VO L 1 9 #4 A ugus t/ S e pte m be r 2 0 11
Published by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce for Chamber members
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HEALTH AND WELLNESS
ROOT OF HEALTHCARE OFTEN LIES IN EMPLOYERS' OFFERINGS AND INCENTIVES
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
BUILDING BETTER WORKPLACE RELATIONSHIPS
HEALTHY
IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO KEEP A VILLAGE
GREEN BAY’S SUPERIOR BUSINESS MAGAZINE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE
Create your own moments of glory. Make your event historical.
Memories.
Celebrations.
Connections. Dreams.
weddings • trade shows • corporate luncheons
Lambeau Field is the ideal place to hold special events. Accommodating and inviting, all guests will be assured a legendary experience. Includes exquisite catering and a championship staff. Group sizes available: 5 to 1500 © Green Bay Packers, Inc.
anniversary parties • cocktail receptions • meetings
Call the Lambeau Field Special Events Team today!
920.569.7515
Lambeaufield.com
From a Health Plan
Expect More From a Health Plan
Network Health Plan: • Is locally owned and operated and understands the needs of Northeast Wisconsin businesses. • Has responsive customer service professionals, who answer the phone and your questions. • Provides access to top-rated doctors, clinics and hospitals. • Offers health and wellness program options that reward healthy activities and behaviors.
To find out more, contact your insurance agent or our sales department at (800) 276-8004. 1570 Midway Place | Menasha, WI HMO plans underwritten by Network Health Plan. POS plans underwritten by Network Health Insurance Corporation, or underwritten by Network Health Insurance Corporation and Network Health Plan. Self-funded HMO and POS plans administered by Network Health Plan.
Your Wisconsin based bank for businesses since 1892.
Are you in the know? Make sure you're in the loop. Sign up to receive any/all of the Chamber's FREE e-newsletters at
titletown.org.
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Trust. It’s the key to every relationship. Even your relationship with your banker. • •
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Have peace of mind knowing that your bank is strong and secure. • • •
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14 Global Locations
MEGTEC Systems, Inc.
…proud to be an employer in Brown County for over 40 years, providing innovative solutions for our customers involved in: Advanced Materials Processing
Environment, Climate & Energy
Printing & Packaging Applications
MEGTEC’s global headquarters is located in a 365,000 sq. ft. facility in De Pere, Wisconsin, and is a center for excellence in Engineering, Manufacturing and Service.
www.megtec.com • info@megtec.com
Refreshing Relaxing Rejuvenating • The Kewaunee Inn invites you to relax and enjoy delicious fresh food and fine dining at the Lakeshore just a short 30 minute drive from Green Bay. • Leave your worries behind and slip away for a quiet evening, a romantic mid-week getaway, or a weekend adventure in one of 23 meticulously appointed guest rooms in a magnificent “arts and crafts” historic hotel. • Discover the area’s truly unique venue with more than 10,000 inspiring square feet for events, seminars, and celebrations.
It’s cooler by the lake! Join us for Fish Fry Friday, Sunday Brunch, monthly music and dancing
info@kewauneeinn.com www.kewauneeinn.com 2
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Contents.
FEATURES
08
Health and Wellness –
Volume 19, #4 | August/September 2011
Root of healthcare lies in employees and their employers' offerings/incentives
11 It takes a village to keep
a village hEALTHY –
Economic impact of chronic disease spurs employers to take charge
19
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT –
Building better workplace relationships is about so much more than damage control
08
06 BBJ DEPARTMENTS
11 18 19
04 VIEW POINT 06 TECH WATCH 16 SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS 19 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT 20 MEET A MEMBER 22 CHAMBER BRIEFS 24 CHAMBER NEWS
ADVERTISERS VISIT THE GREEN BAY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AT:
titletown.org
01 B ank Mutual 01 Network Health Plan 02 Kewaunee Inn 02 M E GTE C 05 TD S 07 Children's Hospit al of Wisconsin 18 American Express B ack Cover Cellcom Inside Front Cover Lambeau Field Inside B ack Cover Prevea
PRESIDENT Fred Monique EDITOR Lori Kaye Lodes GRAPHIC DESIGNER Dana Jacobson
The BBJ is published bimonthly by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1660, Green Bay, WI 54305-1660. The BBJ is supported entirely by advertising revenue from member companies of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. For information about the advertising rates and deadlines, contact Sales at 920.593.3404. The BBJ (USPS 010-206) is published bimonthly for $18 a year by the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1660, Green Bay, WI 54305-1660. Periodicals postage paid at Green Bay, WI. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The BBJ, P.O. Box 1660, Green Bay, WI 54305-1660. PH: 920.593.3423. Copyright© 2008 Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
VIEW POINT TEXT Gail McNutt, chair of the Chamber Board
The year in review It’s been an active year here at the Chamber of Commerce, and in our region and state as well. Who would have guessed when we set our strategy last summer that we would be ending our fiscal year with a change in chamber leadership, experiencing a significant change in the state budget, and seeing new leadership be implemented at the county and Green Bay school system levels? Yet through it all we have maintained our strategic focus. Last summer we outlined our strategic focus in three areas: assessment, brand and public policy. Let’s start with assessment. As announced earlier this year, the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce was accredited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. While this is a great testament to the quality of staff and programs at the Chamber, it was also a great opportunity for assessment. Not unlike an ISO certification, much of the value comes from the process … understanding what we are doing well and where we could improve. While it was a lot of work, I believe the staff and volunteers who participated would agree it was a beneficial process: a process that will help the Chamber improve in the months and year to come. Another part of assessment was the LIFE Study, which is basically an assessment of the community in which we live. The Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, United Way, community foundations and other organizations in Brown, Outagamie, Calumet and Winnebago counties have been working on this effort, and it will be unveiled in fall. The LIFE Study’s purpose is to develop an understanding of the overall quality of life in the Green Bay metro areas and Brown County. The results of the LIFE Study will help frame the direction of a follow-up conference, Brown County 20/20: Envisioning the Future, that will take place in February 2012. At this conference, presentations will be made reviewing what we know about key community issues, small group discussions with experts will be held, and voting will take place to help us develop ideas and solutions addressing these issues. Decision-makers who are present will prioritize issues and support implementation in the months following the conference. 4
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Again, this is a great opportunity to understand the strengths and opportunities for improvement in our community. Assessment was complemented by the Chamber’s efforts focused on brand. Hopefully, you are getting used to hearing about the Chamber’s concept of “Lead the Way” in communications and marketing, a nod to our efforts to help local businesses lead the way back to more prosperous times. The Chamber is the focal point of economic development, and helping area businesses through tough times is an important part of our mission. Remaining relevant in our programming, services and benefit offerings is a key part of the brand and the Chamber’s continued accreditation. We will continue to find and share ways to help all of our members come back from the financial downturn. And here is a good place to also mention the Kids Count initiative. A concept originally developed by the Green Bay Press-Gazette, two teams of leaders from the Green Bay area, under the leadership of Paul Jadin, worked together and developed the 54218 initiative — a plan to improve the health and well-being of our area kids. The concept is simple but powerful: on a daily basis, kids need at least five servings of fruits and vegetables and at least four bottles (or equivalent) of water and should spend fewer than two hours of screen time (television, computer, texting, etc.), obtain at least one hour of exercise and get at least eight hours of sleep. This is an exciting and innovative concept to help us raise the healthiest kids in America. And finally, public policy — while this wasn’t always the most popular aspect of our strategy, it held true to our overall mission of economic development. A pro-business public policy, and assistance to public officials committed to it, is an important aspect of a focus on economic development. Looks like our strategy hung together. While the year was certainly not without turmoil, we stayed focused as needed. And from an economic development perspective, we are heading into the end of the year a bit stronger than we entered. And isn’t that what the Chamber of Commerce is all about?
BBJ August/september 11 |
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TECH WATCH TEXT AL PAHL
The ABCs of
QR codes If carpe diem accurately translates as seize the day, it’s an outdated notion falling by the wayside in the 21st century. Seize the moment is how we roll today.
to unravel questions either as simple as a store’s hours or today’s specials or as complex as putting together your daughter’s bicycle (some assembly required) the night before her birthday. The QR codes may themselves contain the information you seek, or they may automatically take your smartphone to a website optimized for it.
