Governor Walker to Join in Honoring the Legacy of Former Secretary Kitty Rhoades on Tuesday

HUDSON -- Governor Scott Walker will join the family and friends of former Department of Health Secretary Kitty Rhoades in Hudson on Tuesday for the announcement of the “Secretary Kitty Rhoades Music and Memory Grant.”

The Music & Memory program is one of the alternatives to medications implemented by Wisconsin nursing homes to reduce unnecessary prescribing of anti-psychotic drugs to residents. Before the state’s Music & Memory initiative, across all nursing homes in the second quarter of 2013, 17.4 percent of residents were taking anti-psychotics; a year later, use had dropped to 14.6 percent.

Born in Hudson, Wisconsin, Rhoades was an educator, small business owner, and consultant. In 1998, she was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly as a Republican.

Rhoades was appointed secretary by Gov. Walker in 2013. She also served in the state Assembly from 1999 to 2011.

Gov. Walker had this to say about Rhoades after she died in June 2016:

Kitty’s dedication and service to the state have changed Wisconsin for the better, and she leaves behind a long list of accomplishments as her legacy. She also leaves behind many friends in my administration, who admired her tenacity, spirit, and leadership. We will miss all that she offered to us on behalf of Wisconsin citizens. As Kitty would say, we are all in this together.

WHAT:

"Secretary Kitty Rhoades Music and Memory Grant" Announcement

WHEN:

Tuesday, September 6, 2016 Event Start: 3:00 PM

WHERE:

Pine Ridge Assisted Living Apartments Garden 1320 Wisconsin Street Hudson, WI 54016