MADISON, Wis. – For fiscal year 2025, July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, UW Health is sharing data on care volumes across the system, workforce growth and financial performance.
“UW Health has continued to grow to meet the needs of the communities we serve,” said Dr. Alan Kaplan, CEO, UW Health. “We just reached the first anniversary of the opening of UW Health Eastpark Medical Center, and we’re looking ahead to several other areas expanding access to our remarkable care.”
The health system broke records again this year in total number of patients served, according to Dr. Peter Newcomer, chief operating officer, UW Health.
Approximately 867,185 patients received care in the 2025 fiscal year, up from 832,300 in fiscal year 2024:
- 519,656 patients at UW Health in Wisconsin
- 179,283 at UW Health in northern Illinois
- 1,335 at the UW Health Rehabilitation Hospital
- 166,911 at UnityPoint Health – Meriter, with which UW Health has a joint operating agreement
Visit totals this year also included:
- 4,006,793 outpatient appointments, up from 3,831,200 last year
- 245,739 emergency department visits
- 88,928 surgeries
“We know demand for care is going to continue to grow,” Newcomer said. “I’m proud to see that we’re finding innovative ways to see more patients at UW Health across specialties and locations.”
The health system grew in several ways. UW Health Eastpark Medical Center opened its doors and quickly served more patients across dozens of specialties – including integrated specialty care for women and cancer care – than expected in the first year. UW Health also opened a new family medicine clinic in Janesville and acquired Community Pediatrics in Beaver Dam, with the pediatric system becoming UW Health Kids Beaver Dam Clinic. UW Health also quadrupled the number of providers using an artificial intelligence tool called ambient listening to capture notes during patient appointments, allowing care team members to be more present during appointments and reducing the administrative burden on clinicians.
The health system also met several impressive milestones this year. From UW Health Transplant Center surpassing both 1,000 heart transplants and 1,000 lung transplants, to UW Health Med Flight celebrating 40 years of service, to East Madison Hospital becoming certified as an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital and designated a Level IV Trauma Center.
UW Health Kids also had several important developments this year. UW Health Kids and Children’s Wisconsin entered into a new joint venture for shared pediatric cardiac and adult congenital heart care services called Forward Pediatric Alliance. American Family Children’s Hospital announced plans to expand the pediatric intensive care unit and build a cardiac intensive care unit. Caring Canines called for additional volunteers in Wisconsin and relaunched in northern Illinois. The Canine Health and Medical Pals, or CHAMPs, program at American Family Children’s Hospital welcomed new dogs Jimmy and Cash, growing the program to five full-time furry friends working with Child Life to support pediatric patients receiving everything from cancer care to nutrition support.
UW Health and UnityPoint Health – Meriter served pregnant patients and their babies through many complex conditions, including placenta accreta, strokes, choriocarcinoma and rare critical heart defects called Taussig-Bing Anomaly. The health systems expanded a program designed to monitor blood pressure during pregnancy and after birth to decrease health complications and hospital readmissions. UW Health also began a program to provide postpartum occupational therapy.
UW Health received several recognitions again this past fiscal year. U.S. News and World Report, Newsweek and others named University Hospital the best in Wisconsin, ranking several specialties as among the best in the nation. Forbes consistently ranked UW Health as a best-in-state employer, most recently ranking it fifth in Illinois and 21st in Wisconsin. UW Health was one of 22 employers in Wisconsin recognized as a Vets Ready Employer in 2024 by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development and its Office of Veteran Employment Services. Madison College and the Wisconsin Technical College System Board honored UW Health with the Futuremaker Award.
These awards reflect the health system’s dedication to growing and supporting the health care workforce, according to Betsy Clough, chief human resources officer, UW Health.
“We want to be an employer of choice for those starting their careers or exploring new career paths,” she said. “By investing in learning, collaboration and well-being, we’re creating a place where our teams can thrive and deliver exceptional care to our patients.”
The workforce at UW Health continues to grow to align with facility expansion and care demands. In total, the UW Health team grew by more than 1,200 net new employees in the 2025 fiscal year.
Despite financial turbulence across the health care industry, UW Health also ended the fiscal year with a solid financial performance, according to Bob Flannery, chief financial officer, UW Health.
“The financial results from this year reflect our deliberate investments to build capacity to better serve patients and improve access at UW Health,” he said. “We are confident this strategic focus will position us for long-term growth and success.”
For the 2025 fiscal year, University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority and UnityPoint Health – Meriter reported financial numbers outlined in the joint operating agreement:
- Operating revenue totaled more than $6.3 billion, up from $5.7 billion the previous year
- Operating expenses totaled more than $6.27 billion, up from $5.5 billion
- The operating margin was .4%, down from 3.6%
UW Health also donated $5.5 million to more than 300 nonprofit partners in Dane County and northern Illinois.
“The summation of this work reflects the scope of UW Health’s role in our communities,” Kaplan said. “It’s more than a list of data or milestones, it shows the incredible scale of care we are honored to provide in Madison, Rockford and beyond.”
