Quality Advisor

2026 National Hospital Week is May 10-16

National Hospital Week is an opportunity to celebrate and highlight our hospitals, health systems and health care workers—and the innovative ways they deliver care and strengthen communities across Wisconsin and the nation.

Wisconsin’s hospitals remain steadfast in their commitment to providing high-quality, compassionate care for everyone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We proudly thank your dedicated teams who make this mission possible.

For more information about National Hospital Week, including how to promote it within your hospital or health system, click here.

National Honors Spotlight Wisconsin’s Leadership in Rural Healthcare

Each year, rural hospitals across the country are recognized for excellence through a structured evaluation process led by the Chartis Center for Rural Health and the National Rural Health Association (NRHA). Among more than 1,300 Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) nationwide, these designations highlight the highest-performing organizations in terms of quality, patient experience and operational strength.

The process begins with the annual release of the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals, announced on February 11, 2026. These hospitals are selected based on the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®, one of the most comprehensive assessments of rural hospital performance in the country. The INDEX evaluates hospitals across eight domains: inpatient market share, outpatient market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge and finance. Together, these measures provide a balanced view of how effectively hospitals deliver care, manage resources and sustain operations in rural communities.

Wisconsin was strongly represented in the 2026 Top 100 rankings, with eight hospitals earning national recognition for their performance: Amery Hospital & Clinic; Mayo Clinic Health System – Barron; Lafayette Hospital + Clinics; Upland Hills Health; Tamarack Health Hayward Medical Center; Westfields Hospital & Clinic; River Falls Area Hospital; and SSM Health Waupun Memorial Hospital. These organizations reflect the depth and consistency of high-quality rural health care and demonstrate strong performance across clinical, financial and patient-centered metrics.

From this Top 100 group, the NRHA selects the Top 20 Critical Access Hospitals, representing the highest overall performers in the nation. The 2026 Top 20 were announced on April 23, 2026, recognizing hospitals that achieved exceptional results across all eight domains of the INDEX. Wisconsin stood out prominently, with the following two hospitals earning Top 20 distinction: Amery Hospital & Clinic and River Falls Area Hospital. These organizations are among the best-performing CAHs in the country and exemplify excellence in delivering high-quality care while maintaining strong operational and financial performance in a rural setting.

“These recognitions reflect the dedication of our rural hospital teams to delivering high-quality, community-centered care,” said Nadine Allen, Chief Quality Officer for the Wisconsin Hospital Association. “It’s especially meaningful to see that commitment translating into strong performance that helps keep care close to home for Wisconsin communities.”

In addition to the Top 20 awards, the NRHA also recognizes Best Practice recipients—hospitals that demonstrate exceptional performance in specific areas such as quality or patient perspective. In 2026, Wisconsin again received national recognition through Gundersen Moundview Hospital and Clinics, which was honored with a Best Practice in Quality designation. This award reflects top-tier performance in clinical quality measures and outcomes, highlighting the organization’s commitment to delivering safe, effective patient-centered care.

Together, these recognitions underscore the strength and impact of Wisconsin’s rural health care system. From broad representation in the Top 100 to standout achievements in the Top 20 and Best Practice categories, Wisconsin hospitals continue to demonstrate leadership, adaptability and a commitment to continuous improvement. These accomplishments highlight the ability of Wisconsin’s CAHs to deliver high-value care while sustaining strong performance in an increasingly complex health care environment.

Last Chance: Secure No-Cost Quality Improvement Support Through 2030

Organizations that enroll by the end of May will retain access to no-cost, CMS-funded quality improvement support through May 2030. See Superior Health Quality Alliance section below for more information.

Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) Announces New Maternal Health Dashboards

The Wisconsin Maternal Health Innovation (MHI) program is excited to share new data dashboards. Data on maternal health outcomes and experiences are important for understanding, monitoring and improving the health of Wisconsin mothers and families. Presenting maternal health data as visual dashboards allows individuals and communities to see what is happening in our state and their area and to turn that data into action to improve outcomes.

Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2027 Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) Proposed Rule Summary Brief

Consistent with comments on the proposed rule highlighted in the April 15 Quality Advisor newsletter, we encourage members to review the Medicare IPPS summary. This summary is also available in the member portal.

2026 Clinical Simulation Training Scholarship

WHA Foundation is once again offering scholarships to Wisconsin member hospitals, allowing them to designate an interdisciplinary team to participate in clinical simulation training focused on stroke, severe sepsis/septic shock or high-risk OB delivery. Please see details below.

Scholarship Application Deadline: Friday, May 15, 2026

Application Materials

For complete information on scholarship eligibility and criteria, please click here.

To complete the 2026 Clinical Simulation Training Application, please click here.

Superior Health Quality Alliance    

Deadline to Enroll with Superior Health Quality Alliance is May 26! Join Us and the other 2,200+ Organizations in Our Region to Advance Quality & Patient Safety

As the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 13th Scope of Work (SOW) moves forward, Superior Health Quality Alliance (Superior Health) is closing enrollment for hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient clinics. Organizations that enroll by the end of May will retain access to no-cost, CMS-funded quality improvement support through May 2030. All support is voluntary, non‑regulatory and tailored to your setting and capacity.

Need More Information? Register to attend our upcoming event!

Inside the QIN-QIO: A Leadership Briefing with Superior Health

Meet our leadership team and explore how our Quality Innovation Network-Quality Improvement Organization (QIN-QIO) approach supports your priorities, reduces burden and accelerates progress. You bring the challenges; we bring the structure, the data brings clarity and shared learning drives improvement. This concise, high‑value session will help you see what collaboration can make possible.

May 18 | 12 - 12:30 p.m.

Register online.

Contact Casey Zimpel with any questions or enroll today via this quick enrollment process: Superior Health Enrollment.

Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Care Collaboration Across the Continuum

Care transitions are among the most vulnerable moments in health care; even small gaps in communication or coordination can significantly impact outcomes, costs and the patient experience. At the Care Collaboration Conference in April hosted by PointClickCare in Plymouth, Michigan, Stacy Kopp, Quality Improvement Advisor with Superior Health and Clinical Quality Improvement Manager at WHA, had the opportunity to participate in a fireside chat segment focused on how acute and post-acute care providers can better partner to improve transitions of care, address persistent gaps and leverage innovation and data sharing to drive better outcomes.

Despite representing different care settings, attendees shared a common goal: improving coordination across the continuum to achieve better outcomes, lower costs and more seamless patient experiences.

Across sessions and discussions, several consistent themes emerged:

• The increasing importance of value-based care and shared accountability
• The need for stronger cross-continuum partnerships, particularly between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities
• The growing role of data sharing and interoperability
• The opportunity to use technology and analytics to drive proactive care

The conference reinforced that while each setting plays a unique role, success depends on how effectively those roles are connected.