Our Story | Aurora Health Care

You are at the heart of everything we do

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The story of Aurora

At Aurora Health Care, we strive to offer services that are close to home and help make the whole community healthier. And we treat each person as a person, not as a patient, an illness or an appointment – it’s at the heart of everything we do.

Aurora got its start in 1984 when two established Milwaukee hospitals, St. Luke's Medical Center and Good Samaritan Medical Center, came together to form Aurora Health Care. In 2018, Aurora Health Care merged with Advocate Health Care of Illinois to form Advocate Aurora Health. And in 2022, Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health combined to create Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the U.S.

Today, Aurora is an integrated, not-for-profit health care provider serving communities throughout eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. We serve our patients with 17 hospitals, more than 150 clinics and 70 pharmacies in 30 communities.

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Leading our communities forward

Our commitment to quality care is demonstrated by who we are, what we do and how effectively we do it. Find out more about our health system.

Meet our leadership team

Read the latest Aurora news

See our financial reporting

See our 2023 Year in Review Annual Report

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Our purpose is to help people live well

Our devotion to education, research and the people we serve is centered upon one goal: connecting our patients, team members and communities to their health.

A diverse workforce and strong community partnerships allow us to deliver equitable care for all. Learn about our commitment to DE&I.

Aurora Health Care’s Well Community programs address multiple health and wellness needs by providing free and low-cost medical services for underserved people. Some of our community-benefit programs include medical specialty clinics, advocacy services and partnerships with free, community-based clinics. Learn more about our programs.

We're committed to supporting research that leads to new and improved ways to care for people and manage community health. Currently, the Aurora Research Institute has more than 700 research projects – including more than 400 clinical trials – to help our patients benefit from new drugs, devices and procedures. We also work with the Center for Urban Population Health (CUPH) at Aurora Sinai Medical Center to identify and put health-forward ideas into practice in partnership with community health and academic experts. Established in 2001, the CUPH is a collaboration among Aurora Health Care, the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and UW-Milwaukee. Learn more about the Aurora Research Institute.

Our more than 300 teaching faculty spend tens of thousands of hours devoted to education programs for health professions. Students learn patient-focused care through working in our hospitals and in community-based health projects, and Aurora maintains residency and fellowship programs approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Medical students, residents and fellows work on community health projects and care for low-income and underserved patients at many community clinics. Learn more about our education programs.

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are part of a safety-net system that makes health care accessible and affordable for low-income residents. Together with government health agencies and other health systems in the Milwaukee Health Care Partnership (MHCP), Aurora has helped fund four FQHCs in Milwaukee as well as the Kenosha Community Health Center, Lakeshore Community Clinic in Sheboygan and the Community Clinics of Manitowoc County. We’ve also launched a toll-free Affordable Care Act enrollment helpline (877-732-6334) and expanded our support services to help people enroll in Medicaid and other government programs.

Health and wellness go beyond appointments with your doctor. Through a variety of classes and events, we’re able to connect and engage with our patients and community members alike. Join us for fitness classes, health screenings, support groups, instructional courses and more. See our available classes and events.