Catalpa Health

APPLETON, Wis. (February 28, 2022) – Catalpa Health, a mental health and wellness service provider for children and adolescents in the Fox Valley, is pleased to announce the appointment of a new board member; Paul A. Klister, President, Commercial Horizons Properties of Appleton, Wisc.

“I am excited to bring Paul’s experience and expertise to the board,” said Tracy Guiou, President and CEO of Catalpa Health. “Each member of our board brings a unique perspective that will help us continue to shape the future of Catalpa and support our mission of helping children and families improve their mental health and wellness.”

Paul A. Klister is currently the President of Commercial Horizons Properties, a commercial real estate developer with a variety of regional partners through their private equity investment firm, Capital Connection, LLC. His years of business experience paired with his prior practice as an attorney will bring a wealth of knowledge to Catalpa. In addition to his professional roles, Paul has been involved as a board member with the YMCA, the Community Foundation of the Fox Valley and the ThedaCare Health System, among others. He is also involved with coaching for the Special Olympics and other youth sports and was a founding member of the Marquette Real Estate Program.

The 2022 Catalpa Health Board of Directors are: Chair, David Vander Zanden, Retired; Vice Chair, Paul Klister of Commercial Horizons Properties; Secretary, Gail Ostrander of Children’s Wisconsin; Treasurer, Julie Meyer of ThedaCare Behavioral Health; Michael Bergmann of Ascension; Tina Lechnir of Ascension; Wendy Barton, M.D. of ThedaCare; Amy Herbst of Children’s Wisconsin and Shaun Gunderson of J. J. Keller & Associates.

Catalpa Health is a pediatric mental health organization that provides pediatric and youth mental health services including psychiatry, mental health therapy and psychological evaluations to children and their families through clinics in Appleton, Oshkosh, and Waupaca. Additionally, mental health therapy services are offered in more than 50 area schools. Founded and managed as a collaboration between healthcare systems Ascension Wisconsin, Children’s Wisconsin, ThedaCare, and our community, Catalpa Health is invested in community partnerships and works with other mental health providers to ensure that all children are receiving the right care at the right time, close to home. For more information on Catalpa Health, please visit our website at www.catalpahealth.org or follow us at www.facebook.com/catalpahealth.

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APPLETON, Wis. (November 16, 2021) – Catalpa Health, a mental health and wellness service provider for children and adolescents in the Fox Valley, has named Dr. Tracy Guiou, BCBA-D, as its new President. She joins Catalpa following decades of work as a CEO within behavioral health, specifically in autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Guiou negotiated the sale of her multi-state agencies in 2019 to the start-up behavioral health agency Kadiant, LLC and most recently served as their Vice President of Mental Health Services.

“We are very excited that Tracy has decided to join Catalpa, and we look forward to her leadership as we continue to offer services to help children improve their Mental Health”, said Dave Vander Zanden, Board Chair for Catalpa Health.  “ Tracy brings a unique background and will be perfectly suited to lead Catalpa into the future. “

As shared earlier this year, current Catalpa Health President and CEO,  Mary Downs, will be retiring from the organization on January 7. 2022.

“We wish Mary well in retirement and thank her for her vision and leadership at Catalpa, especially over the last two years as we navigated Mental Health with the impacts of Covid 19. Mary has solidly positioned the organization for continued growth and success.”

Dr. Guiou currently holds licensure as a Psychologist in Wisconsin, Ohio and Georgia and additional certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst – Doctoral level. Her passion for providing high-quality and meaningful treatment for children and their families over the last 25 years continues today, and joining the Catalpa team allows her to extend her impact. She has held multiple board positions for the Ohio Association of Behavior Analysts (OHABA), including that of President. She is a longtime member of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA), Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI), California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA), and American Psychological Association (APA).

“In accepting this role with Catalpa, I am most excited to work with a dedicated team to further extend the mission of helping children and their families’ mental wellness during an unprecedented time in our communities,” Dr. Guiou said. “Working together, I believe we can wrap our arms more fully around those who need us and play an important part in raising generations of healthier, happier children.

Dr. Tracy Guiou began her transition into her new role with Catalpa Health earlier this month.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Mary Downs, CEO, Catalpa Health

Mary.Downs@catalpahealth.org

PRESS RELEASE

 APPLETON, Wis. (May 14,2021) – Catalpa Health, a mental health and wellness service provider for children and adolescents in the Fox Valley, is pleased to announce the appointment of two new board members; Shaun A. Gunderson, with J. J. Keller & Associates of Neenah, Wisc., and Michael Bergmann, with Ascension Wisconsin of the Fox Valley Region.

