Article Summary –
Sacred Heart Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital, both in Wisconsin and owned by Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), along with 19 clinics owned by Prevea Health, are set to close due to prolonged operational and financial stress, the effects of the pandemic, inflation, workforce constraints and local market challenges. Over 1,400 employees will be left jobless and communities worry about future access to healthcare. The OakLeaf Medical Network has expressed interest in purchasing these properties, but no sale has been confirmed yet.
Impending Closure of Wisconsin Hospitals Raises Concerns
Monica D., a breast cancer survivor, fondly remembers the comfort and care she received at Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire, in 2017. Nurse Cheryl Berg, too, praises Sacred Heart for its stellar reputation and patient satisfaction. However, Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s Hospital, Chippewa Falls, will soon close due to operational and financial stress caused by COVID-19, inflation, workforce constraints, and industry trends, as announced by the owning entity, Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS). Simultaneously, nineteen Prevea Health clinics will also shut down, leaving more than 1,400 employees jobless and patients uncertain about future health care access.
OakLeaf Medical Network has proposed to negotiate with HSHS for purchasing these properties, but no official sale has been confirmed. Meanwhile, the closure timeline indicates that all facilities, except residency clinics, would shut down by April 21, with St. Joseph’s closing earlier on March 22. The closing hospitals and clinics, offering a range of services including urgent care, cancer treatment, and family medicine, significantly impact rural communities already facing access barriers to health care.
The American Hospital Association reports that over 136 rural hospitals closed between 2010-2021, and 600 more are at risk. In Wisconsin, rural communities’ access to doctors is already lower due to fewer health care facilities, as confirmed by the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health 2017 report. The closures came as shocking news to HSHS and Prevea employees, who now must consider their next steps.
Many affected parties, like Nurse Berg, are contemplating early retirement, while others, like Nurse Brittany Sheldon, are applying for multiple jobs amid fears of healthcare providers’ job scarcity. Monica D. voices concerns about future access to healthcare, wondering if she will continue to receive the same quality care as before. She also raises questions about the handling of the closures and whether community or corporate efforts could have prevented them.
With the closures impending, patients may require new doctors or travel long distances for care. Employees like Berg and Sheldon worry about the future, such as the cost of health care or the quality of care they might receive. The closures not only impact immediate health care, but they also disrupt life plans, as Sheldon highlights her concerns about finding quality care for a potentially high-risk pregnancy.
With Sacred Heart and Mayo Clinic at the same distance from Monica D., she worries about the former closing, and the latter becoming overwhelmed with an influx of patients. Other community members share her concerns, creating a ripple effect on healthcare accessibility due to these closures.
Despite the grim outlook, community support has been strong, with businesses like Leinenkugel’s Leinie Lodge offering free beer to impacted employees and Marshfield Medical Center organizing job fairs. Despite the community hoping for a miracle, Monica D. remains skeptical about Sacred Heart’s rescue as she says, “it kind of seems like it’s late in the game.”
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