The pandemic has been such a life-altering experience that few can resist waxing about the monumental ways our lives and best-laid plans have changed. Dr. Imran Andrabi, president and CEO of ThedaCare, has a story like that. A scant four years ago, he took the helm of the health care organization and got to work with a mission of improving quality, increasing offerings and access, and tackling large objectives like bettering population health and opening a new orthopedic, spine and pain center. Who would have believed what lay in store for 2020 and how quickly his team’s plans would face massive roadblocks?
While it’s not easy to lead through a crisis, Andrabi, like so many health care leaders in our region, has stepped up. He leads virtual community leader conversations to keep people informed, advocates for health care organizations at every level of the government and even implemented a policy that calls for all salaried clinical and non-clinical employees to work eight hours every one to weeks performing front-line duties to help alleviate the stress on burned-out workers. Andrabi himself contributes through making beds and working in the emergency room. Few would have the hubris to guess when we can move past the pandemic, but as ThedaCare continues to navigate its peaks and valleys, Andrabi and his team are also setting a course for the future. Read about what that entails in MaryBeth Matzek’s cover story (her last, sniff, sniff!) beginning on page 22.
When it comes to health, it’s also important to focus on mental wellness, and financial well-being plays a big part in that. Employers are increasingly offering financial counseling and other services to workers as a way to alleviate that stress. This fall, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay opened the Center for Personal Financial Planning to help students and the wider community navigate money issues. And of course, banks and financial institutions provide many offerings to help people get on a path to financial wellness. Turn to my story on page 36 to learn about the importance of having a healthy relationship with money.
The arts are an important component of thriving communities, and while Door County has long had a reputation as a haven for artists and performers, the nonprofit Write On, Door County launched in 2013 to provide a community, resources and workshops for writers. Turn to Sharon Verbeten’s story on page 20 to learn more about the organization, which recently opened a new facility on a 39-acre campus in Juddville.
As we close out the year, I’m thankful for you, our readers. We couldn’t do what we do at Insight without you. Yes, pandemic weariness remains, but I hope you enter this holiday season with a deep sense of gratitude for the fortitude to keep going even in adversity — and the gifts and advances that allow us to gather more safely with loved ones once again. I wish you all a healthy, happy holiday season!
