It was just about one year ago
that Sacred Heart and St Joseph's
Hospitals in Eau Claire announced
they would close along with a
clinics in the region.
About a month later, Governor Tony
Evers signed legislation to
provide $15 million
for Western Wisconsin hospital
funding.
But that money has been tied up over
political fights and landed
in the courts after Evers sued
for release of the money
last budget.
On this
was not what the people in Clare,
at least the ones that talked to us
and that included health care folks.
They wanted a broader use
of that money.
So no,
I mean, we're well past the idea
that somehow I'm going to undo
that veto.
We need to get that money out.
Joint Finance Committee does
not have the legal authority
to to do what they did.
And so we're looking forward to
a resolution in court.
So western Wisconsin has yet to
see the $15 million to help
shore up health care access.
But in the intervening months, the
region has stepped up without it.
The Eau Claire Area Chamber of
Commerce formed a recovery task
force right after news of the
hospital and clinic closures.
David Miner is president and CEO
of the Chamber.
He joins us now with an update
on how health care needs are being
met. Nearly a year after the
hospitals pulled out.
And David, thanks very much for
being here.
Absolutely. Good morning to you.
Well, what happened in the last year
to help fill the void of these
closures?
Well, really, several things took
place. You know, once we stepped up
the task force, Mayo
Clinic, Marshfield Clinic, Oakleaf
Clinic, they really took
on the brunt of trying
to absorb as much as they can.
And again, we knew going into that
that there was no way they could
absorb all of it.
But once we had a handle on what
they could do and the expansions
of their work, then we
tried looking at other
entities, other businesses that
could come to the area and start to
fill in some of those other pieces.
So it's been a slow process.
It's still happening as we talk,
but it's it's
we're we certainly haven't recovered
fully, but we're we're in a good
shape overall,
I would say.
But still, a lot of work yet to be
done.
And there are even new hospitals
being envisioned to be built.
Correct. So again,
Oakleaf Network, what they did
is they formed a coalition, a co-op.
They are currently looking at
building a new hospital.
They have found a location in the
Lake Valley area between Eau Claire
and Chippewa Falls.
They've been doing a lot of due
diligence.
They're also currently looking at
standing Saint Joe's
Hospital up in Chippewa Falls,
which would be a bridge from
now to when the new hospital
and their fundraising takes place.
And then the spiral out of Wausau
is looking at building a
hospital up in the Triple Falls
area. So, again, a lot going
on.
You know, a lot of it for us in the
task force is is standing
back and allowing them all the
opportunity to do what they need to
do. But for us, it's about,
you know, when we look at going down
in March for our Chippewa Valley
rally, making sure that
when we talk health care, we're very
specific about what are we
asking for and what those entities
may need to help them
continue that expansion
and or to grow their capacity
to be able to handle all of the
issues that still need to be
resolved.
What are you asking for
specifically?
That's a magical question.
I don't necessarily have an answer
to it, but what we're looking at
is what will those entities
need? Are there pilot programs
per se, that could be launched
here? Also, one of the things that
has has been launched in this area
is a rural health care initiative,
looking at
what is rural health care going to
look like in the future and can we
help develop it here?
So part of that may be going down
looking for funds to help
invest in that.
We will have probably a better
answer to that question in the next
30 days or so.
But really working with all those
partners to understand what do you
need, how do we put that together
as a region and make that one
large request?
Now, I know that there are still
gaps in care in the region,
notwithstanding all of these
entities standing up in this
way. You mentioned birthing centers.
What's the situation there?
Again, we in the beginning,
Marshfield took on more mail, took
on more things, but that
gap hasn't completely filled.
So we do know and we have heard
stories that where where expectant
mothers have had to either be taken
up to Duluth, over to the Twin
Cities, other areas.
So that is, you know, outside
of. Some of the cancer patients as
well. Those are areas we know that
need some immediate
concerns to be addressed.
So we're not having to ship
them out of our area.
We talked earlier in this program
about medical debt and charity care.
How sustainable in your mind, is the
health care industry between that
and reimbursements for that care?
I think one of the things that has
to happen is an honest discussion
in Washington, D.C., in Madison
about reimbursement rates
for Medicare and Medicaid.
It just it has to happen.
They're not sustainable.
You know, you can't tell a business
to only charge 47%
or 50% on the dollar.
Expect it to last long term.
We know that that was part of the
reason why HHS had
left. So that conversation
has to take place.
But we're also looking at someone in
Wisconsin. We're looking at some
other opportunities.
Are there ways for us to free
up more federal dollars
that are already there but that
could be brought back to our state?
And again, that may be done on a
pilot program.
Okay.
Just briefly, what has this past
year been like for patients,
providers and citizens
there?
I don't think people really, truly
understand the impact of
losing two hospitals and
7010 clinics.
A lot of people have have
had a lot of anxiety, a lot of
sleepless nights.
But also, I don't think everybody
understands how well this community
in this region pulled together
to do everything we could
to make it the best we could.
It wasn't perfect and is not.
But I cannot thank
the people in this area enough for
what everybody has done from all
sides to get us to this point.
All right. David Miner, thank you
very much.
Thank you. Have a good day.
Thank you. Well, you know, it really
actually sounds
positive on the positive trajectory
here.
It is. You know, I think
Sanford Health coming into this
region now, you know, a very
completed merger with where
Marshfield is going to be very good.
You know, two new hospitals, Again,
it's just now navigating all of that
and making sure they can all work
together.
Yeah, that is a lot of navigation.
But again, we really appreciate your
time on this.
Thank you very much.
Good to see you again, too.