Linda Roycraft has been working at the Fill Inn Station since she was 17 Now she is retiring and closing the restaurant for good The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative has chosen the architects to design its planned hospital in Lake Hallie The new community hospital is slated to open in late 2027 off Highway 53 The cooperative also continues to assess the feasibility of purchasing the former St which would be used as a temporary hospital until the Lake Hallie hospital is ready to open managing partner of 1100 Partners and lead cooperative hospital and health care advisor Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative Board of Organizers member chair of the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative Board of Organizers stand by a plan for the new hospital May 22 at the Hoeft Builders Inc The cooperative announced Monday that River Valley Architects has been awarded the architectural and engineering design services assignment has provided architectural design services for health care facilities since 2008 The cooperative’s new 144,000-square-foot state-of-the-art hospital in Lake Hallie will be built on the west side of the Highway 53 north-south corridor between Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire River Valley Architects scored the highest among a pool of recognized architects across criteria including design local building codes and requirements expertise member of the Cooperative’s Board of Organizers “The review process was extremely competitive,” Larson said “We were impressed with many of the presentations and frankly had several great options RVA won on an objective point-scoring process which included many different reviewers This is a testament to the experience and health care knowledge that RVA brings to the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative’s team.” Larson said the firm has been good to work with “We also appreciate that they sharpened their pencils to drive down their cost without cutting any corners in their service,” he said The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative has moved ahead on a plan for a community hospital in the region for about a year Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls on March 5 The cooperative was organized in the wake of the announcement that HSHS St Joseph’s in Chippewa Falls and HSHS Sacred Heart in Eau Claire would close locally rooted nonprofit organization committed to making high-quality health care accessible and affordable for residents of the 18 counties in the Chippewa Valley The cooperative tried to enter negotiations with HSHS last spring to use the St Joseph's hospital property to operate an interim health care facility — it was an attempt to keep an emergency room in the city at least until a new hospital could be built Chair of the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative said the organization had recently made an offer to purchase St chair of the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative speaks to the city council in City Hall on Feb board members said they are making progress toward re-opening the hospital building “We’ve made good progress in our due diligence process in the last 60 days,” said Krause and we are fast-tracking the rest of the required due diligence now.” The cooperative board believes most of the investment needed to reopen the facility ultimately can be transferred to the new hospital Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls is pictured on Jan 2024 before it closed permanently on March 22 that year Once the new hospital in Lake Hallie opens our plan is to optimize the interim facility with an eye towards moving as much of the equipment and infrastructure to the new hospital,” said Mike Sanders Managing Director of 1100 Partners and former CEO of Monroe Clinic The hospital is set to offer 48 hospital beds a comprehensive cancer center with diagnostic services including laboratory occupational and speech therapies will also be offered Joseph’s facility can fill a critical need and give us a leg up on the new future-forward hospital,” Sanders said The cooperative is also in discussions with various behavioral health providers to explore partnership opportunities “Our community urgently needs robust mental health services here so that patients aren’t sent hours away during crises and for rehabilitation,” Krause said “We are working in earnest to be able to help close the significant mental health gap with a strategic partnership at our facilities.” Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly Email notifications are only sent once a day Now she is retiring and closing the re… Linda Roycraft has only filled out one job application in her life As a teenager she applied to be a dishwasher at the Fill Inn Station — a r… CHIPPEWA FALLS — Molly Bushman would love to see ground broken on a new campus for the McDonell Area Catholic Schools within the next decade The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative has made an offer to purchase the former HSHS St Joseph’s hospital in Chippewa Falls to convert it int… The Chippewa Falls Fire and Emergency Services department in Wisconsin has achieved full staffing after a long period of operating with reduce… Staffing for ambulance services across Chippewa County is approaching a crisis level Over half of the county’s EMS agencies are concerned abo… Aspirus Health finalized its purchase of 22.1 acres of land in Chippewa Falls on Thursday for a new hospital which it plans to break ground on… Drivers can expect lane and ramp closures as construction resumes Monday on U.S 53 on a $37 million project in Chippewa County from 40th Aven… A severe storm could bring significant snowfall and high winds to the Chippewa Valley Tuesday night and Wednesday leading to school closures f… Law enforcement officials in Chippewa County receive new training in crisis intervention and de-escalation with a $24,000 grant-funded initiative The demolition of the bridge carrying 50th Avenue over Highway 29 in the town of Lafayette in Chippewa County will cause a full closure of the… Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Department of Health Services Secretary Kirsten Johnson discussed state Medicaid expansion and federal Medic… The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative expects to hire 400 people and have a multimillion dollar economic impact once it opens its new Lake Ha… Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account    Wisconsin is home to more than 15,000 lakes But one lake in particular captivates writer Patti See She thinks the first time she came to Lake Hallie was the summer of 1974 See talks to her neighbors across the lake literally from her dock is almost a prerequisite to live on Lake Hallie Lake Hallie