Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
The Center for Patient Partnerships is a UW-Madison nonprofit center that provides free patient advocacy services to Wisconsin residents through the Health Justice Clinic, Community Resource Navigator Program, and Health Advocacy Certificate, while training graduate and undergraduate students in interprofessional health advocacy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersMadison, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison does
The Center for Patient Partnerships (CPP) is a nonprofit academic center within the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Division of Extension that provides free patient advocacy services to Wisconsin residents and trains graduate and undergraduate students in interprofessional health advocacy. Founded in 2000 by law professor and cancer survivor Meg Gaines, CPP is one of the oldest Medical-Legal Partnerships in the United States. The Center operates through three core programmatic lines: the Health Justice Clinic, where graduate students from law, medicine, pharmacy, social work, and public health advocate for residents facing life-changing health events and for LGBTQ+ patients seeking gender-affirming care; the Community Resource Navigator Program (CRNP), an undergraduate service-learning program that places students in UW Health primary care clinics, the MEDiC free clinic, and the Perry Family Free Clinic to connect clients with community resources for food, housing, transportation, and legal needs; and the Health Advocacy Certificate Program, a 12-credit graduate credential. The Center also operates the LIFT Wisconsin legal tech platform in partnership with the Economic Justice Institute, Legal Action of Wisconsin, and the Employment and Training Association.
The business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than revenue-generating: all advocacy services are provided free of charge to clients, with funding sourced from UW-Madison institutional support across the Law School, School of Medicine and Public Health, Pharmacy, and CALS, individual donations channeled through the UW Foundation (160+ donors annually), and foundation grants from UW Health, Roots Wings Foundation, Schmidt Futures, and WisTAF. The Center does not charge for services, has no paying customer base, and reports no revenue. Customer segments are split between individual beneficiaries (Wisconsin patients and underserved community members) and students (graduate and undergraduate trainees). Scale metrics place annual reach at approximately 500 individuals in care, 400 patients served by the Resource Navigator Program, 800+ cumulative CRNP clients since 2016, 180+ students educated per year, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical care secured through successful insurance appeals. Geographic scope is exclusively Wisconsin.
Technology is non-proprietary and operationally limited. CPP relies on standard case management, communication, and educational tools rather than a commercial product. The notable exception is the LIFT Wisconsin Legal Tune Up platform, which provides web-based forms and resource directories addressing driver's license suspension, medical debt, and criminal records. Content output includes a Self-Advocacy Guide, Long COVID patient and clinician toolkits, an LGBTQ+ Know Your Rights pamphlet, a Pre-Operative Hair Removal Guide for gender-affirming care, and Catalyst Films produced with the Q-HER Lab and HealthExperiencesUSA. As a nonprofit subsidiary of a public state university, CPP is owned by the University of Wisconsin-Madison with no private shareholders, no funding rounds, and no M&A trajectory. Revenue style is therefore inapplicable; growth is measured in programmatic reach, students trained, and policy impact rather than top-line dollars.
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Legal name
- Center for Patient Partnerships
- Website
- https://patientpartnerships.wisc.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Center for Patient Partnerships is a UW-Madison nonprofit center that provides free patient advocacy services to Wisconsin residents through the Health Justice Clinic, Community Resource Navigator Program, and Health Advocacy Certificate, while training graduate and undergraduate students in interprofessional health advocacy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Patient Advocacy Services
- SIC
- Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Patient Advocacy, Navigation & Access to Care (BPAGACAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) (EDAHAAAC), Academic Medical Centers & Teaching Hospitals (University-Affiliated) (EDAHAGAA)
Keywords
Where Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madison
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- University of Wisconsin-Madison Funding: As a center within UW-Madison's Division of Extension, the organization receives institutional funding from the university, schools of Law, School of Medicine and Public Health, and other academic units. This provides core operational support for staff, facilities, and educational programs.
- Private Donations: Individual donors contribute to the Center, with over 160 donors annually including patients, clients, caregivers, and family foundations. The organization receives donations through the UW Foundation via monthly, annual, one-time, and planned giving options.
