About UW Health: What it means to be an academic medical center

Unlike most community hospitals, an academic health system is closely tied to a major research university. UW Health is the integrated health system affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and our doctors are also UW faculty members.

One of just two academic health systems in Wisconsin – and one of only 130 in the country – UW Health is sometimes called a “three-in-one” health system, because of our three focus areas:

Many of our doctors go above and beyond treating their patients; they are also leading research efforts resulting in more effective, more humane treatments designed to extend both quality and length of life and cure patients of diseases that are still not curable.

Through UW Health’s connection to the University of Wisconsin, our researchers have a long track record of medical milestones that goes back more than a century.

Innovation through clinical trials

At UW Health, we continue to achieve innovations in care through clinical trials.

An important step in developing new medications and more effective treatments for medical conditions and diseases are clinical trials. Perhaps you have a friend whose original cancer has come back in another part of the body. If there are no more treatments available for your friend’s type of cancer, they may be offered the opportunity to join a clinical trial in which a new drug is given to patients to determine its effectiveness. This is the only way doctors can find out if new treatments provide better outcomes for patients than existing treatments.

As an academic health system, UW Health can offer patients access to a wide variety of clinical trials for diseases and conditions such as cancer, asthma, skin conditions and more.

Learn about clinical trials at UW Health

For more than a decade, UW Health has been ranked the No. 1 hospital in Wisconsin by U.S. News & World Report. It’s because we offer you every facet of health care - doctors and nurses, therapists and social workers, researchers and basic scientists, and many more – who possess an unshakable commitment to serving our patients.

Groundbreaking research, programs that are nationally ranked for their quality of care, the leading experts in their fields and a history of innovations – all combine to ensure that you receive the very best care whether your situation is routine or complex.