Quality Advisor

Wisconsin Hospitals Among Nation’s Best in Quality

Fourth highest for top CMS Star Ratings; highest among states with 50+ hospitals

Wisconsin hospitals continue to perform at a high level in the latest Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Overall Hospital Star Ratings, with results showing strong performance compared to the rest of the nation.

In this year’s ratings, 64% of Wisconsin hospitals earned a 4- or 5-star rating, compared to about 42% nationally. This places Wisconsin fourth in the nation overall for the share of hospitals receiving top ratings. When focusing on states with more than 50 hospitals receiving a rating, Wisconsin ranks first in the country, underscoring the state’s ability to deliver strong performance across a large number of hospitals.

CMS star ratings provide consumers with a simplified, 1- to 5-star summary of hospital performance based on a range of quality measures. The ratings are calculated using performance across five domains: mortality, safety of care, readmissions, patient experience and timely and effective care. These measures reflect outcomes, safety and the overall experience of patients receiving care.

This year’s results include a broader set of Wisconsin hospitals than in recent years. Nineteen additional hospitals received a CMS star rating, reflecting that more facilities met federal reporting thresholds required for inclusion. Despite this increase in the number of rated hospitals, Wisconsin maintained its strong national standing, demonstrating consistent performance across a larger group of hospitals.

In total, 86 Wisconsin hospitals received a rating, including 21 hospitals with five stars and 34 hospitals with four stars. This continued level of performance highlights the widespread achievement of strong outcomes across hospitals in the state. The results also indicate that high-quality care is broadly available to patients regardless of where in the state they seek care.

Wisconsin’s ranking is particularly notable given the variation often seen across states with larger numbers of hospitals. Maintaining a high percentage of top-rated hospitals across a broad group reflects sustained attention to quality improvement, patient safety and patient experience. These results provide an important snapshot of how hospitals across Wisconsin are performing relative to national benchmarks. The latest ratings demonstrate that Wisconsin hospitals continue to deliver strong results for patients and communities across the state.

Wisconsin Hospitals Recognized Nationally for Outstanding Patient Experience

Wisconsin hospitals are demonstrating continued leadership in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care, as evidenced by earning national recognition in the latest round of Healthgrades quality rankings.

Healthgrades, a leading national evaluator of hospital performance, uses publicly reported data to annually recognize hospitals across the country for excellence in patient experience, clinical outcomes and patient safety. This data includes patient survey feedback and clinical performance to help consumers better understand and compare hospital quality. Through this work, Healthgrades awards the Outstanding Patient Experience Award to hospitals that excel at providing high-quality care while ensuring patients feel heard, informed and supported throughout their care journey, reflecting patient perspectives on key aspects of care such as communication with doctors and nurses, staff responsiveness and clarity of information provided during and after a hospital stay.

In total, 373 hospitals received the Outstanding Patient Experience Award this year, representing the top 15% of hospitals nationwide. Notably, 28 hospitals in Wisconsin earned this distinction, further emphasizing the state’s strong performance. Additionally, two Wisconsin hospitals received both the 2026 Outstanding Patient Experience Award and the Patient Safety Excellence Award, highlighting performance across both patient experience and safety.

“While the national data is notable, Wisconsin continues to stand out for its strong patient experience reputation. Year after year, our state sees a significant number of hospitals recognized through the Outstanding Patient Experience Award, reflecting a deep and ongoing commitment to patient-centered care, strong care team communication and a focus on the overall patient journey,” said WHA Chief Quality Officer Nadine Allen.

Wisconsin’s continued presence across these national recognitions reinforces that hospitals statewide remain leaders in delivering safe, high-quality care with a strong emphasis on the patient experience.

WHA Coverdell South Central Learning Collaborative In Action!

Meadowood Health Partnership hosted a successful community health fair last week, providing resources, education and support to members of the community. The UW Health Stroke Program was proud to participate, sharing BE FAST stroke awareness education as well as the importance of blood pressure (BP) control. Together, Meadowood and UW Health completed approximately 30 blood pressure screenings during the event.

One individual was identified as having significantly elevated blood pressure and shared that they did not have access to a home blood pressure cuff and would have difficulty obtaining one. The UW Health Stroke team was grateful to provide them with a home BP cuff supplied by the American Heart Association, along with education on the importance of regularly monitoring and logging their readings.

