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.
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