State News

Small, rural communities across Wisconsin earned bragging rights, as they topped the rankings for air quality, water quality and less exposure to radon and lead, among other environmental factors.  [Read article]

Senator Dale Schultz wants to stop plans by Governor Jim Doyle’s administration to force every Job Center in rural Wisconsin to close.   Schultz said moving all Job Service personnel to 12 urban locations fails the needs of rural areas. [Read article]

The expansion of the federal emergency food assistance program for eligible flood victims residing in Manitowoc County with an application window of July 3 to July 14 (closed July 4) has been announced.   [Read article]

State and county health officials today announce that one bird in Eau Claire County and one horse in Chippewa County have tested positive for West Nile virus.  [Read article]

Community Memorial Hospital, a critical access hospital, received $25,000 to purchase video conferencing systems to enable remote pharmaceutical dispensing at primary care clinic locations in Oconto County. It was the only area organization to receive a grant.  Congratulations!  [Read article]

Missed the 2008 Rural Health Conference?  Read about the conference and plan on attending the 2009 Wisconsin Rural Health Conference in Wisconsin Dells on June 17-19.  [Read article]

A recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers on medical cost trends for 2009 lists cost-shifting from Medicare and Medicaid recipients, as well as the uninsured, as one of the major factors behind rising health care costs for consumers. [Read article]

The department is the first state agency devoted exclusively to kids and families and brings 30 services currently divided between the Department of Health and Family Services and the Department of Workforce Development under one roof.  [Read article 1; Read article 2]

The growth of the walk-in clinic system offers consumers more options, although medical professionals advise patients still see a primary care physician regularly.  Guidelines have been established for the clinics to ensure quality health care.  [Read article]

Do It! Community Challenge for the Community Emergency Prescription Drug Fund is intended to fill the "gap" until the patient can be placed on a more permanent assistance program. In the program, the Community Health Center's staff first checks on sample drugs donated from other local clinics, then the $4 generic prescriptions available at Target and Wal-Mart pharmacies. If a patient cannot be served by either of those options, he or she applies for a voucher from the drug fund.  [Read article]