“Our board of directors is comprised of a dedicated team of community leaders, as well as appointed leaders from our health care partners: Ascension, Children’s Wisconsin and ThedaCare,” said Mary Downs, President and CEO of Catalpa Health. “This group of individuals cares deeply about the mental health of the children in our community and furthering the mission of Catalpa.”

Shaun A. Gunderson is currently the Vice President of Managed Services for J. J. Keller & Associates in Neenah, Wis., where she is responsible for overseeing product management, operations, and client services for the Managed Services business unit. Her depth in business process optimization will be a great asset to the Catalpa board. Additionally, Shaun has been involved in the community as a member of the MBA Alumni Advisory Board with the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, a volunteer with Pillars in Appleton, Wis., and she sits on the Advisory Council for The Center for Grieving Children in Appleton, Wisc.

Michael Bergmann is a former Advocate Aurora Health executive and was hired earlier this year by Ascension Wisconsin as the President of the Fox Valley Ascension hospitals. In his previous roles, Bergmann oversaw strategy, resource management, safety, patient experience, employee engagement, community perception and growth. Michael’s extensive healthcare knowledge and experience will be a positive asset to the Catalpa board and mission.

The 2021 Catalpa Health Board of Directors are: Chair, David Vander  Zanden, Retired; Vice Chair, Tina Lechnir of Ascension; Secretary, Gail Ostrander of Children’s Wisconsin; Treasurer, Julie Meyer of ThedaCare Behavioral Health; Wendy Barton, M.D. of ThedaCare; Amy Herbst of Children’s Wisconsin; Shaun Gunderson of J. J. Keller & Associates; Michael Bergmann of Ascension; and Tom Schmidt of U.S. Venture.

Catalpa Health is a pediatric mental health organization that provides mental health services including psychiatry, mental health therapy and psychological evaluations to children, teens and families through clinics in Appleton, Oshkosh, and Waupaca. Additionally, mental health therapy services are offered in more than 50 area schools.  As a collaboration of Ascension Wisconsin, Children’s Wisconsin, ThedaCare, and the community, Catalpa Health believes in community partnerships and works with other mental health providers to ensure that all children and teens are receiving the right care at the right time, close to home. For more information on Catalpa Health, please visit our website at www.catalpahealth.org or follow us at www.facebook.com/catalpahealth.

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We are currently experience some challenges with our telehealth platform Doxy with some virtual appointments. If this is the case for your scheduled appointment time, providers will be calling you direction for your session.

Questions? Give us a call at 920.750.7000 for immediate assistance.

We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this might cause in the meantime. Additional updates will be provided on our Facebook and here as they come available.

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown a curve ball to students this summer – from postponed camps and travel teams to less time having fun in the sun with friends. But children are learning a new lesson: The importance of wearing a face covering to keep family and friends safe.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says face coverings slow the spread of COVID-19 by people who unknowingly have the virus. New research published this summer in the Annals of Internal Medicine estimates anywhere from 30% to 45% of people with the coronavirus have no symptoms.  In May, officials guessed about a quarter of Americans were asymptomatic.

“When kids and adults with COVID-19 breathe, speak, cough or sneeze, virus particles will be trapped in their mask, protecting other people from being infected,” explained Jennifer Frank, MD, Chief Medical Officer at ThedaCare, a Be Safe Wisconsin partner. “Respiratory droplets can spread the virus, so people wearing cloth face coverings play an important role in curbing cases.”

The CDC guidance on face coverings suggests everyone older than the age of two wear a cloth mask when outside the home. Making kids feel comfortable wearing a mask now will get them ahead of the school year, when they will likely be required to suit up with one in the classroom for everyone’s safety – students, teachers, parents and administrators.

Experts say getting kids to comply starts with parents and other authority figures in their life. Additional Be Safe Partners explain that when you are armed with the right information, it is as easy as 1-2-3.

1. Speak honestly.  Experts say children need to hear the facts but without the fear. Catalpa Health Psychiatrist, Eric Rueff, DO, said, “Explain the risk of illness, but do not try to scare children into wearing face coverings by giving worse case scenarios. Make them aware that when someone may have the illness and not know it, they could easily spread it.”
2. Focus on germs. “Explain that germs are special to your own body. Some are good and some are bad,” said Peter Roloff, MD, and Pediatrician and Regional Medical Director of Primary Care at Ascension Medical Group Wisconsin. “Since we can’t always tell which are good or bad, a cloth face covering helps keep those germs away. Masks also help remind us not to touch our mouth and nose.”
3. Empower children to be heroes. Children are often seen as potential “spreaders” of the coronavirus because most are believed to be asymptomatic or experience only mild symptoms. “They can protect older relatives and teachers who may get the illness worse than kids,” Dr. Rueff noted. This can be reinforced by watching videos on the topic as a family for younger children and teenagers. “Most of us are visual learners so this is a good way to learn together as a family.” Dr. Roloff added, “Some children feel that they do not have control of many things but wearing a mask and caring for others is something that they can control and feel empowered about.”

