News Release: 6/13/2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sauk Prairie Healthcare and Sauk Prairie School District 

Announce Medical Careers Partnership 

Five-Year Agreement will provide funds and internships to support certification in high-need healthcare positions 

June 10, 2025: Prairie du Sac – Sauk Prairie Healthcare and the Sauk Prairie School District recently formalized a partnership to support the Medical Careers program at Sauk Prairie High School. The five-year agreement provides funds to purchase equipment for the medical careers lab, covers certification costs, and expands access to internships and apprenticeships at Sauk Prairie Hospital and its affiliated clinics. 

Medical Careers certification courses are offered in partnership with Madison College and include Certified Nursing Assistant, Phlebotomy, and Specimen Processing. The Medical Careers Lab at Sauk Prairie High School was funded in part by a Workforce Innovation Grant from the State of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Courses are offered to students at Sauk Prairie High School, students in neighboring districts that are in the Sauk Prairie Healthcare service area, and adults interested in continued education that leads to healthcare certification. 

“We aim to provide courses that match student interests and what our community needs,” shared Superintendent Jeff Wright. “We need to grow our workforce to meet the needs of our healthcare providers and offer certifications here in the community to prepare our students to join that workforce. This partnership helps make that happen.” 

The ongoing partnership is funded jointly by Sauk Prairie Healthcare and the Sauk Prairie Healthcare Foundation. 

Sauk Prairie Healthcare CEO Shawn Lerch stated, “We’re excited to partner with our local school district to provide students with hands-on healthcare experience. Welcoming students as interns and providing financial support for these certification programs allows local students to accomplish their learning goals while Sauk Prairie Healthcare grows a workforce for the future.” 

The partnership was approved by the Sauk Prairie School District Board of Education at its meeting on June 9, 2025 and will be in place for the 2025-2026 through 2029-2030 academic years.
 

PHOTO BELOW: 

Sauk Prairie Healthcare and Sauk Prairie School District leaders gather in the Medical Careers lab at Sauk Prairie High School to celebrate the new partnership intended to expand access to healthcare certification. 

Left to right: 

Shawn Lerch, CEO - Sauk Prairie Healthcare; Chad Harnisch, Principal - Sauk Prairie High School; Chanda Kulow, Director of Curriculum and Instruction - Sauk Prairie School District; Je Wright, Superintendent - Sauk Prairie School District; Todd Wuerger, Executive Director - Sauk Prairie Healthcare Foundation; Colleen Neefe, Supervisor, Human Resources - Sauk Prairie Healthcare; Anthony Dix, Director of Human Resources - Sauk Prairie Healthcare.

CONTACT: 

● Jeff Wright, Superintendent. Office: 608-643-5980 

Sauk Prairie School District -- 440 13th Street -- Prairie du Sac, WI 53578 -- www.saukprairieschools.org