Everyone is on the move. Increasingly, decisions about where to go — whether it’s to eat, make merry or make a purchase — are arrived at while we are on the hoof. When we’re on the roll, what mobile device do we have with us to help make these decisions? Increasingly, it’s a smartphone, connected to the Internet. More than 63 million Americans own one, which is a 60 percent increase from last year. One study predicts more than 60 percent of all cellphones will be smartphones by the end of this year. A recent Google study showed 95 percent of smartphone users have used them to find local information, with 88 percent of them taking some sort of action within a day. Purchases result from 44 percent of those actions.
The latter course intrigued one of a local bars owners. That establishment puts QR codes on its delivery menus and other materials. Smartphone owners scan the code and are taken to the bar's mobile website — a site specially designed to fit the size and operating characteristics of smartphones and similar devices. In three months, just short of 700 people downloaded the code.
It seems clear that marketers, advertisers and others intent on communicating with this mobile public need to effectively target those smartphones. They either need to enticingly deposit their communication into the phone or direct the phone — and more importantly, its user — to information on the web or elsewhere. Problem: How to quickly communicate what might be a fair volume of information to that mobile public? The answer could be a scannable code that you may well have already seen, but not realized what it was. Quick response (QR) codes are two-dimensional barcodes containing information that modern equipment can decipher. They look like a puzzle but serve 6
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Users scan the code and are taken to the bar's mobile website, where they can learn the Wing of the Week or upcoming events and specials, including the special advertised only on the mobile site. They can also bookmark the site so the next time they are looking for a bite on the run, they’ll have ready access. One week, users who showed bartenders a promotion on their phone got a free beer. Another week, customers who showed they had the website bookmarked earned 50 percent off a luncheon entrée, when they paid for one. The bar already had a conventional website, before working with QR advocate Larry Obermann of FASTSIGNS to develop its mobile site. Mobile sites are not just formatted differently physically; operators cull the content to concentrate on pieces of information they expect mobile users will want to have quickly at hand: more emphasis on location, time, specials; less on company history or charitable efforts. So, mobile websites and the QR codes that get you there are about form, content — and
timing, says Obermann. “A lot of it is how the mobile websites come to you now: When you are thinking about it.” It turns out that some staff at the bar were thinking about hiring someone to develop a smartphone application for their venue. But QR codes are virtually free to obtain and don’t cost much to use, and investing in a mobile website is less expensive than an app. We would be remiss if we didn’t explain how users get from the QR code to the Internet. Assuming their phone has a camera, they have to purchase or download for free an application that can look at the picture the phone took of the QR code and translate it. The phone will then display the information contained in the code or launch its Internet browser and take you to the sponsor’s website. The website, of course, can contain virtually anything. Remember those bicycle-assembly instructions? Rather than include an easy-tolose piece of paper with instructions in six different languages, the manufacturer puts one set of instructions — perhaps, even an instructional video — on its website and then links to that location from a QR code on the bike box (or the bike itself). Consider something that is likely to get resold, such as an automobile. Did you ever buy a used car that didn’t have an owner’s manual? If the manufacturer were to paint a QR code, say, in the glove box, every subsequent owner could scan the code and cruise to the website where she could view or download the original manual. The online version could contain updates not found in the original manual, perhaps information on how the engine handles recent developments such as fuel with either 15 percent or 85 percent ethanol.
Other uses? • Suppose you manufactured a product that requires MSDS information. Instead of printing it on paper, your QR code would take buyers to the MSDS information on your website. • Head of lettuce: Learn the grower and point of origin (already being done in Japan). • More food: QR code takes you to recipes that include the item. • Expanded information: Virtually endless possibilities; Car and Driver magazine includes a code with each car pictured, for additional information. • Real estate: Instead of paper brochures in a tube on the lawn, a prospect scans the QR code and pulls up the information on his smartphone. • Charitable: QR code takes you to a website to volunteer or donate or find more info. • Film: The QR code takes you to a trailer. • Last fall, Calvin Klein splashed a QR code across one wall of two buildings in New York City and one in L.A. The Code linked to a somewhat racy 40-second video. Pretty hard to do that in a general-interest magazine. • Google Maps: Scan code to get a walking map from here to nearby attractions or stores. Advertisers will grow to love the data they can mine, as the QR codes bring more and more people to their makers. But even early on, return on investment can be relatively easy to quantify. “If you run a special only to mobile users, you can show ROI based on having the people bring it in on their phones in order to get the deal,” Obermann says.
Make sure your insurance plan includes Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital is a leader in caring for kids in the United States. We make it easy for families to get to hospital and clinic services. We serve patients with simple and complex needs. Milwaukee • Neenah chw.org
110215
BBJ August/september 11 |
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Health and Wellness –
ROOT OF HEALTHCARE CHANGE LIES IN EMPLOYEES Jennifer Hogeland TEXT SUBMITTED PHOTOGRAPHY
Health and wellness is a hot topic at the forefront of employers’ minds. Health insurance and employee benefits are a large part of an employer’s budget and are often among the first things to be cut. Two local employers took a different approach, putting their employees’ well-being first, which they hope pays off in lower health care expenses in the long run while creating a lively workplace. Humana Vitality For the past few years Humana had been looking at refining and refocusing its strategy to be a company dedicated to well-being. It explored various integrated wellness and reward models. In its search Humana found a company in South Africa, Discovery Holdings Limited, that had a program for the last 13 years called Discovery Vitality, which is the world’s largest incentive-based health enhancement program. “Through the Discovery Vitality program they’ve been able to demonstrate quantifiable success in changing people’s behaviors and lowering health care costs due to chronic illnesses,” says Tod Zacharias, segment vice president for small group at Humana. Humana worked with Discovery for the bulk of 2010 to establish a joint venture currently being rolled out throughout the U.S. called Humana Vitality. “Humana Vitality is a majority-owned venture by Humana that will be made available to Humana customers as an integrated health insurance platform, and at some point will be made available to employers on a stand-alone basis,” adds Zacharias.
are awarded with each verified workout or participating in athletic events. Points accumulate and are redeemed for a variety of perks — discounts on health clubs, discounts on the purchase of exercise equipment or for vacation travel. Zacharias says, “You get points for doing the right stuff, and you get points for achieving positive results.” Tracking fitness points is done by frequenting participating health clubs or wearing a device to track activity. When an employee sees a doctor for a health screening, the provider feeds the information through the Humana claim department, which is fed to the Humana Vitality system. Zacharias adds, “We try to focus on validated activities as opposed to self-reported activities.” Vitality starts with a health risk assessment, completed by each individual, with questions regarding fitness and lifestyle habits. The participant also has a biometric exam and blood draw to determine glucose levels, blood pressure and more. An algorithm developed by Discovery uses the combination of the health assessment and biometrics to compute a Vitality age. A healthy 49-year-old might have a Vitality age of 46; individuals suffering from a chronic condition may have a Vitality age of 59. “We are all bombarded with how we can eat better, get more sleep or
While many employers are being proactive and doing something to reward health and wellness, the Humana Vitality program is timetested. Zacharias says, “This program stands out because it is comprehensive, scientifically proven and personalized. It couples education, fitness, prevention and healthy living in an empirical and monitored basis. We are rewarding people for activity and for results.” Vitality Points are awarded for accomplishments in each standard activity category. Individuals earn points in the education category for completing a health risk assessment (HRA) or CPR certification. Prevention points are given for health screenings and flu shots; donating blood earns points in the healthy living category. Fitness points 8
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Concierges at The Well in United Healthcare.
live a healthier lifestyle. Humana Vitality integrates some self-reported lifestyle information on the health risk assessment and some biometric information to give very personalized feedback on what you can do to improve your health,” says Zacharias. Humana Vitality provides incentives and tangible rewards as well as a customized plan. “Programs tend to be one-size-fits-all,” adds Zacharias. “The benefit of this program is people know what they need to do, and they are rewarded, which we think is very impactful.” If the workforce is engaged and making positive achievements, both the employees and employers win. Healthy employees favorably impact health insurance premium levels. Ideal program participants are employers concerned about the wellbeing of their workforce. These employers want to do what is right but also recognize that a healthy workforce is a productive workforce. Absenteeism goes down; employees are more productive because they are more energetic.
