Small Street Journal: October 11, 2019

​Marshfield Clinic
State grants help train health care staff in rural Wisconsin
MARSHFIELD – Marshfield Clinic Health System will partner with Wisconsin technical colleges and universities to provide health care training after it was awarded grant funds from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
 
These grants create opportunities for students and current health care workers with the desire to learn new skills. More importantly, it will improve access to quality care in rural areas of Wisconsin.
 
“The assistance from the State of Wisconsin is welcome to train healthcare workers who are vital to the care we provide to patients throughout Wisconsin,” said Dr. Matthew Jansen, internal medicine physician and medical director of the Health System’s Division of Education. “Knowing that their education will be paid for may be the impetus a person needs to continue their education in a very rewarding industry.” 
 
2019 Allied Health Professional Education and Training Grant
This $245,092, two-year grant is a consortium between the Health System, Mid-State Technical College, Chippewa Valley Technical College and Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College.
 
The Health System and the technical colleges will provide matching funds or in-kind services to train 36 employees or non-employees to be medical assistants.
 
2019 Advanced Practice Clinician Training Grant
This $50,000 grant will provide rural rotational experiences for University of Wisconsin-La Crosse physician assistant students. It also will provide clinical and didactic experience to newly licensed physician assistants and nurse practitioners within the Health System. The goals of both programs are to provide to the participants and serve as a recruitment and retention tool for our rural locations. 
 
Marshfield Clinic Health System will also be involved in a two-year Workforce Advancement Training Grant that was awarded to the consortium of Mid-State Technical College, Chippewa Valley Technical College and Wisconsin Indianhead College. This grant will train up to 30 Health System employees as certified nursing assistants. There will be a three-credit nursing assistant training program at each campus.
CNAs are critical to the Health System’s team-based approach to health care and the training will help overcome a shortage of CNAs in Wisconsin.
For more information about these programs, contact Heidi Kramer, Recruitment & Retention manager, at 715-389-3869 or kramer.heidi@marshfieldclinic.org.

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L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library

Celebrate National Friends of Libraries Week with Riddles
The Friends of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire are sponsoring their seventh annual Riddle Me Readers book hunt in Youth Services from Sunday, October 20 through Saturday, October 26 to celebrate National Friends of Libraries Week.

Each day children in kindergarten through fifth grade may get a riddle at the Youth Services desk and hunt for the book that goes with that riddle. If they find the book, they may fill out a slip to enter a prize drawing. Each child may enter the contest once per day. There will be seven different riddles, seven different books, and seven different major prizes during the week. Winners will be contacted by library staff.

The Friends of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library is a group of volunteers dedicated to helping the library serve the community. The Friends organization was established in 1987 to help inform the public about the library and its resources, provide financial assistance, garner support for library programs, increase the community’s awareness of the library, and provide a reliable and continuous source of volunteers. Now, over 30 years later, the Friends group has hundreds of members and continues to be an active, successful organization. For information, stop at Youth Services on your next visit to the library, call 715-839-5007, or email the library at ysstaff@eauclaire.lib.wi.us. To learn more about the library and its programs, visit its website at www.ecpubliclibrary.info.

Get in the Game at the Library
The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire will host gaming events each day from Monday, November 4 through Sat, November 9 in celebration of International Games Week. Each event will feature a different kind of game including classic board and card games, tabletop pen & paper role-playing, video games, mini-golf, and an interactive fiction workshop. A prize drawing will be held at each event. Enjoy your favorite games or try something new! All events are beginner-friendly. Registration is required for some events. Visit www.ecpubliclibrary.info/igw2019 to register.
Drop In All Week Giant Games | Youth Services | No prize drawing
Mon, November 4 Intro to Cribbage | 6–8 p.m. | Dabble Box
Tues, November 5 Pen & Paper Lite Night | 5–8 p.m. | Red Cedar Room | Registration required
Intro to Playing Card Games | 6–8 p.m. | Dabble Box
Wed, November 6 Interactive Fiction Workshop | 5–7 p.m. | Dabble Box | Registration required
Putt Putt Golf | 5–9 p.m. | Information & Reference
Thurs, November 7 Video Game Olympics | 5:30–8:30 p.m. | Dabble Box
Fri, November 8 Adult Game Night (21+ Event) | 6–8 p.m. | The Brewing Projekt (N. Oxford Ave.) | Registration required
Sat, November 9 Pen & Paper with a Pro Day | 1–4 p.m. | Red Cedar Room | Registration required
Intro to Go | 2–4 p.m. | Dabble Box

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Scouts

Local Companies Combine Efforts to Provide Career Exploring in Engineering to High School Students
Several companies in the La Crosse Area are working together with the Gateway Area Council to provide a hands-on, interactive program to explore careers in Engineering.  The La Crosse County Solid Waste Department and Trane, along with SEH Consulting, Wisconsin DNR, Davy Engineering, Dairyland Power, Mathy Construction, Torrance Casting Inc., the City of La Crosse and Marshall Technical Services combine to provide 15 evening sessions throughout the school year.  At each session, a professional from a local firm leads an activity that allows students to explore an engineering field such as: Electrical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Product Development, Design Considerations, Software Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Metallurgical Engineering. The different sessions cover concepts such as Gas Systems, Electrical Power, Product Development, Road Design, Project Management, Robotics, Energy Planning, Sustainable Energy, Chemical Balance, and Fluid Power. Where do the Explorers meet and how often? Meets twice a month on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, from 6 – 8pm, starting on Tuesday, October 22nd at the La Crosse County Landfill Office at 3200 Berlin Drive La Crosse WI 54601.  How much does it cost? There is an annual fee of $37.  Scholarships are available.   What are the requirements? Students need to be currently enrolled in high school, complete an application by parent/guardian, and be able to attend at least 10 out of the 15 sessions.  Capacity is 20 students. Parents of the Explorers from last year appreciated this program saying, “Great program! Gave students a realistic view of what engineers do in different areas of engineering. Thanks for being so flexible with school activities. Excellent organization. If only all activities that my child participated in were this organized.” The High School Students enjoyed last year’s program, saying, “It has given me an appreciation for the different types of engineering.”  “It opened my mind to new opportunities. ”This program is open to all local area high school students – boys and girls welcome! For more information, go to www.GatewayScouting.org/Exploring or Contact Elizabeth Kramer, Exploring Chairperson at gatewayexploring@gmail.com

