Hospital Week

National Hospital Week 2026

National Hospital Week, May 10-16, 2026, is an opportunity to highlight Wisconsin hospitals and health systems for the many ways Healing Happens Here. Healing means more than treating illness or injury - it's caring for the whole person when they need it most.

To recognize the commitment Wisconsin hospitals have to our communities, Gov. Tony Evers issued a proclamation observing May 10-16, 2026 as Hospital Week.

Join us on social media in thanking and celebrating the contributions made by our statewide hospitals and health systems by utilizing the toolkits below, tagging WHA for greater reach and exposure and using the hashtags #HealingHappensHere and #WIHospitals.

Healing Happens Here in Wisconsin Hospitals

In fiscal year 2024, Wisconsin hospitals provided over $2.2 billion in community benefits and charity care. In addition, Wisconsin hospitals employed over 134,000 Wisconsinites in 2025 and rank among the top states in patient experience.

Grow Wisconsin's Health Care Workforce

To keep pace with rising health care demands, we need to take immediate and sustained action to minimize barriers, create accessible educational and occupational pathways and identify reforms that allow health care professionals and teams to reach their full potential. Read more.

Benefits to Communities

In addition to providing health care, Wisconsin’s hospitals provide more than $2.3 billion worth of community benefits annually, including charity care, subsidized health services, public health programming and initiatives that improve population health in communities they serve. Read more.

An Economic Asset

Our state’s hospitals and health systems are among the largest drivers of Wisconsin’s economy. Wisconsin hospitals employ over 134,000 people. Read more.

Hospital Week Resources

During the week, WHA will concentrate its social media messaging on celebrating Wisconsin hospitals and health systems and recognizing the many ways Healing Happens Here. We invite you to join us in this celebratory campaign. Please incorporate the hashtags #WIHospitals and #HealingHappensHere and tag WHA in your posts for maximum reach and engagement and follow WHA's social media channels to get the latest updates on National Hospital Week.

Get engaged by downloading one of our three toolkits created specifically for hospital members, corporate members or legislators. Our press release template is a great resource for showcasing examples of how your hospital impacts the community. 

The History of Hospital Week

This ad from the Dunn County News from May 4, 1955 is selling jewelry and furs for Mother’s Day. It also incorporates a shout out for National Hospital Week with some stats for the local hospital: Memorial Hospital in Menomonie.

National Hospital Week has been a health care tradition since 1921.

National Hospital Day was first observed on May 12, 1921, which would have been Florence Nightingale’s 101st birthday. The publicity campaign was devised by the managing editor of a trade magazine, Hospital Management, to boost citizens’ confidence in hospitals following the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. The deadly flu caused the deaths of approximately 20 to 30 million people worldwide, including some 675,000 Americans.

The event expanded to an entire week in 1953 and today, the Hospital Week is celebrated throughout the nation. This annual celebration, sponsored by the American Hospital Association, serves as a reminder that hospitals and health systems are the foundations of the communities that build and nurture them. Hospitals serve people in every community, from all walks of life, 24/7, 365 days a year.