>> You're welcome. >> It was just about one year
ago. That Sacred Heart and Saint Joseph's hospitals in Eau Claire
announced they would close along with Prevea 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. >> The last budget on this was
not what the people in Eau Claire, 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
ideas 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 do what they did. And so we're looking
forward to a resolution in cour. >> 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 closure.
David Minor 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, Oak Leaf
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 still happening as
we talk, but 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, oak
leaf network, what they did is they formed a coalition of co-o.
They are currently looking at building a new hospital. They
have found a location in the Lake Haley area between Eau
Claire and Chippewa Falls. They've been doing a lot of due
diligence. They're also currently looking at standing up
Saint Joe's Hospital up in Chippewa Falls, which would be a
bridge from now to when the new hospital and they're fundraising
takes place. And the it spirals out of Wausau is looking at
building a hospital up in the Chippewa Falls area. So again, a
lot going on. You know, a lot of it for us in the task force 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 nee? 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 tha.
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?
>> I know that there are still gaps in care in the region.
Notwithstanding all of these entities standing up, you know,
in this way, you mentioned birthing centers. What's the
situation there? >> Again, we in the beginning,
Marshfield took on more, Mayo took on more, and things. But
that gap hasn't completely filled. So we do know and we
have heard stories that we're 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,
and 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 40 some percent
or 50% on the dollar and expect it to last long term. We know
that that was part of the reason why Hshs had left. So that
conversation has to take place. But we're also looking at some
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 to
hospitals and 7 or 8, ten clinics.
a lot of anxiety, a lot of sleepless nights, but also, I
don't think everybody understands how well this
community and 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 Minor, thank you very much. Thank you. Have a