Employees of the Department of Health Services follow a common mission. We also focus on specific strategy and guiding principles in all of our work for the people in Wisconsin.
 

OUR MISSION
 

To support economic prosperity and quality of life, the Department of Health Services exercises multiple roles in the protection and promotion of the health and safety of the people of Wisconsin.
 

OUR STRATEGY
 

The Department supports policies vital to a fair and vibrant marketplace that delivers affordable, high-quality healthcare to our citizens and leverages our state's tradition of strong health outcomes, innovation and world-class provision of healthcare.
 

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES
 

1. We serve the citizens who have entrusted us with important responsibilities and funds they earned.
2. Our healthcare costs are not sustainable at current levels. We need new models for care delivery, regulation development, prevention strategies, risk sharing and purchasing.
3. In this transformation, we must enhance the role of our citizens as primary stakeholders in managing their health and associated costs.
4. Competition, choice, and transparency are critical elements to these emerging models if we are to increase the value of healthcare to our citizens.
5. Public programs shall complement rather than compete against the private market. We will work to eliminate cost shifting to the private sector and among different systems (acute, mental health, long-term care).
6. We will continue to provide support systems to help vulnerable people lead fulfilling, self-directed, healthy lives that promote independence, while recognizing the value of and utilizing supports from families and the community.
7. We will actively promote collaboration in pursuit of innovation, increased value and improved outcomes for the benefit of all our citizens.
8. We will align resources to achieve positive outcomes and hold ourselves accountable for achieving results.