UW-Whitewater partner Mercyhealth earns Universities of Wisconsin Regents Business Partnership Award
October 27, 2023
Written by Chris Lindeke | Photos by Craig Schreiner
Mercyhealth, a collaborative partner of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for more than 20 years, has been recognized with the Universities of Wisconsin Regents Business Partnership Award for its role in ensuring the health and safety of Warhawk student-athletes and expanding the opportunities for staff and students within the campus community and throughout southern Wisconsin.
“Mercyhealth’s impact on the experiences of UW-Whitewater students cannot be understated,” UW-Whitewater Chancellor Corey A. King said. “This partnership strengthens student and team success and inspires our more than 600 student-athletes on campus each year to pursue peak performance. We are able to partner with Mercyhealth in innovative ways to have a positive effect on the community and the region by addressing the health and wellbeing of our students, staff and residents.”
The award was presented to Mercyhealth at UW-Whitewater on Friday, Oct. 27, by Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and Board of Regents Vice President Amy Bogost.
“The long-standing relationship between Mercyhealth and UW-Whitewater is exceptional,” Rothman said. “Between the partnership with Warhawk Athletics and the many other activities the two organizations collaborate on, Mercyhealth and UW-Whitewater are working together to make a strong impact in the community, the region and our state.”
Regent Bogost said, “Mercyhealth and UW-Whitewater are two committed community stewards joining forces to make our region stronger, a perfect embodiment of the Regents Business Partnership Award.”
“We are honored to accept the Universities of Wisconsin Regents Business Partnership Award on behalf of Mercyhealth,” Mercyhealth Vice President Jeni Hallatt said. “ We're grateful for our long-standing partnership with UW-Whitewater. Together, we continue to create positive health outcomes for student athletes, as well as the greater community. Mercyhealth's mission is to provide exceptional health care services with a passion for making lives better, and our partnership with UW-Whitewater is a strong illustration of that.”
The collaboration between UW-Whitewater and Mercyhealth dates to the 2001-02 academic year. The current agreement extends through 2027-28.
As the exclusive health care provider for Warhawk Athletics, Mercyhealth provides two full-time certified athletic trainers from its staff to work at the university. In addition, Bradley Fideler, an orthopedic surgeon with more than 20 years of experience, and Dennys Maldonado, a primary care sports medicine physician who has worked with UW-Whitewater student-athletes since 2009, hold regular office hours on campus and make themselves available well beyond the scheduled hours.
Warhawk athletes find therapy and care at the Mercyhealth training facility located in the Williams Center on campus on March 9, 2023.
UW-Whitewater is annually recognized as a “College of Distinction for Affordability” thanks in part to Mercyhealth’s dedication to the care of Warhawk student-athletes that goes well beyond what the university budget allows.
Mercyhealth’s commitment to advanced medicine and the student experience has played an integral role in the Warhawks’ success at the NCAA Division III level. UW-Whitewater has ranked among the top 20 in Division III in the National Association of College Directors of Athletics Learfield Directors’ Cup, a holistic measurement of the athletic success at the division’s 450-plus institutions.
In addition, Mercyhealth augments on-site health care coverage for UW-Whitewater Camps and Conferences each summer, working camps in athletics, music, theater, STEM and more. Last summer, UW-Whitewater hosted more than 6,740 people at camps and conferences, the most since the university began hosting campers in 1973. In addition, Mercyhealth doctors volunteered to provide coverage at the Wisconsin Special Olympics 2023 State Summer Games, which were held at UW-Whitewater on June 9-10.
In August, UW-Whitewater and Mercyhealth held their annual Emergency Action Plan training session with a focus on preparing for sudden cardiac arrest in athletes. Combining experts from both organizations and led by Dr. Maldonado, the session trained Mercyhealth fellows, which include athletic trainers around the area and Whitewater EMS personnel, for emergency preparedness. (NBC 15 story || Channel 3000 story)
Mercyhealth recruits UW-Whitewater students during the College of Business and Economics’ annual Hawk Career Fair for non-medical positions within the health network. More than 130 Warhawk alumni currently work for Mercyhealth.
Students flocked to the Hawk Career Fair at Kachel Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, to connect with employers offering internships and full-time jobs.
Mercyhealth is also a regular participant in the university’s Wellness Fairs, educating UW-Whitewater students, faculty and staff about health and wellbeing while gaining valuable brand exposure to the university’s audience.
UW-Whitewater and Mercyhealth share a commitment to the wellbeing of community members in the Rock County area. A recently-developed Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, a collaboration between UW-Whitewater at Rock County and Edgewood College, is designed to deliver BSN-prepared nurses to health networks and meet the region’s high demand for registered nurses. (Channel 3000 story || WSAW story)
About Mercyhealth
Mercyhealth is a multi-regional health system with more than 700 employed physician partners, seven hospitals and 85 primary and specialty care locations serving 55 northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin communities. Mercyhealth’s over 7,000 employee/partners care for over 2.4 million patient visits each year. As the top vertically integrated health care provider, they continuously work with a passion for making lives better for the people, families and communities they serve.
About UW-Whitewater
At the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, we inspire, engage and transform lives. Founded in 1868, we serve more than 11,000 students and celebrate more than 100,000 alumni around the world. Our faculty and staff are devoted to student success on our Whitewater campus, our Rock County campus, and our vibrant online environment. We prepare innovative, resilient students with outstanding skills that make them strong candidates for 21st-century careers and community leadership. We embrace our priority mission to serve students with disabilities. Home to the Warhawk family, UW-Whitewater delivers a supportive, caring culture with an entrepreneurial spirit and championship drive.
