Date: July 8, 2002
For more information contact: Kyle Richmond (608) 267-9336 or kyle.richmond@oci.state.wi.us

Madison, WI--The second state health care listening session hosted by Governor Scott McCallum will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, July 22, on the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay campus.

"We made a good start in Milwaukee and I want to continue the conversation about health care costs and best practices," McCallum said. "I hope businesspeople, consumers and public officials in northeast Wisconsin will come and give us their perspectives."

The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) has a Web page with information about the listening sessions at http://oci.wi.gov/special/listen.htm. The page includes a schedule for future sessions, written testimony from participants at the first session in Milwaukee, and details about the Governor's proposal to improve state employees' health, the WEHL initiative.

WEHL--short for Wisconsin Encourages Healthy Lifestyles--will be established as a program in state departments to encourage employees to eat healthy foods, exercise regularly and educate themselves about health and fitness. The Governor's executive order includes creation of a WEHL Council to institute the program throughout all state agencies.

The listening session will be held at 2400 Nicolet Drive, in the Phoenix Rooms of the UW-Green Bay Union. Insurance Commissioner Connie L. O'Connell and Department of Health and Family Services Secretary Phyllis Dubé will again lead the session. Dates for future sessions in Eau Claire, La Crosse and Wausau will be announced to the news media and posted on the OCI's Web site.