Advertisement

Well Woman Program is being restructured

Error message

  • Warning: array_merge(): Expected parameter 1 to be an array, bool given in _simpleads_render_ajax_template() (line 133 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Notice: Trying to get property 'settings' of non-object in _simpleads_adgroup_settings() (line 343 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Warning: array_merge(): Expected parameter 1 to be an array, bool given in _simpleads_render_ajax_template() (line 157 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/includes/simpleads.helper.inc).
  • Notice: Trying to access array offset on value of type null in include() (line 24 of /home/pdccourier/www/www/sites/all/modules/simpleads/templates/simpleads_ajax_call.tpl.php).

By Correne Martin

The Wisconsin Well Woman Program (WWWP), which provides preventive health screening services to women with little or no health insurance coverage, is undergoing a restructuring period.

Crawford County has provided WWWP services for more than 20 years. County administration first learned of the changes in late 2014.

Until now, every county has had a well woman coordinator who helps women apply and receive services through the program. In addition, there have been about 1,000 providers throughout the state of Wisconsin that administer well woman breast and cervical cancer screenings as well as multiple sclerosis testing for women with high-risk signs of multiple sclerosis, to uninsured and underinsured women ages 45 to 64. Last year, the state  decided it was going to eliminate some of the medical providers offering the screenings and also move toward a more regional approach with its coordinators.

“The state required all medical providers to reapply to be a provider,” said Michelle Breuer, well woman coordinator through the Crawford County Public Health Department. “Initially, only large health care facilities were to remain a part of the program.”But that was until advocates and coordinators, like Breuer, partnered with their rural hospitals to get the perspective out there of rural women, who would find it difficult to travel to bigger cities to have screenings done.

“Traveling to La Crosse or Dubuque is not always feasible, especially for women who are uninsured or underinsured. The state’s goal is that no woman should have to travel more than 50 miles for these services,” Breuer said. “It might mean the difference between whether they have the screenings done or not.”

The county health department recently learned that the work of local advocates has paid off. Breuer collaborated with Crossing Rivers Health in Prairie du Chien to assure that the hospital and its clinics, as well as Gundersen Clinic and Mayo Clinic in Prairie du Chien, could continue to remain part of the provider network. Vernon Memorial Healthcare in Viroqua will also continue to offer these services.

“For Crawford County, this is awesome news,” Breuer stated. “We are very proud our local providers were chosen. I’m also proud of our hospital for recognizing this need and wanting to provide for our community.”

As of July 1, Breuer will no longer be the county well woman coordinator, as the position becomes regional and moves, most likely, to La Crosse County. From April to June, the state will go through a transition period. So, local women interested in applying for free screening services of the WWWP are encouraged to contact Breuer at the Crawford County Public Health Department at 326-0229.

“I have typically had contact with about 100 women a year and only about 40 to 50 of those actually go through the application process and get screened,” Breuer pointed out. “More women should really take advantage of this. It’s really an important and worthwhile service.”

During the transition period, stakeholders wanting to give input on the new program model may email their comments to DHSWWWPinputonfuturemodel@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

Rate this article: 
No votes yet