Watertown Hospital Celebrates “A New Day” by Becoming a Transfer Center for Nearby Hospitals

During the last 12 to 18 months, Watertown Regional Medical Center has added several services dedicated to providing a higher level of care for the people of Watertown and the surrounding communities. With the idea of keeping patients closer to home, these services include 24/7 heart attack care, robotic-assisted surgery, laser-assisted eye care, and eICU technology.

This hard work has paid off with an increased number of ambulances arriving at the hospital, seeking a higher level of care. Last weekend, it went a step further as Watertown Regional Medical Center accepted their first hospital to hospital transfer via helicopter.

“Last weekend was a remarkable achievement for WRMC,” said Richard Keddington, CEO at Watertown Regional Medical Center. “Other area hospitals are now transferring patients to us via ambulance and helicopter, looking for a higher level of care. It is truly a new day.”

To provide this higher level of care, Watertown Regional Medical Center has invested in new technologies and upgraded their processes. Because of this, many employees, including physicians and nurses have taken on additional responsibilities and completed additional training, all while continuing to take care of patients safely and effectively.

“As evidenced by once again receiving an ‘A’ safety grade from the Leapfrog Group, we’ve been able to add these additional high-level services while maintaining the quality of care we provide,” said Patricia Gedemer, Chief Nursing Officer at Watertown Regional Medical Center. “This is a testament to the amazing physicians, nurses, and staff members we have and the care they have for our patients and communities.”

In addition to new technologies, new providers have been brought in as well. In 2020, two interventional cardiologists, Dr. Paul Volkert and Dr. Issam Al-Bitar, were added in anticipation of the 24/7 heart attack care transition. Later this year, two new OBGYNs, Dr. Kaci Axelson and Dr. Melissa Nehls, will be added to the Center for Women’s Health team, bringing additional options for providers and more robotic-assisted surgery experience.

For more information about everything that’s new at Watertown Regional Medical Center, go to watertownregional.com/news or follow them on Facebook and Instagram for continued updates.

About Watertown Regional Medical Center

Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) has been providing the residents of Dodge and Jefferson counties with excellent healthcare for over 115 years. By placing patients’ needs first, WRMC’s services have grown to include Emergency Care, Primary Care, Women’s Health, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Heart and Vascular, Neurology, Pulmonology, Ophthalmology, and many other services. For more information and to see a complete list of the services offered, visit www.watertownregional.com.