UW Health Eastpark Medical Center welcomed the third and final phase of patients, including patients seeking care through the Integrated Specialty Care for Women Program. This program will enable coordinated and wholistic care for women with many conditions, including gynecologic cancers, and pelvic floor disorders like incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, as well as therapy for sexual health dysfunction., all of which impact women’s overall health and well-being, according to Dr. Ellen Hartenbach, chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
UW Health hosted a ceremony to celebrate the opening of Eastpark Medical Center. This more-than-475,000-square-foot, seven-story facility, the largest medical facility to be completed in the United States in 2024, will be home to more than 600 staff upon opening, according to Dr. Peter Newcomer, chief operating officer, UW Health. “We’ve designed this facility to offer convenient and coordinated care,” he said. “We’re thrilled to begin seeing patients at this incredible, state-of-the-art center.” With demand for high-quality health care at an all-time high, Eastpark is opening at an important time, according to Dr. Alan Kaplan, chief executive officer, UW Health. “Eastpark will transform patient care with world-class clinicians, life-saving therapies, cutting-edge technologies and world-changing research all under one roof,” he said. “The convenient location and enhanced care coordination are making the highest quality patient care accessible to patients throughout Wisconsin and beyond.”
For the 13th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report ranked University of Wisconsin Hospitals No. 1 in Wisconsin on its Best Hospitals list. This recognition reinforces the longstanding reputation for outstanding patient care, innovative therapies and exceptional patient outcomes at UW Health, according to Dr. Alan Kaplan, chief executive officer, UW Health. “We play a very important role in the health of patients across Wisconsin and beyond,” he said. “As an academic medical center, we provide remarkable care for our patients ranging from primary care to some of the most complex cases and cutting-edge clinical trials." U.S. News & World Report evaluated almost 5,000 hospitals as part of the Best Hospitals rankings. In addition to the No. 1 ranking in Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin Hospitals had seven medical and surgical specialties ranked among the best in the nation: ear, nose and throat, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, geriatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery and urology. Obstetrics and gynecology was ranked among the top 10 in the nation, at No. 7. Three additional medical and surgical specialties were rated as high performing: cancer, cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, and neurology and neurosurgery.
UW Health recently earned seven national awards from Practice Greenhealth, a nonprofit organization focused on making the health care industry more sustainable. Three UW Health hospitals in Madison were recognized for excellence in sustainability strategies and environmental achievements in several categories, according to Mary Statz, program director, Energy Management and Sustainability, UW Health. University Hospital and American Family Children’s Hospital receive one award per category, as the two hospitals share a campus. University Hospital, American Family Children’s Hospital and East Madison Hospital received the Greening the Operating Room Award, which honors facilities that have made substantial progress in reducing the impact of the surgical environment.
UW Health has again received the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The designation was awarded in the 16th iteration of the foundation’s Healthcare Equality Index, or HEI, released today. A record 1,065 health care facilities participated in the HEI 2024 survey and scoring process. Of those, 384 received the top score of 100, earning the LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader designation. “This designation is national recognition that we have an affirming community of care for our LGBTQ+ patients and staff,” said Shiva Bidar-Sielaff, chief diversity officer, UW Health.
UW Health is harnessing the power of solar energy by installing the largest solar canopy in Wisconsin at the new Eastpark Medical Center. 2,064 solar panels sitting atop the parking structure will generate clean energy for the medical center. RENEW Wisconsin, a non-profit renewable energy advocacy organization that tracks solar installations across the state, confirmed the project surpasses the size of any other solar canopy structure in the state. “Using solar energy was always part of our vision for Eastpark Medical Center, given our commitment to climate health,” said Dr. Alan Kaplan, CEO, UW Health. The easiest and most efficient way to lower the amount of energy the buildings consume is to use on site energy from the solar panels, said Kaplan. UW Health became one of the first health systems in the country in 2022 to join the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Climate Challenge, committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent within 10 years. “UW Health has not only embraced renewable energy but also set a remarkable precedent for environmental responsibility,” said Katrina Lambrecht, senior vice president and chief administrative officer, UW Health. “This initiative showcases our commitment to reducing our carbon footprint and promoting clean energy solutions.”
Gary Grosklaus is eager to bring in this fall’s cranberry harvest; he hasn’t been able to work with his cousins at the family marsh for two years as he waited for the life-changing gift of two new organs. That gift arrived in the form of a simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant on Feb. 20. By that time, Grosklaus had been managing Type 2 diabetes for more than 15 years. The Wisconsin Rapids native was first referred to a kidney specialist at UW Health in March 2022. He began dialysis a month later to remove extra fluid and waste products from his blood. Due to his declining kidney function, he was placed on the transplant waiting list in January 2023. He had to wait a little more than a year for a donor. “I was ready for surgery, and I knew I was in good hands,” Grosklaus said. “From the nurses to the doctors, the entire staff was extremely friendly and made sure to explain everything to me before my surgery.” With his transplant, the UW Health Transplant Center reached the remarkable milestone of 20,000 organs transplanted. Dr. Jennifer Philip, kidney transplant surgeon, UW Health, performed the surgery. “This achievement illustrates the excellence and teamwork of our entire transplant team,” said Philip, who is also an assistant professor of surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “Every transplant we do is significant for us and life-changing to the patient and their successful recovery is what motivates us to do this work.”
UW Health, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and Madison College have partnered to create the nation’s first respiratory therapist registered apprenticeship. The three-year program is currently open to UW Health staff, and they can submit applications starting April 1. Graduates will earn an associate degree and can become licensed registered respiratory therapists after passing board examinations. Like many health care roles, respiratory therapists are needed for a variety of reasons, according to Bridgett Willey, director, Allied Health Education and Career Pathways, UW Health. “Respiratory therapists are in high demand, providing essential care for patients, now more than ever,” Willey said. “They provide critical and life-sustaining support to our patients every day, not only those dealing with COVID-19, but a variety of acute and chronic respiratory conditions.”
According to the National Women’s History Alliance, this year Women’s History Month is honoring women who advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion, and few embody that theme more than Shiva Bidar-Sielaff. She serves as the vice president and chief diversity officer at UW Health, as well as the associate dean for diversity and equity transformation at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “Shiva has dedicated herself to promoting equity in health, education and the workplace,” said Naomi Takahashi, director of diversity, equity and inclusion, UW Health and UW School of Medicine and Public Health. “Her passion drives our team and reflects how far we’ve come and what we’re capable of continuing to do.” Bidar-Sielaff was born in Iran and relocated to Spain during the Iranian Revolution when she was 9 years old. Her experiences as an immigrant were formative, leading her to a career in championing equity, she said. “I learned what it feels like to be different and to be bullied for it,” Bidar-Sielaff said. “Fortunately, I also learned the value of inclusive spaces and diverse perspectives.” Her paternal grandmother grew up in a small village instilling in her grandchildren the importance of compassion and love. Her maternal grandmother was one of the first women to go to the university in Iran. “She was an original feminist,” Bidar-Sielaff said. “She showed me what I could do.”
Construction work is on schedule at UW Health Eastpark Medical Center, with a plan to begin seeing patients on Oct. 28. More than two dozen specialties will open their doors to patients in three phases, with most areas operational by mid-November. Eastpark Medical Center is across from East Madison Hospital on the east side of Madison. It will be a 470,000-square-foot, seven-story facility housing a variety of out-patient care programs including oncology and integrated specialty care for women. Proton Therapy to treat cancer is expected to begin in late 2025.
