HSHS Sacred Heart Hopsital.

The Illinois-based hospital group that operates HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital has announced that the facility will permanently shut down Friday, March 22 — exactly two months after the closure was first announced.

Originally, Hospital Sisters Health System said that Sacred Heart would close “on or before April 21,” but in recent weeks it has moved swiftly to wind down its operations. HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls will close on March 22 as well.

“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 Western Wisconsin hospitals, said in a media release.

In addition, the release stated, “Prevea Health continues to wind-down its Western Wisconsin operations with its last day of patient care to be on or before April 21, 2024, as previously announced; Prevea Western Wisconsin residency clinics and the UW-Stout location are anticipated to provide services through June 30.”

Meanwhile, local leaders and health care providers have been scrambling to address to massive gap in the health care market caused by the hospital and clinic closures. Last week, the creation of a new entity, the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative, was announced. The co-op, which will seek nonprofit status, could eventually be the owner of an independent community hospital.

Here’s the full media release about the updated hospital closing date:

HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital now to close on March 22, 2024

Eau Claire facility will permanently close alongside HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls

Prevea locations in Western Wisconsin will close on or before April 21, 2024

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – March 11, 2024 – Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), a faith-based health system with operations in Illinois and Wisconsin, announced today that, in coordination with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the system will complete its wind-down of operations and permanently close HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire on March 22, 2024.

This is the same date HSHS announced it would permanently close HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls. Both closures are a result of the system’s exit from the Western Wisconsin region.

“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,” said John Wagner, President and CEO for the two Western Wisconsin hospitals.

HSHS is coordinating with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to ensure patient care transitions are well-planned and conducted safely. Staff, local fire and EMS and other acute-care facilities have been notified of the new timeline.

Existing patients at Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s will receive care through March 22, 2024.

Prevea Health continues to wind-down its Western Wisconsin operations with its last day of patient care to be on or before April 21, 2024, as previously announced; Prevea Western Wisconsin residency clinics and the UW-Stout location are anticipated to provide services through June 30, 2024.

All HSHS impacted colleagues previously received legally required notices related to the ultimate closure of the facilities, and the change in timeline for the closure of Sacred Heart will not impact HSHS’ commitment to provide severance and career transition assistance.

HSHS hospitals and Prevea Health centers in Eastern Wisconsin, as well as HSHS operations in Illinois, are unaffected and operating as usual.