WPS Health Solutions nationally recognized for culture excellence

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-512-5754
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com

WPS Health Solutions nationally recognized for culture excellence

MADISON, Wis.—Oct. 27, 2021—WPS Health Solutions was named one of the recipients of  2021 Top Workplaces for Remote Work and 2021 Top Workplaces for Work-Life Flexibility as a part of the October 2021 Top Workplaces National Awards. Both culture excellence awards were given in addition to WPS earning a Top Workplaces honor by the Wisconsin State Journal earlier in March 2021.

The honorary list is based solely on employee feedback through a survey by Energage, an employee engagement technology company. The anonymous survey measured 15 culture drivers critical to the success of any organization, including alignment, execution, and connection. More than 2,300 WPS employees participated in the survey at the end of 2020. Employers that scored high enough were recognized as Top Workplaces.

For the national awards, employers were categorized by size and then, based on data from 70,000 organizations and 23 million surveys, Energage evaluated organizations against industry’s most robust benchmarks.

The Top Workplace for Remote Work celebrates the Top Workplaces whose workforce consists of at least 50% of survey respondents being “mostly remote” or “fully remote.”  Only 3% of companies were given this award.

The Top Workplace for Work-Life Flexibility is given to companies whose employee surveys indicated and confirmed they were provided the flexibility they needed to maintain a healthy balance between work and their personal lives. 

“We are honored to receive two 2021 Top Workplace Culture Excellence awards for Remote Work and Work-Life Flexibility. At WPS, our performance-based culture is one where our people’s great work and innovations are seen, fueled, and rewarded,” said Moira Klos, Human Resources Senior Vice President. “One way we accomplish this is by providing employees with the flexibility, support, and autonomy they need to be productive, engaged, and healthy. Cultivating an adaptive work environment results in a healthier, more resilient workforce.”

For more information about the October 2021 Top Workplaces National Awards, please visit topworkplaces.com/october-2021-awards-reveal.

About WPS Health Solutions

Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions), founded in 1946, is a nationally regarded benefits administrator for a variety of U.S. government programs and a leading not-for-profit health insurer in Wisconsin. WPS Health Solutions serves active-duty and retired military personnel, seniors, individuals, and families in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and around the world. WPS Health Solutions, headquartered in Madison, Wis., has more than 2,800 employees. Within the enterprise, there are three divisions: WPS Government Health Administrators, WPS Military and Veterans Health, and WPS Health Insurance/WPS Health Plan/EPIC Specialty Benefits. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.

About Energage

Energage is a Certified B Corporation that helps organizations measure, shape, and showcase their culture to build a sustainable competitive advantage. Through its fully unified SaaS platform, plus support and professional services, Energage customers are successfully recruiting and retaining the right talent for their organization by building, maintaining and branding their unique culture. Having launched the industry’s first employee engagement survey in 2006, Energage draws on the employees’ feedback collected through the leading employer recognition program—Top Workplaces—to maintain the industry’s most robust workplace culture benchmarks.

Wisconsin Union: Dr. Reuben Jonathan Miller Will Discuss Exclusion, Punishment Former Prisoners Face During Free Discussion on Nov. 9

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 27, 2021    

Contact: Shauna Breneman
Phone: (608) 262-8862
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu

DR. REUBEN JONATHAN MILLER WILL DISCUSS EXCLUSION, PUNISHMENT FORMER PRISONERS FACE DURING FREE DISCUSSION ON NOV. 9

MADISON – Reuben Jonathan Miller, Ph.D., describes the restrictions that people released from prison face as creating a new form of citizenship predominantly focused on exclusion and punishment, which prevent them from gaining employment and places to live.

Miller will speak to audience members during a free moderated discussion and Q&A in Shannon Hall and through a livestream on Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. CST about the barriers former prisoners face after incarceration. The Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Distinguished Lecture Series (DLS) Committee and Just Dane invite all to attend in-person or online. To attend in-person, guests must obtain a free, printed ticket at the Memorial Union Box Office or register to attend the in-person event here and print their tickets at home. A printed ticket is required for entry to the in-person event. Patrons do not need tickets for the free livestream. WUD DLS will make the livestream link available here.

Miller, who is a sociologist, criminologist, and social worker, says that more than 19,000 laws, policies and administrative sanctions prevent people with criminal records from gaining employment. He researches how these and other factors restrict the lives of people released from prison as well as works as an associate professor at the University of Chicago.

He published his debut book “Halfway Home: Race, Punishment and the Afterlife of Mass Incarceration” in 2021, which compiled 15 years of his research and field notes on the permanent effects of incarceration on released prisoners’ lives. He conducted hands-on research, including serving as a chaplain at the Cook County Jail in Illinois for five years and following the lives of dozens of formerly incarcerated people.

Miller’s brother Jeremiah experienced the effects of the laws, policies and sanctions affecting formerly incarcerated individuals first-hand when Jeremiah’s parole was delayed, because he could not find housing. He remained in prison months after he was granted parole until he eventually found housing in Michigan. Jeremiah further struggled as he balanced the requirements of his parole and worked to regain his financial footing and find employment during life after prison.

“What I decided to study was what I call the afterlife of incarceration,” Miller said. “So this is the way that prison follows people. It’s like a ghost.”

The WUD DLS Committee brings thought leaders to the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus to spark thought-provoking conversations. WUD includes 11 student-led committees and six student-led Wisconsin Hoofers clubs that program thousands of events on campus each year.

More information about the upcoming WUD DLS event is available here.