The inspiration from The Well came from UnitedHealth Group’s human capital leadership who wanted to reach out and in a positive way support their employees who are most at risk for increasing medical conditions. “By providing services at the worksite that are convenient, low cost or no cost, and follow-up is easy, we are able to ensure employees receive the care services they might not get otherwise,” says Tom Cassavant, director of clinic operations for Optum Health. Optum Health, one of the many divisions within UnitedHealth Group, was retained to make The Well a reality. The first center was opened at UnitedHealth Group’s corporate office in Minnetonka, Minn., on Feb. 14; the Green Bay site opened June 8. In just under two weeks the Green Bay center had more than 100 employees use the facility. The Well in Minnetonka averages 73 appointments each week. Jim Coppens, senior vice president of Total Rewards for UnitedHealth Group, expects Green Bay will see that many or more guests each week.
“If the workforce is engaged and makes changes in their health and well-being, we believe over time, based on the data from Discovery’s 13-year program, that we’ll be seeing lower health care costs in the future,” says Zacharias.
The creation of The Well was a large investment for UnitedHealth Group. It required initial capital and has ongoing operational expenses. “UnitedHealth Group feels The Well is an investment in our employees and increasing their productivity,” says Coppens. “We think the ounce of prevention is worth it for our employees and for us as an employer in terms of health care costs.”
Humana Vitality intends to monitor the engagement scores of the program. Zacharias says, “To the extent they achieve higher levels of engagement we would envision taking that into account when we determine their renewal premium rates. So, to the extent you have a more engaged employer, the favorable impact will begin to reflect in our renewable pricing for employers that would renew beginning in July 2012.”
UnitedHealth Group is like employers who are trying to manage their health care costs. There is a pendulum swing where companies are providing services to employees to establish a culture of health. Coppens adds, “We felt we could get ahead of the situation and in front of some large medical costs by doing preventive care in our clinic.”
UnitedHealth Group’s The Well UnitedHealth Group established an on-site health and wellness and clinical center, The Well, earlier this year. The Well provides a convenient facility for UnitedHealth Group employees to treat their chronic and urgent medical needs as well as serving as a hub for health, wellness and prevention services.
“UnitedHealth Group believes The Well is going to pay off financially in the long-term,” adds Larrie Pittelko, RN, MA and clinic manager of The Well. “Both the employee and employer benefits — it sends the right message of living healthy, and there is a financial benefit to it.” “It also says a lot to our employees,” adds Dawn Veeser, site director. “It says your health is important to us, and we value you.”
The premise of the on-site center was to encourage healthy individuals to stay healthy and to offer services to those struggling with their health to make a change in their lifestyle.
The Well is located just inside UnitedHealth Group’s visitor entrance. The look and feel of The Well is unlike the rest of the facility — the environment is especially calming. “We wanted employees to feel like
Located just inside UnitedHealth Group's visitor entrance, The Well is an onsite health, wellness and care center.
Guests are invited to relax before their appointment with The Well care providers. BBJ August/september 11 |
9
they’ve left the worksite and entered a relaxing, confidential clinic,” adds Veeser. Employees are encouraged to visit The Well during a break, over their lunch hour, before their workday starts or after. They can make an appointment or walk in. Convenience is a priority.
ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CHRONIC DISEASE By Jennifer Hogeland
Well concierges greet guests and are their first stop to find resources that fit their needs. The center has an on site dietician and nurse coaches along with a physician assistant to provide preventive and chronic condition services and acute care services.
Area businesses are bearing the brunt of the cost of chronic disease with increased insurance premiums. Employers also suffer from loss of productivity with employees unable to perform or taking sick leave. These illnesses have an economic impact on employees as employers resort to offering high-deductible insurance plans.
Optum Health employees conduct the health coaching. Bellin Health provides the nurse practioners and nurse services for The Well. “They have doctors on call they can reach out to for more serious situations, but the majority of the issues can be addressed by the mid-level providers,” says Coppens. “We felt it was best for confidentiality to have Bellin Health provide the care for us.”
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services more than half of the state’s residents have at least one chronic disease. Chronic diseases account for two-thirds of deaths in Wisconsin and the majority of health care expenses. These diseases — heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, asthma, arthritis and obesity — are seven of the 10 leading causes of death in the state.
Care suites are the rooms within The Well where providers see employees. It is a welcoming space for an employee to talk about his or her health or ask questions.
“All of those diseases can potentially be prevented by modifying one’s lifestyle,” says Kay VanBoxel, health and wellness coordinator for Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative in Green Bay. “If there are things we can do to prevent chronic disease, we can prevent those huge medical costs to the employer.”
Adjacent to The Well is UnitedHealth Group’s fitness center. “This is part of the total solution for employees,” says Pittelko. “We want to encourage employees to get exercise as well as the right medical care.” The employer’s commitment to health extends to the cafeteria. The convenient, easy-to-grab food options are often the most unhealthy — chips, soda and cookies. “Diet is the number one indication of a healthy lifestyle, so we’ve been working with the cafeteria to provide better health options at a reasonable price point,” says Coppens. The Well has an entire spectrum of offerings and benefits that support healthy living. Cooking demonstrations and scheduled speakers educate employees and further promote and establish a culture of health. “Our hope is to establish long-term relationships with our employees so they also come to The Well not because they are sick or injured but because they want support in staying healthy or improving their health status,” concludes Cassavant.
Diet, nutrition, physical activity, tobacco use and alcohol use are lifestyle habits that can be changed. VanBoxel reveals one in five adults smoke, one in four adults binge drink and one in five adults hasn’t exercised in the last month. “Those are all risk factors that contribute to chronic diseases,” she adds. By developing programs — whether done through motivation or incentives — employers can assist employees in making more healthful choices. VanBoxel says, “It isn’t just the employees you are impacting. These changes will trickle down to their families.” Many employers are looking into health and wellness programs; however, VanBoxel encourages employers to look for ways to develop a plan that includes fitness. She says, “Many health and wellness programs include getting health assessments done each year that include biometrics and blood panels, but we are seeing the need to engage employees in a fitness assessment as well.” As employees see results, they are more likely to incorporate these exercise routines into their lives so they become habits. While the initial investment is costly, these health, wellness and fitness programs pay off. “What we are seeing is an average of every dollar spent on a wellness program, the ROI to the employers is anywhere from $3 to $20, depending on the individual’s health in the beginning,” says VanBoxel. In the beginning it’s intangible, but once the program is established you’ll see the cost savings whether it is through health insurance premiums, lost wages or lost productivity.
Kay VanBoxel, Healthy Lifestyles Cooperative 10 | BBJ August/september 11
COVER STORY
HEALTHY
IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO KEEP A VILLAGE
Lee Marie Reinsch TEXT SUBMITTED PHOTOGRAPHY
If it’s true that 20 percent of the people drive 80 percent of the health care costs, then it’s in everyone’s best interest to help the 20 percent get healthy and keep the 80 percent in good health, right?
Employees of Prevea and the companies it contracts with will be able to use Western Racquet & Fitness Club services at reduced rates. Classes and demonstrations will be offered to the general to be a Prevea patient or a Western Racquet member, Rai says.
Local health care organizations are trying a number of strategies to make that happen, from expanding cancer care to rewarding their employees for making healthful choices.
But it’s not an expansion for the sake of expanding — Prevea’s Ashwaubenon site needed a new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, so major repairs were needed. The move will not increase Prevea’s square footage.
