Celebrating Stronger Hospitals


for National Hospital Week, May 7-13, 2023

National Hospital Week is an opportunity to highlight our hospitals, health systems and health care workers and the innovative ways they strengthen communities across Wisconsin and the nation. Wisconsin's hospitals remain committed to delivering quality care for everyone 24/7/365.

Recognizing the important role hospitals across the state play in the health, safety and economic vitality of the communities they serve, Gov. Tony Evers issued a proclamation observing May 7-13, 2023, as Hospital Week.

View the Governor's Proclamation

Social Media Resources


Join the conversation on social media. Use the hashtag #StrongerHospitals:



Click to download.
 

Stronger Hospitals. Stronger Communities.


  • High quality, high value care  |  Wisconsin's rural hospitals rank the second best in the country by the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Program and has been in the top 10 states in the country ever since 2015. The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) ranks Wisconsin in the top quartile of states for quality healthcare.  
 
  • Strong safety net  |  Wisconsin hospitals and health systems provide care to all patients who walk through their doors, regardless of their ability to pay. Additionally, in 2022, Wisconsin hospitals provided nearly $2 billion in community benefits and charity care to their communities.
 
  • Proven commitment and reliability  |  Wisconsin hospitals receive more than two million emergency room visits every year, providing life-saving care to friends, neighbors and loved ones requiring urgent medical attention. Through the good times and the bad, Wisconsin hospitals answer the call.
 
  • Strong workforce  |  A broad distribution of hospitals in Wisconsin not only helps the state’s residents access high-quality health care, it also serves as an important local economic resource to surrounding communities. Wisconsin hospitals employ more than 110,000 people, with even more working in other care settings, like clinics.

Explore Health Care Value



Learn About Issues Impacting Wisconsin Hospitals


      

About Hospital Week


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, seventy years ago, and today every state celebrates National Hospital Week, which is sponsored by the American Hospital Association. This annual celebration serves as a reminder that hospitals are foundations of the communities that built them and nurture them, and that hospitals serve people in every community from all walks of life. Hospitals are open 24/7, 365 days a year.

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.


Take Action


Tell Your Legislator to Support Hospitals More Hospital Week Resources