News & Events

Congratulations to Discover Whitewater, Associated Bank Whitewater, and First English Lutheran Church for being recognized with the Purple Angel Designation by the Whitewater Dementia Friendly Community Initiative. This designation shows that fifty percent of the staff has been through a dementia friendly business/church training learning about dementia and how to best serve those with the disease. There was also a walk-through of the facility with recommendations to assist those with dementia. Others in Whitewater with this designation are Binning and Dickens Insurance, First Citizens Bank, Reynold’s Heating and Cooling, Studio 84, Irvin L Young Memorial Library, Seniors in the Park, First United Methodist Church and New Beginnings APFV.

If any business or church is interested in the Dementia Friendly training please contact Jennifer Jackson, Seniors in the Park at 262-473-0535 or jjackson@whitewater-wi.gov

Gov. Tony Evers announced today that he is seeking applicants for the Jefferson County Circuit Court – Branch 2. The appointment will fill a vacancy being created by Judge William F. Hue’s resignation, effective Aug. 10, 2024. The new judge will complete a term ending July 31, 2025. To apply, please email a completed application form and supporting materials to GOVJudicialAppointments@wisconsin.gov. Applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Mon., June 3, 2024. The application can be found on the “Apply to Serve” page on Gov. Evers’ website at: www.evers.wi.gov. Applicants with questions about the judicial selection process may contact the Governor’s Office of Legal Counsel at (608) 266-1212.

Fort Community Credit Union (FCCU) was recognized in February as one of four Wisconsin credit unions to receive the Governor’s Financial Literacy Award. Governor Tony Evers honored the recipients in a ceremony at the Wisconsin State Capitol. This award is in recognition of FCCU’s efforts to serve the underserved and increase financial knowledge and capacity within the communities they serve.

“Financial education gives people the tools they need to achieve their goals, expand their opportunities, and attain financial security for themselves and their families,” said Gov. Evers. “These dedicated individuals and organizations are doing important work to help Wisconsinites become more financially secure and prepare for their futures, which is a critical part of strengthening the financial well-being of our entire state.”

FCCU has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to promoting financial knowledge, capability, and inclusion. In 2023, FCCU focused on fraud prevention in their senior community, financial education for youth and the homeless, financial inclusion for Hispanic members, and products that encourage saving. As a result, over 1,700 individuals now have access to an emergency savings account. FCCU invested over 55 hours of classroom time between grades 2-12 and created a financial summer camp for kids. One of the most popular new events in 2023 was the Fraud Prevention seminars held at area senior centers.

“Receiving this award is a tremendous honor,” said Sue Johnson, FCCU’s CEO and President. “A thriving community starts with financial well-being for all. FCCU is committed to providing the tools to make it possible for everyone to prosper.”

Visit fortcommunity.com/about/community/community-impact to learn more about FCCU’s community impact.

The Greater Whitewater Committee is Set to Host President Chief/ Executive Officer of the Edgerton Hospital and Health Services, Marc Augsburger, as Guest Speaker at the May GWC Meeting 

The Greater Whitewater Committee (GWC) is set to host President/Chief Executive Officer of the Edgerton Hospital and Health Services, Marc Augsburger, at the upcoming May meeting. Marc will be discussing increasing costs on emergency room and outpatient care as a result of change and the demographics of the region for Edgerton Hospital, Fort HealthCare, and the Rock River Clinic. 

The GWC’s upcoming monthly meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, May 9 at 7 a.m. at 841 Brewhouse: 841 E Milwaukee St, Whitewater, WI 53190. The public is welcome to attend this meeting to hear more about emergency room, and outpatient care. If interested in attending, RSVP is required. To reserve your spot, contact Jeff Knight at jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com or 920.728.0662 by Wednesday, April 9. 

Marc Augsburger is a member of the Greater Whitewater Committee and serves as the President/Chief Executive Officer of Edgerton Hospital and Health Services; he has 30 years of diverse experience in the healthcare industry. 

Marc holds an Associates Degree in Nursing from Lima Technical College, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Wright State University, and a Masters of Business Administration, Health Care Emphasis, from Baker College of Graduate Studies.  

 About the GWC 

The GWC is an action-oriented group committed to working with citizens, elected officials, and policy makers to identify, craft, and implement a pro-business agenda. The agenda advances the economic, education, and social policies required to energize and secure the Whitewater area’s economic future, as well as protect Whitewater’s quality of life.

Danijela Gallo found the affirmation she was looking for. Montana Petersen found new perspectives on the pace of life. Billy Williams found an experience he describes as “home.”

The three University of Wisconsin-Whitewater students were part of a 12-day faculty-led travel study class for students interested in health and aging. The course, held in Atenas, Costa Rica, immerses students in Spanish while giving them an opportunity to visit one of the world’s “Blue Zones” — five regions of the planet known and studied for human longevity.

