Watertown Regional Medical Center Named to Becker’s 2023 Listing of Great Community Hospitals

WATERTOWN, WI (August 3, 2023) – Watertown Regional Medical Center (Watertown or WRMC) was one of 153 hospitals included in the 2023 Becker’s Hospital Review (Becker’s) listing of “great community hospitals” released on Friday, July 28. Watertown was one of only four hospitals from the state of Wisconsin to make the list.

Hospitals recognized in the listing, per Becker’s, are lauded for their “clinical excellence, compassionate care and economic impact on their communities.” Becker’s editorial team selected hospitals for inclusion based on several outside rankings and ratings organizations, including U.S. News & World Report, Healthgrades, CMS, The Leapfrog Group and The Chartis Center for Rural Health.

“We are thrilled and honored to make this Becker’s listing of great community hospitals,” said Richard Keddington, CEO of Watertown Regional Medical Center. “Our team truly cares for the well-being of our patients and our community, and this is another validation of our efforts. We have a long history of providing highly skilled, technologically advanced, and compassionate care to this area, and that is reflected in our quality ratings, accreditations, recognitions and our many ongoing efforts to advance care in Watertown and the surrounding communities.”

Becker’s described community hospitals as “vital pieces of the overall healthcare system, expanding care access to patients who might otherwise need to travel great distances or face other barriers to care.

WRMC has a legacy of expanding quality care access to those it serves throughout Watertown and the surrounding communities. As examples:

• in April, WRMC opened its newly renovated cardiac catheterization lab, 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, WRMC added eICU technology, allowing allows 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 Center for Orthopedics and 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 65 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 care earned recognition even prior to this Becker’s listing. For instance, in March of 2023, WRMC was recognized by Healthgrades as a 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient and a 2023 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ recipient. The hospital was among only 83 hospitals nationwide to achieve both distinctions, putting it among the top 2% of all short-term, acute-care hospitals as evaluated. Healthgrades’ analysis revealed that patients treated at recipient hospitals such as Watertown Regional are less likely to experience harmful safety events than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals.

In February, Watertown was included in Chartis’ 2023 Top 100 Rural and Community Hospitals listing. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals. Hospitals in the Chartis top 100 excel in managing risk, achieving higher quality, securing better outcomes, increasing patient satisfaction, and operating at a lower cost.

In addition, Watertown was recently named to Newsweek’s list of Best Maternity Hospitals 2022. This distinction recognizes facilities that have excelled in providing quality care to mothers, newborns, and their families. Also in 2022, Watertown was designated as a 'Baby-Friendly' hospital after a rigorous review process conducted by Baby-Friendly USA. In recent years, the hospital has also been the recipient of a 5-star rating from CMS and “A” grades for safety from Leapfrog.

“These recognitions mean a lot to our team who work tirelessly for our hospital, patients, and the communities we serve,” said Keddington. “We view it as a privilege to have the opportunity each day to make a difference in someone else’s life.”

About Watertown Regional Medical Center

Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) has been providing the residents of Dodge and Jefferson counties in southeast Wisconsin with excellent healthcare for over 115 years. By placing patients’ needs first, services have grown to include Emergency, Primary Care, Women’s Health, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Heart and Vascular, Neurology, Pulmonology, Ophthalmology, and many other services. Watertown Regional Medical Center is a joint venture between the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation and ScionHealth. For more information and to see a complete list of the services offered, visit www.watertownregional.com.