The Center for Patient Partnerships

Center for Patient Partnerships News Archives

2007

It's Time for the Center's Annual "If the Shoe Fits" Fundraiser

October 18, 2007

"If the Shoe Fits" is an auction and party to benefit The Center for Patient Partnerships. Shoes provided by FAMOUS FOOTWEAR, are the canvas transformed by artists from across the nation into unique, fabulous works of art. The event raises funds which will go entirely to providing advocacy services to people with life-threatening and serious chronic illnesses.

For a preview of the shoes to be auctioned off at this year's event, please visit our event website, http://www.cppiftheshoefits.org, after October 1st.

This event is open to the public.

Center Releases a Hmong healing DVD

BRIDGING THE GAP: "BODY AND SPIRIT: HEALING YOUR WAY" HELPS HMONG AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS WORK TOGETHER FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH

August 13, 2007

The Center for Patient Partnerships and Freedom, Inc. Hmong Resource Center today released Body and Spirit: Healing Your Way, a video focusing on health and health care in the Hmong community. Body and Spirit: Healing Your Way, produced in the Hmong language with English subtitles, takes an in-depth look into improving the health care experience for the Hmong individuals living in the United States. The video features Hmong Americans from a variety of backgrounds such as that of shaman, nurse, patient, and elder who describe their health care experiences.

Xa Xiong, M.D., a physician at the University of Wisconsin Health's Fox Valley Family Medicine Clinic, says "…this video will provide a bridge for our Hmong community and medical providers in the pursuit of jointly understanding, receiving, and delivering the best quality of care in healing the spirit, the mind, and the physical being." Dia Cha, Ph.D, an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Ethnic Studies at St. Cloud State University adds that Body and Spirit: Healing Your Way "encourages Hmong American patients and shamans, as well as mainstream health care providers, to embrace both Hmong tradition and contemporary medical science in an open-minded fashion."

Body and Spirit: Healing Your Way is a video for the educator, the health care provider, and the community member. Xa Xiong and Dia Cha both highly recommend this video to not only the Hmong Mutual Assistance Associations (MAAs), and other comparable social service agencies, but also to the public for a well-rounded health care promotion agenda. The video comes with a companion brochure in Hmong and English entitled "Health Care Tips: Improve your Health Care Experience."

The Center for Patient Partnerships is an educational center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison that provides patient advocacy services to individuals with life-threatening and serious chronic illnesses while training future professionals in the art and science of health advocacy. Freedom, Inc., a non-profit organization, provides services and advocacy to low-income South Asian communities in Dane County Wisconsin around issues of domestic violence and early intervention.

To order a copy of Body and Spirit: Healing Your Way for your organization or yourself, print and mail in our order form.

Center Is Featured in Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

February 12 and 18, 2007

The Center for Patient Partnerships was featured twice in one week in the Milwalkee Journal Sentinel for their contributions to the field of patient advocacy and health care coverage.

Read the February 18th Article Online

Download the February 12th Article

Meg Gaines Is Featured in Wisconsin Week

January 31, 2007

Meg Gaines and the Center for Patient Partnerships is featured in the latest issue of Wisconsin Week, as part of its series of profiles of the Wisconsin Idea in action.

In the article, Gaines says the educational exchange between patients and students can be spread to the entire state and better the health care system through the Wisconsin Idea.

"The Wisconsin Idea often gets described as taking the brilliance and resources of the university out into the community... But the thing I really treasure about what we get to do is the second aspect of the Wisconsin Idea; the exchange, to bring the wisdom and brilliance of the community into the university," Gaines says. "We bring such gifts to them and they bring such gifts to us and the result of that makes positive change for the state and the nation."

Read the rest of the article here.

Center Video is Featured During Badger Sports

January 17, 2007

The Center has created a two-minute introductory video! This video promotes the good things happenning at the Center and in the University Community. It also focuses on the positive impact Center services have clients. This video will be played during major upcoming Badger athletic events now and throughout the semester.

Center for Patient Partnerships Awarded Grant from the Prestigious Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment

January, 2007

The Center for Patient Partnerships was awarded a two-year grant from the University of Wisconsin - Madison's prestigious Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment. The grant will fund the Center's program 'Finding a Port in the Storm: Guidance for Wisconsin families to navigate the health care system.' It will allow the Center, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, to develop and test a case-based curriculum to train employee assistance program counselors and human resources personnel as they help Wisconsin employees and families more effectively navigate the health care system. Funding will also help the Center develop an online consumer health care self-advocacy guide, including topics such as how to communicate with health care providers, make more informed medical decisions, and sort out financial, legal, and employment issues related to serious illness. The Wisconsin Alumni Association has agreed to help market the guide to its members.

