Upland Hills Health Drug and Alcohol program earns Award

Upland Hills Health recently received a Service Delivery Innovation award from the Wisconsin Initiative to Promote Healthy Lifestyles. Upland Hills Health is the only healthcare organization in Wisconsin to offer the Wisconsin Initiative to Promote Healthy Lifestyle program in the Emergency Department. The innovation of the program, as well as its success, earned this award.

Josh Taylor, Health Educator, screens patients in the Emergency Department to determine if alcohol and drug treatment is needed.

Since our program began in March of this year, Josh has screened 619 patients and referred 9 patients for treatments. Our program successfully sees 95% of patients over age 18. For those patients indicating a need for additional screening, Josh has been able to see 95% of those patients.

“The way we deliver the program through our Emergency Department is unique and quite effective. It’s been the Emergency Department Registration, Emergency Department nursing staff and physicians, and Josh Taylor, Health Educator, working together to deliver this service. We’re very proud to be recognized for our innovation and achievements,” stated Kim Emerson, Director of Patient and Family Services at Upland Hills Health, and manager of the program.

Pictured are staff members involved in the WIPHL screening program at Upland Hills Health.
Left to right: Troy Marx, Phyllis Fritsch, Tammie Richter, Josh Taylor, Kim Emerson, Karl Pustina.
Not pictured: Lynn Hebgen, Vicki Scheel, Brad Jebbia.