Prevea: Going to the doctor to stay healthy Starting in early December, you won’t be able to assume that everyone headed to Prevea either works there or needs a remedy of some sort. That’s when Prevea’s new Ashwaubenon clinic moves adjacent to the Western Racquet & Fitness Club, 2500 S. Ashland Ave. It’ll offer all of the things that were at its current Ashwaubenon site on Pilgrim Way — primary care, urgent care, orthopedics and occupational medicine — with the exception of mental health services, which will be moving to De Pere. The new Prevea site at Western Racquet & Fitness will have a 100-person community classroom for wellness programs and a portable kitchen for healthy cooking demonstrations, and it will host free classes for the community on wellness topics like reducing cholesterol and keeping joints healthy. “You will see people not only coming to the facility to treat their conditions but to work on staying healthy, too,” says Dr. Ashok Rai, president and CEO of Prevea Health. Dr. Ashok Rai, Prevea Health
“We knew we wanted a destination for our partners and our patients to go to get healthy, but it didn’t make sense for us to get into the fitness business,” Rai says. “Green Bay is just like any other community in that health care gets involved in sort of an arms race. Everyone was building a fitness facility; we decided to find a partner instead. We are a health care company that hasn’t spent more money on building a fitness facility; instead we found one that was already built. Now people have a one-stop shop for keeping themselves healthy.” The whole idea is to keep costs down by encouraging fitness. One example: Someone who is pre-diabetic — with high blood sugar but not high enough to qualify him or her as diabetic — has a 600 percent greater chance of becoming a diabetic than someone whose blood sugar doesn’t register quite as high, according to Rai. “If we can prevent just one person from becoming diabetic, we can save the system tens of thousands of dollars,” Rai says. “It can result in some significant downstream savings.” The 10- to 12-week programs offered by Prevea and Western Racquet will get people involved with their own health through classes, workouts, meetings with dietitians and other educators. It takes about 10 to 12 weeks to change bad habits, Rai says. Quality in health care has gone up incrementally over the years, thanks to new technology. But costs have been rising exponentially, Rai says. “Value really is quality over cost, so although quality is increasing, costs are rising at a much faster rate, so the value to our patients has been basically going down over the last 10 or 20 years,” he says. “We need BBJ August/september 11 | 11
to reverse that trend. We need to figure out a way to keep costs down, make sure people spend less, and keep increasing quality. Keeping people healthy is increasing quality, and keeping people healthy is reducing costs. There is no better way for our profession to show value to our consumers than by increasing quality and reducing costs by keeping people healthy,” he adds. St. Vincent/St. Mary’s — performing miracles through technology
“This clinical trial program results in new options, new treatments, new drugs for patients and new ideas for doctors,” says Dr. Thomas Saphner, medical director of the St. Vincent Cancer Research Institute (SVCRI). “We have many people who have received treatment as part of clinical trials with new drugs that four or five years later become FDA approved. (They) are getting the advantages of those drugs four or five years before they are routinely available.”
Alarming as it may sound, demand for cancer treatment is projected to rise by 25 percent by 2021. But the good news is that more and better treatments exist.
Trials are developed by leading researchers across the country, often in major academic centers, and have already passed some intense scrutiny of the National Cancer Institute and other governing bodies.
“Treatments are continuing to evolve very quickly with advances in technology, especially in the last five or six years,” says Sally Luehring, executive director, St. Vincent Regional Cancer Center and Cancer Services, St. Vincent & St. Mary’s Hospitals. “Even a decade ago, there were one or two treatments and nothing else, and now there are second, third and fourth options available sometimes.”
SVCRI currently has 150 cancer clinical trials open, including 40 for children. Up to 18 percent of its total cancer patients are enrolled in the trials,
Technology advances have led to earlier lung and breast cancer detection and treatment, and St. Vincent Regional Cancer Center offers a few newer treatments that enable more targeted radiation: stereotactic radiation therapy, prostate seed implants, partial breast radiation and brachytherapy.
"The clinical trial program results in new options, new treatments, new drugs for patients and new ideas for doctors." - Dr. Thomas Saphner, medial director of the St. Vincent Cancer Research Institute.
Another procedure, called HALO, treats Barrett’s esophagus, a precancerous condition of the esophagus caused by acid reflux. The HALO procedure involves inserting a catheter into the esophagus and zapping the diseased tissue with energy and destroying it.
which is more than the national average of five percent, Luehring says. One reason for that is SVCRI physicians are more open to them.
“Our physicians are very progressive and truly desire to make the best treatment options available to our patients and to provide them St. Vincent Regional Cancer Center opened a second site, at St. Mary’s with every option they can,” Luehring says. “Sometimes that is the Hospital, which is making treatment more convenient for those from the standard treatment, and sometimes it is a promising new treatwestern part of the region, Luehring says. ment. Our doctors also know that there is still a lot to learn about cancer, and we’re only going to make progress by continuing to The St. Vincent Cancer Research Institute has expanded its clinical trial support the process. Some physicians in other centers may think they know all of the answers and therefore are not open-minded to new ideas.” "Treatments are continuing to evolve
very quickly with advance in technology, especially in the last five or six years." - Sally Luehring, executive director, St. Vincent Regional Cancer Center and Cancer Services, St. Vincent and St. Mary's Hospitals. program, enabling participation in early treatments and research locally rather than hours away in Madison, Milwaukee or Rochester, Minn.
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Saphner says there’s a nationwide shortage of oncologists that will be even more pressing as demand rises, but St. Vincent has managed to expand its capabilities. “In the last five years we have picked up two new doctors from the Unversity of Wisconsin and two new doctors from Mayo. We are also using more nurse practitioners,” Saphner says.
“In 2005 we went to an electronic medical records system, and honestly, had we not, I am not sure we could even see (more) patients. The electronic records system is allowing us to do things we couldn’t do if there were only one copy of a medical record. This has allowed us to become more efficient with our medical care,” Saphner says.
Other news from St. Vincent/St. Mary’s: Preemies ICU remodeled: Finishing touches are being put on a $1 million renovation to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. Vincent Hospital. Opening Aug. 1, the NICU features better soundproofing and better light protection for infants, which leads to better brain development, better sleep and greater stability for the preemies, according to NICU Director Heidi Warpinski. Improvements include better soundabsorbing ceiling tiles, rubber flooring, and quiet space for parents, including an overnight room. The maternal fetal medicine clinic, which treats moms with high-risk pregnancies, was also expanded. Wound center expanded: The Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine at St. Vincent Hospital has expanded service to Oconto Falls via the St. Vincent/St. Mary’s affiliation with Community Memorial Hospital. It will add a fourth hyperbaric oxygen chamber by the end of the year, and according to Jane Charnetski, program manager of the Center for Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine, it’s the largest and longest-running comprehensive wound center north of Milwaukee. It has performed more than 10,000 hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments. Aurora BayCare at 10 Wellness is the next area of focus not only for Aurora BayCare Medical Center but for society, according to Doug Koch, director of clinical services for Aurora BayCare Medical Center. “We need to move out of the stigma of medically managing people into an area of preventing illness,” especially those that are results of lifestyle choices, Koch says. “Our strategic initiative is that we are helping people live well.” Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay marks its 10th anniversary in September, and in a short time it has launched many changes in the way health care gets done, according to Koch. “Before the doctor told you what to do, and you did it; this is more of a partnership, where the patient is given options and asked what works best for you, your family, your situation. It’s about giving the patient choices and saying how are you going to work with each patient, not just how are you going to treat an illness,” Koch says. Aurora BayCare came about after a group of physicians from BayCare Clinic Medical Center joined Aurora Health Care to form a different kind of practice, according to Koch. “This was a group of physicians who wanted a better way to provide patient-centered health care and to give the patient more choices,” Koch says. “It was really the start of the patient-centered movement, making the hospital a place of healing, with good healthy food options, patient rooms that have more of a homelike setting, with plenty of daylight, custom cherry cabinetry and comfortable furniture — rooms that look more like your home, not all scary and full of equipment.”
out and you want to have food that looks appealing and is good for you. It helps with the whole wellness and healing process,” he says. Aurora BayCare has received a number of national commendations, including being named by Thomson Reuters in its 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals survey. It was also the first Wisconsin hospital to earn a center of excellence designation for minimally invasive gynecological surgery by the American Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery. “Technology in wellness truly is changing the landscape of where health care is going,” Koch says. “Our deep brain stimulation (for stroke and neuro care patients) was a first for Northeast Wisconsin. We also had the first digital mammography unit in Northeast Wisconsin. By providing the latest in technology, we are able to provide a higher quality experience.” Patients who are recovering from an injury or medical condition such as back pain may use the fitness center as they shift back into their everyday lives. “We don’t want to compete with places like Planet Fitness or the YMCA, but for patients, we have a transition program out of medical care,” Koch says. Aurora BayCare is working toward a “medical home” model wherein the primary care physician is the patient’s home base. “The primary care physician is the conduit to all other services in the community, to all of the specialists, wellness coaches and therapists that the patient sees,” Koch says. Right now it’s disjointed. “The patient gets lost in the middle of this mecca of health care, and there can be a breakdown in communication. Aurora Health Care was the first in Wisconsin to start that model in the central part of the state, and we are leading it. “Ten years ago, you had your doctor on Main Street, and you went to the hospital for those other services; now we have a campus, and it’s a one-stop shop,” Koch says. Tending to employees’ health made sense too, so Aurora BayCare initiated a rewards program for its employees, wherein their healthy choices can garner them goodies in the form of free personal
"[With our wellness classes], we have higher employee satisfaction and less turnover, and healthier employees who have more energy and more likely to have more job satisfaction." - Doug Koch, director of clinical services for Aurora BayCare Medical Center.