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University Wisconsin Eau Claire

​Author, educator and literary critic Bill Deresiewicz to be Forum speaker Oct. 16
Once an Ivy League professor himself, Deresiewicz has spent the last decade writing and speaking about what he sees as the disadvantages, dysfunctions and disservice to society of an elite education in the U.S. Full story.
Researcher shares expertise to help Wisconsin schools better support struggling students
Dr. Jennifer Muehlenkamp, a psychology professor and expert on nonsuicidal self-injury, helps staff in Wisconsin schools develop protocols for dealing with NSSI behaviors. Nearly 20% of middle and high school students engage in these behaviors. Full story.
11th Annual Schneider Disability Issues Forum to host author, mental health advocate
Kelly Jensen will speak on her most recent book, "(Don't) Call Me Crazy," and strategies for opening conversations about mental health during this year's Schneider Disability Issues Forum at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, in UW-Eau Claire's Schofield Auditorium. Full story.

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Security Financial Bank

SFB to Close on Columbus Day to Volunteer in Community 
In celebration of Columbus Day, Security Financial Bank (SFB) will be closed on Monday, October 14, 2019. But SFB employees won’t be sleeping in during the federal holiday. Instead, employees are using the day as an opportunity to volunteer in the communities they serve.

“It’s part of SFB’s mission to invest in the communities we serve. Columbus Day is a perfect opportunity for our employees to give back to various organizations and help to continue to make our area a great place to live,” explained Paul Rudersdorf, SFB president and chief executive officer.

SFB has locations in five cities throughout western Wisconsin as well as a corporate office in Eau Claire. About 100 employees will be volunteering in the following locations:
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Eau Claire Branch – SFB employees will be volunteering at the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre.
Durand Branch – SFB employees plan to clean veterans’ markers at Forest Hill Cemetery and also will volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul’s and the Durand Area Food Pantry.
Bloomer Branch – SFB employees will paint the ice rink and visit residents at the local nursing home.
River Falls Branch – SFB employees will volunteer at Turning Point.
Ladysmith Branches – SFB employees will be volunteering at the Rusk County Senior Center.
Corporate Office – SFB employees be completing various projects for the Beacon House, Beaver Creek Reserve, Hope Gospel Mission, Trinity Equestrian Center, Habitat for Humanity and the YMCA Sports Center.
For more information on SFB, visit www.sfbank.com or call 888-254-0615.

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Realtors Association of Northwestern WI
RANWW Foundation Donates $30,000 to Tornado Victims
REALTORS® from all across the country and in Northwestern Wisconsin are coming to the rescue for people devastated by a tornado with donations totaling $30,000.

“Imagine if your home was damaged to the point of you not being able to stay there, yet you have to continue to pay for it while you also pay for a temporary place to stay. We have $1,000 grants to give right to the people who need it so they can pay their mortgage or rent while they fix their homes or find a new place to live,” said Executive Vice President Brenda Barnhardt.

Most of the emergency money was granted by the national REALTORS® Relief Foundation Board to the REALTORS® Association of Northwestern Wisconsin Foundation to distribute the grants to the individuals and families who need it most. Those people who were affected by the tornado can go to the website, ranww.org where they can fill out an application. RANWW is working with community agencies to make sure the money gets to the people most affected.

Barnhardt added, “Our intent is try and assist as many victims as possible with housing relief funds.”
The REALTORS® Association of Northwestern Wisconsin is the professional trade association that all professional REALTORS® residing within the association jurisdiction belong to. The association provides educational opportunities for its members, is active in local, state and national advocacy efforts, engages in community outreach through charitable giving, operates its own private foundation to help homeowners in need and remains a positive force for the members they serve.
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For more information on the REALTORS® Association of Northwestern Wisconsin, log on to www.ranww.org
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​HSHS Sacred Heart St. Joseph’s Hospital
Free QPR suicide prevention session
CHIPPEWA FALLS  – HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals’ 3D Community Health: Body.Mind.Spirit is hosting a session for anyone who would like to learn how to recognize the warning signs that someone may be thinking about suicide, and how to help them. The training is called “Question, Persuade, Refer” – or QPR. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save a life.

The session will take place Thursday, October 24, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in McDonald Hall at HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, 2661 Co Hwy I. Registration is required by calling 715-717-7479 or online at www.stjoeschipfalls.org/Events-Classes.

“Suicide is very hard for most people to talk about,” said Laura Baalrud, director of Community Health at HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals. “Through QPR training, we hope to open up the dialogue about mental health and suicidal feelings to help reduce the stigma that surrounds these subjects.”