Wis-MAC Program

Annually over 200,00 military service members will separate from active duty. Healthcare holds promise as a target industry with jobs for transitioning military veterans given healthcare’s high number of job openings, especially jobs requiring less than a bachelor’s degree and the projected growth in the healthcare industry. According to the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs approximately 3,000 military service members return annually to Wisconsin, the majority return to their communities of entrance.

Based on Heroes for Healthcare’s experience in working with transitioning service members and veterans with healthcare MOS, they face difficulty with their training and experience not translating into civilian healthcare employment. Unfortunately, many are unemployed, underemployed or not working in healthcare. To address this challenge, Heroes for Healthcare, in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs,  proposes to use the Commonwealth of Virginia Military Medics and Corpsmen Program, as a model to develop Wisconsin’s program. The Virginia MMAC Program states it is changing the way healthcare hires veterans in Virginia. Click to watch this video to see the first female hire in the MMAC Program.

The following reflects successful hires resulting from the VA MMAC Program in each of the three pathways, through October, 2021:

• Total Hires – 368
  
• MMAC Qualified (Pathway 1) – 146
• No Veteran Left Behind (Pathway 2) – 157
• Healthcare Leadership (Pathway 3) – 65

There are three key outcomes of Wisconsin Assembly Bill 720 legislative bill:

·       Provide Medics, Corpsmen and Medical Technicians with the opportunity for a civilian healthcare job like the one they performed while in service of our country

·       Make Wisconsin an attractive state for Veterans and Service Members with healthcare experience as Virginia and Wisconsin will be the only states with this type of program

·       Have an immediate positive effect on the shortage of healthcare workers

Heroes for Healthcare Legislative Honorees

Heroes for Healthcare extends appreciation to the dedicated and actively engaged members of the Heroes Wis-MAC Coalition who contributed their time, expertise, and passion to develop the Wis-MAC program, legislative bill, and passage of AB 720. The journey began in February 2021 and included over thirty-five Zoom meetings, outreach to over fifty veteran and healthcare organizations to promote the Wis-MAC program and gain support, legislative outreach to recruit sponsors and cosponsors for the bill in the Assembly and Senate and provided testimony at Assembly and Senate committee hearings.

Heroes for Healthcare recognized and honored members of the Wis-MAC legislative team for their outstanding leadership, dedication, and passion, which contributed to the passage of AB 720 in the Wisconsin Legislature. To honor these Wis-MAV volunteers, and the State Legislators who sponsored the Bill in the Assembly and Senate, Heroes for Healthcare created a Challenge Coin to commemorate this outstanding accomplishment.

The 2022 Heroes for Healthcare Gala Award Honorees were recognized during the Gala, which was held at the Brookfield Conference Center on November 5, 2022.

Senator Andre’ Jacque, (R), Wisconsin State Senate, District 1 De Pere, WI. Senator Jacque was the lead sponsor of SB 688 in the Wisconsin State Senate, and he introduced the Bill on November 11, 2021, on Veterans Day. Senator Jacque made passage of the Bill a priority and he conducted outreach to his colleagues to ask for their support and to sign onto the Bill.  Heroes for Healthcare recognized and honored Senator Jacque for his leadership, and commitment to help medically trained service members and veterans find their career in civilian healthcare.

Rob Summerfield, (R), Wisconsin State Assembly, District 67, Bloomer WI. Representative Summerfield was the lead sponsor of AB 720 in the Assembly and introduced the Bill on November 19, 2021. He worked closely with Assembly leaders to schedule the Bill for a hearing by the Assembly Committee on Health in a timely manner, and added an Emergency Rule-Making Amendment. Heroes for Healthcare recognized and honored Representative Summerfield for his dedication, leadership, and willingness to actively support the passage of AB 720.

Jarvis Racine, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Workforce Development & Government Affairs, Herzing University, Whitewater, WI. Member, Heroes for Healthcare Board of Directors. Jarvis extensive knowledge and experience of the legislative process and ability to work across party lines was invaluable. His professional relationships in higher education, workforce development and healthcare were leveraged to gain support for AB 720. Jarvis testified before the Senate and Assembly Committees and conducted outreach to champion the benefits of the Bill to address workforce shortage in healthcare.

