Watertown Regional Medical Center Earns Healthgrades’ 2025 Best-in-Class Award for Patient Safety

Only 10% of hospitals nationwide earn this annual Healthgrades’ recognition.

WATERTOWN, Wisconsin (April 15, 2025) – 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.

“We are thrilled to once again earn this elite honor from Healthgrades that recognizes our hospital’s steadfast commitment to providing the highest quality care in the safest environment,” said Patricia Gedemer, Chief Nursing Officer at Watertown Regional Medical Center. “This is yet another validation of our team members and the culture of safety they’ve created at Watertown. We put our patients and their safety first at Watertown, and it’s exciting to see our efforts achieve accolades such as this.”

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.

To be eligible for the patient safety award, hospitals must meet certain clinical quality thresholds, have zero instances in which a foreign object was left behind during a procedure, and have data on at least seven out of eight core Patient Safety Indicators (PSIs). 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)

“As a 2025 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient, Watertown Regional Medical Center consistently puts the well-being of their patients and staff at the forefront, setting a high standard for patient safety nationwide,” said Debra Gradick, MD FACEP, senior physician consultant at Healthgrades. “We commend Watertown Regional for providing consistently exceptional care while preventing serious injuries, giving patients their best chance of a seamless recovery.”

The Healthgrades recognition continues Watertown Regional’s recent string of honors that affirm the hospital’s reputation as one of the best in the state and country. In February, WRMC was recognized with the Healthgrades’ Joint Replacement Excellence Award. And in 2024, Watertown was recognized by The Chartis Center for Rural Health as one of the 100 top-performing rural and community hospitals in the nation and earned the prestigious “A” grade for safety from the Leapfrog Group.

Consumers can visit healthgrades.com for more information on how Healthgrades measures hospital quality and access the complete methodology here.

About Watertown Regional Medical Center
Watertown Regional Medical Center has been providing the residents of Dodge and Jefferson counties with excellent healthcare for over 100 years. With the combination of state-of-the-art facilities, world-class technology and advanced clinical programming, Watertown Regional Medical Center is committed to keeping quality healthcare close to home, with a focus on maintaining and growing quality primary and specialty care services. The hospital’s services have grown to include Emergency and Urgent Care, Primary Care, Women’s Health, Orthopedics and Spine, Heart and Vascular, Neurology, Pulmonology, Ophthalmology, and many other services.

About Healthgrades
Healthgrades is dedicated to empowering stronger and more meaningful connections between patients and their healthcare providers. 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. Our health system, large group practice, and life sciences marketing solutions have been helping our partners reach and engage consumers who are on their way to the doctor for over 20 years. 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, Bezzy and Platejoy which touch every part of the health and wellness journey. Each month, RVO Health helps more than 100 million unique visitors live their strongest and healthiest lives.