• The Badger State ranks 16^th for overall health
• Report proves Wisconsin health systems moderate cost
• New ‘report cards’ offer grades on safety for Wisconsin hospitals
• Study says rural nurses like their jobs better
• BadgerCare Plus enrollment ticks are up

 The Badger State ranks 16th for overall health

According to the United Health Foundation’s America’s Health Rankings report, Wisconsin is the 16th healthiest state. The Badger State scored high for its low uninsurance rate (9.9%) and high school graduation rate (90.7%), it ranked last in public health funding and binge drinking.

To read the report, CLICK HERE.

Report proves Wisconsin health systems moderate cost

According to a new study released on December 4, Wisconsin health systems continue to have a positive impact on health care cost. The Greater Milwaukee Business Foundation on Health (GMBFH) shows that southeast Wisconsin health insurance premium costs continued to moderate and improve compared to Midwest and national averages.

To read the key findings, CLICK HERE.

New ‘report cards’ offer grades on safety for Wisconsin hospitals

Wisconsin hospitals recently received grades for the safety of their facilities. The Leapfrog Group, who published the ratings, follows a national trend of consumer-friendly evaluations of hospitals and other providers. Consumer Reports is partnering with the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality on a 30-page insert (to be published in the next few months) that will rate Wisconsin physicians on several preventive health measures.

According to a review from Kaiser Health News, the study says 10 Wisconsin hospitals received an “A,” 12 got a “B,” and 24 finished with a “C.”

The grades are based on 26 measures of publicly available hospital safety data.

To read the study findings, CLICK HERE.

Study says rural nurses like their jobs better

The Journal for Nursing Management recently released new data that says rural nurses have higher job satisfaction and lower job stress than urban nurses. The authors include Marquette University College of Nursing assistant professor Marilyn Bratt and Medical College of Wisconsin assistant professor Jessica Pruszynski.

The study followed newly licensed nurses participating in the federally funded Wisconsin Nurse Residency Program. It also found that nurse residency programs have the potential to boost recruitment at rural hospitals, which will take on increasing importance as the nursing workforce and patient base continues to grey, according to the study.

To read more, CLICK HERE.

BadgerCare Plus enrollment ticks are up

Wisconsin Health News said in a recent newsletter that BadgerCare Plus enrollment went up in October. After several months of losses, BadgerCare Plus enrollment inched up. The program grew 0.1% to 758,955, with 1,600 new kids. The rolls are still down since July due to the Department of Health Services implementing higher premiums and enrollment restrictions.

Meanwhile, BadgerCare Core Plan enrollment of childless adults continued to fall. It’s now at 21,700, or one-third of early 2010 levels.

To read more, visit Wisconsin Health News or CLICK HERE.

This post was researched and written by Trish Skram, blogger and research content specialist for WHPRMS. To read more, CLICK HERE.