Overall, the event was incredibly positive and supportive, and the UW Health Stroke team looks forward to participating again in the future.

Substance Use Disorders Boot Camp Provides Practical Strategies, Connection and Inspiration for Wisconsin Providers

Maggie Williams, MPAS, PA-C, CPAAPA, presents "Opioid Use Disorder 101: Chronic Disease Management in the Age of Fentanyl" at the Substance Use Disorder Boot Camp

Members involved in planning and supporting the SUD Boot Camp are: front row, L to R: Megan Houston, Margaret Gray, MD, Jill Lindwall, Kathleen Maher; back row, L to R: David Leinweber, MD, Randy Brown, MD, 
and Stacy KoppOn May 14–15, 2026, health care professionals from across Wisconsin gathered at the SSM Health Monroe Clinic for a Substance Use Disorders (SUD) Boot Camp. This educational experience delivered not only valuable clinical content, but also meaningful collaboration, practical tools and renewed energy for addressing substance use disorders across our communities.

The Boot Camp brought together experts, frontline providers and health care leaders dedicated to improving care for individuals impacted by SUD. Sessions focused on practical strategies, emerging practices, harm reduction approaches, stigma reduction, medication safety, recovery support and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Attendees had the opportunity to engage directly with presenters and peers while learning about innovative approaches currently being implemented across Wisconsin and beyond. The event also highlighted the importance of building sustainable systems of support for patients, families and health care professionals navigating the complexities care and treatment.

“This was truly one of the best educational conferences I’ve attended,” said Stacy Kopp, clinical quality improvement manager at the Wisconsin Hospital Association. “The depth of information, practical strategies and exposure to innovative practices were incredibly valuable. I left with insights that will directly enhance my work in medication safety—particularly around alternatives to opioid prescribing—while also strengthening my role in addiction medicine nursing. Equally meaningful was the opportunity to connect with so many passionate professionals across Wisconsin who are making a real difference.”

As SUDs continue to impact health care systems, patients, families and communities throughout Wisconsin, educational opportunities through these SUD Boot Camps are more important than ever. These sessions provide health care professionals with actionable tools, evidence-based strategies and peer connections that can immediately translate into improved patient care, workforce support and organizational improvement efforts.

Health care professionals across disciplines are strongly encouraged to attend future SUD Boot Camps and educational offerings as opportunities become available. Whether you work in hospital settings, behavioral health, quality improvement, long-term care, emergency medicine, care coordination, public health or addiction services, the content and collaboration opportunities are invaluable.

This program is possible through a partnership with the Wisconsin Hospital Association. Funding for the Wisconsin Rural Health and Substance Use Clinical Support (RHeSUS) Program was provided by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health through the Wisconsin Partnership Program.

Superior Health Quality Alliance    

Workplace Violence Prevention: Protecting the Health Care Workforce

Webinar held April 30

Workplace violence remains a significant and escalating concern across the health care sector, placing both clinical and non-clinical staff at heightened risk compared to most other industries. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA, 2023), health care workers experience workplace violence at rates up to five times higher than those in other fields. Recent national data further indicate troubling increases in both verbal and physical aggression, particularly during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This timely webinar focused on equipping health care professionals and organizational leaders with essential knowledge and practical tools to address these challenges. Participants gained a comprehensive understanding of the scope and drivers of workplace violence, along with evidence-informed strategies to mitigate risk and enhance safety.

Key areas of focus included strengthening organizational policies, improving staff training programs and advancing prevention efforts to better protect the workforce. Attendees left with actionable insights to support a safer, more prepared care environment.

The session was presented by subject matter experts Jenny Pritchett, RN, BSN, MPH, MBA, CIC, CPHQ, health system leader, and Audrey Tate, quality improvement advisor with Superior Health Quality Alliance. A recording of the webinar is available here: Superior Health Workplace Violence Prevention Webinar and the slides are available here.

Last Week to Enroll with Superior Health Quality Alliance Before May 26 Deadline

As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 13th Scope of Work (SOW) moves forward, Superior Health Quality Alliance (Superior Health) will be closing enrollment for hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient clinics May 26. Organizations that enroll by that date will retain access to no-cost, CMS-funded quality improvement support through May 2030. All support is voluntary, non‑regulatory and tailored to your setting and capacity.

Contact Casey Zimpel with any questions or enroll today via this quick enrollment process: Superior Health Enrollment.