The Milwaukee Post

4 • Milwaukee Post • August 9, 2013 WEEK IN REVIEW Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare: Employee stole $1.1 million over course of several years STATE AND LOCAL STORIES OF INTEREST 1 Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare said an employee has admitted to stealing money from the company over the course of several years, totaling an estimated $1.1 million. According to a statement Aug. 1, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare's Finance Department discovered an irregularity in its payroll deposits that when investigated indicated a potential theft by a Wheaton employee, whose employment has since been terminated. That employee, according to the company, also admitted to the theft. The Glendale Police Department is han- dling the investigation and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare said it anticipates the case will go to the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office, where formal charges will be considered. "Our investigation determined that a sophisticated process was used to add false hours – mostly paid time off (PTO) hours – to the accounts of random associates, make an immediate payout into her personal bank account for the value of that extra PTO, and then delete the record so that it would not be detected. The payroll accounts of 848 current and former associ- 2 Fourth safest July on Wisconsin roadways 3 Northwestern Mutual commits $400K over 2 years for childhood cancer research Last month was the fourth safest July on Wisconsin roadways since the end of World War II, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. There were 50 crashes in the state that resulted in 55 fatalities. The safest July was in 2009 with 46 fatalities, while the 140 deaths in 1966 and 1971 were the deadliest. Wisconsin has seen 24 fewer deaths than the five-year average through July 31. The 284 deaths is also fewer than this point in 2012. "As people continue their summertime celebrations, they must make responsible decisions before they drive," said State Patrol Maj. Sandra Huxtable, director of the department's Bureau of Transportation Safety. She added that 40 percent of the state's traffic fatalities are due to alcoholFile photo related crashes. Law enforcement agencies are planning to crack down on drunken drivers during the annual "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" effort between Aug. 16 and Sept. 2. Northwestern Mutual, through its foundation, announced four grants Aug. 1 to support Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation's Young Investigator projects. The $400,000, two-year commitment will fund four specific childhood cancer research projects focused on causes and cures. Facilities that received funds are the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Washington University in St. Louis, the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. and the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif. "Seeing a child in pain is heartbreaking," said John Kordsmeier, president of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. "Through the work of these gifted researchers, Northwestern Mutual can give hope to parents that one day they will be able to tell their child that there is a cure for their illness." ates were manipulated, though no pay or PTO hours were stolen from the individuals," according to the statement. "Although the amount of the theft is still under investigation, the estimated impact to the Wheaton system was an average of $108,000 per year over multiple years for a total of $1.1 million." Wheaton Franciscan said there may be potential for a small tax impact on hundreds of employees whose pay was inflated, so it will work to ensure that the "affected current and former associates do not experience negative financial conse- quences as a result of this situation." "We are disappointed by this breach of trust and appreciate the patience and understanding of those affected," according to the statement. Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare is a Catholic, not-for-profit organization with more than 100 health and shelter organizations in Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, and Illinois, including Wheaton FranciscanElmbrook Memorial. – Katherine Michalets, Special to The Post 4 Senate bills signed into law will benefit military 5 Marquette professor earns young scholar award Gov. Scott Walker signed into law two state senate bills that benefit reserve component service members in Wisconsin. Senate Bill 120 broadens the eligibility criteria for family members of National Guard and reserve soldiers or airmen to receive financial assistance from a program funded by voluntary contributions. The program, administered by the Department of Military Affairs, was established to provide emergency financial Photo by Vaughn R. Larson, Wisconsin National Guard assistance up to $2,500 to immediate families of service members on active duty The . Gov. Scott Walker signs two Senate bills legislanewly signed legislation expands eligibility to families of guard or reserve members tion Aug. 5 that will have a direct financial benon traditional drilling status, as well as for efits to the Wisconsin National Guard, the service members who do not have dependreserves and service members. ent family members. "We still have men and women deployed and we still have the potential for more deployments throughout this year and into the coming year, and that's all the more reason why it's important to do things like this," Walker said. Senate Bill 117 brings the travel expense reimbursement for National Guard members on state active duty in line with federal active duty rates. Sameena Mulla, assistant professor of social and cultural sciences at Marquette University, was recently named one of the 2013 Way Klingler Young Scholar Award recipients. The award supports Mulla's ongoing research on gender violence and sexual assault. The award will allow her to take a semester-long sabbatical while she begins to analyze more than 30 sexual assault cases in Milwaukee County Court during a nine-month period. The research is the first field-based study of the sexual assault trial process that analyzes more than two cases and is supported through a National Science Foundation grant. The study will focus on how forensic evidence is used in trials and the impact the evidence has on the victims. The Way Klingler Young Scholar Award is part of the Way Klingler Faculty Development Program which is intended to advance research and scholarship. The award of up to $32,000 is intended to fund $2,000 in operating costs and to cover up to 50 percent of salary to afford the recipient a one-semester sabbatical. The program was made possible through an $18 million donation from Helen Way Klingler in May 2004.

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