Wisconsin's second largest health care system will soon raise its profile and start integrating its operations throughout the state.
Ascension will start by adding its name to its 24 hospitals and 111 primary care clinics throughout Wisconsin. That's after Ascension acquired Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare earlier this year and earlier picked up Ministry Health Care and several Northwoods facilities, Affinity Health, Columbia Saint Mary's.
Until now, Ascension officials say they've been mainly a holding company -- but recently, it began to consolidate duplicated functions, and spread the best practices of facilities throughout its system.
Ascension employs 23-thousand people in Wisconsin, with total annual revenues of three-point-five-billion dollars -- and Aurora Health Care is the state's largest system, with 31-thousand employee and almost five-billion dollars in annual revenues.
