On January 27, 2026, Tayo Clinic joined healthcare leaders and community organizations from across western Wisconsin at the Market on River in Chippewa Falls for the first of five Wisconsin Owns Wellbeing (WOW) Regional Learning Exchanges.
Executive Director Enrique Piña, RN BSN MED, and Dr. Sarah Saleemi, MD represented Tayo Clinic at this important gathering, which brought together over 80 participants from safety net providers, health departments, aging and disability resource centers, and community organizations throughout the region.The day-long exchange focused on celebrating existing regional collaborations, identifying priority issues and opportunities, and developing strategies to enhance collaboration across all stages of development. Participants explored how statewide partners can better support local efforts to create meaningful collaborative impact in communities across Wisconsin.
The WOW initiative represents a shift from crisis response to proactive visioning for Wisconsin’s wellbeing system. Led by four organizations—Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Association of Free & Charitable Clinics, and Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association—the collaborative aims to build a statewide wellbeing system that optimizes health through a strong workforce, accessible and integrated resources, and lasting collaborative relationships with local communities.
Key themes discussed included addressing workforce stress, improving access to care, reducing system fragmentation, and developing community-driven solutions to emerging challenges. Participants also examined how factors like technological change, economic shifts, and aging populations are reshaping Wisconsin’s health and wellbeing landscape.
Tayo Clinic’s participation in this regional exchange reflects our commitment to collaborative approaches that strengthen the safety net and improve wellbeing outcomes for all community members. Four additional Regional Learning Exchanges are scheduled across Wisconsin through April 2026.
This past year has been quite busy with many highlights:
- established The Tayo Clinic as a 501c3 nonprofit
- created infrastructure for financial transactions including opening 501c3 bank account and donor accounts
- enrolled with the VHCP for liability coverage for our providers
- created a Board of Directors and securing D&O and Cyber insurance
- enrolled in and activating the Tebra electronic medical record system for patients
- developed our www.tayoclinic.com website including all enrollment forms
- secured an Ad Grants Award through the Google For Nonprofits Program
- secured a grant with Zoom for Nonprofits
- created partnership with The Wisconsin Teletalk Network
- officially gained Medicaid ordering provider status as an ordering provider
- and of course treated our patients enrolled through The Tayo Clinic
We are now ready for the next level and have a busy year planned ahead of us.
Last week we attended the WAFCC board meeting where they gave mention to The Tayo Clinic as a new organization under their umbrella. In the coming weeks there will be 5 Wisconsin regional gatherings with other healthcare organizations and system level leaders through the Wisconsin Owns Wellbeing (WOW) group.
• Jan. 27, 2026: Market on River, Chippewa Falls
• Feb. 17, 2026: Lake of the Torches, Lac du Flambeau
• Mar. 4, 2026: St. Norbert College, De Pere
• Mar. 19, 2026: Baraboo Arts, Baraboo
• Apr. 15, 2026: Waukesha Area Technical College,
Pewaukee
We invite you to attend if you can. We will be in attendance at Chippewa Falls (Jan 27) and also plan for Mar 4 at De Pere as that will be our regional meeting for Appleton. We will take notes! I’ll also attach flyers from WOW in this email.
Sarah and I have been focusing on goals and initiatives that I am going to personally take as the Executive Director.
We recently have been granted Medicaid status as an ordering provider which is a huge accomplishment! This would help us continue coverage to our uninsured patients, who may later be approved for Medicaid, until they can find an established Primary Care Provider (PCP). We also have new business cards with a QR code that links to our website, patient intake form, volunteer form, and donations!
These are just the footnotes of where we are at. Thank you, thank you, thank you all for being part of this team and being part of something great! Take care of yourselves and be safe this weekend.
We are thrilled to announce that the Tayo News page is officially active as of January 1, 2026. This platform is designed to keep you informed about the latest updates, events, and stories that matter to our community.
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Thank you for being a part of our community, and we look forward to bringing you the news that matters!