FHC Honors Stroinski for Commitment to Community

The Thorp Courier (Thorp, WI)
December 5, 2007
Transcribed by Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Ed Stroinski of Thorp has cared deeply for his community for decades, having been involved in service to that community and well beyond.  He’s been described as “a citizen who gives and gives and gives.”

And so it’s time to say thanks.

As a token of that thanks for his years of service on behalf of the Family Health Center of Marshfield Inc. (FHC), a plaque acknowledging Stroinski’s leadership has been placed in the Marshfield Clinic Ladysmith Dental Center.  Stroinski served as FHC’s board president during the onset of FHC’s dental initiative and opening of the Ladysmith Dental Center.

The plaque reads:

“For 16 years, Edward Stroinski from Thorp, Wisconsin, gave generously of his time in volunteer Board service to Family Health Center of Marshfield, Inc.  His goal, like those of his colleagues on the Board, was simple: ‘to help people’ and to keep Family Health Center’s mission of improving access to primary care strong.  In 2001, under Ed’s leadership, the Board and staff developed a strategic plan. A cornerstone of that plan was that we must act to provide quality oral health care to those in need.”

“This facility in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, represents the first step taken in that process.  This plaque recognizes Ed’s leadership as President of the Board and the important role your community board volunteers played in recognizing and acting on a pressing community need for access to quality dental services.”

Dave Hemke, Taylor County Human Services Department, Medford, notes that “I was aware of Ed Stroinski’s hard work on behalf of and commitment to the citizens of the Town of Taft, Taylor County and the surrounding area long before I had the pleasure of serving with him on the Family Health Center Board of directors and the honor of succeeding him as its president.”

Hemke was vice president when Stroinski was president.  “His tireless efforts to improve access to vital medical and dental care for unserved and underserved men, women, and children are rightfully being recognized with the placement of this plaque at the Marshfield Clinic Ladysmith Dental Center,” Hemke said.

According to Greg Nycz, FHC director and director of Health Policy, Marshfield Clinic, “this plaque recognizes not just Ed Stroinski’s voluntary board commitments but the role of community input in helping keep our health care system responsive to our communities’ needs.  We do listen to communities and to their people, and Ed in his role as a farmer, town chairman, board president and all the other roles he served, had his ear to the ground regarding those needs.

“The Clinic’s partnership with FHC helps to bring that kind of community input into the Clinic system.  What separates Marshfield Clinic from many other large systems in our nation is their willingness to take on large and complex tasks and attempt solutions not band aids.  In taking on the dental access problem in partnership with FHC, the federal and state governments, and local communities, the physician leadership of Marshfield Clinic distinguishes itself from other systems by recognizing that health care leadership requires us to address a child’s pain and suffering no matter what the cause.  FHC is fortunate to have Marshfield Clinic as a partner, and together with our other supporters, we are working hard in order to leave no one behind.”

Nycz recalls former Wisconsin Health and Human Services Secretary, Helene Nelson touring the Ladysmith Dental Center five years ago, amazed at what she saw.  She wanted to know “how did this happen,” Nycz said.  “It was due, in part, to the work and commitment of our board, under Ed’s guidance; They listened to the people, saw emerging needs and took action on that input.

“I’ve always felt very fortunate to have one of the best boards in the country, people who genuinely care about helping to improve our health care system as it attempts to meet needs of those less fortunate.  Ed exemplified that in his leadership for all those years on the FHC board.”

“So, the plaque is being hung in Ladysmith to answer the question Helene Nelson posed five years ago: ‘How did this happen?’  Ed’s commitment and hard work, in tandem with the board and all our partners, is how it happened and we’re grateful.”

Provided by the Marshfield News-Herald