Name change will reflect broader scope of hospital

Monday, May 12, 2008 12:46 PM CDT

Watertown Area Health Services will be known by a new name later this summer, a reflection of its affiliation with UW Health, headquartered in Madison.

The new name, UW Health Partners Watertown Regional Medical Center, will be implemented in August, according to John Kosanovich, president of the local health care organization.

Kosanovich made the announcement as part of the local hospital's celebration of National Hospital Week which has the theme of “Where Healing Happens Every Day.”

Kosanovich said, “For more than a century individuals and families have trusted Watertown Area Health Services for their health care needs. During that time period, we've grown from a 16-bed hospital on Main Street to a comprehensive health provider with multiple primary and specialty clinics serving Dodge and Jefferson counties.

“While our clinical capabilities and geographic reach have increased substantially in recent years, one thing that has not changed is our commitment to providing personalized, compassionate care. National Hospital Week is a special time to honor our loyal physicians and associates, who work tirelessly to make a difference in each patient's life.”

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This past year has been a monumental year for Watertown Area Health Services. The organization celebrated its 100th anniversary, opened a $24 million surgical and critical care wing expansion and received Service Business of the Year awards from both the Watertown and Juneau chambers of commerce.

Earlier this year, Watertown Area Health Services announced an organizational affiliation with UW Health. This partnership with one of the nation's most widely respected health care providers will complement recent facility, technology and programming enhancements to give area residents convenient access to advanced medical specialties, expertise and health research.

“It's amazing how the practice of medicine has evolved in the last five to 10 years, allowing us to provide treatments which once required a trip out of town - like cardiac catheterization - right here in Watertown. We are proud to make these enhancements to better serve the community,” Kosanovich said.

The partnership with UW Health will allow patients to stay close to home for many specialty services, such as heart and vascular care, high-risk maternal fetal medicine services and comprehensive cancer care.

Kosanovich said with the name change this summer, educational materials, forms and signage on all of its health campuses (in Watertown, Juneau, Waterloo, Lake Mills, Johnson Creek and Ixonia) will be changed to reflect the new UW Health Partners Watertown Regional Medical Center name. Residents should be aware the phone companies may already be using a version of the new name, UW Health Partners, on caller ID listings for calls made from the hospital.

“I truly believe that residents of the greater Watertown region will be better served with our expanded scope of services,” said Kosanovich. “But perhaps most importantly, I am thrilled that we have stayed true to our roots of providing hometown, personalized care to our patients.”

Kosanovich describes a recent patient's story as an example of the personalized care the organization provides. Earlier this year, this patient came to the emergency room with significant medical complications, and physicians feared he would not recover.

The emergency team worked quickly to stabilize his emergent medical needs before the patient received two weeks of care in the ICU (intensive care unit).

Today, this patient is fully recovered and credits the Watertown team for saving his life. He visits his nurses regularly, bringing them flowers and gifts to remind them how grateful he is for the care and compassion he received during his long hospital stay. It is, in fact, still difficult for this patient to tell his story of appreciation without getting teary-eyed.

“Stories like this remind me that we are here to serve,” said Kosanovich. “During hospital week and always, I want to extend personal gratitude to my teammates - the 750+ associates and 120+ physicians who join me in serving this community. Each day, we come to work with the opportunity to touch lives in a positive way. We thank you for giving us the privilege to do so.”