Advocate Aurora Health

What Advocate Aurora Health does

Advocate Aurora Health merged with Atrium Health in May 2022 to form Advocate Health, a nonprofit health system that ranks as the 3rd largest in the United States. The organization operates 69 hospitals and more than 1,100 sites of care across eight states (Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Wisconsin), serving nearly 5.6 million unique patients annually. It employs nearly 167,000 teammates, including more than 35,000 doctors and aligned medical staff and 42,000 nurses, delivered through three regional sub-brands: Advocate Health Care (Illinois/Wisconsin, 11 hospitals, 250+ sites), Atrium Health (North Carolina/South Carolina/Georgia/Alabama, 40 hospitals, 500+ sites), and Aurora Health Care (Wisconsin, 18 hospitals, 150+ sites plus 70 pharmacies). Additional retained regional brands include Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Atrium Health Navicent, and Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic, with the Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core.

The platform combines direct clinical care delivery with academic medicine, clinical research, and employer-focused health solutions (Advocate Health Solutions). Recent technology-led moves include a March 2026 announcement to launch the nation's largest hospital drone delivery network and a May 2026 clinician-guided AI partnership with startup Lind to expand cancer clinical trial screening. At the time of the 2022 merger, combined annual revenue exceeded $27 billion, with the combined organization delivering more than $6.2 billion in community benefit annually. Revenue is generated through healthcare services billed via insurance contracts, government programs (Medicare, Medicaid), and self-pay arrangements across inpatient, outpatient, specialty, pharmacy, and employer-solution channels.

The business model is that of an integrated nonprofit health system, monetizing clinical services volume across a multi-state physical footprint rather than licensing technology or selling software. Distribution is via direct care delivery through owned and operated hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and academic medical centers, with a multi-channel marketing approach anchored in the unified advocatehealth.org web presence, newsroom, and patient storytelling. The organization faces an ongoing EEOC lawsuit related to its October 2021 COVID-19 vaccine religious exemption termination, illustrating the regulatory complexity inherent to operating large-scale clinical workforces across multiple jurisdictions.

Name

Advocate Aurora Health

Legal name

Advocate Health

Website

https://advocateaurorahealth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Advocate Aurora Health merged with Atrium Health in May 2022 to form Advocate Health, the 3rd largest nonprofit U.S. health system, operating 69 hospitals and 1,100+ care sites across 8 states. It serves nearly 5.6 million patients annually through three regional brands backed by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine academic core.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Integrated Healthcare Delivery Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (62111), Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists) (621111), Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (622310)

SIC

Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based & Nonprofit Hospital Systems (HLAFAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hospitals, Clinics & Charitable Healthcare Providers (BPAGACAB)

Keywords

• Hospital care services
• Outpatient clinical care
• Pharmacy services
• Academic medical research
• Nonprofit health system

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Healthcare Services Revenue: Revenue generated from providing clinical care services across hospitals, clinics, and care sites. Combined annual revenue exceeds $27 billion from the merged entity (Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health combined). Delivers more than $6.2 billion in community benefit annually.
2. Pharmacy Services: Aurora Health Care operates 70 pharmacies as part of its care delivery network, generating revenue through prescription services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Advocate Health is a nonprofit integrated health system that delivers hospital care, outpatient services, specialty care, pharmacy services, preventive care, academic medicine, and clinical research across 69 hospitals and more than 1,100 sites of care in eight U.S. states. It serves nearly 5.6 million unique patients through three regional care-delivery brands—Advocate Health Care, Atrium Health, and Aurora Health Care—supported by an academic core at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Product overview

Advocate Health is a unified platform-plus-sub-brands health system architecture formed from the merger of Advocate Aurora Health, Atrium Health, and Aurora Health Care. The core Advocate Health entity serves as the parent organization operating across eight states. The portfolio includes three main regional sub-brands: Advocate Health Care (Illinois/Wisconsin region, 11 hospitals, 250+ sites), Atrium Health (North Carolina/South Carolina/Georgia/Alabama region, 40 hospitals, 500+ sites), and Aurora Health Care (Wisconsin region, 18 hospitals, 150+ sites). Additional regional sub-brands include Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Atrium Health Navicent, and Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic. Advocate Health Solutions provides employer-focused health solutions. The system serves nearly 5.6 million patients with 167,000 teammates including 35,000+ doctors and 42,000 nurses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist: Academic medical center and health system serving the Winston-Salem area, part of Wake Forest University School of Medicine
• Atrium Health Navicent
• Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic

