WATERTOWN — Watertown Regional Medical Center was one of 100 hospitals included in the 2024 Becker’s Hospital Review listing of “Great Community Hospitals” released on May 22. Watertown Regional was one of only seven hospitals from Wisconsin to make the list. This is the second consecutive year that Watertown was included.
Per Becker’s website, hospitals selected for the listing are recognized for “bringing clinical and academic excellence, personalized and holistic care, and overall improved health to their communities.” The publication’s editorial team picked the hospitals based on several outside rankings and ratings organizations, including U.S. News & World Report, Healthgrades, CMS, The Leapfrog Group, the National Rural Health Association, and The Chartis Center for Rural Health.
“When you have an incredible team dedicated to the health and well-being of its community ‒ and a community that supports you ‒ great things can happen,” Watertown Regional Medical Center CEO Richard Keddington said. “And when great things happen at a community hospital, people tend to notice. We are excited to be honored again by Becker’s, and incredibly appreciative of the many recent accolades that have come our way. These honors validate our ongoing effort to give residents of Dodge and Jefferson Counties the care they deserve.”
In Becker’s listing announcement, the publication described community hospitals as a “crucial piece of the overall healthcare system in the U.S.” that provide convenient, affordable care to patients located outside of metropolitan areas.
WRMC has a legacy of bringing needed technology and quality care to its community, including several recent initiatives:
in April 2023, WRMC opened its newly renovated cardiac catheterization lab, the first of it’s kind in Wisconsin, which is equipped with state-of-the-art technology;
in December of 2022, it began offering the VELYS™ Robotic-Assisted Solution, the latest advancement that helps orthopedic surgeons perform knee replacement surgery tailored to each patient and their quick recovery;
in April 2022, Watertown added eICU technology, allowing critical care doctors to video chat with patients, family, nurses, and fellow doctors, giving them secure access to assist in the care of critically ill patients;
in 2021, the hospital opened a fully renovated rehabilitation space offering physical, occupational, and speech therapy; and
in 2018, WRMC opened a 15-bed, Senior Behavioral Health Center offering inpatient services to patients 55 and older facing acute mental and behavioral health symptoms (one of a handful of facilities of its kind in the state).
The hospital’s exceptional services have recently earned honors from several influential healthcare assessment platforms. In March of 2024, WRMC was recognized by Healthgrades as a 2024 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient and a 2024 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ recipient. The hospital was among less than 80 hospitals nationwide to achieve both distinctions, putting it among the top 2% of all short-term, acute-care hospitals as evaluated by Healthgrades. This marked the second consecutive year that WRMC was a dual winner of the Healthgrades’ safety and patient experience awards.
In February, WRMC was included in Chartis’ 2024 Top 100 Rural and Community Hospitals listing. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this annual recognition program honors the nation’s rural hospitals that excel in managing risk, achieving higher quality, securing better outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, and operating at a lower cost. WRMC also earned the Chartis’ Top 100 Rural and Community Hospital designation in 2023.
In addition, WRMC was featured in Becker’s 2023 Great Community Hospital listing and U.S. News & World Reports’ 2024 High Performing Hospital list for Maternity Care. In 2022, the hospital was named to Newsweek’s list of Best Maternity Hospitals and designated as a ‘Baby-Friendly’ hospital after a rigorous review process conducted by Baby-Friendly USA. Watertown Regional Medical Center continues to be accredited by the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center.
“We take great pride in being a healthcare provider of choice for the Watertown area, and we want local residents to take pride in their local hospital,” Keddington said. “These honors are a testament to the hard work of our team and the strength of our partnership with our community.”
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