In 2024, Emplify Health by Gundersen’s Trauma and Emergency Services in La Crosse, Wis., hit a remarkable milestone by serving 189,000 patients, a new annual record for the only Level II Trauma Center in the region.
The designation as a Level II Trauma Center means that Emplify Health by Gundersen provides comprehensive, life-saving care for patients following a traumatic accident or injury. The Emergency Department is staffed with highly trained surgeons and specialists who have access to state-of-the-art equipment, giving patients with life-threatening injuries the best chance for recovery.
“We are proud of this milestone because it means our community trusts us to provide care in their most critical moments,” says Sandy Brekke, RN, Population Health director. “As demand continues to increase, it’s important that we use innovative programs to ensure patients have continued access to the most appropriate level of care.”
Data shows the number of patients being served in the Emergency Department continues to grow substantially each year, which is why Emplify Health by Gundersen—with support from Gundersen Medical Foundation—has implemented several programs designed to move care upstream to ensure that Emergency Services does not become overburdened.
MEETING PATIENTS WHERE THEY ARE
Since its inception in 2020, the Street Medicine Program has been changing lives. Once a week, a team of medical professionals visits local shelters, parks and encampments with the goal of providing compassionate care to our community’s unhoused neighbors, a population for whom access to healthcare has historically been a struggle.
The team includes Sandy Brekke, a former ICU nurse; a supervising physician; two resident doctors, and, occasionally, nursing or other medical students. The medical group is joined by a community health worker from St. Clare Health Mission, an essential program partner. The team works together using a St. Clare Health Mission mobile medicine van with two exam areas.
On most days, the team sees 12-20 patients during a four-hour shift. Patients may receive care for wounds, COPD exacerbations, substance use disorders, mental health conditions, frostbite and more. While immediate care is the priority, the team also strives to connect patients with a primary care provider for medical needs down the road, which is why the community health worker from St. Clare Health Mission is an important resource.
“Beyond better health outcomes, one of the greatest benefits of the Street Medicine Program is the ability to connect patients with people who can help them navigate the system—whether that’s making appointments, securing transportation to appointments, completing housing paperwork or accessing specialty services and other community resources,” says Heidi Allred, MD, program director of the Family Medicine Residency Program and co-director of the Street Medicine Team. “Connecting patients to primary care and addressing their fundamental needs helps reduce unnecessary emergency visits and may prevent the overcrowding of emergency departments that we see in other communities.”
Dr. Allred also sees the program’s powerful impact on the resident physicians who participate in Street Medicine. “This program teaches the region’s future doctors to understand the beauty of working collaboratively with other organizations within their communities and to think about caring for patients beyond traditional clinical settings. They’re encouraged to think creatively and recognize the broader impact they can have as physicians.”
CONNECTING WITH FAMILIES
The Family Medicine Residency Clinic within Hamiliton Elementary School in La Crosse is another innovative program that seeks to connect community members with a primary care provider. The program began in November 2024 and is open to all Hamilton/SOTA I students (and their household family members) along with school staff.
One Tuesday morning per month, a Family Medicine resident physician is onsite at the Hamilton Clinic to see patients for wellness visits, immunizations, injuries, illness, behavioral health concerns and more.
“We’re hoping to connect with families who don’t have a primary care clinician because that relationship helps improve health outcomes,” says Robyn Borge, MD, who is a faculty member in the Family Medicine Residency Program. “Addressing needs before they become critical enough to require a visit to Emergency Services also helps manage use of the Emergency Department.”
Like the Street Medicine Program, the partnership with Hamilton Elementary School provides enriching training opportunities for residents. Dr. Allred shares that such unique educational opportunities have made an impact on the Family Medicine Residency Program. “Not only do these programs help us attract ‘the best of the best’ medical students,” she explains, “but they are also part of the reason that 50% of our Family Medicine graduates choose to stay and practice in this community. These graduates will help ensure our community’s ongoing access to high-quality medical care for the future.”
REMOVING BARRIERS AND BRIDGING GAPS
While the Street Medicine Program and the Hamiliton Clinic connect with patients outside of the Emergency Department to help curb overutilization, an innovative partnership between Emplify Health and St. Clare Health Mission connects with patients while they are receiving emergency care.
Two community health workers employed by St. Clare Health Mission are embedded in the Emergency Department of Emplify Health by Gundersen La Crosse Hospital. Barbara Pollack is one of those community health workers whose job it is to work with patients who are seen in the Emergency Department four or more times per year, addressing “high-frequency utilization.”
Either on her own or through a referral from a patient care facilitator or a social worker, Barbara connects with these patients to learn more about their needs. “Most patients just need help navigating systems. I can provide that service and build a relationship along the way,” says Barbara, who is a passionate patient advocate. “I support all of my neighbors—no judgement—just smiles, help and hugs.”
As a community health worker, Barbara’s work is not confined to inside the hospital walls, which means she is able to follow up with patients by phone or in person after they leave the Emergency Department. Barbara often meets patients for coffee or visits them at home where she can truly get to know their needs.
These needs may include obtaining insurance, exploring housing options or securing transportation for follow-up appointments. Barbara can also support patients who could benefit from entering treatment programs, building social relationships or overcoming food insecurity. In one unique situation, she even helped a patient obtain a seeing eye dog. Often, this help navigating systems is crucial in supporting patients with needs that affect their health and impact Emergency Department usage.
Initiatives like the Street Medicine Program, the onsite clinic at Hamiliton Elementary School and the embedding of community health workers inside the Emergency Department are just a few examples of programs already making an impact. Recently, Emplify Health by Gundersen also announced plans to open an EmPATH Unit in La Crosse. This unit will help patients experiencing a mental health crisis who enter the Emergency Department move to a unit more suited to their needs.
These efforts underscore Emplify Health by Gundersen’s goal to lead with love by connecting hundreds of underserved community members with the level of care they need while, at the same time, preserving access to the Emergency Department for those moments when every second counts.
Help us grow our outreach to these groups of people by clicking here and directing a gift to the Gundersen Community Partnerships Endowment Fund, or email gmf@gundersenhealth.org to discuss gift options.