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Aurora Health Care's history

Aurora Health Care was created around a single idea: There is a better way to provide health care. From the beginning, that has been a hallmark of our organization, and today it remains central to our vision.

Aurora's integration as a not-for-profit system began in 1984 with the affiliation of 2 Milwaukee hospitals, St. Luke's Medical Center and Good Samaritan Medical Center. Good Samaritan Medical Center had been formed in 1980 with the merger of Lutheran Hospital, founded as Milwaukee Hospital in 1863, and Deaconess Hospital, founded in 1910.

In 1984, St. Luke's Medical Center, founded in 1903, and Good Samaritan formed an affiliation to improve the delivery of care and contain the costs of doing business. Their affiliation gave birth to St. Luke's Samaritan Health Care, the first health care system in Milwaukee to be created through the affiliation of 2 formerly independent hospitals.

St. Luke's Samaritan Health Care adopted the name Aurora Health Care in 1987 after a merger between Mount Sinai Medical Center, founded in 1903, and Good Samaritan Medical Center. Located several blocks apart, the facilities had both suffered occupancy declines as primary care practitioners left the central city. Their boards of directors cited as the goal of the merger preservation of the hospitals' strong traditions of excellence in patient care, commitment to medical education and dedication to community service.

Other milestones

In 1988, the Visiting Nurse Association of Milwaukee entered into a partnership with the Aurora system, and soon thereafter elected to join the system. Founded in 1907, the VNA had distinguished itself as a high-quality provider of home health care services and a voice for those underserved by the health care system. The VNA affiliated with Aurora so that it could offer new areas of home health care service, reduce costs through management efficiencies, and better meet the needs of patients. Since then the VNA has expanded significantly throughout the eastern third of the state. The VNA also is the state's largest provider of hospice care for children and adults.

In 1990, Aurora launched Aurora Medical Group, providing high-quality primary and specialty physician services and diagnostics through a network of convenient clinic sites. The first opened in downtown Milwaukee in the fall of 1990. Since then dozens of physician groups and clinics have joined Aurora Medical Group. Today, Aurora Medical Group employs more than 600 physicians practicing at more than 80 clinics in communities stretching from Kenosha to Marinette.

In 1992, Aurora opened its first retail pharmacy. Today, Aurora Pharmacy operates more than 140 pharmacies throughout eastern Wisconsin. Pharmacists play a key role in Aurora’s continuum of care.

In 1992, Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center in Sheboygan joined Aurora. The goal of the hospital’s board of directors was to achieve cost savings that would conserve patient care resources and enhance the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective care.

In 1993, Milwaukee Psychiatric Hospital, a leading provider of psychiatric and addiction treatment services in the Milwaukee area, joined our system. Established in 1884, the hospital regarded joining a comprehensive system as critical to its ability to preserve the value of its services in a challenging managed care environment.

Also in 1993, the Sheboygan Visiting Nurse Association completed an affiliation with the VNA. Founded in 1952, the Sheboygan VNA was providing a wide range of home health care services through offices in Sheboygan and Plymouth.

The Aurora system began serving 2 new communities through affiliations with acute-care hospitals in 1993. Hartford Memorial Hospital, founded in 1916, chose to join Aurora Health Care in order to enhance its services to the community with the help of a strong partner. Two Rivers Community Hospital joined Aurora to improve its ability to provide cost-effective care.

In 1995, Aurora West Allis Medical Center, dedicated in 1961, became the eighth hospital to join the Aurora system. West Allis is an acute-care community hospital providing a full range of inpatient and outpatient services.

Also in 1995, Family Service of Milwaukee, founded in 1882 and now Wisconsin's oldest non-profit, non-sectarian family agency, became Aurora's first social service affiliate.

Two more hospital facilities were brought into the Aurora system in 1995. The Walworth County Board voted to transfer ownership of its 78-year-old Lakeland Medical Center to Aurora in order to discontinue county operation and funding of the hospital and strengthen its ability to serve Walworth County residents in the changing health care market. Later in the year, Catholic Health Corp. transferred ownership of Trinity Memorial Hospital in Cudahy, founded in 1958, to nearby St. Luke's Medical Center.

In Feb. 1996, the Board of Governors of Memorial Hospital of Burlington gave approval to an affiliation with Aurora Health Care, following the decision by the Burlington Clinic to join Aurora Medical Group in 1995.

In 1997, Aurora announced that it would undertake a management reorganization leading to the development of several geographic regions, each with strengthened leadership roles for doctors and other clinicians, and a new emphasis at the system level on community programs. The goal of the reorganization was to create a well-coordinated system of care to benefit patients and make better use of valuable health care resources.

In March 1998, Aurora announced that it would establish a full-service hospital in Kenosha by building an addition to the Aurora clinic on that community’s west side. The new Aurora Medical Center opened in February 1999.

In July 1998, Aurora announced that it would build a new medical center in Two Rivers as a replacement for Two Rivers Community Hospital. The new Aurora Medical Center opened in June 2000. The new hospital, located along the Lake Michigan shoreline, offers modern facilities, new technologies and amenities not available anywhere else in Manitowoc County.

Also in 2000, Aurora and BayCare Health Systems, a group of physician specialists, announced that they would jointly develop a new full-service tertiary hospital to serve the Green Bay area and all of northeastern Wisconsin. Aurora BayCare Medical Center opened in September 2001. More than 16,000 area residents attended a community open house.

Aurora's strategic alliance with Advocate Health Care, a health care provider in the Chicago area, led to the April 2000 announcement that the systems would combine their laboratory operations under a single management team. The integration of laboratory operations enhances quality, improves service, reduces costs and allows for rapid adoption of technological advancements.

