National Hospital Week 2024


National Hospital Week - May 12-18, 2024 - is an opportunity to highlight our hospitals, health systems and health care workers and the innovative ways they strengthen communities across Wisconsin and the nation. Wisconsin's hospitals remain committed to delivering quality care for everyone 24/7/365.

Recognizing the important role hospitals across the state play in the health, safety and economic vitality of the communities they serve, Gov. Tony Evers issued a proclamation observing May 12-18, 2024, as Hospital Week.

Join us in thanking and celebrating the contributions made by hospitals for their essential role in delivering safe, effective, and efficient health care that patients in Wisconsin can rely on every hour of every day on social media.

View the Governor's Proclamation

Social Media Resources


Join the celebration on social media! Click the image to download the graphic. Be sure to tag WHA when posting.


 

Caring for Communities: Wisconsin Hospitals by the Numbers


Wisconsin hospitals provide accessible, compassionate and high-quality health care services to all of the state’s residents every day of every year, serving as critical infrastructure and providing care to address health care needs that would otherwise go unmet:

Access to Quality Care

Daily, caregivers in Wisconsin hospitals and health systems help people access health care and other essential services at the right time, in the right place. Wisconsin hospitals lead the way in health care quality, ranking in the top four states in the country for five-star hospitals according to CMS’ Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings.  Read more.

Benefits to Communities


In addition to providing health care, Wisconsin’s hospitals provide more than $2 billion worth of community benefits annually, including charity care, subsidized health services, public health programming and initiatives that improve population health in communities they serve. Read more.

An Economic Asset


Our state’s hospitals and health systems are among the largest drivers of Wisconsin’s economy. Wisconsin hospitals employ over 110,000 people and create $47 billion of economic impact for our state. Read more.
 

Innovation Driver


From using telehealth to improve access to care to artificial intelligence to keep communities healthy and detect disease earlier, hospitals and health systems are innovating to improve patient care. Wisconsin hospitals and health systems innovate to improve patient care and health care quality across the state. Read more.
 

The History of Hospital Week


National Hospital Week has been a health care tradition since 1921.

National Hospital Day was first observed on May 12, 1921, which would have been Florence Nightingale’s 101st birthday. The publicity campaign was devised by the managing editor of a trade magazine, Hospital Management, to boost citizens’ confidence in hospitals following the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. The deadly flu caused the deaths of approximately 20 to 30 million people worldwide, including some 675,000 Americans.
 
The event expanded to an entire week in 1953, seventy years ago, and today every state celebrates National Hospital Week, which is sponsored by the American Hospital Association. This annual celebration serves as a reminder that hospitals are foundations of the communities that built them and nurture them, and that hospitals serve people in every community from all walks of life. Hospitals are open 24/7, 365 days a year.

This ad from the Dunn County News from May 4, 1955 is selling jewelry and furs for Mother’s Day. It also incorporates a shout out for National Hospital Week with some stats for the local hospital: Memorial Hospital in Menomonie.



Download the Flyer More Hospital Week Resources