Blue Cross & Blue Shield United of Wisconsin revealed in 1999 that it was converting from a nonprofit corporation to a for-profit corporation. The proceeds were generously divided between the Medical School (now the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health) and the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. This groundbreaking gift was directed toward public health, scholarships, and faculty support. Over the last 20 years, the Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) has helped transform how medical students are taught, providing excellent medical and public health education and training, community service, and research. Since 2004, WPP has distributed nearly $301 million for 636 grants and projects that address complex health challenges facing Wisconsin communities.
“The Wisconsin Partnership Program is the engine that drove our transformation into the nation’s first school of medicine and public health,” says Robert Golden, dean of the School of Medicine and Public Health. “Today and into the future, it will continue to drive the advancement of health in our state through strategic investments in research, education, and community programs.”