Sauk Prairie Healthcare receives Healthcare Transformation Award for innovation, collaboration

 

MADISON, WI (April 15, 2025)—Sauk Prairie Healthcare may be a small hospital, but it is making a big impact.

The 37-bed, nonprofit acute care facility in Prairie du Sac received The Alliance’s 2026 Healthcare Transformation Award for its leadership and collaboration in healthcare delivery.

“Sauk Prairie Healthcare exemplifies how a community hospital can lead transformative change in healthcare delivery,” said Curt Kubiak, president and CEO of The Alliance. “Through cost transparency, innovative partnerships and a culture of collaboration, the organization continues to prove that high-quality, affordable healthcare is achievable—one patient, one employer and one community at a time.”

The Healthcare Transformation Award, presented annually by The Alliance Board of Directors, recognizes employers, providers and organizations that drive meaningful change in the healthcare marketplace by improving quality, affordability and access.

“What makes this award so meaningful is that it recognizes transformation driven by collaboration, not competition,” said Shawn Lerch, CEO of Sauk Prairie Healthcare. “As both a healthcare provider and an employer, we understand the system from multiple perspectives, and that has shaped our focus on transparency, navigation and total cost of care. When providers, employers and partners come together with a shared commitment to value, patients and communities truly benefit.”

VIDEO: Sauk Prairie Healthcare | 2026 Healthcare Transformation Award

Sauk Prairie Healthcare leads in high-value care
Sauk Prairie Healthcare has taken a leading role in managing the total cost of care for a range of procedures, helping self-funded employers and community members access high-quality care at sustainable prices. As part of this effort, the hospital has embraced alternative payment models, such as bundled payments for episodes of care.

This approach packages selected surgical procedures into a single, upfront price, providing cost certainty for employers and patients. Within The Alliance network, Sauk Prairie Healthcare offers nearly 40 common surgical procedures and tests under bundled pricing, including carpal tunnel release, joint replacements, arthroscopic procedures and hernia repairs.

Sauk Prairie Healthcare supports employee well-being
Sauk Prairie Healthcare is committed not only to transforming patient care, but also to supporting the health of its own workforce. The hospital encourages employees and their families to seek high-value care, including in its own system, to reduce out-of-pocket costs.

The organization has also opened an employee on-site pharmacy, further lowering medication costs for employees and their families. Its commitment extends beyond medical coverage through a comprehensive wellness program that promotes physical activity, stress management, healthy eating, hydration and preventive care.

Sauk Prairie Healthcare embraces collaboration
Sauk Prairie Healthcare has worked alongside employers and partners to improve how care is delivered and paid for. The organization has taken an active role in testing new approaches, addressing challenges directly and helping shape solutions that better serve patients and communities.

The hospital has been an early adopter of value-based care and alternative payment models, including bundled pricing. Its experience as both a provider and employer gives it a practical perspective on what it takes to build more effective, sustainable health plans.

The award was presented at The Alliance 2026 Spring Symposium in Madison, where employers, healthcare professionals and industry leaders gathered to collaborate on improving healthcare and health benefits. Learn more at the-alliance.org.

About The Alliance
The Alliance serves as the voice for self-funded employers who want more control over their healthcare costs. Using Smarter Networks^SM and sophisticated data mining and analysis, they provide transparent, creative approaches to network and benefit plan design to unlock savings where others can’t – or won’t. The Alliance remains a trusted, objective partner for its 500+ employers and their brokers, who seek improved access to high-quality healthcare by contracting with a network of healthcare providers across the Midwest.