Two Western Wisconsin Hospitals Closing Sooner Than Initially Reported

Wednesday, March 13th, 2024 -- 9:01 AM

(Hope Kirwan, Wisconsin Public Radio) Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls will officially close in less than two weeks.

According to Hope Kirwan with Wisconsin Public Radio, Hospital Sisters Health System, or HSHS, announced on Monday that both facilities would permanently close on March 22, exactly 60 days after the health system publicly announced they were exiting the western Wisconsin region.

Sixty days is the minimum time required to provide notice of a mass layoff under federal and state law. The health system said in a press release Monday that they are coordinating with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to “ensure patient care transitions are well-planned and conducted safely.”

“While the March closure of Sacred Heart is sooner than originally announced, our decision is based on our top priority: our commitment to maintain safe, quality care for our patients,” John Wagner, president and CEO for the two HSHS hospitals, said in a statement.

HSHS and Prevea Health, which operates a network of primary and specialty care clinics in the region, had originally stated that the majority of facility closures would happen on or before April 21.

That timeline is still in place for the clinics, according to the latest press release. Nearly 1,400 employees across 21 locations will be laid off by the health systems. Prior to the announcement, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers urged Republican leaders in the state Legislature to release $15 million in emergency grant funding approved by the governor two weeks ago.

The state Department of Health Services submitted a plan to distribute the funding to the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee on Feb. 28. The department would award grants to hospitals that expand capacity for services like emergency departments, inpatient psychiatric care, OB-GYNs and ambulance services for transferring patients.

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