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About the Wisconsin Union Directorate Distinguished Lecture Series Committee

The Wisconsin Union Directorate Distinguished Lecture Series Committee contributes to the educational experience of University of Wisconsin–Madison students, Wisconsin Union members and community members by bringing engaging and influential people to campus. Founded in 1987, the series aims to expose the campus community to a diverse and vibrant array of people, backgrounds, and ideas. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/dls.
[Note: Click here to download a photo of Dr. Reuben Jonathan Miller. Photo by Jonathan Miller.]

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/reuben-miller.

Madison Ballet Partners with American Heart Association to Bring Life-Saving Resources to Their Facility

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 27, 2021

Madison Ballet Partners with American Heart Association to Bring Life-Saving Resources to Their Facility

Madison, WI – Madison Ballet and the American Heart Association (AHA) are partnering to provide life-saving CPR/AED training to Madison Ballet’s faculty and staff. This partnership coincides with the local nonprofit acquiring their first on-site automated external defibrillator (AED) earlier this month.

Madison Ballet has students of all ages practicing and performing high-impact athletics in their facility. It makes both common and scientific sense to have their faculty trained in CPR, with an AED on site so that they are optimally equipped to respond to emergencies. Implementing additional safety measures is appropriate given the raised health and safety risks as a result of COVID-19.

“COVID has brought with it increased numbers of pediatric patients with abnormal heart rhythms, recovering from varying degrees of cardiac inflammation,” says Dr. Andrea Rock, Pediatric Cardiology Specialist, SSM Health. “Fortunately, the impact of the inflammatory reactions in the heart has been reduced by vaccinating young adults, but the true incidence and long-term impact are still unknown. With so many people affected, there has never been a better time to be conscientious about the safety of the settings where our families are learning and being active.”

Currently, less than 12% of victims survive sudden cardiac arrest, but effective bystander CPR and AED defibrillation provided immediately after cardiac arrest can double or even triple a victim’s chance of survival.

“CPR and particularly AED-assisted CPR saves lives. As a pediatric cardiologist, I have witnessed this more times than I ever wanted to. I have seen children and young adults who survived sudden cardiac arrest, and I have worked hard to try to help families find answers after one of their children did not survive. These events happen to physically active, fit people when they are exerting themselves. I have seen cardiac arrests at every age. The most important factor in giving a person a chance at survival is early effective AED-assisted CPR.”, says Dr. Rock.

“We are always grateful for additional resources to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and community, a need that has drastically increased with the pandemic,” says Madison Ballet CEO, Jonathan Solari. “The American Heart Association has been an incredible resource as we continue to increase the safety of all those who work, learn, create and inspirein our studios,” says Solari.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 10,000 cardiac arrests happen in the workplace annually. Knowing how to perform CPR and use an AED is a matter of life or death.

“We applaud Madison Ballet for making the health and safety of the community, their performers, and their staff a priority. The addition of AEDs and CPR trainings in organizations and workplaces is an integral part of ensuring successful outcomes should a cardiac arrest occur,” says AHA Executive Director, Carrie Nevins.

Dean Health will be administering the American Heart Association CPR/AED training course for Madison Ballet faculty and staff on November 1st, 1-3:30 pm, and November 5th, 7-9:30 pm. This training will be open to a limited number of journalists. Please contact Lexi Janssen at lexi@madisonballet.org to secure your attendance.

Contact: Lexi Janssen, Madison Ballet Marketing Manager

Phone: (262) 402-2358

Email: lexi@madisonballet.org

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Tom Olson named ESPN Madison Market Manager

MADISON, WI. (October 26, 2021) – Good Karma Brands (GKB) and ESPN Madison are excited to announce Tom Olson as the new Market Manager of ESPN Madison, effective November 1, 2021. As Market Manager, Olson will be responsible for overseeing the station’s sales, marketing and content strategy and execution. Olson steps into this role as Keith Williams, Vice President and current ESPN Madison Market Manager, segues to ESPN 1000 in Chicago.

Tom Olson has held a variety of roles throughout his career at Good Karma Brands, including managing the company’s business development team, and most recently as the Director of Sales & Marketing at ESPN Madison.

“I’m excited to lead one of Good Karma Brands’ heritage markets,” said Tom Olson, new Market Manager of ESPN Madison. “Madison is an incredible sports town, and I’m looking forward to working with our talented team, as well as local businesses and marketing partners as we build on our years of serving the passionate sports fans.”

“Tom is an exemplary model of a Good Karma Brands teammate who embodies our six core values,” said Keith Williams, ESPN 1000 Market Manager. “His experience in developing teammates, passion for the organization, and commitment to the community make him an ideal candidate for the role.”

Tom began his career with Good Karma Brands in 2011 as an intern and quickly ascended to the leadership team. He is involved in various organizations and committees, including SHARP Literacy’s Board of Directors, Young Professionals Board where he served as President, and a member of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

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About Good Karma Brands

Good Karma Brands, LLC (GKB) is a media and marketing company with expertise in leveraging the power of sports and local news to build brands through radio, digital, events, and TV assets. Radio assets include Newsradio 620 WTMJ and 101.7 The Truth in Milwaukee, Wis., seven ESPN affiliated radio stations in Chicago, Cleveland, Madison, Milwaukee and West Palm Beach, and two stations in Beaver Dam, Wis. In partnership with ESPN, GKB also offers local marketing partners geo-targeted advertising on ESPN’s digital platforms. In addition to its radio assets, GKB boasts a number of premium brands, including an events division that produces the Wisconsin Sports Awards, Tundra Trio hospitality houses in Green Bay, Wis., and the Boca Raton Bowl; and a home furnishings and interior decorating business, The Home Market. For more information, please visit www.goodkarmabrands.com. ​

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