The Ira and Ineva Reilly Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Endowment is designed for faculty, staff, and students to honor the Baldwins' pioneering leadership in promoting the Wisconsin Idea: Extending the talent, knowledge, and resources of the campus to the people of the state, the nation, and the world. This grant also seeks to gather ideas from Wisconsin's workers and employers to shape a consumer information resource for families. By involving an interdisciplinary group of UW - Madison students in project management and evaluation, the project advances learning in multiple dimensions.

Dr. Lee Presents Center's Interdisciplinary Advocacy Model at Symposium in Osaka, Japan

December 16, 2006

Center advocate Suzanne Lee participated in a symposium in Osaka, Japan entitled 'Legal Education and Ethical Issues in Science and Technology: Exploring New Approaches.' Osaka University Law School is interested in implementing changes to their law school curriculum to train lawyers to work in interdisciplinary settings, especially with scientists and physicians. Lee was one of three presenters invited from the United States. She spoke about the Center's model for the interdisciplinary training of patient advocates and some of the ethical issues that arise in doing advocacy work. Although the conference focused on legal education, it was truly a multidisciplinary conference, with presentations related to medicine, law, nuclear physics, communications, public policy, and ethics.

Center Introduces New Mutlidisciplinary Course

The Center and ABC for Health together have received a grant from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health to work with various community advocacy organizations to design a course entitled Health Benefits Advocacy. The course will introduce students to a vital and often overlooked area of health care - obtaining, maintaining and financing services for a wide spectrum of individual needs.

The health care system in Wisconsin, and throughout the United States, is complex and often incomprehensible; most recently apparent as seniors encountered Medicare Part D, a program designed to help them afford prescription medications. While intended to help, this program has raised difficult issues from selecting a carrier to profound gaps in coverage. Comprehensive, systemic health care reform is unlikely to occur soon; thus, stitching together myriad benefit programs, as well as the confusion and complexity of the system, are likely to continue. Vulnerable populations -- the aged, disabled, and poor are at greatest risk of incurring substantial debt and not obtaining critical medical care.

Center staff are excited to create this interdisciplinary, consumer-centered learning opportunity for graduate students from across the campus.

2006

The Center's Annual "If the Shoe Fits" Fundraiser a Wild Success

October 18, 2007

"If the Shoe Fits," the Center's annual fundauction and party to benefit The Center for Patient Partnerships, raised nearly $140,000. Shoes provided by FAMOUS FOOTWEAR, were the canvas transformed by artists from across the nation into unique, fabulous works of art. Funds will support advocacy services for people with life-threatening and serious chronic illnesses.

See shoe portraits online.

Our thanks to the many volunteers, donors, clients and students who made this event a success.

Center Launches Komen Advocates Training Program for Breast Cancer Survivors

Summer 2006

Through funding from the Madison Affiliate Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the Center for Patient Partnerships recently launched the Komen Advocates Training Program, a new initiative to train breast cancer survivors as patient advocates. Ten women have volunteered to become the first "class" of Komen Advocates and are currently completing a series of workshops and readings to support their practical case management experience. Learn more...

Meg Gaines Receives American Cancer Society's National 'Quality of Life' Award

March 25, 2006

MADISON, Wis. - Martha Gaines, director of the Center for Patient Partnerships (CPP) is one of 10 outstanding cancer care providers in the United States to be honored with the Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award from the American Cancer Society. Gaines received the award at a ceremony in Atlanta on May 18.

The Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award recognizes individuals who have made a difference through innovation, leadership, and continuing excellence providing compassionate, skilled care, and guidance to persons living with cancer and their families.

A cancer survivor, Gaines navigated her own way through the healthcare maze and has since dedicated her life to helping others do the same.

"I am honored to accept this award on behalf of cancer survivors everywhere who are paving the way for future survivors to be fully empowered members of their health care teams," she said.

Pete Daly wins 2006 Community Volunteer Honoree Award

April 27, 2006.

This award is sponsored by the United Way of Dane Country and CUNA Mutal Group. It was presented to Center Advocate Pete Daly.

2005

Meg Gaines wins Lotus Award

The award, from the Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation, was presented to Meg on May 20th (2005) by former First Lady Sue Ann Thompson, her daughter Tommi Thompson and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin.

YWCA Awards Meg Gaines For Making A Difference

In April 2005, Meg was awarded the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award.

Read the story as it appeared in the Capital Times

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2004

Meg Gaines Wins Heideman Award

April 15, 2004

UW Law Professor Meg Gaines was named the 2004 recipient of the Robert Heideman Award for Excellence in Public Service. The award is conferred annually on one member of the academic staff at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who has demonstrated outstanding service to the public.

The winner of the Heideman Award is nominated by colleagues and chosen by a special selection committee.

Gaines is one of eight members of the UW academic staff receiving one of the prestigious annual awards for excellence (in six categories).

Want to Help?

As the Center for Patient Partnerships grows, you can help educate, advocate and innovate to make health systems more consumer-centered. Though we do not charge for our advocacy services, we welcome contributions to the Center. Please join the mission by contributing!

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