Case Study: Waukesha Memorial Hospital achieves $1M+ savings and major complication reductions with Truven Health Analytics' CareDiscovery

Data Uncovers Areas of Performance Improvement Resulting in Over $1 Million in Savings

Waukesha Memorial Hospital, a nonprofit teaching hospital in Waukesha, WI, faced an unacceptable rise in risk-adjusted complication rates that conflicted with its top-decile clinical performance goals. The organization sought to identify the specific drivers of complications and prioritize improvement efforts to reverse the trend.

Using Truven Health’s CareDiscovery to analyze coding, documentation, and clinical care, Waukesha created a targeted quality plan and engaged physicians through transparent data. Paired with a Comprehensive Unit‑Based Safety Program to drive cultural change, the hospital cut central-line bloodstream infections by 83%, ventilator-associated pneumonia by 84.5%, pressure ulcers by 36%, postoperative hypotension by 92%, and virtually eliminated reoperation for bleeding—producing more than $1 million in savings over three years.

Waukesha Memorial Hospital

Susanne Lichter

Director of Performance Excellence