- Foundation and Grant Funding: Major funders including UW Health, Roots Wings Foundation, and Schmidt Futures provide funding for specific programs and initiatives. The organization also receives grants from WisTAF for rural outreach efforts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free advocacy services for all Wisconsin residents |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Center for Patient Partnerships is a UW-Madison academic center that provides free patient advocacy services to Wisconsin residents facing life-changing health events, including insurance appeals, treatment navigation, medical debt management, and disability benefits assistance. It simultaneously delivers interprofessional experiential education through the Health Justice Clinic, Community Resource Navigator Program, Health Advocacy Certificate Program, and Medical-Legal Partnership, training graduate and undergraduate students in health advocacy under professional supervision. The Center also conducts action research to inform healthcare policy and operates the LIFT Wisconsin legal tech platform to address civil legal barriers to health.
Product overview
The Center for Patient Partnerships is an academic center at UW-Madison offering a portfolio of patient advocacy services, educational programs, and research initiatives focused on health justice. The core offerings include the Health Justice Clinic (an experiential clinical program where graduate students advocate for patients with life-changing health events), the Community Resource Navigator Program (an undergraduate service-learning program connecting clients to community resources), and the Health Advocacy Certificate Program (a 12-credit graduate certificate). Additional services include the Medical-Legal Partnership and LGBTQ+ Health Justice Program. The center also operates the LIFT Wisconsin legal tech platform. All advocacy services are provided free of charge to Wisconsin residents. The organization produces patient education resources including self-advocacy guides, toolkits for Long COVID, and gender-affirming care resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Community Resource Navigator Program (CRNP): Undergraduate service-learning program where students help clients connect with community resources for health-related needs
- Health Justice Clinic
- Health Advocacy Certificate Program
- LGBTQ+ Health Justice Program
- LIFT Wisconsin
Products and services
- Health Justice Clinic Experiential, interprofessional clinical program (Law 768) where graduate students from law, medicine, pharmacy, social work, and public health advocate for Wisconsin residents facing life-changing health events and those seeking gender-affirming healthcare. Provides support with treatment options, insurance appeals, medical debt management, and benefits access under professional supervision.
- Community Resource Navigator Program (CRNP) Service-learning program where undergraduate students enrolled in Inter-Ag 473 connect clients at UW Health primary care clinics, MEDiC free clinic, and Perry Family Free Clinic to community resources including housing, food, transportation, childcare, job training, health insurance enrollment, and legal services. Serves approximately 400 patients annually.
- Health Advocacy Certificate Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Served 400+ patients annually through Resource Navigator Program
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.
- UW HealthcoreUW Health providers at primary care clinics (Wingra Family Medical Center, Northport Family Medical Center) refer patients to the Community Resource Navigator Program for assistance with basic needs impacting health including food, housing, transportation, job training, and childcare.
- MEDiC CliniccoreStudent Resource Navigators provide services at the MEDiC free health clinic operated by the School of Medicine and Public Health, serving families without health insurance.
- Perry Family Free CliniccoreThe program accepts clients from the Perry Family Free Clinic, which provides healthcare to uninsured and under-insured Black men and all who are impacted by disparities in healthcare.
- Neighborhood House Community CentersupportingStudents participate in health fairs and activities at Neighborhood House, a community center serving the Madison area.
- LIFT WisconsinflagshipLIFT Wisconsin (Legal Interventions for Transforming Wisconsin) is a partnership spearheaded by CPP's Sarah Davis, colleagues at the Economic Justice Institute, Legal Action of Wisconsin, and the Employment and Training Association. CPP staff help reduce legal barriers to employment, housing, and family stability. Won Schmidt Futures Alliance for the American Dream competition.
- Qualitative and Health Experiences Research Lab (Q-HER Lab)corePartnership with the Q-HER Lab at the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health to bring patients' voices to American healthcare through Catalyst Films on experiences with depression, long COVID, smoking, cancer, and more.
- HealthExperiencesUSAcoreCollaborates with HealthExperiencesUSA to create Catalyst Films documenting patient experiences with various health conditions for education and advocacy purposes.
- University of Wisconsin Population Health InstitutesupportingPartners with the Population Health Institute on evaluation research to understand interventions and improve community health outcomes.
- UW-Madison Division of ExtensioncoreCPP joined the Division of Extension in 2022, strengthening ties with the university's outreach mission and Wisconsin Idea principles.
- National Quality ForumsupportingCPP Co-director Sarah Davis joined the National Action Team to co-design patient-centered health systems, working with experts committed to engaging patients as active partners to improve quality and patient safety.
