Hub City Times

Top Menu

  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

Main Menu

  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
    • Police / Sheriff Calls
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
    • Place Ad
    • View Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • Senior Photos 2021
  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

logo

Hub City Times

  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
    • Police / Sheriff Calls
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
    • Place Ad
    • View Ads
  • Legal Ads
    • Our Legals
    • Statewide
  • Senior Photos 2021
BusinessHealthLocal
Home›News›Business›Eau Claire hospital will not impact Marshfield, deal to acquire St. Joe’s progressing

Eau Claire hospital will not impact Marshfield, deal to acquire St. Joe’s progressing

By Hub City Times
June 17, 2016
958
0
Share:

By Adam Hocking

Editor

MARSHFIELD — Marshfield Clinic Health System (MCHS) Chief Clinical Strategy Officer Dr. Narayana Murali said Friday that plans to build a new hospital in Eau Claire would not have a significant impact on the Marshfield community or MCHS’ future in Marshfield.

“This (Eau Claire) is an important center. I don’t see it impacting (Marshfield). In fact if anything I see this whole piece integrating us across service lines, across our wider geography,” Murali said.

Murali said that the previously announced deal for Marshfield Clinic to buy Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield was progressing and could be complete by the fall of 2016 but could take longer than that. In March General Counsel for MCHS Jerard Jensen said there are still plans to build a hospital of the future in Marshfield despite the pending acquisition of Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital. The Vatican, Department of Justice, and Federal Trade Commission still have to approve the acquisition.

Murali described the current phase of discussions between MCHS and Ministry as a “due diligence” period.

“We are actually, actively moving in the right direction. We are moving with some speed,” Murali said. “We would like to have this happen yesterday, but it’s taking it’s time.”

Murali said that while the deal is still being worked out, the interim period has seen “improvements in the restoration of services” at Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital.

Murali says Eau Claire hospital critical to lowering cost of care

MCHS has had a presence in Eau Claire for about 25 years. Murali noted that MCHS has about 140 physicians in the Chippewa Valley, which are supported by about 1,100 staff. The Eau Claire hospital will be the third hospital that MCHS either owns or co-owns throughout its system, joining facilities in Rice Lake and Park Falls, Murali said.

Murali did not have estimates for the size and cost of the Eau Claire Hospital but did say the planned cancer center, which will be attached to the new hospital, would be about 36,000 square feet. He noted that the planned Eau Claire hospital would be smaller than Ministry Saint Joseph’s.

While Murali would not specify the number of jobs that the Eau Claire Hospital may add, he said, “There’s going to be a lot of jobs. It’s a substantial growth in economic activity for the Chippewa Valley.”

The cancer center in Eau Claire “is tentatively set to open in fall of 2017 with the hospital opening expected the following year,” said a Friday press release from MCHS.

The move to build a hospital in Eau Claire was, Murali said, essential to lowering the cost of care for patients.

“It’s a critical move for the (Eau Claire) community more than anything else,” Murali said. “If you look at the Wisconsin hospital data, you will notice that Eau Claire hospitals are among the most expensive hospitals not just in Wisconsin.”

Murali said that Affordable Care Act products are 116 percent more expensive in the Chippewa Valley than the rest of the state.

“For us, lowering the cost was extremely important,” Murali said. “This is all about caring for the residents of Chippewa Valley.”

Building a new hospital in Eau Claire and presumably taking over Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital was not something Murali was concerned about in terms of the broadening the scope of services and facilities MCHS will have to manage.

“We’ve been here for 100 years. We’re looking at charting our course for the next 100 years,” Murali said.

TagsEau ClaireFeaturedhealthhealth carehospital of the futureJerard Jensenmarshfield clinicMarshfield Clinic Executive Director Narayana MuraliMCHSMCHS/MinistryMinistry Saint Joseph's Hospital
Previous Article

Weekly Police Blotter: Possible break-in attempt reported

Next Article

Voluntary subscription drive allows readers to support ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • LocalNews

    Marshfield man struck by train

    July 30, 2014
    By Hub City Times
  • Photo Gallery

    Photos from Relay For Life in Marshfield

    August 2, 2014
    By HubCityAdmin
  • News

    Cancer gets lapped at Relay For Life

    August 2, 2014
    By Hub City Times
  • Business

    Hotel Marshfield combines sophistication with comfort

    August 6, 2014
    By Hub City Times
  • Arts & Entertainment

    New Visions Gallery fundraises in style

    August 8, 2014
    By Hub City Times
  • BusinessFood

    Marshfield Farmers’ Market in full bloom

    August 9, 2014
    By Hub City Times

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

About Us


Hub City Times is published by Multi Media Channels LLC, N2919 County Road QQ Waupaca, WI 54981.

Copyright © 2020 Multi Media Channels, All Rights Reserved. Designed by MMC Team Awesome
×