Group taking steps to expand graduate medical education in northern and central Wisconsin.

The Medical College of Wisconsin – Central Wisconsin Campus was awarded a grant through the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment to conduct a northern and central Wisconsin regional assessment of graduate medical education (GME) need and capacity. This award is phase 1 of a possible 3-phase project to ultimately develop and sustain GME expansion.

The Wisconsin Northern & Central GME group (WiNC GME), is doing something rival health systems don’t typically do, choose to work collaboratively. The group is making strides to better understand the different options for expanding GME such as growing current programs, starting new programs, offering rotations in additional communities, and utilizing the area’s veteran’s hospitals and clinics. Over the last six weeks, many participated in a series of informational webinars to get a deeper dive into topics like: “Graduate Medical Education in Wisconsin: Options for GME Consortia,” “Rural GME: From Rotation to Rural Residency Training Tracks,” “GME Funding: Beyond the Basics and Creative Options,” and “The VA: A Partner for GME Expansion.” The webinars are available to the public here: WiNC GME Webinars

Lisa Dodson, MD, Principal Investigator of the grant and MCW – Central Wisconsin Campus Dean explains, “Increasing the availability of residency education in the Central Wisconsin region is an essential component of meeting the physician workforce needs of Wisconsin. Medical students who also complete residency in the region are far more likely to put down roots and remain in the area to practice. Additional opportunities for Wisconsin medical students to stay in the area to complete their medical training will benefit the students, the health systems and ultimately our patients, as we form the basis for a more sustainable workforce.”

One of the biggest surprises of the project has been the early interest from competing healthcare organizations to investigate a GME consortium model in the northwoods region. Developing a consortium was originally designated to phase 2 and 3 of the grant cycle, but with clear support and the crucial need for additional GME slots in our state, the timeline has been accelerated.

“Education has a way of building bridges. The group’s willingness and enthusiasm to collaborate on GME expansion for the good of our state’s future healthcare workforce is exciting,” said Kara Traxler, Project Manager for the grant and Director of Rural GME Development of the Wisconsin Collaborative for Rural GME a program of the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative.

For more information on the WiNC GME group or to discuss GME expansion in northern and central Wisconsin, contact Kara Traxler ktraxler@RWHC.com.

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Press Contact

Kara Traxler, Project Manager, WiNC GME Grant

Director of Rural GME Development, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative

608-643-1060, ktraxler@RWHC.com