WAUSAU, Wis. – The Arbor Day Foundation recently named all 18 Aspirus Health hospitals as 2024 Tree Campus institutions for their dedication to enhancing community well-being through tree investment, education and community engagement.
Aspirus Health hospitals earning this recognition:
• Aspirus Divine Savior (Portage, Wis.)
• Aspirus Eagle River
• Aspirus Iron River
• Aspirus Ironwood
• Aspirus Keweenaw (Laurium, Mich.)
• Aspirus Lake View (Two Harbors, Minn.)
• Aspirus Langlade (Antigo, Wis.)
• Aspirus Medford
• Aspirus Merrill
• Aspirus Plover
• Aspirus Rhinelander
• Aspirus St. Luke’s (Duluth, Minn.)
• Aspirus Stanley
• Aspirus Stevens Point
• Aspirus Tomahawk
• Aspirus Wausau
• Aspirus Wisconsin Rapids
• Howard Young Medical Center (Woodruff, Wis.)
Currently, only 59 hospitals in the nation are designated as Tree Campus institutions.
“As a health system, we recognize the critical importance trees play in the health of individuals and communities,” said Andrew Miller, Director of System Facilities Management and Security for Aspirus Health. “We believe planting and caring for trees is the right thing to do and aligns to our mission of healing people, promoting health and strengthening communities.”
The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Its network of more than a million supporters and partners has helped the organization plant more than 500 million trees in forests and communities across more than 60 countries since 1972. The Tree Campus program recognizes schools, universities, and healthcare facilities that utilize trees to improve their communities.
“Healthcare institutions like Aspirus Health’s 18 hospitals are at the forefront of recognizing the profound impact nature can have on human health,” said Michelle Saulnier, Vice President of Programs at the Arbor Day Foundation. “By integrating trees and green spaces into their campuses, facilities like Aspirus Healths’ are not only creating healing environments today, but they are also building a foundation for healthier, more resilient communities in the future.”
Trees and green spaces are proven to improve health outcomes and reduce stress for both patients and caretakers. Trees also provide profound layers of good for the greater community, including combating extreme heat, improving air quality, and reducing flooding impacts.
“The landscape and grounds program of our Aspirus Health campuses sets the stage for the exceptional care we deliver to our patients,” Miller said. “Our facilities teams take pride in ensuring we provide high-quality services and an excellent patient experience for everyone who visits our campuses. I commend our facilities team members for their hard work and dedication that earned Tree Campus designation for all 18 of our hospitals.”
To earn Tree Campus recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation, a healthcare institution must uphold five core standards:
• Maintaining a tree advisory committee
• Having a facility tree care plan
• Completing a community forestry project
• Educating the community on the connection between trees and human health
• Investing in a campus tree program
To learn more about the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus program, visit arborday.org.

About Aspirus: Aspirus Health is a nonprofit, community-directed health system based in Wausau, Wisconsin, serving northeastern Minnesota, northern and central Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The health system operates 18 hospitals and 130 outpatient locations with nearly 14,000 team members, including 1,300 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Learn more at aspirus.org.

About the Arbor Day Foundation: The Arbor Day Foundation is a global nonprofit inspiring people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees. They foster a growing community of more than 1 million leaders, innovators, planters, and supporters united by their bold belief that a more hopeful future can be shaped through the power of trees. For more than 50 years, they’ve answered critical need with action, planting more than half a billion trees alongside their partners. And this is only the beginning. The Arbor Day Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit pursuing a future where all life flourishes through the power of trees. Learn more at arborday.org.