Neenah-based health care provider ThedaCare, which has a large presence in the northeast and central parts of Wisconsin, and Wauwatosa-based Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin today announced a partnership under which the Froedtert health network will provide advanced levels of medical care for ThedaCare patients for unique specialty services such as heart and lung transplants and treatment of advanced heart failure, with ThedaCare providing care locally before and after.
“The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network and ThedaCare have a shared commitment to the people of Wisconsin,” said Cathy Jacobson, president and CEO of Froedtert Health. “Enhancing access to the most advanced levels of specialty care through this new partnership supports our missions to improve the health and well-being of the communities we serve.”
The Froedtert & MCW health network will also provide virtual critical care in coordination with ThedaCare providers as part of the partnership. There will be an opportunity to add more specialty services over time based on community need.
“Our patients and community members living in northeast and central Wisconsin can expect better health outcomes through expanded, convenient access to coordinated, specialty care close to home,” said Imran A. Andrabi, ThedaCare president and CEO. “Our focus will be on providing seamless care, putting patients and families first, always.”
Patients may begin experiencing coordinated care from ThedaCare and the Froedtert & the MCW health network by the end of 2022.
The Froedtert & MCW Adult Transplant Center is part of southeastern Wisconsin’s only academic health network and is one of only two lung transplant centers in Wisconsin. The adult organ programs are certified by Medicare and Medicaid, and kidney, liver, heart and lung transplant programs are designated “Centers of Excellence” by most insurance providers, according to Froedtert.
“This partnership will enable improved outcomes for the most complex patients cared for by our health systems,” said Dr. Joseph Kerschner, provost, executive vice president and Julia A. Uihlein, MA, dean of the Medical College of Wisconsin School of Medicine. “For example, when a call comes in that an organ has been procured for transplant, the teams must work quickly – often within just a few hours – to provide the best possible outcomes for the patient. Our new partnership will ensure this seamless care for patients throughout the region.”
Through this partnership, transplants can be performed in Froedtert & MCW health network facilities, with the patient returning home for coordinated follow-up and supportive care by ThedaCare. Before and following a transplant, patients will have access to providers in their nearby communities to continue coordinated long-term care to maintain their recovery.
“The seamless transfer of care between our organizations can truly help patients and families in our region,” said Andrabi. “Collaborative care will already be in place, before a person’s transplant, and through follow up and ongoing care, close to home, with identified providers from organizations continuing to support the patient’s health and well-being.”
