Between 5% and 10% of all hospitals nationwide earn Healthgrades' “five-star recipient” honor for a specialty service, a recognition of clinical excellence based on Medicare data.

WATERTOWN – Three specialty services at Watertown Regional Medical Center recently earned the prestigious “five-star recipient” designation from Healthgrades, an annual honor that recognizes clinical excellence based upon Medicare data. Only 5-10% of the 4,500 hospitals reviewed achieve excellence in any of the 16 specialty areas assessed by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting patients and providers.

• In Orthopedics, Watertown Regional was named a:
  • Five-Star Recipient for Total Knee Replacement (for two consecutive years, 2025-2026)
  • Five-Star Recipient for Hip Fracture Treatment (for two consecutive years, 2025-2026)

• In Critical Care, Watertown Regional was named a:
  • Five-Star Recipient for Treatment of Diabetic Hospitalizations (for 2026)

Watertown Regional was also a recipient of the Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award for three consecutive years (2023-2025) and is also a past recipient of the Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award (2023-2024).

“At Watertown Regional Medical Center, our team is deeply committed to delivering compassionate, skilled care rooted in clinical best practices,” said Richard Keddington, CEO. “These awards and recognitions affirm the high standards we uphold as we work to deliver exceptional patient outcomes and experiences while bringing the services our community needs close to home."

Watertown Regional’s achievements are based solely on what matters most: patient outcomes. Each year, Healthgrades evaluates risk-adjusted mortality and complication rates for over 30 common conditions and procedures at approximately 4,500 hospitals nationwide to identify the top hospitals in key specialty areas, including Orthopedics and Critical Care services. Through easy-to-understand, objective measures of hospital performance, Healthgrades empowers patients with the information they need to find a hospital that excels in their procedure or condition.

As performance gaps persist between the nation’s highest- and lowest-achieving facilities, seeking care at a top program has never been more important. Healthgrades’ 2026 analysis revealed that if all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to five-star hospitals during the 2022-2024 study period, on average, 230,466 lives could have been saved and 156,797 complications could have been avoided.*

“Healthgrades’ specialty awards identify the nation’s top-performing hospitals in key service areas, helping consumers find high-quality care tailored to their specific needs,” said Alana Biggers, M.D., MPH, medical advisor at Healthgrades. “We’re proud to recognize Watertown Regional for its consistently superior outcomes in key service areas.”

Consumers can visit Healthgrades’ Specialty Excellence Patient Advocate Center to learn more about how Healthgrades identifies the top-performing hospitals for specialty care. To learn more about Watertown Regional Medical Center and its specialty services. visit WatertownRegional.com.

*Statistics are based on Healthgrades analysis of MedPAR data for years 2022 through 2024 and represent three-year estimates for Medicare patients only. Click here to view the complete 2026 Specialty Awards and Ratings Methodology.

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 Spine, 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.

About Healthgrades

Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering meaningful connections between patients, doctors, and hospitals. As the #1 platform for finding a doctor and a leader in healthcare transparency, we help millions of consumers each month find and schedule appointments with their healthcare professional of choice and prepare for their appointments with best-in-class, treatment-focused content.

For over 20 years, our health system, group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have helped our partners reach and engage consumers on their way to the doctor.

Healthgrades is part of RVO Health, a partnership between Red Ventures and Optum, part of UnitedHealth Group. RVO Health has the largest consumer health and wellness audience online across its brand portfolio, including Healthgrades, Healthline, Medical News Today, Greatist, Psych Central and Bezzy, which touch every part of the health and wellness journey. RVO Health helps more than 100 million unique visitors live their strongest and healthiest lives each month.