Of course, emotional support helps to make this change easier too. Be Safe Partners Ascension Medical Group Wisconsin, Catalpa Health, and ThedaCare say as parents and guardians educate and empower, they should do so with empathy and kindness all while having fun to keep everyone to alleviate any anxiousness along the way.

• Show empathy by commiserating with how annoying and stuffy a mask can be.
• Encourage kindness by modeling how masks are worn to keep others safe, which can be an altruistic feeling for a child.
• Be happy by injecting humor to diffuse stressful conflicts over wearing the mask, rather than letting any frustration lead to anger.

Leading by example is most effective when expecting change from your children, so parents do as you say not as you do. And older siblings wearing their own mask can make a difference too. Children look up to older family members and mimic them.

Be Safe Wisconsin experts suggest a family gradually introduce mask wearing and work toward permanent change. Work in increments: 5 minutes one time, then 10 minutes another, then 30 minutes and so on. The child eventually will get through an entire activity wearing a face covering. Practicing at home will help when children are in public. Parents will have less to worry about when it comes to proper us.

“Thanking children for wearing a mask to protect others will positively reinforce mask use and make the children feel like they are doing their part,” Dr. Roloff said.

Catalpa Health was a contributor to this article, written and published by Be Safe Wisconsin.

The Catalpa team continues to made decisions regarding face-to-face visits with guidance and recommendations from the CDC, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and our professional organizations and associations. If there are changes to this based on your personal treatment plan, your provider or a Catalpa team member will communicate this with you directly.

There is currently no set date to resume in-person services at this time at our physical locations. We will continue to monitor and assess the situation using the guidelines indicated above. If you are receiving care at our Appleton clinic locations, face-to-face services will not resume in the 442 and 444 N. Westhill Blvd. locations. These clinic spaces will officially move to one new location, 4635 W. College Avenue, as of Monday, August 3, 2020. While we’re eager to visit with you in this new space, please continue to schedule and plan for telehealth visits until changes are communicated by your provider or another Catalpa team member.

Please note that to accommodate the clinic move and final IT and technology transitions, ALL Catalpa Health locations will be closed and not providing services (including telehealth) on Friday, July 31. Please plan ahead for medication refills and other needs. 

Find regular updates online at www.catalpahealth.org and on our Catalpa Health Facebook page. For questions or concerns, please contact us at 920.750.7000.

Please note: a letter was mailed with this information to all Catalpa clients the week of July 1, 2020. To view a copy of the note in its entirety, please click the preferred translated version below:

Catalpa Client Letter – English

Catalpa Client Letter – Hmong translation

Catalpa Client Letter – Spanish translation

We are here for you, every step of the way.

In June, Catalpa Health welcomed Carrie Penovich as its new chief operating offer and financial leader.

As the chief operating officer and financial leader, Penovich will be responsible for providing strategic direction for all business operation functions that support patient flow through the clinic; as well as overseeing financial functions and developing Catalpa Health’s overall business policies. Prior to her position at Catalpa, Penovich held the role of chief clinical services officer at Aurora Medical Center Manitowoc County.

Penovich earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Carroll University, along with a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. In additiona, she has served various community organizations including the United Way, Lakeshore Technical College Foundation and the Two Rivers Business Association.

She enjoys traveling and spending time with her family in her free time.

We’re excited to have welcomed Carrie to the Catalpa Health family!

How to Have a Safe – and Fun – Summer Close to Home

A safer-at-home season of life does not mean your summer will be void of fun. Experts say the best way to enjoy the next few months is to come together – 6 feet apart – and keep your mind and body in motion, mostly outside.

A couple of our Catalpa Health mental health therapists gave recommendations on what that could look like for you and your family this summer in collaboration with Be Safe Wisconsin.

View the piece and get ready for a fun summer here.

Three weeks ago, when Be Safe Wisconsin launched, stay at home orders were in place, masks were just introduced as a precaution and non-essential businesses were closed. As a partner of the Be Safe Wisconsin commitment to safety and education, we wanted to share their latest blog post on how to stay safe curbside.

Read the article in its entirety here.