“I had the privilege of meeting a remarkable 90-year-old woman named Lourdes, who was still actively riding horses, dancing and cherishing moments with her family,” said Gallo, who is studying to become a speech language pathologist. Gallo, who comes from Greendale, said the experience affirmed her recent decision to take on Spanish as a second major.

“I recognize the potential to work with bilingual students in the future (as a speech language pathologist),” she said. “The warmth and kindness of the people in Costa Rica left a lasting impression especially because of their enthusiasm for my efforts to learn Spanish.”

A passion for hands-on experience

Jodie Parys, a professor of world languages and cultures and a certified medical interpreter and translator who teaches a course in medical Spanish for health professionals, began creating the course as a “passion project” about eight years ago.

The course is cross-listed for Spanish, social work and public health students at the university.

“I always wanted to have an experiential piece of the course where students could go to learn about health care systems elsewhere in the world,” said Parys.

During a sabbatical in 2020, Parys established a connection with ARCOS Learning Abroad and traveled to Costa Rica, where her vision became a reality. An ARCOS director onsite in Atenas works with Parys to arrange the activities she selects for her students.

Back in Whitewater, Parys also connected with colleague Jeannine Rowe, a gerontologist and professor of social work whom she knew from her work with the office of Community Based Learning. With Rowe, who was eager to join Parys, the picture became complete.

UW-Whitewater students in Costa Rica

In 2022, 18 students were ready to go for the first class when a surge in the Omicron variant of COVID-19 deferred the trip. Several of those students signed up again the following year, and the course was launched in January of 2023. Gallo, Petersen and Williams were part of another group of 15 who went to Nicoya in 2024.

Students boarded with host families and spoke only Spanish for the length of their visit. Their days were active as they learned about health as a broad concept encompassing the mental, physical and spiritual.

A highlight for the students was their visit to the Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone. There, the students visited an organic coffee plantation, learned about other organic farming practices and cooked and ate an eight-course lunch alongside residents. They were told about native plants and efforts to preserve heirloom seeds.

Parys said many of the older Costa Ricans arrived on bicycles to meet the students. One man was a 98-year-old farmer who had a message Parys related as, “If I stop moving, I die. This (farming) brings me joy.”

Gallo asked her friend Lourdes for the recipe to longevity.

“She attributed her prolonged and joyful life to her large family of 16 children and 14 grandchildren,” said Gallo. “And her passion for horses, a diet rich in natural foods, and a deliberate avoidance of stress.”

Gallo’s classmate Montana Petersen has been president of Latinos Unidos, a Precollege Program intern, and the undergraduate coordinator in the King-Chávez Scholars Program. She is back on campus living the involved student lifestyle but with some coping skills from Costa Rica.

“Something that stood out to me was the general health and longevity of the elders in Costa Rica,” Petersen said. “Prioritizing movement and community is proven to increase the length and quality of life.

“Brianda (Salinas) and I went out dancing with our host family,” she added, referring to social work major Brianda Salinas, who also participated in the travel-study. “We were the youngest people at the venue, and it was very cool to see how the entire room was moving.”

A measurable impact

During moments when students gathered for class discussions, Parys saw the impact on the students in the experiences they shared, sometimes with tears.

“We were blessed with an amazing group of students,” she said. “They were just open-hearted students. Everyone was in tears. They said there was more of a sense of belonging than they had ever felt.”

The students also were shown Costa Rica’s national health care system, which includes comprehensive care funded through payroll deductions, much like Social Security in the U.S., and a privatized system in place for specialized care.

“I was fascinated by this dual system and thought it would be a great case study,” said Parys.

Billy Williams, a psychology student working on a pre-medical certificate, knew Parys from taking her classes. A junior, Williams was feeling his opportunities were running out to be able to go on a travel-study. So he jumped at the chance to take the course.

“The medical aspect of the travel-study was very interesting to me,” Williams said. “There are so many different ways they approach health care. Not all communities there approach it in the same way. We saw an indigenous community who does more traditional medicine and spiritual practices, and that was very interesting. We learned a lot about how their health insurance works and how it differs from ours.

“We struggle to fully support a lot of communities,” he said. “It was really, really fascinating to see that almost everyone there has that kind of support and access. And figuring out how that’s made possible was really cool.”

Williams’ hosts were Flory, a homemaker and “sobadora” who knows therapeutic massage and Gilbert, a carpenter. Their son Andre lives in the home, and their grown daughter Noelia came by every morning on visits Williams will not forget.

“Noelia would stop by every morning on her way to work to see her mom, give her a kiss and wish her a great day,” said Williams. “Their sense of family is one of their cultural traits that I really love. You can feel it as well as see it.”

Williams one day hopes to serve a Spanish-speaking community as a physician.

“It really helped me connect with that side of me and feel that this is where I belong,” he said. “This was truly life-changing for me because it made me feel a way I had never felt before.”

---

Written by Craig Schreiner | Photos submitted