Igniting a Passion for Care – Supporting the Next Generation of Nurses in Milwaukee

This past January, United Health Foundation (UHF) announced a new grant partnership with Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) to address the nursing shortage in the Milwaukee area. Together, UHF and MATC will work to prepare the next generation of health care professionals by doubling enrollment, increasing graduation capacity, hiring new instructors, assisting with placement post-graduation and recruiting more students.

For Anna Greditor, vice president, Field Operations, Optum Complex Care Management, attending the announcement at MATC was a bit like coming home. In 1995, at the advice of an MATC counselor, Anna started her career as a registered nurse in Wisconsin. She went on to pursue a master’s degree in nursing and became a family nurse practitioner. Before joining UnitedHealthcare in the early 2000s, Anna had the opportunity to teach nurses at MATC. Over the course of the next decade Anna carved a path at UnitedHealthcare and Optum, serving in a number of clinical and operations roles. Today, she manages a team of more than 50 nurse practitioners and recently had the opportunity to visit MATC and bring with her some colleagues who will help mentor students. 

“My passion is to use evidence-based medicine to care for the most fragile population in our society,” says Anna. “Our profession needs more well-trained nurses who can provide care to those in need. Without nurses, health care cannot exist. It truly takes a team to provide care and nurses are an integral part of the process. I’m hopeful we can help MATC students grow in their careers, infusing excitement and a passion to become a part of a respected and important profession.”