BROOKFIELD, Wis. — Anyone over the age of 18 should have a medical power of attorney according to the health officials — and a group of high school students is making sure Wisconsin families know it.
Students from Brookfield East High School and Wauwatosa West High School partnered with Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin on a program that lets teens tackle real-world health care issues alongside a mentor. Their focus: medical power of attorney documents, and why so few people have them.
“I, for one, did not know this existed," Pema Sherpa, a senior at Wauwatosa West High School, said.
"I really didn't understand the importance of it," Lauren Schmidt, a Brookfield East High School junior, said.
The students tell TMJ4 News that is why they are so motivated to make sure others know. A medical power of attorney is a legal document that allows a person to name a representative to make health care decisions on their behalf if they are unable to make those decisions themselves. The document can be used starting at age 18.
Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin say nearly 80% of people in Wisconsin do not have these important legal forms filled out.
The students say they were surprised to learn that parents — even those who carry their child on their health insurance — can be kept from participating in important health care decisions once that child turns 18.
Whitney Gilbert, a palliative care social worker at Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin, is also a mentor to the students, said the need for these documents can arise at any time.
"At any point, any of us can get different medical conditions or there could be a crisis," Gilbert said.
Gilbert also noted that Wisconsin does not have next-of-kin protections that might otherwise allow family members to step in.
"It is very state-dependent for next of kin of not having next of kin regulations. And so Wisconsin in this moment is not a next of kin state," Gilbert said.
That hit close to home to students who say they were considering different college options away from home. The students even educated their own teacher, who has a teenager close to college age, on the issue.
"This will definitely be a conversation that we will be having at our house as all our children get older and start to leave home," Melissa Fogltanz, a teacher at Brookfield East High School, said.
The students reached out to TMJ4 to share their findings with a broader audience.
"There are so many people, especially in Wisconsin, who don't know anything about these documents, that coming here to TMJ4, we would be able to reach such a broad population of people in Wisconsin. We thought it would be a great way to spread the word," Evelyn Schuenke, a Brookfield East High School student, said.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services offers a free medical power of attorney form that individuals and families can fill out. There is a link here to the forms.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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