About Us

The Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program is a component of the endowment fund at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The vision for the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program is to improve the health of the people of Wisconsin. The program supports community-academic partnerships that address public and community health improvement. The program supports projects that define public health inclusively, focusing on broad determinants of health in communities.

Projects funded by the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program must address three key areas of emphasis:

1. Principles of Stewardship

2. Community-Academic Partnership Model

3. Health Improvement Model
 

Background

In 1999 Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin submitted an application to the State of Wisconsin's Office of the Commissioner of Insurance to become a for profit stock corporation. Under the proposed conversion, Blue Cross/Blue Shield would transfer 100 percent of its value to a new public health foundation. This foundation would, over time, sell its shares in the converted Blue Cross/Blue Shield Corporation and split the proceeds equally between the University of Wisconsin Medical School and the Medical College of Wisconsin.

In March 2000, Insurance Commissioner Connie O'Connell approved the conversion proposal with several modifications meant to provide for public participation in, and accountability for, management of the conversion funds. Full details of the Application for Conversion of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of United of Wisconsin, and the Order of the Insurance Commissioner are available on the State of Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance web site.

Expenditure of the funds by the Medical College of Wisconsin was enabled following the approval of the five-year plan by the Consortium, the Medical College of Wisconsin Board of Trustees and the Board of the Wisconsin United for Health Foundation, Inc., in accordance with the Insurance Commissioner's Order (for more information see Five-Year Plan). This approval process concluded in March 2004.

The full value of Blue Cross/Blue Shield conversion was realized through the sale of stock which occurred primarily in 2004. The proceeds of the conversion were made available to the Medical College of Wisconsin in March 2004 at an initial value of more than $300 million.

The Medical College of Wisconsin is now investing and managing the proceeds in an endowment fund. Income from the endowment fund will be available for distribution in accordance with the Insurance Commissioner's Order and the Five-Year Plan.