Products and services

• Advocate Health Integrated Health System Integrated, nonprofit health system delivery of hospital care, outpatient services, specialty care, pharmacy services, preventive care, academic medicine, and clinical research across eight U.S. states.
• Advocate Health Care (Regional Care Delivery — Illinois and Wisconsin) Regional care-delivery brand operating 11 hospitals and more than 250 sites of care with 6,300 doctors and more than 11,000 nurses, offering holistic physical, emotional, and spiritual care to patients in Illinois and Wisconsin.
• Atrium Health (Regional Care Delivery — Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama) Regional care-delivery brand operating 40 hospitals including four children's campuses and more than 500 sites of care with nearly 11,000 doctors and almost 20,000 nurses, serving patients across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.
• Aurora Health Care (Regional Care Delivery — Wisconsin) Regional care-delivery brand operating 18 hospitals, more than 150 sites of care, and 70 pharmacies with 3,900 doctors and nearly 11,000 nurses in Wisconsin.
• Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Academic medical center and regional care-delivery brand serving the Winston-Salem area of North Carolina, operating as part of the Atrium Health system and linked to Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
• Atrium Health Navicent Regional health-care brand serving the Macon area of Georgia, operating as part of the Atrium Health system.
• Atrium Health Floyd and Harbin Clinic Regional health-care brand serving the Rome area of Georgia and eastern Alabama, operating as part of the Atrium Health system.
• Advocate Health Solutions (Employer Health Services) Employer-focused health-care services and benefits offering, providing health care services and benefits for employers and their employees through the combined Advocate Health platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 5.6 million patients served across 8 states
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Lind (AI Startup)flagshipTechnology or Integration · 27 May 2026Clinician-guided AI partnership aimed at improving clinical trial screening and enrollment. The partnership leverages AI technology to connect more cancer patients to clinical trials, enhancing research capabilities and patient access to innovative treatments.
• Atrium HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2022Merger combining Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health to form Advocate Health. The combined organization operates across six states (now eight) serving 5.5 million patients with over 1,000 care sites, 67 hospitals, and more than $27 billion in annual revenue. Focus areas include health equity, affordability, and sustainability.
• Wake Forest University School of MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWake Forest University School of Medicine serves as the academic core of Advocate Health, enabling medical education, research capabilities, and innovation initiatives. This academic partnership supports training the next generation of healthcare leaders and advancing medical breakthroughs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• HCA Healthcare: The largest hospital operator in the U.S. with ~190 hospitals and $67B+ in revenue. HCA is the most direct competitor to Advocate Health in multi-state acute care delivery, differing primarily in for-profit structure and broader geographic footprint.
• CommonSpirit Health: One of the largest nonprofit health systems in the U.S., formed from the merger of Catholic Health Initiatives and Dignity Health. Operates 140+ hospitals across 20+ states with similar nonprofit, multi-state, multi-brand operating model.
• Ascension Health: Large nonprofit Catholic health system operating 140+ hospitals across 19 states. Closely comparable as a multi-state nonprofit system with faith-based roots and similar community-benefit orientation.
• AdventHealth: Nonprofit health system affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, operating 50+ hospitals across multiple states. Comparable faith-based nonprofit structure and multi-state operating model with strong community-benefit orientation.
• Bon Secours Mercy Health: Nonprofit Catholic health system formed from the merger of Bon Secours Health System and Mercy Health. Operates 50+ hospitals across 7 states with comparable nonprofit, multi-state, recently-merged operating profile.
• Trinity Health: Nonprofit Catholic health system with 90+ hospitals across 25 states. Comparable scale, nonprofit structure, and multi-state footprint, with overlapping Midwest and Southeast presence.

Broad incumbents

• Kaiser Permanente: Integrated nonprofit health system combining a health plan with owned hospitals and medical groups. Larger and broader in scope than Advocate Health due to its payer-provider integration, but operates a comparable nonprofit, vertically integrated care delivery model.
• Cleveland Clinic: Nonprofit academic medical center with a national referral brand, operating a main campus plus regional hospitals. Comparable as an academic-anchored nonprofit system, though smaller in total hospital count than Advocate Health.
• Mayo Clinic: Premier nonprofit academic health system known for research-driven specialty care. Comparable as a nonprofit academic health system, though Mayo is more concentrated geographically and reputationally positioned as a tertiary referral destination.
• Tenet Healthcare: For-profit hospital operator with ~50 hospitals plus a large ambulatory surgery business (USPI). Comparable in multi-state hospital delivery but differs in for-profit structure and ambulatory focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/advocateaurora

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments5 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Advocate Aurora Health