Awards and Accreditations
Grade "A" Hospital Safety from Leapfrog Group
Watertown Regional Medical Center earns “A” Hospital Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group, a national nonprofit group that sets standards for excellence in patient safety and care. This grade represents the eighth “A” earned by Watertown Regional Medical Center in the last 11 grading periods (second consecutive). Watertown Regional was one of only 17 hospitals in Wisconsin to earn the top grade in Leapfrog’s Spring 2025 ratings release.
Leapfrog assigns an “A,” “B,” “C,” “D” or “F” grade to hospitals across the country based on over 30 national performance measures reflecting errors, accidents, injuries and infections, as well as the systems hospitals have in place to prevent harm. Fewer than one-third of the approximately 3,000 hospitals reviewed nationwide earn Leapfrog’s “A” grade.
The Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade stands as the only hospital ratings program focused solely on preventable medical errors, infections and injuries. This program is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Grades are updated twice annually, in the fall and spring.
Healthgrades’ 2025 Best-in-Class Award for Patient Safety
Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) was recently named a recipient of Healthgrades’ prestigious hospital recognition, the 2025 Patient Safety Excellence Award.™ This marks the third consecutive year Watertown Regional has earned the top honor for patient safety from Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting patients and providers.
The Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recognizes hospitals that excel at providing top-quality care while preventing serious safety events during hospital stays. This year’s recipients include 442 hospitals from 40 states and represent the top 10% of hospitals in the nation for patient safety.
Healthgrades’ analysis revealed that patients treated at recipient hospitals such as Watertown Regional are less likely to experience the following safety events than patients treated at non-recipient hospitals:
- In-hospital fall resulting in fracture (approximately 52% less likely)
- Collapsed lung due to a procedure or surgery in or around the chest (approximately 56% less likely)
- Pressure sores or bed sores acquired in the hospital (approximately 67% less likely)
- Catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in the hospital (approximately 71% less likely)
Healthgrades’ 2025 Specialty Excellence Award for Joint Replacement
Watertown Regional Medical Center’s (WRMC) joint replacement program is honored to be part of an elite group of hospitals nationwide, earning the 2025 Joint Replacement Excellence Award from Healthgrades.
Specialty Excellence Awards, like the one given to Watertown Regional Medical Center for joint replacement are awarded when five-stars are received for a specific procedure or condition. The full list of recipients can be found on Healthgrades’ website.
This award recognizes superior clinical outcomes based on Medicare data. Watertown Regional Medical Center recently expanded its orthopedic services through a partnership with the Orthopedic & Spine Centers of Wisconsin (OSCW). This partnership brings board-certified and fellowship-trained physicians in the following areas:
- Joint Replacement
- Sports Medicine
- Hand & Elbow
- Foot & Ankle
- Spine
Chest Pain Accredited
Watertown Regional Medical Center received Chest Pain Center accreditation from the American College of Cardiology. We are dedicated to providing our patients with the best heart care treatment available. As an accredited facility, we use the newest methods and best practices in heart care to ensure that our patients receive:
- Right care at the right time to minimize or eliminate heart damage due to heart attack
- Timely and accurate diagnoses to reduce the disruption to your life and get you back home as soon as possible
- Help and communication to better understand how to respond to your heart emergencies
- Improved quality of life after a heart episode
Baby-Friendly Designation
Watertown Regional Medical Center has been designated as a 'Baby-Friendly' hospital after a rigorous review process conducted by Baby-Friendly USA. This distinguished honor demonstrates that WRMC is adhering to the highest standards of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. These standards are built on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
Upon achieving this designation, WRMC became one of the 595 Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers in the United States and one of only 12 in the state of Wisconsin.