THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU.
>> IN A GUT-PUNCH TO RURAL HEALTHCARE IN NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN, MEDICAL CLINICS IN 10 COMMUNES AND TWO HOSPITALS HAVE
ANNOUNCED THEY ARE SHUTTING DOWN, RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF
MORE THAN 1,400 STAFF AND PHYSICIANS.
ONE STATE LEGISLATOR FROM THE REGION CALLED IT DEVASTATION.
THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS SAID THE DECISION WAS THE RESULT OF
FINANCIAL STRESS RELATED TO THINGS INCLUDING LINGERING
IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC, INFLATION AND WORKFORCE
SHORTAGES. ONE OF THE CLINICS AND ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL IN CHIPPEWA
FALLS WILL CLOSE. THAT CITY'S MAYOR, GREG HOFFMAN,
SAYS HE WAS NOT GIVEN NOTICE OF THE CLOSURES.
HE JOINS US NOW. MAYOR, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR
BEING HERE. >> YES, GOOD MORNING.
>> SO WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU LEARNED OF THESE
CLOSURES? >> WELL, THE HISTORY -- I KNEW
THAT ST. JOE'S HOSPITAL HAD BEEN HAVING SOME FINANCIAL ISSUES AND
THEY WERE LOOKING TO MARKET IT, AND SO THAT WASN'T A COMPLETE
SHOCK. IT'S JUST THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO ADVANCE NOTICE.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, I GET AN EMAIL SENT TO ME ABOUT 11:30, 12:00,
INFORMING HE OF ALL THE CLOSURES AND I WAS, YEAH, VERY, VERY
SHOCKED BY THE WHOLE EVENTS. AND REALLY, THE THING THAT
SHOCKED ME THE MOST WAS THAT SACRED HEART AND PERVEYA CLINICS
WERE SHUTTING DOWN. WE WERE TRYING TO COME UP WITH
SOMETHING AROUND ST. JOE'S, BUT HAVING THESE OTHER CLINICS, IT
IS -- IT'S JUST DEVASTATING TO THE COMMUNITY.
>> BECAUSE WHAT WILL IT MEAN FOR YOUR COMMUNITY?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE
WE GO. SACRED HEART HOSPITAL AND
ST. JOE'S ACCOUNTED FOR APPROXIMATELY 40% OF THE BEDS
AND THE MEDICAL CARE IN THE CHIPPEWA VALLEY.
SO WHERE DO YOU GO WITH 40%? I MEAN, WE HAVE MARSHALL CLINIC
YET, WE HAVE OAK LEAF SURGICAL AND THEN YOU MAYO LUTHER, BUT
THEY ONLY HAVE SO MUCH CAPACITY. AND SO THAT, TO ME, IS THE REAL
QUESTION, IS WHAT DO WE DO? CHIPPEWA FALLS IS BLESSED WITH
AN EXTREMELY LARGE SENIOR POPULATION. WE HAVE ABOUT 30% OF OUR
POPULATION IS OVER THE AGE OF 65, AND, OF COURSE, COMING WITH
THAT OVER 65 IS HEALTH ISSUES, AND THAT'S WHAT WAS NICE ABOUT
SACRED HEART AND ST. JOE'S. SO WHERE DO WE GO NOW?
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU'VE GOT ALL THE EMPLOYEES,
THE ECONOMY. I MEAN, IT'S JUST A RIPPLE
EFFECT. >> HOW FRIGHTENING IS THIS FOR
YOU AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE REGION?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, FRIGHTENING IS MAYBE A STRONG WORD. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE TRYING TO
PROCESS ALL THIS. I'VE HAD NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS
WITH MEDICAL, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE MEDICAL FIELD OF
WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE AND IS IT A STRONG CONCERN?
YES. AND WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH THIS
TO SEE WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHEN WE GET TO THE OTHER
SIDE. HOW MUCH CAN MAYO LUTHER HANDLE, HOW MUCH CAN MARSHALL HANDLE?
RIGHT NOW, WE MAY HAVE TO GO TO THE LOOMER HOSPITAL, WHICH IS 15
MILES NORTH OR THE ASPIRE STANLEY. IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF UNKNOWNS AT THIS TIME THAT WE'RE TRYING
TO GET OUR ARMS AROUND AND NOT LET OUR IMAGINATION GO DOWN THE
ROAD TOO FAR. >> HOW DOES MEDICAID AND
MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT FACTOR INTO THESE CLOSURES, DO YOU
THINK? >> WELL, I WAS JUST VISITING
WITH SOMEONE FROM THE HOSPITAL BOARD AND THAT IS PART OF OUR
PROBLEM. SOME OF THESE FACILITIES, I WOULDN'T SAY THEY'RE HAD BEEN
THEY TOOK A LARGER SHARE OF THE MEDICARE AND MEDICAID AND MAYBE
SOME OF THE OTHER FACILITIES IN THE AREA AND AS YOU KNOW,
MEDICAID AND MEDICARE PAYMENT ON THAT IS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN
PRIVATE INSURANCE. SO THAT HAS DEFINITELY FIGURED
INTO THE EQUATION AND THAT I WOULDN'T SAY THAT WAS THE ONLY
REASON, BUT IT HAD A PORTION OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THESE
FACILITIES. >> YOU SAID THAT RIGHT NOW YOU'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH
THESE THINGS WITH LESS THAN A MINUTE LEFT.
HAVE YOU BEEN GETTING THE ANSWERS OR THE SUPPORT YOU NEED
TO WORK THROUGH THIS AND COME OUT THE OTHER END, AS YOU SAID?
>> YES. EVERYBODY HAS BEEN VERY
COOPERATIVE, EVERYBODY IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR
SOLUTIONS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. THE UPPER EAST CHIPPEWA VALLEY
IS A VERY RESILIENT COMMUNITY AND I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT
WE'LL FIND -- GET TO THE OR SIDE.
IT'S JUST GETTING THERE IS WHERE THERE'S OTHER PAIN AND
FRUSTRATION AT THIS MOMENT. >> YEAH.