Aspirus Health Eyes Chippewa Falls for New Hospital
move comes months after region rattled by two hospital closures
V1 Staff |
Wausau-based Aspirus Health has announced that it is pursuing plans to build a new hospital in Chippewa Falls, which has been without a hospital since HSHS St. Joseph’s closed earlier this year.
In a media release Thursday, Aspirus – a nonprofit health system that operates 18 hospitals and 130 outpatient locations across parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan — said it was “collaborating with Chippewa Falls officials to advance plans for the construction of a new local hospital.”
Illinois-based Hospital Sisters Health System shocked locals in early 2024 when it announced that both St. Joseph’s and Eau Claire’s Sacred Heart Hospital would be shuttered.
“Since the March 2024 closure of HSHS hospitals in the Chippewa Valley, there has been an unmet need for emergency and inpatient hospital services,” said Matt Heywood, Aspirus Health president and chief executive officer. “To help fill that gap, Aspirus expanded services and access in Stanley and Medford, which are located to the east of Chippewa Falls. After months of investigation and productive conversations with local officials, we have created a plan to build a facility where residents could access emergency care, inpatient hospital services and primary care.”
The media release continued:
Partnering with Wisconsin-based civil engineering firm REI and architectural firm HGA, Aspirus has completed preliminary plans for a new hospital and clinic that could be open to the public in as little as 18 months, pending necessary approvals. Aspirus is working to secure a site with convenient access to Highway 29, as well as capacity for future growth and service expansion.
By partnering with communities to match services to evolving local needs Aspirus has been able to thrive within the challenging health care environment.
“In our rapidly changing world, we understand that we must advance new care models,” Heywood said. “Through thoughtful planning and collaboration, we look forward to meeting current local care needs and growing with the community for generations to come.”
According to Aspirus, “Initially, the facility would provide primary, emergency and inpatient hospital care, as well as basic lab and imaging services.” The health system said it was working closely with the City of Chippewa Falls and expects to do so with the state Legislature’s and governor’s office as well.
Chippewa Falls Mayor Greg Hoffman told the Leader-Telegram newspaper that Aspirus and the city had been discussing the potential hospital for about four months, and that the health system hopes to break ground by the spring.
“It’s an exciting day for the Chippewa Valley,” Hoffman said. “Additional health care facilities are needed. This will really help us out. It positions us much better to serve the community. It’s something we need to have; it’s what our community needs.”
The Aspirus effort isn’t the only proposal to create a new local hospital. In May, the newly formed Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative announced it was exploring building a new nonprofit community hospital in the region.