Seemingly minor things, like good food and private rooms, have made a difference. “One of the founding thoughts was that when you are sick, you are stressed BBJ august/september 11 | 13
training sessions, cafeteria coupons, membership to the Aurora BayCare wellness center and free fitness classes in things like yoga, Pilates and core strengthening. Aurora BayCare offers 30 to 50 wellness-type classes a month for its employees, Koch says. “We have higher employee satisfaction and less turnover, and healthier employees who have more energy are more likely to have more job satisfaction. We want our employees to be healthy because we care about them and because it lowers our own health care costs,” Koch says. Bellin targets total wellness It’s been evolving over the past eight or nine years, and is still evolving, but Bellin Business Health Solutions program is an approach to streamlining health care costs for area businesses.
Bellin ended up saving a lot of money just by encouraging employees to use Bellin's FastCare clinics for those small-ticket items. Bellin Business Health Solutions offers similar programs to employers to help them cut their health care costs. The idea is that Bellin contracts its physical thera-
"We've saved over $13 million over eight years by creating awareness, engaging people with their health, and creating a culture of health." - Randy Van Straten, director of business health solutions at Bellin.
Bellin’s “recipe,” as Randy Van Straten, director of business health solutions at Bellin, puts it, involves taking raw data such as costs and looking at ways to make those numbers smaller while at the same time making health care services more convenient.
It might seem counterintuitive, since one would think that encouraging employees to go to the doctor would result in bigger health care numbers, but it works because little things — like oil in your car, for example — can prevent bigger things, like engine burnout. “(Bellin Business Health Solutions) started in 2002,with a crisis we had with our own employees,” Van Straten says. Bellin was shelling out $10 million in health care costs for its employees, and it was faced with a projected 30 percent increase in those expenditures. “We got a call from our CFO at the time saying, ‘This is a huge increase; this is one that can very seriously impact our bottom line if we don’t do something about it,’” Van Straten says. At the time, Bellin didn’t know much about the collective health status of its employees or the issues facing employees and the overall population. “We knew that historically health care workers were heavy users of health care, and generally costs ran higher in health care than in average companies,” Van Straten says. But slash employee benefits? Not a good idea — employees would just quit and find a different hospital to work for. “Plus, there were issues of credibility: How can we build relationships with employers if we are not practicing what we preach?” Van Straten says. Health-risk appraisal scores found that high-risk employees cost more than twice as much as lower risk employees — more than $6,000 per year versus $2,939 per year, according to Van Straten. “So from a cost perspective, wouldn’t it make sense to reduce risks and it would cost us less?” 14 | BBJ August/september 11
Trips to the emergency room ate a big chunk of change. Examining the numbers, Bellin found that lots of employees were going to the ER between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and also on weekends. It wasn’t that Bellin workers were getting their hands caught in their vacuum cleaners or juggling flaming s’mores in their spare time. Most ER trips were for non-emergency events: things like sinus infections and earaches.
pists, nurses, doctors or occupational therapists to area companies, which in turn offer the services with low or no co-pays to employees on-site. Those with chronic conditions get coaching on managing their conditions, and employees get on-site wellness programs and ergonomics assessments to reduce injuries. “This engages people with their health” and makes it easier for employees to get little things checked out before they become big things, Van Straten says. Another example of looking at an issue with fresh eyes: The CT scan units are good at diagnosing serious issues, but could they do doubleduty as a prevention tool? A relatively inexpensive test known as the heart calcium scoring test uses the CT machine to detect calcium buildup in coronary arteries. The test can identify those at risk for blockages or heart attacks, and preventive measures can be put into effect before it’s too late. Bellin estimates it saved $13 million over eight years through these changes. "We've saved that by creating awareness, engaging people with their health and creating a culture of health," Van Straten said. "It's been a journey that required lots of focused work and effort, but it is paying off." “We are doing this through helping people improve their health,” Van Straten adds. “We really work on helping people who have chronic diseases get better, and we work on keeping the healthy people healthy.”
BOOK REVIEW REVIEWED BY Anne Mead, BROWN COUNTY LIBRARY
How to Give a Pretty Good Presentation: A Speaking
Survival Guide for the Rest of Us AUTHOR TJ Walker
PUBLISHER New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010
TJ Walker is the founder of TJ Walker Speaking, an online presentation company and also the author of USA Today’s No. 1 bestseller TJ Walker’s Secret to Foolproof Presentations. Shortly after it went number one, he got a call from an editor who congratulated him, then posed the following questions. “What about the 99 percent of the population who don’t want to be the next Tony Robbins? What about the ones who fear public speaking and just want to give a pretty good presentation?” And that’s how this book was born. Just like the title suggests, the information is very basic and common sense – no highbrow mumbo jumbo that Joe Average can’t understand. It is divided into three parts that describe how to prepare and give a pretty good presentation. In Part One – First Thing First, there are nine chapters that outline the stage-setting process. With one point per chapter, some of the points to remember are: • Keep it informal, as if talking with friends over dinner, so you appear interesting and fun. • Use simple words and short sentences to keep the audience’s attention. • Don’t outline the key points of your presentation to your group, because you will only make it harder on yourself if you forget a point. Rather, make one point at a time, keeping it easy for you and the audience. TJ’s number one rule for giving a pretty good speech is to rehearse on video (not in front of a mirror) at least once and then watch and critique yourself. It’s important to rehearse in the same setting as where you will be giving the presentation. Watching yourself can be a painful experience and you may think your first attempt is pretty awful. What the experience does give you, though, is the opportunity to do fewer of the things you didn’t like and more of those you did like. Part Two – The Presentation illustrates how to plan the actual speech. Here are some things to consider: • Visual aids should only be used when they will increase the odds of your audience understanding and remembering your message. • Key facts are important, but include personal stories to further illustrate the points. The audience will more likely relate to and retain the information.
• Since you will probably present to a smaller audience, allow them to ask questions throughout your presentation. They will think you are more confident and seem better than most presenters. • Don’t memorize your speech – it is really hard! Rather, use a single page outline, as described below. o Use a simple outline with bullet points rather than sentences. o Each bullet point should have just a few words to remind you what you wanted to state about that point. o Make the font size at least 20 point so you don’t have to bend over to read your notes. o Make sure to include words to help you remember facts, stories, examples and case studies, but only include what is absolutely necessary. o As stated in the third bullet point, keep it to a single page. Now that you have given your first “pretty good presentation,” Part Three – Tips, Tricks, and Other Sage Advice, offers ideas for future presentations. • If you only have one day to prepare for a presentation, TJ simplifies things by telling you exactly how many hours and minutes to spend on each part of the process. • His Top 10 public speaking do’s and don’ts offer a simple, yet dynamic, review of points made in parts one and two. • Try to give presentations as often as possible, once a month if you are able. You know what they say … practice makes perfect, or in this case, a “Pretty Good Presentation.”
Additional titles available at the
Brown County Library
n The Wall Street Journal Guide to Information Graphics: The Dos and Don’ts of Presenting Data, Facts, and Figures Dona M. Wong New York, W.W. Norton & Co., 2010 n Communicate to Win Richard Denny England, Pennsylvania, Kogan Page, 2009 (2nd edition)
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SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS TEXT Jennifer Hogeland SUBMITTED ART
Filmmaking The art of capturing action
Launch Photography, Film & Video shoots running footage for WKLH Spots.
