitation of commercial properties that expand access to health care services. For example, the community of Hillsboro helped with transforming an underutilized downtown property into a state-of-the art medical and fitness center. The Hillsboro Chiropractic and Rehabilitation Center expansion intends not only to improve community health but also to contribute to the economic development of downtown Hillsboro. Having local health and wellness services will keep residents and visitors from driving to other communities to meet their needs. Wellness centers also bring a steady flow of customers downtown, and those customers often patronize other businesses for food, recreation, shopping, and other services.

This month, we are featuring community resources and programs that support sustained and improved access to health care for rural residents across Wisconsin. 

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