Valued Voice

Wisconsin hospitals commitment to healthcare excellence was highlighted last week when Becker's Hospital Review named five Wisconsin rural hospital leaders in their recent list of “CEOs to Know." Announced on Oct. 9, this list features 90 critical access hospital CEOs from across the nation who are “experts in service line expansion, provider recruitment and retention, and the establishment of key partnerships.” The article also said that the CEOs’ efforts “ensure their hospitals serve as vital resources for their communities.”

The Wisconsin rural leaders include:

• Tom Borowski, President, Hudson Hospital & Clinic
• Steve Massey, President/CEO, Westfields Hospital & Clinic
• Jill Ostrem, President, River Falls Area Hospital
• Bruce Roesler, CEO, The Richland Hospital, Inc.
• Mike Schafer, CEO, Spooner Health

L to R: Tom Borowski, Steve Massey, Jill Ostrem, Bruce Roesler, Mike SchaferThese leaders, along with members of their organizations, are actively engaged in various WHA councils and committees, with Schafer serving on the WHA Board of Directors.

The recognition follows the release of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ updated Hospital Star Ratings, released in July, which demonstrated that Wisconsin hospitals’ health care quality tops the national average and has the highest number and percentage of 5-star rated hospitals in the Midwest. The ratings reflect 46 measures across five categories of quality: mortality, safety of care, readmissions, patient experience, and timely and effective care.

Wisconsin hospitals continue to exemplify excellence in quality and value. For more information on Wisconsin's health care achievements, click here.