Paul Fisk, American Legion Department Wisconsin, Member Council on Veterans Programs, former Alderman and Mayor of Lodi, and Navy Veteran, Lodi, WI. Paul is well- known and respected in the State Capitol for his dedication, passion, and advocacy on behalf of Wisconsin Veterans. His knowledge and experience of the legislative process was used effectively to promote and gain support for AB 720, because of his long-standing relationships with legislators in both parties. Paul testified before the Senate and Assembly Committees on behalf of the American Legion to encourage passage of the Bill.

Shawn Lerch, CEO, Sauk Prairie Healthcare, Navy Veteran, Prairie Du Sac WI.  Shawn consistently used his healthcare administrator’s experience and knowledge of Wisconsin healthcare rules and regulations to shape the development of the Wis-MAC program requirements. He asked tough questions and examined distinct options to ensure the program’s design could be supported by his peers. Shawn’s served on several of the Wis-MAC task groups and shared his expertise and experience. He willingly agreed to testify before the Senate and Assembly Committees and effectively stated why AB 720 should be supported and approved. He is a strong advocate of the Wis-MAC program, and is committed to hiring eligible veterans at Sauk Prairie Healthcare.

Sylvia Lai, Talent Acquisition Coordinator, CoVantage Credit Union, Wausau, WI. Sylvia used her extensive human resource skills, and experience to inform the Wis-MAC eligibility requirements. She is a strong advocate for the Federally Qualified Community Health Centers and how medically trained service members could use their experience and training to improve quality and access at these facilities. During the legislative outreach for AB 720, Sylvia agreed to develop talking points and messaging strategies to promote and gain support for the Bill. Her enthusiasm, passion, active engagement, and expertise was valued by the Legislative Team and Heroes for Healthcare.

Matthew Schroeder, Director, Office of Military & Veteran Services, Edgewood College, Army & Marine Veteran, Arena, WI. Matthew contributed his considerable knowledge of student veteran’s academic needs, and how their military training is undervalued to inform Wis-MAC requirements for obtaining a Wisconsin license. Matthew’s perspectives, and experience as both an Army and Marine veteran was beneficial during the planning process. When asked if he would be willing to testify before the Senate and Assembly Committees, he quickly agreed and came to the Capitol in a suit, because he wanted to be taken seriously. During his testimony he shared facts and his experience about why AB 720 should be approved and how passage of the Bill would enable medics, corpsmen, and medical technicians to continue to serve and transition to civilian healthcare.

Representative Christine Sinicki, (D), Wisconsin State Assembly, District 20, Milwaukee, WI. Representative Sinicki has served in the Wisconsin State Assembly since 1998 ad has earned a reputation for her ability to work collegially with her colleagues on issues to improve benefits and support for military veterans, public education, and healthcare. Representative signed onto AB 720 as the Ranking Democrat and provided guidance on how to navigate the legislative process, emphasizing the importance of gaining support across party lines, outreach to Labor and veteran organizations to gain support for the Bill. She served on several Wis-MAC task groups and provide timely feedback on the numerous drafts of the Bill.

Heroes for Healthcare recognized and honored Representative Sinicki for her outstanding support, leadership and engagement which contributed to the passage of AB 720.

The following veteran, and healthcare organizations and institutions registered in support of AB 720 and SB 688.

• Concordia University Wisconsin
• Gundersen Health System
• Heroes for Healthcare
• Herzing University
• League of Women Voters
• Milwaukee Professional Firefighters Association
• Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative
• Wisconsin Hospital of Nurse Anesthetists
• Wisconsin Hospital Association
• Wisconsin Nurses Association
• Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association
• Center for Veteran Issues

Click here for the Wisconsin State Legislature’s website

Click here for the Wisconsin State Senate’s website

The following video reflects on why Wisconsin is a great choice for employers.