Many people dream about making their own movies — the lights, the camera and the action are appealing. And those who have made filmmaking a career are passionate about how their vision plays out on screen. “[The camera] feels like the most powerful weapon in the world,” says Jay Schillinger, president of NorthCoast Productions. “Media is powerful, and film is the ultimate expression of that.” A filmmaker’s ultimate task is to portray his or her vision. “We take what we see, put it on film and share it with the world,” adds Schillinger. Art of filmmaking Filmmaking success requires creators to seamlessly combine all the elements that make up the picture — lighting, script, screen and talent. “It is definitely a collaborative effort, but it is really the director’s job to bring his vision to life,” says Schillinger. The director and cinematographer discuss camera angles, color, lighting and the movement of the camera. A cinematographer’s keen eye and imagination inspires the look and feel, ensuring the director gets the desired outcome.
have the necessary education behind them, experience further develops the art. Schillinger adds, “It is really about experience and the ability to tell a story. That comes from the experience in your life and how you see things in the world.” Lighting has an important function in filmmaking. Seeing light takes a trained eye; talented filmmakers paint with light. As veteran filmmakers learn to see and feel light, they apply those principles to each scene. “You learn to see light,” says Drew Neerdaels, commercial director, director of photography and co-owner of Launch Photography, Film & Video in Green Bay. “You learn to see what looks good. You might notice a setting looks especially beautiful, but you don’t realize you are enjoying the lighting. The shadows may have some direction to them or the background is punchy.” Neerdaels explains soft scenes shouldn’t have heavy shadows. “You want the lighting to feel similar to the mood within the scene. You can create mood with light and with color. We consider both when designing the sets,” he says. The crew discusses the color palette. “We build on and control the setting as much as we can.”
Filmmaking is gathering what is seen and filtering it through the camera. Until that first frame is shot, it is still only an idea.
“There is often something magical that happens — something you didn’t think about — whether it is the way the light is coming through the window or something happens by turning on a lamp and it just works. When the cinema magic happens you just roll with it,” says Neerdaels.
Film artists are intimately familiar with composition and the technical aspects of camera control. While the majority of well-known filmmakers
The video world is exploding. The old-school method of shooting and editing film has changed dramatically in the last 10 years. Now, more than
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ever, people are able to get into the industry because technology has made it more available.
time with a different camera angle or multiple camera angles. Script supervisors are often on set, watching the talent to be sure they are hitting the dialogue and actions are consistent. They take notes like how
With the number of YouTube videos popping up on the web, it is the medium that commands attention. “Video crosses all platforms. There is always going to be a demand for what we do — it is truly how you reach people,” says Schillinger. And a talented filmmaker’s work shines through. Schillinger adds, “Some clients think they want a YouTube-type video, but there still has to be good audio and lighting, and it has to convey a message succinctly. That is a skill.” The artistic process Filmmaking begins with an idea. “It doesn’t matter if you are shooting a 30-second commercial or a two-hour movie. The requirements are the same. You have to have a good beginning, a good middle and a good end,” says Schillinger.
NorthCoast Productions President Jay Schillinger (back) talks with Editor Steve Brenzel while Producer Tom Kothbauer looks on.
Schillinger explains sometimes the 30-second commercials are more challenging because there is a lot that needs to be accomplished in a short amount of time. He says, “There are some commercials that can make you cry with 30 seconds of film. I love that. That is the art of it that I love and never tire of.” The idea then evolves into sketches or storyboards. Once the concept is developed, the scriptwriter or screenwriter gets to work. Those in the business are familiar with the saying “Scripts aren’t written, they are rewritten.” It isn’t uncommon for a piece to go through several drafts before the copy is approved. From there a crew gets involved. “One person can’t do it alone. It is a group effort — you need someone to put up the lights and artists to build the sets,” says Schillinger. “That is the beauty of the business. It has something for everyone.”
a coffee cup is set down in a scene to be sure the next take matches. Schillinger adds, “You shoot until you feel you got the dialogue for that scene before you move on.” Once all the footage is shot the editors take over, piecing the best takes together. The director is also involved in the process, and they build the sequence. Added details like graphics, special effects and color correcting is done before the masterpiece is complete.
“There are some commercials that can make you cry with 30 seconds of film. I love that. That is the art of it that I love and never tire of.” -Jay Schillinger, President, NorthCoast Productions
The location to shoot is determined. From there a shooting schedule is created, mapping out how filmmakers can efficiently and productively capture what they need. “Then we start talking about the look of things. We bring in the production designer and an art director to help design the look,” says Neerdaels. The spot is prepped. The location is prelit and props are placed. “The location is prepared so when the talent comes in, you feed them their lines and start shooting,” says Schillinger.
Artistic challenges Filmmaking is all about problemsolving. “Every time the camera is pointed in a different direction there is a problem — talent, set, lighting, weather, time — there are so many variables,” says Schillinger. “You have to really be creative in how to problem solve.”
The filmmaking process is a collaborative effort. Schillinger adds, “You have to arm yourself with really good people who care as much as you do, so at the end of the day you get something you are happy with.” Neerdaels says, “The important thing for people to do is stay true to what they feel strongly about. Art, no matter what medium, takes courage.” The critiques and the comments are sometimes tough to take. “It is the carefreeness that sets you apart as an artist. You can’t worry about what other people think if you want to be successful,” he adds.
There is a method to shoot each scene, suggests Neerdaels. He says, “You start with a wide shot and then you move in to do the medium shot and finally the close-up work.” The scenes continue to be reshot, each BBJ August/september 11 | 17
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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT TEXT Susan Dutton Freund, CEO and president, ThinkMarriage.org
Building Better
Workplace
Relationships In today’s fast-paced business world, we are all doing more with less — working longer, working harder. And it is taking a toll — on people, and on the bottom line. More than a gauge of job satisfaction alone, new research has now proven that workplace relationships dramatically affect both employee performance and productivity. As such, the quality of our workplace relationships is now considered a key component of both sustainable organizations and successful leadership. The reason is simple — employees who have unhealthy relationships with co-workers or supervisors are more likely to yield less than stellar work results. When motivation and morale suffer, effectiveness and efficiency follow. And the company feels the pinch directly at the bottom line. So how can a company be proactive with its employees where workplace relationships are concerned? Finding a solution First, realize this is far more than damage control. Making workplace relationships a priority prepares an organization so that when issues arise, it can be confident in identifying the problem and finding a solid solution. It is also important to realize that we all have choices. According to the workbook Winning the Workplace Challenge, which discusses the basics of successful workplace relationships, there are three fundamental premises of life: • All people desire healthy relationships. • Workers are more effective in their jobs if they function in a healthy team environment. • Good relationships are a matter of choice. Once these fundamentals are realized, an employer is better positioned to provide the tools employees need to deal with any workplace issues (including underlying ones). Learning how to properly deliver feedback that is non-accusatory, to recognize the difference between effective and ineffective communication and to have the skills to resolve conflict are all critical components of an effective and efficient workplace.
Yet another concept employers should be aware of is the 20-to-1 ratio — it takes 20 positive comments to counteract just one negative comment. As such, a strained relationship between two employees is most likely the result of not one isolated incident, but rather weeks or perhaps months of subtle conflict. And such tension need not be overt. Often it is the seemingly subtle negative comments or patterns that have a damaging effect on employee workplace relationships. Negative back-and-forth comments, making unfair assumptions, dismissing others thoughts or ideas and an unwillingness to participate in team discussions are all warning signs that relationships are strained. ROI: Relational wellness and the bottom line Companies that support their employees’ healthy relationships through corporate policy draw top quality employees and retain them. Implementing a relationship wellness plan can also provide impressive returns economically. Employers that provide relationship skills training have reported a $1.50 to $6.85 return on investment for every dollar spent. Furthermore, studies have also shown that unhealthy behavior in the home is likely to overlap into unhealthy behavior at work. Employees who develop healthy relationship skills in the workplace tend to take them home and apply them to all their personal relationships. This recognizes that our relationships are no longer compartmentalized into separate “home” and “work” categories but rather shows that our relationships are intertwined into all aspects of our lives. A company that takes a proactive approach and works with its employees on healthy work relationships results in employees who are invested not only in the company, but also in the community in which they work and live.
Susan Dutton Freund is CEO and president of ThinkMarriage.org — a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to teaching healthy relationship skills and training relationship educators across a wide spectrum of individuals and organizations. ThinkMarriage.org is located at 1270 Main St., Suite 254, Green Bay, 920.430.7300.
