title: The Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment: How a Health Care Conversion Foundation Is Transforming a Medical School.
abstract: Health care conversion foundations, such as the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment (the endowment) at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), result from the conversion of nonprofit health organizations to for-profit corporations. Over the past several decades, nearly 200 of these foundations have been created, and they have had a substantial impact on the field of health philanthropy. The MCW was a recipient of funds resulting from Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin's conversion from a nonprofit to a for-profit status in 1999. Established in 2004, the endowment has invested approximately $185 million in 337 research, education, and public and community health initiatives that benefit Wisconsin residents. However, the transformative potential of the health care conversion foundation has extended well beyond the opportunities provided through the endowment's financial resources. As the endowment celebrates its 10th anniversary, the authors describe the transformative nature of the endowment, as well as significant accomplishments and lessons learned, in the following areas: shared power, community partnerships, translational research, and integration of medicine and public health. It is the authors' hope that these lessons will be valuable to other medical schools and the communities they serve, as they invest in improving the health of their communities, irrespective of the funding source.
authors.affiliation: C.A. Maurana is professor of population health, vice president for academic outreach, and director, Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin (AHW) Endowment, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a member of the AHW Endowment Medical College of Wisconsin Consortium on Public and Community Health. P.A. Lucey is chair, AHW Endowment Medical College of Wisconsin Consortium on Public and Community Health, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. S.M. Ahmed is professor of family and community medicine, senior associate dean for community engagement, director, Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program, and director of the community engagement key function, Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. J.E. Kerschner is professor of otolaryngology and communication sciences, executive vice president, and dean, School of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a member of the AHW Endowment Medical College of Wisconsin Consortium on Public and Community Health. G.A. Bolton Jr was senior vice president and chief operating officer, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a member of the AHW Endowment Medical College of Wisconsin Consortium on Public and Community Health, at the time of the writing. The author is currently vice president for financial affairs and administration, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama. J.R. Raymond Sr is professor of medicine, president, and chief executive officer, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a member of the AHW Endowment Medical College of Wisconsin Consortium on Public and Community Health.
authors.forename: Cheryl A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Maurana
authors.forename: Paula A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lucey
authors.forename: Syed M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Joseph E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kerschner
authors.forename: G Allen
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bolton
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Raymond
mesh_terms: D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005582:Foundations; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health; D012577:Schools, Medical; D014922:Wisconsin