The Wisconsin Partnership Program (WPP) at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health has announced that Manish Shah, MD, MPH, professor and vice chair of research in the BerbeeWalsh Department of Emergency Medicine, will serve as the next chair of the WPP Oversight and Advisory Committee (OAC).
Shah is an experienced and highly regarded national leader in the field of emergency medicine. He has dedicated his career to improving care for older adults, with a specific focus on those with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. His work and scientific interest focus on serving both urban and rural communities and addressing the needs of vulnerable populations.
Nationally, Shah’s work helped establish the field of geriatric emergency medicine and advance the role of ambulance-based paramedics to support community health efforts, now termed “community paramedicine.” He has received multiple national awards in recognition of his paradigm-shifting contributions. He has held many significant community health-related leadership roles across urban, rural and mixed regions, including serving on county health boards, providing leadership as medical director for community emergency services and partnering with community stakeholders on a wide array of emergency-related initiatives.
“Dr. Shah is an experienced leader, with proven success in building strong community partnerships,” said Amy Kind, MD, PhD, associate dean for social health sciences and programs at the school and executive director of the Wisconsin Partnership Program. “Through his work serving individuals as well as communities, he has demonstrated a deep commitment to the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s mission to improve health and advance health equity.”
Shah has served on the OAC since December 2019. Nominated for the position of chair by Robert N. Golden, MD, dean of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health on May 25, 2022, he follows Kind, who has led the committee since 2018.
“I am humbled to have been nominated for this position. The OAC and Wisconsin Partnership Program play a major role in improving the health of Wisconsin, and I look forward to working with the dedicated OAC members to build upon Dr. Kind’s tenure as chair,” said Shah.
The Wisconsin Partnership Program is governed by two committees, the Oversight and Advisory Committee and the Partnership Education and Research Committee (PERC). The OAC directs and approves funds for public health initiatives and provides public representation through the committee’s four community members. PERC allocates and distributes funds designated for medical education and research initiatives that advance population health. As chair of OAC, Shah will also serve as one of two OAC representatives on PERC.
The Wisconsin Partnership Program is a permanent endowment within the School of Medicine and Public Health. It was established in 2004 through an unprecedented gift as part of the conversion of Blue Cross and Blue Shield United of Wisconsin to a stock insurance corporation, to improve health and well-being in Wisconsin. Its investments support community partnerships, education and research initiatives aimed at improving health and advancing health equity throughout the state. To date, the Wisconsin Partnership Program has awarded more than 580 research, education and community partnership grants totaling more than $276 million to improve the health of the people of Wisconsin.