BBJ August/september 11 | 19
MEET A MEMBER TEXT KAREN SALENGA JELLAL
Barb Bell
Senior manager, Wipfli Describe yourself in one word. “Driven.” What originally attracted you to the business? “I graduated with a degree in accounting, so the fact that I could leverage my accounting degree and work with technology was the most intriguing [combination].” Wipfli is home to the area’s most experienced business and accounting specialists. Through the allegiance of consultants like Barb, Wipfli’s Green Bay office has grown over the last 100 years into the consulting powerhouse it is today. As senior manager, Barb’s area of expertise lies in the market of financial systems. While her primary focus is on Microsoft Dynamics GP business intelligent solutions, one of the four enterprise resource planning solutions Microsoft offers, Barb’s work goes beyond mere consulting. She creates answers. What facet of your work life do you find the most challenging? “With a husband and two kids, life in the fast track in an innovative and ever-changing industry requires a delicate sense of both poise and steadiness. It would have to be finding that right balance between my career and my life.” How do you manage it all? “I oftentimes make checklists or, when looking at my calendar, I'll be sure I'm aware of the appointments I have both from a personal and a professional standpoint. I work with my calendar a lot to make sure that I have time blocked out if I have to prepare for a meeting or a demonstration. Checklists are great!” How do you want to be remembered? “As someone who can be counted on with a willingness to help out.” Barb enjoys opportunities to volunteer with organizations like The Freedom House. “We did some fall cleanup such as raking leaves and planting bulbs for spring, and we also did some sorting and organizing of clothes. The most rewarding aspect of volunteering and charity work is the positive impact it can have on others and how it can improve the community. It allows you to support a particular cause you believe in. You can develop, learn new skills and grow as a person.” What do you ‘know now’ that you wish you ‘knew then’? “Live fully and in the moment. Never forget the true meaning of family and friendships. Always treat others with respect.” Has a book ever changed your perspective on life? “The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. It provides a message that it is all about how you live your life and that we cannot change the cards we are dealt – just how well we play the hand.” If a movie were made about your life, what would the title and genre be? For Barb, it’s all about the inspiration. “It definitely not a comedy since I’m usually not much of a comedian!” Her title: "Live Life to Its Fullest", or perhaps "Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff". What would you do if money were no object? “The luxury of time.”
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TEXT KAREN SALENGA JELLAL
Robin Pritzl
General manager, The UPS Store, three locally owned locations What does the typical day in your life consist of as a general manager? "As a general manager, I work closely with the owners, vendors, employees and customers to make sure we provide the services our customers need and expect of us.” Robin loves knowing he’s helping people get things done. “Every day is different, and that’s what makes this job fun and interesting. I have daily paperwork that needs to be completed but that’s a small part of my day, and it’s rest of the day that I enjoy most. I work with customers and our employees closely to complete a variety of projects, packaging odd- shaped items, custom building boxes or crates for heavier items and finding the best way to ship them. We ship UPS, U.S. Postal Service and freight as well, so we can basically print and mail almost anything.” What other services does The UPS Store offer that people may not know about? “A lot of people don’t know about our mailbox services. They’re different because they give you a physical street address. We can also print in color and black and white as well as provide faxing services.” Who do you admire most and why? “My parents. They taught me to always give my best effort and never settle for less.” Food – any guilty pleasures? “Pizza! If my wife would let me I could probably eat it every day. I live in Little Suamico so we go to Luigi’s Pizza Palace often. The spiciness of their pepperoni gets me every time.” What kind of music do you listen to on a regular basis? “Since I went to high school in the ‘80s, that’s the music I listen to most. I loved Whitesnake and the Eagles.” What job would you never want to work again? “When I was in high school I worked at a pallet factory. We were seasonal workers so we did the jobs no one else wanted like tearing apart the old pallets. That job was very repetitive and dirty.” If you had an extra hour every day, what would you do with it? “Fishing with my daughter. We fish mostly locally and within the state, and I like to go up by my family’s cabin over by Armstrong Creek. I do catch and release fishing – I don’t really know if I like it for the leisure of it or just to be able to say, ‘I caught that one!’. There’s a sense of accomplishment that comes along with fishing if you’re successful, but I also enjoy the peace and quiet that comes along with it.” Do you have any hobbies that might surprise people? “I have a small beer can collection that I’m working on expanding. I try to get the local and the older brews in there as well. We have a customer who comes in who has a bunch of different ones, so I learn a lot about the stories behind the various cans that have developed over time. It’s really interesting and I enjoy it.” If money wasn’t a factor and you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? With a vast offering of lakes and bays for fishing and plenty of open land to pitch a tent, this is the one place where he can find everything he needs and more. “I’d just like to live in northern Wisconsin. I like the change in the seasons; it’s simply the most beautiful place I can be.”
BBJ August/september 11 | 21
Chamber briefs
advance
Advance received the Silver Award for Best Economic Development Agency in Wisconsin from Corporate Report Wisconsin's Best of Wisconsin Business Award program.
Partners in Education
have ideas or needs, contact Partners in Education. ...Mark your calendars – the 2012 Golden Apple Awards Program is April 18.
Member services
Eighty-five people attended a full day of presentation at the Social Media Rock Star 2 on Thursday, June 2, at the F.K. Bemis Conference Center. Evaluation results from the event were very favorable… Five-hundred attendees were on hand to help recognize the 19 businesses nominated in the six categories for the Business Recognition Awards program. Award recipients were: Entrepreneurial Award: Breakthrough Fuels, LLC; Green Award: Valley Trucking LLC/Valley Transfer LLC; Growth Award: Jet Air Group; Cornerstone Award: Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.(pictured below); Special Accomplishment Award: Insight Creative, Inc.; and Business Person of the Year Award: Larry Treankler, Bay Tek Games…More than 120 golfers enjoyed a full day of networking at the 30th Annual Golf Outing Classic on Monday, June 27, at The Woods Golf Club. We made several changes to the format this year that were well received by the golfers…The Power Networking Breakfast continues to be a great event. We have been averaging around 40 attendees each month but on July 12 we saw a record 58 attendees…Great networking for 100+ attendees at the Special Business After Hours – Member Appreciation event on Tuesday, July 19, 2011 in the Reflection Center at St. Norbert College. We enjoyed the beautiful view from the third floor as well as St. Norbert College’s hospitality…We celebrated four ribbon cuttings in June & July…Save the Date – 129th Annual Dinner on Monday, Oct. 17, 2011, with Guest Speaker: Bill Weir, co-anchor of “Nightline.”
