MADISON, Wis. - The list is out and of this year’s 15 organizations statewide to receive recognition by the Wisconsin Forward Award, five are from SSM Health Care of Wisconsin.  This includes an Excellence rating, or the highest possible rating for the St. Mary’s Care Center and a Mastery level rating for St. Mary’s Hospital, St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, St. Clare Meadows Care Center in Baraboo and recognition for Stoughton Hospital.

The St. Mary’s Care Center, a 184 bed skilled care facility is the first skilled care facility in the state to receive the Excellence award.  Wisconsin Forward Award examiners praised the Care Center for its emphasis on employee and physician satisfaction, employee involvement in continuous improvement initiatives, commitment to Shared Governance, strong internal and external partnerships and leadership that inspires a sense of belonging and family.

“We take pride in the work we do each and every day,” says Bill Bender, Administrator of the St. Mary’s Care Center.  “The Excellence award is a great pat on the back for all of us.  But now we will work even harder to maintain this award-winning level of care.”

Wisconsin Forward Award, the state’s premier organization for the promotion and recognition of high-performance management principals, honored award recipients at a ceremony and reception at the Monona Terrace in Madison. The ceremony also celebrated the accomplishments of well over 100 Wisconsin organizations that have benefited from the program’s services and learning opportunities, as well as the tens of thousands of hours of service that its volunteers have given.