WCHQ Honors 2025 Award Winners at Wisconsin Healthcare Impact Assembly
Recognizing Excellence, Innovation, and Leadership in Advancing Healthcare Quality
MADISON, Wis., November 14, 2025 — The Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality (WCHQ) today recognized four outstanding organizations for their exemplary achievements in improving the health and well-being of people across Wisconsin. The 2025 WCHQ Awards were presented at the annual Wisconsin Healthcare Impact Assembly on November 14. This year’s honorees exemplify WCHQ’s mission to drive measurable improvement, foster collaboration, and advance equitable care statewide.
Prairie Clinic received the Quality Leadership Award for significant improvement in colorectal cancer screening rates through provider training, enhancements in patient education, streamlined workflows, and improved shared decision-making. The clinic’s improvements and commitment to collaboration serve as a model for colorectal cancer screening improvement across Wisconsin.
Ascension received the Excellence in Healthcare Award for its statewide leadership in obesity care. The organization built several MBSAQIP-accredited medical-surgical centers focused on monitoring patient outcomes, tracking data, training staff, and improving quality. Ascension also uses EHR-based engagement, telemedicine, remote monitoring, e-consults, and embedded specialists to increase access and enhance experience. These efforts have expanded bariatric services, improved patient satisfaction, and improved outcomes across the region.
Emplify Health by Gundersen received the Thrive Through Change Award for outstanding improvement in high blood pressure control. A multi-disciplinary team partnered with leadership and staff to standardize processes and improve outcomes through nursing-only visits, automated cuffs, and clinician metrics. As a result, blood pressure control rates rose from 79.6% (Oct 2024) to 84.0% (Jul 2025), impacting an additional 1253 patients, demonstrating effective teamwork and rapid improvement in chronic disease management.
Marshfield Clinic Region of Sanford Health received the Thrive Through Change Award for improving food insecurity by leading a hydroponic farming project with UW-Stevens Point and Fork Farms. The farm on the UWSP Marshfield campus supplies produce to hospitals, improving nutrition access for underserved communities. The initiative promotes sustainability, workforce development, and STEM education, and is designed for replication statewide to advance population health and strengthen local food systems.
“These organizations demonstrate the innovation and collaboration that define WCHQ’s statewide mission,” said Gabrielle Rude, PhD, CEO of WCHQ. “Their work represents the best of Wisconsin healthcare—data-driven, patient-centered, and committed to meaningful, measurable change.”
About WCHQ
Founded in 2004 by visionary leaders from Wisconsin’s healthcare community, the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality (WCHQ) is a voluntary, clinician-led organization committed to transparency, innovation, and collaboration. WCHQ publicly reports on the quality and affordability of healthcare services and provides its members—ranging from rural hospitals to integrated health systems—with actionable insights that drive performance improvement.
For more information about WCHQ’s quality improvement programs and statewide initiatives, visit www.wchq.org.
