Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire Communities Still Reeling From Hospital Closures

Wednesday, January 24th, 2024 -- 10:01 AM

(Hope Kirwan, Wisconsin Public Radio) Chippewa Falls Mayor Greg Hoffman said a hospital is a key part of any community.

According to Hope Kirwan with Wisconsin Public Radio, he knows first hand, after experiencing a stroke about five years ago and receiving care at his city’s only hospital, HSHS St. Joseph’s.

“They stabilized me, gave me a clot buster, and then they loaded me up and took me to HSHS Sacred Heart (in Eau Claire), where the heart procedures were done,” Hoffman said. Both St. Joseph’s and Sacred Heart hospitals are now shutting down.

The closures are part of what the Hospital Sisters Health System announced Monday would as a “complete exit from the Western Wisconsin region.” As part of that plan, Prevea Health primary and specialty care clinics in 10 communities in the region will also close, affecting 1,407 jobs across all locations.

HSHS and Prevea issued a statement saying the decision came after “prolonged operational and financial stress related to lingering impacts of the pandemic, inflation, workforce constraints, local market challenges and other industry-wide trends.

Hoffman said he didn’t know the closure was coming, though he had heard local concern about the financial stability of St. Joseph’s for several years. He said it was frustrating that the health care system did not alert local leaders, especially because of the effects it will have on public services.

“Our police department, if they pick somebody up at 11:30 p.m. for a suspected OWI, they take them to St. Joe’s to draw blood,” he said. “In the future, they’re going to have to go down to Mayo in Eau Claire or they’re going to have to go up to Bloomer.”

It will also mean longer drive times for the city’s ambulance service, which Hoffman worries could affect patient outcomes. Hoffman said he and other local officials are hoping to find another health care system to step in and continue operating the hospital.

He said they’ve contacted other providers in the area, as well as state officials. Eau Claire City Council president Emily Berge sent a letter to city residents on Tuesday, acknowledging the shock that many people are experiencing from losing their medical provider or job.

“There is uncertainty and worry about what the future holds,” Berge wrote in the letter. “My heart goes out to all those impacted in Northwest Wisconsin.” She said in the letter that local leaders are coming together to find ways to support the community.

The majority of closures will happen on or before April 21, with some clinics remaining open until June 30.

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