UW Health announced the creation of WorkForward, a new non-profit organization that is designed to bolster the national health care workforce. Building on the health system’s nationally recognized leadership in developing innovative career pathways in health care, WorkForward is the first employer-based intermediary in health care, aligning employers, educators, governing bodies and other organizations around shared workforce development goals and outcomes. WorkForward will guide and support efforts to build and scale innovative approaches to health care workforce development, drawing upon the sustained success achieved in the Madison area.
Jennifer Williams has been a nurse in the Trauma and Life Support Center at University Hospital for the past 13 years of her 18-year-and-counting nursing career, but nursing has always been part of the Madison native’s life. Williams, who goes by Jenn, is a fourth-generation nurse in the Madison area, dating back to her great-grandmother in the early 1900s. One of her most profound childhood memories is of her mother and grandmother saving a little girl while they were on vacation by administering emergency CPR. Then, a few years ago, the nursing family tree extended into her marriage when her husband, Andre Williams, who goes by Dre, became a nurse.
A childhood cancer diagnosis disrupts life for the entire family. The pediatric oncology nurse navigators at UW Health Kids | Carbone Cancer Center provide a consistent and compassionate point of connection as families move through each stage of treatment. From the very beginning of care, this specialized team partners with patients and their families, offering education, sharing tailored resources, and remaining readily available to answer questions and provide support during an overwhelming time. “Repetition is important,” said Emily Gulczynski, BSN. “Research shows that families can only absorb a small amount of information at once during a crisis like a new cancer diagnosis. For this reason, we revisit details about treatment again and again: what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and why their child may be feeling certain side effects. Sometimes we explain that, although treatment may make them feel sick, it’s ultimately helping them get better.” (Read more at the link below)
Dr. Mahua Dey, a UW Health | Carbone Cancer Center neurosurgeon, often operates on glioblastomas. Knowing how aggressive and deadly this form of brain cancer is, she is researching a new personalized vaccine that would revitalize the patient’s immune system to fight new cancer growth. “As a surgeon scientist, my approach to research is translational — a true combination of my clinical practice and basic science research,” Dey said. “Every tumor I operate on, we take it to the lab with three specific goals. One: to really understand the tumor biology. Two: to understand the immunogenomics of the tumor. And three: to leverage what we learned from one and two as a treatment opportunity.” According to Dey, glioblastomas are one of the most common, yet most aggressive, forms of brain cancer. Unfortunately, treatment options are limited and patients usually die within a few years of diagnosis. Brain cancers are more difficult to access and less prevalent than other cancers, leading to less research and fewer therapeutic developments. Dey is hoping to fill this gap. She is developing a vaccine that trains the immune system to fight new growth of glioblastoma. This treatment would be given after tumor removal surgery with the goal of stopping the cancer from returning. This is particularly important for glioblastoma, which has a nearly 100% recurrence rate because it is impossible to completely remove all the microscopic disease with surgery.
UW Health is introducing a magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, technologist apprenticeship program designed to address the increasing need for skilled imaging professionals and provide a new career pathway in advanced medical imaging. The use of MRI is rapidly growing in health care, offering detailed images without the use of ionizing radiation. Technologists play a critical role in patient care and diagnostic accuracy of MRI, operating complex imaging systems while ensuring patient safety and comfort, according to Bridgett Willey, director of allied health education and career pathways at UW Health. “This program is an innovative way to meet the growing demand for MRI technologists while supporting career advancement for individuals passionate about patient care and technology,” she said. The new apprenticeship program combines hands-on clinical training with focused classroom instruction. Apprentices will work alongside experienced MRI technologists at University Hospital, East Madison Hospital, Science Dr Medical Center and 1 S Park St Clinic, gaining practical experience in patient care, anatomy and image quality. The first cohort of five students were hired internally and instruction begins Jan. 12. A second cohort will start in August, with job postings expected in February.
In the fast-paced world of emergency care, nurse Sara Westra is a steady, compassionate presence. Her colleagues rely on her for guidance during critical situations—whether it’s leading a code, mentoring a new nurse or calmly navigating complex cases. With years of emergency department experience, Sara has become the person everyone turns to when it matters most. What truly sets Sara apart is her holistic approach to patient care. She doesn’t just treat the presenting complaint, she also looks at the full picture. Sara considers the medical, social and emotional needs of her patients, encouraging families to be active participants in care planning. Her empathy extends to everyone in the room, helping people feel seen and supported during some of the hardest moments of their lives. She brings professionalism, insight and unwavering kindness to every shift. For her leadership, mentorship and dedication to patient-centered care, Sara is honored with the Nursing Excellence Award in Emergency Services.
In Fall 2024, UW Health opened Eastpark Medical Center, a more than 475,000-square-foot, seven-story facility, and the largest medical facility to be completed in the United States that year. The first year the facility was open to patients exceeded almost every expectation, according to Teresa Neely, vice president and regional chief operating officer, UW Health. “We’ve seen some incredible responses from patients and staff to this new space,” she said. “Our weekly volume for appointments is above what we anticipated.” On average, there are approximately 1,050 clinic visits per day at Eastpark, or about 5,300 per week, as well as an average of 4,600 ancillary appointments — supportive or diagnostic appointments like imaging, lab, nutrition and rehab — per day, or almost 23,200 per week.
UW Health has officially started construction on University Row Medical Center, an expansion of the existing Digestive Health Center at 750 University Row. The center will be connected to the Digestive Health Center, about two miles west of University Hospital. This project marks a strategic step in the long-term plan to vacate the aging facility at 20 S. Park St. and improve access to care in Madison’s central Isthmus. The plans have been years in the making, according to Katrina Lambrecht, chief administrative officer, UW Health. “We provide remarkable care to more than 4 million patients per year through our outpatient clinics, so having facilities to meet growing demand is essential,” she said. University Row Medical Center is a significant step forward in the health system's plan to provide space for most of the clinics currently located at 20 S. Park St., according to Lambrecht. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2027, and the first patients are anticipated to have appointments in the new space at the beginning of 2028.
Medics from the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 115th Fighter Wing in Madison are the first group from the unit to participate in continuing clinical training at UW Health. This collaboration provides medics with hands-on opportunities to refresh skills, validate competencies and stay current with clinical best practices. The agreement is years in the making and involves UW Health professionals from nursing, Trauma and Life Support Center, emergency department, Burn and Wound Center and allied health education and career pathways. It’s the largest training agreement between a branch of the military and a private employer in the state of Wisconsin, according to Bridgett Willey, director, allied health education and career pathways, UW Health.
A new virtual nursing program in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or NICU, at American Family Children’s Hospital is effectively helping new nurses adjust to the challenging environment of bedside care for the tiniest patients. The NICU at the children’s hospital is a Level IV, which is the highest level, where the most seriously ill and medically complex patients are cared for. The turnover rate for new nurses is high nationwide, approximately 32% in the first year, according to a 2025 Nursing Solutions report. Before the program started, American Family Children’s Hospital NICU had a 38% new-to-practice nursing turnover rate from 2021 to 2023. Neonatal intensive care nursing is particularly demanding, and high turnover is caused by the medical complexities of the patient population as well as the emotionally difficult nature of the job, according to Morgan Kuhl, NICU nurse, UW Health Kids. To help address the turnover rate, UW Health Kids launched a virtual nursing program in July 2024, led by three UW Health Kids NICU bedside nurses: Kuhl, Grace Long and Hailey Madson, who together have nearly 20 years of NICU experience. Since implementing the virtual nursing program, no new-to-practice NICU nurses have left during their first year, Kuhl said.