In Oct. 2000, St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, one of the nation’s leading heart hospitals, began work on a major addition to allow it to meet growing demand for its services. The 12-story, 430,000-square-foot patient tower was completed in 2004.

When Family Health Plan, a staff model HMO, faced a financial crisis in Nov. 2000, Aurora stepped in and assumed ownership of the organization’s 7 clinics, ensuring continuity of care for thousands of patients.

In Jan. 2002, the physicians of Aurora Medical Group in Oshkosh announced plans for construction of a new full-service hospital to serve their patients from Oshkosh and surrounding communities. The hospital, built as an addition to the Aurora Health Center on the community’s west side, opened in October 2003.

In spring 2002, the Aurora Women's Pavilion of Aurora West Allis Medical Center, a five-story, 207,000-square foot facility built on the campus of Aurora West Allis Medical Center, opened its doors. The Pavilion offers comprehensive health and wellness services for women in all phases of life.

In July 2002, Aurora joined with PointOne Systems, a Milwaukee-based clinical genetic information systems company, and Third Wave Technologies Inc., a Madison-based biotechnology company, to announce a groundbreaking, large-scale application of genetic medicine to cardiovascular care. The program uses genetic data to develop unique, individualized patient care plans designed to prevent the occurrence or advancement of cardiovascular disease

In Aug. 2002, Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha responded to growing demand for its services by opening a 30-bed addition. The addition includes an enhanced women’s health center.

Also in Aug. 2002, Aurora began its first major brand advertising campaign in many years. The campaign was designed to build awareness of Aurora’s many innovative services and strengthen perceptions of Aurora as an organization of people who are striving to improve the way health care is delivered.

In Jan. 2003, Aurora took a leadership role in addressing rising health costs, announcing a Three-Part Commitment to the people of eastern Wisconsin. Aurora pledged to keep price changes below national benchmarks, accelerate its care management programs and initiate new projects to help moderate total community health costs and demonstrate measurable improvements in public health, and hold itself accountable to the community for cost savings and health improvement results.

In July 2003, Aurora announced its participation in a new Medicare pilot project aimed at promoting quality improvement efforts at hospitals across the country.

In March 2004, Aurora introduced Aurora QuickCare, a new approach to delivering fast, convenient and affordable diagnostic services and treatment for common family illnesses.

In April 2004, senior clinical leaders of Aurora announced a new life-saving technology for intensive care units that is the first of its kind in Wisconsin. The system uses telemedicine technology, including early warning software and advanced video and electronic monitoring, to connect off-site critical care specialists to ICU patients. The system saves lives and reduces costs.

In March 2005, the Aurora Visiting Nurse Association of Wisconsin dedicated the new Zilber Family Hospice. The 18-bed hospice residence in Wauwatosa offers a home-like environment for the terminally ill, with large rooms that enable family members to stay with loved ones and participate in their care. It is the first hospice in metropolitan Milwaukee to care for adults and children in the same facility.

In June 2005, UnitedHealthcare and Aurora announced a new 15-year agreement that expanded health care options and enhanced the accessibility of care for hundreds of thousands of Wisconsin residents.

In July 2005,  Aurora Health Care was named one of the top 100 Most Wired health systems for the 2nd consecutive year by Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine. Aurora is the only Milwaukee area health care system to receive the recognition.

In Sept. 2005, Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center was selected by consumers as a top hospital for overall quality and image for the 7th straight year.

In Dec. 2005, Aurora Health Care was been recognized by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) for our continued support of caregivers in the Guard and Reserves. The Five-Star Level Statement of Support designation is the highest possible level of recognition an organization can receive. Learn more about this recognition.

In Jan. 2006, the 13th Aurora QuickCare site was opened in Sussex, offering a new approach to delivering fast, convenient and affordable diagnostic services and treatment for common family illnesses.

In May 2006, Aurora Health Care was one of 15 groups nationwide -- and the only one in Wisconsin -- chosen by the U.S. government to participate in research that will help shape health care practices for years to come. Aurora was selected by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to participate in its ACTION initiative.

In July 2006, Aurora was named one of the 100 "most wired" health care systems for the 3rd year in a row.

In Aug. 2006, a cardiac surgery team at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center performed the state's first implant of the only FDA approved temporary Total Artificial Heart.

In Sept. 2006, Aurora Health Care announced that Nick Turkal, MD, had been named president and chief executive officer to succeed G. Edwin Howe, Aurora's founder, who earlier in the year had announced his plans to retire at the end of 2006.

In Dec. 2006, Aurora opened it's 18th Aurora QuickCare site, including locations inside Wal-mart Supercenters.

In May 2007, Aurora broke ground on a new hospital in Summit.

In June 2007, Aurora won eight 2007 Premier Awards for Quality for excellence in the care of patients, the most one health system has ever achieved in one year.

In July 2007, Aurora Health Care announced plans for an affiliation with Advanced Healthcare and a new hospital in Grafton.

In Dec. 2007, Aurora Health Care received national recognition from the Institute for Safe Medication Practices for a unique initiative focusing on medication safety in the medical clinic.

In Jan. 2008, Aurora and Advanced Healthcare officially completes their affiliation.

Today, the organizations that form Aurora Health Care remain dedicated to promoting health, preventing illness and providing state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment whenever and wherever we can best meet people's individual and family needs. Working together, the people of Aurora are determined not only to provide services of the highest quality, but also to make those services affordable and accessible to every person in every community we serve.