- Meadowood Health PartnershipsupportingCommunity health initiative that partnered with CPP during COVID to develop creative ways to tackle barriers faced by clients. Sheray Wallace, founder, received International Trailblazers Award.
- Covering WisconsinsupportingPilot partnership where Resource Navigator students help Madison residents understand health insurance options and connect with enrollment support through Covering Wisconsin's navigator services.
- DIPEx InternationalsupportingCPP's Rachel Grob serves as Chair of DIPEx International, a global collaboration of scholars, clinicians, and researchers studying patient experiences with health conditions.
- UW FoundationsupportingThe UW Foundation serves as the official gift-receiving organization for the University of Wisconsin-Madison and handles all donations to the Center. It is a 501(c)(3) organization.
- Kinship Community Food CentersupportingMilwaukee nonprofit where volunteer Melinda Krueger serves as board secretary and referred a community member to CPP for advocacy support with healthcare billing issues.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Disability Rights Wisconsin: Wisconsin protection and advocacy organization for people with disabilities, now led by former CPP Co-Director Jill Jacklitz. Comparable in disability rights advocacy and healthcare access work that CPP supports.
- National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership: The national hub for the Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) model, of which CPP is one of the oldest U.S. examples. Operates in the same integrated health-legal-services category and serves similar patient and provider populations.
- Triage Cancer: National nonprofit providing education and advocacy on insurance, finances, and legal issues for cancer patients. Comparable to CPP's cancer advocacy work in the Health Justice Clinic.
- Health Leads: National nonprofit that connects patients to community resources for social determinants of health, often through partnerships with health systems and embedded student volunteers. Directly comparable to the Community Resource Navigator Program's model.
- Patient Advocate Foundation: A national nonprofit providing direct case management and advocacy services to patients facing serious illness, including insurance appeals and access to care. Directly comparable to CPP's Health Justice Clinic in mission and core service offerings.
- National Patient Advocate Foundation: Patient advocacy organization focused on policy and direct service for patients with chronic and life-threatening conditions. Comparable in mission to CPP's patient advocacy work, with additional emphasis on national policy.
- Legal Action of Wisconsin: Wisconsin legal aid organization and LIFT Wisconsin partner. Comparable in civil legal services for vulnerable populations, including the medical-legal integration work CPP does through LIFT Wisconsin.
Broad incumbents
- Whitman-Walker Health: Established DC-based health system specializing in LGBTQ+ care, HIV, and primary care. Comparable focus on LGBTQ+ health justice and integrated care, though operating at a much larger scale and direct service model.
Regional players
- Covering Wisconsin: Wisconsin-based health insurance navigator organization partnering with CPP's Resource Navigator Program. Comparable in insurance navigation services for Wisconsin residents.
Emerging players
- RIP Medical Debt: Nonprofit that buys and forgives medical debt for patients in financial hardship. Overlapping mission of relieving medical debt burdens that CPP also addresses through insurance appeals and advocacy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison social profiles
Digital presenceCenter for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
What does Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison do?
The Center for Patient Partnerships is a UW-Madison academic center that provides free patient advocacy services to Wisconsin residents facing life-changing health events, including insurance appeals, treatment navigation, medical debt management, and disability benefits assistance. It simultaneously delivers interprofessional experiential education through the Health Justice Clinic, Community Resource Navigator Program, Health Advocacy Certificate Program, and Medical-Legal Partnership, training graduate and undergraduate students in health advocacy under professional supervision. The Center also conducts action research to inform healthcare policy and operates the LIFT Wisconsin legal tech platform to address civil legal barriers to health.
Is Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison a public or private company?
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison founded?
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison based?
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is headquartered in Madison, United States, in the North America region.
How does Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. University of Wisconsin-Madison Funding is the primary driver. The others are private Donations and foundation and Grant Funding.
Who are Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Disability Rights Wisconsin, National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership, Triage Cancer, Health Leads, Patient Advocate Foundation, National Patient Advocate Foundation and Legal Action of Wisconsin. Whitman-Walker Health is listed as a broad incumbent. Covering Wisconsin is listed as a regional player. RIP Medical Debt is listed as an emerging player.
Does Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have an API?
No public API is recorded for Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
What industry is Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in?
Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's product category is Patient Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAH, Patient Advocacy, Navigation & Access to Care, with a secondary code of EDAHAAAC, Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs). Its SIC code is 8000.