Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative moves forward to build new community hospital

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – A community hospital may be a step closer to reality.

“We’ve been very quiet these last 2 months because we’ve been so busy organizing this cooperative,” said Robert Krause, the chair of the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative.

The newly formed organization, which is looking to get its non-profit status soon, had announced its intentions to move forward with the project.

In a press release, it said the organizational structure and operational plans are in place.

“This is a big project for a situation that is a on-of-a-kind crisis,” said Mike Sander, the board’s lead advisor.

He said this mock-up of the non-profit hospital would be around half the size than that of HSHS Sacred Heart.

“Probably somewhere around 200,000 sq ft. To put that into perspective, Sacred Heart is around 500 something,” said Sanders.

It would provide services ranging in cancer care, cardiology, lab work, labor and delivery among others.

Chair Robert Krause is confident the cooperative can make it happen.

“We’re going to be replacing 2 hospitals, yes. But, the hospital that we’re building is going to be for the future,” said Krause.

Vice Chair Patti Darley said none of this would be possible without the more than 125 independent physicians committed to the project as well.

“These doctors have been taking care of our community members for years and years. And, if we lose them, we lost a huge talent in our area,” said Darley.

The cooperative also hopes to acquire more physicians.

“We’re hoping to bring many of those back into our organization to give them opportunities to stay in the Chippewa Valley,” said Sanders.

The hospital is expected to have 60 to 70 beds with an emergency room. It is also expected to accept patients with Medicare and Medicaid.

There is no set location for the community hospital.

Sanders said the cooperative is looking at locations in Eau Claire and Chippewa Counties.

It hopes to have a location selected by August, and Krause said a location could be settled on by late July.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative says it has taken the next steps towards building an independent nonprofit community hospital in the Chippewa Valley.

Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative also says it is evaluating locations.

They hope to determine a location in August.

According to a press release from Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative, CVHC’s new independent community hospital will have 60-70 beds with an Emergency Room, will be a 501c3 nonprofit organization, locally governed and managed by a local Board of Directors elected by local community members of the cooperative.

Additional information is available in the full press release below:

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