The Partners in Education Youth Celebration on May 22 at the Meyer Theatre celebrated the following: Enrolled 18 fifth graders in the PIE 5/12 Scholarship Program and awarded $1,000 scholarships to 13 graduates of the 5/12 Scholarship Program. In addition, six graduates received $1,500 Partners in Education Technical Scholarships, two students received the $500 Partners in Education Drug Alliance Achievement Scholarship, and one graduate was awarded the $10,000 Brian LaViolette Foundation Scholarship. Thirty-three sophomores were presented certificates of completion for the Partners in Education Brown County Teen Leadership Program and 53 seniors were honored for their completion of the two-year Partners in Education Youth Apprenticeship Program. Also recognized were Partners in Education Golden Business Partner Award recipients – Sue VanDenElzen, Thornberry Cottage, and Abbey Steffen, Republic Chophouse…In a recent report from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Pathways to Prosperity, discussing options for preparing our youth for the future workforce, the Wisconsin youth apprenticeship program was highlighted as one of three exemplar programs of employee engagement for preparing our students with the 21st century skills. Partners in Education offers the youth apprenticeship program in 15 industry areas and has 76 students needing worksite training. Interested in getting involved, contact Partners in Education at 920.437.8704. ...The Partners in Education Drug Alliance hosted statewide “Life of An Athlete” Training at Lambeau Field Atrium in April with John Underwood, resulting in an invite to present at the national conference. Two presenters including Rebecca Deschane of the Partners in Education Drug Alliance, were honored as Prevention Specialists of the Year Award for their training. ...The Partners in Education Drug Alliance co-sponsored the Brown County United Way Summit on Youth Alcohol Use & Abuse on June 17 with more than 175 community members, including 20 teens, participating. ...The Partners in Education Drug Alliance continues to sponsor the “Parents Who Host Lose the Most” campaign and representatives are available to provide community presentations on youth drug & alcohol programs. Call Rebecca Deschane at 920.593.3406 to learn more ...The Partners in Education executive board, led by chairperson Tom Kunkel, St. Norbert College, meets in August to determine Leonard & Finco Pubic Relations, Inc., received the 2011 Cornerstone Award at the future programming. If you Business Recognition Luncheon. 22 | BBJ August/september 11
Leadership Green Bay
Three community projects from the Leadership Green Bay class of 2011 are complete. A sign was created for every ride at Bay Beach Amusement Park, just in time for the summer. Sara Zelewske, Jay Wille, Steve Schulke, JD Murphy, Mike La Mere, Joey Cheng and Ryan Angst worked with Jay Arnoldi of Bay Beach Amusement Park and Reinhold Sign Service, Inc. to design and produce a sign for every ride at the park. Each one highlights the unique history of the ride, when it was built, how it found its way to Bay Beach and other interesting facts (see photo at right for example). The signs were delivered shortly after the Leadership Green Bay class year ended and are posted in the park…Historic photos from the Green Bay PressGazette are now being showcased at the Neville Public Museum. Todd Thiel, Debbie Bukouricz, Cari Clayton, Casey Ausloos, Kurt Goehre, Gaurav Bansal, Nicole Craig and Nick Mahlik partnered with the museum to create this permanent exhibit displaying historic photos dating back to 1942. Thanks to the efforts of this group, visitors can access the images on computers. Each photo has captions, documents and/or audio overviews that provide details about the place or people pictured. Thanks to Susan Baranczyk, Tim Rinn, John Smith, Joe Smits, Kristin Suchalla, Tom Swiecichowski, Relene Townley and Stephanie Walker, who built The Thingamajigger House, a Dr. Seuss-themed playhouse for clients of the Family Services Healthy Families program. One of the elements of the Healthy Families program is to teach new parents the value of sharing play and reading time with their children. The Thingamajigger House brings both play and reading together. A dedication ceremony took place on Tuesday, June 14. Congratulations to all class of 2010-2011 Leadership Green Bay graduates: Ryan Angst, Wells Fargo Bank; Casey Ausloos, Green Bay Packers; Gaurav Bansal, UW-Green Bay; Susan Baranczyk, Integrys Energy Group, Inc.; Debbie Bukouricz, Schenck SC; Glenn Buntin, Integrys Energy Group, Inc.; Joey Cheng, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation; Cari Clayton, Rasmussen College; Nicole Craig, Neurology Consultants of NE WI Ltd.; Eric De Jardine, Nicolet National Bank; Lisa Evenson, Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District; Mike Frey, Ansay & Associates; Kurt Goehre, Liebmann, Conway, Olejniczak, & Jerry S.C.; Cindy Jelinek, Community First Credit Union; Jeff Johnson, Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity; Mike LaMere, Prevea Health; Nick Mahlik, Medi-Vans; John Manser, The Salvation Army Kroc Center; Dan McIver, UW – Green Bay; Heather Milbach, Schreiber Foods; JD Murphy, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College; Lou Ann Nettekoven, BayCare Clinic; Marcus Reitz, Fulfillnet, Inc.; Tim Rinn, Ganther Construction/Architecture Inc.; Steve Schulke, Schulke Construction, LLC; Tia Schumacher, Schneider National; John Smith, Georgia-Pacific; Joe Smits, Associated Bank; Kristin Suchulla, MCL Industries; Tom Swiecichowski, Nsight Telservices; Todd Thiel, Schreiber Foods; Brenda Tiedt, Ameriprise Auto & Home Insurance; Relene Townley, UnitedHealthcare; Ryan Van Straten, Alliance Management; Molly Vandervest, Downtown Green Bay, Incl; Stephanie Walker, Festival Foods; Jay Wille, New York Life/Eagle Strategies; Aaron Wolf, Comfort Suites Green Bay; and Sara Zelewske, ITT Technical Institute…Daniel J. Holl, Leadership Green Bay Class of 1998, recently earned his master of
science in financial services from Richard D. Irwin Graduate School at The American College in Bryn Mawr, Penn.
Government affairs
Public Policy highlights: The Chamber met on June 20 with legislators from throughout the region to celebrate more than two dozen of our priority issues passed in the recently enacted Wisconsin state budget for 2011-13, including more operating flexibility for UW-Green Bay, a truly balanced budget with firm local spending caps and no general tax increases. After Brown County was unable to enact a redistricting plan, we supported the League of Women Voters’ court petition for “26c,” a redistricting plan with no more than the current 26 supervisory districts…The Good Government Council on June 16 passed a resolution condemning the state Senate recall elections as a waste of time, energy and money and called on both parties to reform the recall system. Nevertheless, we inaugurated an aggressive campaign to remind members to exercise their civic duty and get out to vote… The Ritter Forum on Public Policy continued monthly meetings with fire chiefs from six urban Brown County communities to lay out the specifics of their vision for future consolidation so a proposal can be brought to the communities' leaders…The LIFE Study – a new, comprehensive look at the quality of life in our region – completed its surveys of community leaders and the general population, secondary data gathering, and review by expert panels. Results of the regional study will be released Sept. 7, with local findings profiled at a Sept. 8 breakfast. Bay Area Community Council is planning a community visioning conference Brown County 20/20: Envisioning the Future on Feb. 17-18, 2012 that will set priorities, solutions and strategies in response to the findings…The newly reorganized diversity program created a new plan of action and budget, now pending approval. Incorporation of diversity goals into all Chamber tactical plans was discussed with staff.
BBJ August/september 11 | 23
CHAMBER NEWS
Amy Sorenson, St. Norbert College; Gail McNutt, Girl Scouts of Northwestern Great Lakes; and Tom Kunkel of St. Norbert College enjoyed the Member Appreciation Night festivities hosted by the Chamber at the Ray Van Den Heuvel Family Campus Center on Tuesday, July 19.
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Dana VanDen Heuvel, founder/chief thought leader, The MarketingSavant Group, presented on the topic of Personal Brand 2.0 to a group of 80 young professionals on July 14. The event focused on helping attendees gain the skills to communicate their business philosophy in the most simple and engaging ways possible.
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Cooks Corner celebrated its ribbon cutting with (front, from left) Dr. Susan Hensley, ProCare Chiropractic; Nancy Steffel, The School That Comes To You; Amy Hobbins, Journeys Unlimited; Jackie Smith, Airport Settle Inn, Fred Monique, president of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce; Dave Plieger, Cooks Corner, Sue Beno, Cooks Corner and Al Jamir of Camera Corner Connecting Point. Pictured in back left is Mark Rahmlow of Congressman Ribble’s office, Mike Aubinger, president of the village of Ashwaubenon, Greg Collins, village of Ashwaubenon trustee, Lisa Beekman of Cooks Corner and Dawn Collins, village of Ashwaubenon clerk.
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Leadership Green Bay hosted a family event for its alumni and friends on July 19 at the new Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center. Pictured are (from left): Michael Moore, John Miller and his son Josh, Abby Johnson, Kristin Johnson, Lynn Jones, Gregg Bushner, Michelle Farnsworth and Kelly Selner.
One of this year’s Leadership Green Bay class’s small group projects entailed creating a Dr. Seussthemed house – the Thingamajigger House – for the Family Services Healthy Families program. Pictured are the team who made it a reality; from left, Joe Smits, Relene Townley, Stephanie Walker, Tom Swiechikowski, Susan Baranczyk, Kristin Suchalla, John Smith and Tim Rinn.
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GO TO www.titletown.org FOR THE LATEST UPDATES IN CHAMBER NEWS AND EVENTS
The Chamber celebrated a ribbon cutting at the Kewaunee Inn with (from left): Nancy Steffel, The School That Comes To You; Brian Brost, NBC26; Lisa Zeise, ITT Technical Institute; Pat Olejniczak, Bemis Center and The Kress Inn; Maggie Willems, Dave Racine, Yang Insurance Agency; Kevin Kemp, Kewaunee Inn; Pam Harkema; and Jacqueline Smith, Airport Settle Inn.
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