is a place where local newspaper readers often get to wade through “Because I write this monthly column about Lake Hallie my friend Karen is convinced that that is why the lake is getting busier.” Karen Sabaska has been See’s best friend since childhood muse and co-defendant for many of See’s stories They met in first grade at Holy Ghost Grade School That’s a friendship 50 years in the making It’s also a friendship that has seen plenty of boat rides the lifelong friends have time to reminisce with a can of beer or two while cruising “We’ve just seen each other through so many things boyfriends and husbands and children,” See says of Sabaska See and Sabaska’s route around the lake always ends at the boat landing where they park and float From this perch they can watch the golfers on the lower nine of Lake Hallie Golf They can see kids fishing from shore and watch the boats come and go from the water See describes it as “a lot going on” at this end of the lake It’s the end of the lake where Sabaska’s family put down roots The Clark Hughes Boat Landing is named after her grandfather He owned much of the east side of the lake when Sabaska was growing up She’s the third generation to build her home on Lake Hallie See says there was a time Sabaska could probably name everybody who lived on the lake “I couldn’t do it now,” Sabaska chimes in See’s unique collection of stories from this little lake in Chippewa County resonate with Wisconsinites “So many people crave community,” See says And those are the top three things that I write about.” The book is titled “Here on Lake Hallie: In Praise of Barflies Fix-It Guys and Other Folks from Our Hometown.” It’s a collection of short stories about a place See long wanted to escape She didn’t expect to live in Chippewa Falls or the Village of Lake Hallie the rest of her life Sober Social’s Kristi Tanner is reimagining Wisconsin’s drinking culture Milwaukee nonprofit builds boats and confidence with local youth How to become the fastest egg roll wrapper in Wisconsin Wisconsin Life: Kickapoo Valley Reserve Love Wisconsin? You’ll love Wisconsin Life, a place for engaging stories of the people that make Wisconsin feel like home. Produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin © Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin, services of the Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents V1 Staff | December 4 A newly formed health care cooperative has identified the site for a new hospital it aims to open by 2027: a 20-acre parcel in Lake Hallie just off U.S Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative announced Wednesday it has entered an agreement with Dave and John Markquart to purchase 20 acres on the west side of U.S near Markquart Toyota and across the highway from Valley Sports Academy The nonprofit cooperative said it “evaluated many different locations throughout Eau Claire and Chippewa counties” and chose the site “based on extensive and detailed modeling of traffic flow and projected growth patterns for the area this location is easily accessible for emergency services.” just a few weeks after Illinois-based Hospital Sisters Health System announced it was closing two local hospitals “Our community and our research have made it abundantly clear that our growing region needs access to more local and affordable healthcare services in many critical areas,” said Robert Krause chair of the co-op’s board of organizers “The Cooperative’s new full-service hospital will provide a wide range of healthcare services here not a long ambulance or helicopter ride away.” The Cooperative’s new full-service hospital will provide a wide range of healthcare services here not a long ambulance or helicopter ride away The co-op says it intends to build a “full-service nonprofit hospital,” which will be 144,000 square feet and include 48 beds as well as comprehensive diagnostic services “The new hospital will also have a comprehensive therapy unit to offer physical and speech therapies,” the announcement stated “The projected cost for the new hospital is $120 million substantially less than initial estimates.” The new hospital will have more than 410 full-time employees who will consist of “qualified and accredited physicians from throughout the region,” including those from OakLeaf Medical Network “which has pledged to support the new hospital,” the announcement said Read more about the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative and the details of its announcement here Subscribe to our Newsletters How to Contribute 20 Years of Volume One a Lake Hallie Police Officer was conducting  stationary traffic enforcement on BUS 53 south of 115th St when  he observed a vehicle traveling northbound in the southbound lane of BUS 53 in the left lane he activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop and the vehicle eventually stopped a short distance later identified the driver as Susan Butterfield (age 52) of Chippewa Falls and observed signs of  possible impairment Butterfield voluntarily submitted to field sobriety testing which she failed refused a Preliminary Breath Test and as a result Butterfield was arrested for Operating a Motor  Vehicle While Intoxicated -1st Offense Butterfield consented to a legal blood draw and she  was transported to the hospital for the blood draw Butterfield was  issued a citation for driving the wrong way on a divided highway she was taken to the Chippewa County Jail for processing The results of the blood  test will not be known for several weeks as it will be sent to the Wisconsin State Crime  Laboratory Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This is a place where you can learn about what is happening in the Chippewa Valley and beyond Get news and more…In a way that doesn’t put you to sleep You can hear us every day on these Midwest Family Broadcasting stations: A Chippewa Falls woman was arrested on Saturday for driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated-fifth offense and for possession of methamphetamine drug paraphernalia and felony bail jumping in Lake Hallie Lake Hallie police officers were dispatched to the Mega Holiday Gas Station at 2750 120th St The call was “for an erratic female that was possibly under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” according to a release from Lake Hallie Police Chief Edward Orgon on Monday The officers approached a running vehicle at the gas pumps of Chippewa Falls “and observed signs of possible impairment,” the release says Potter voluntarily submitted to a field sobriety test and as a result she was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated A search conducted by an officer located suspected methamphetamine and THC paraphernalia in Potter’s vehicle as well as on her and she was transported to the hospital for the blood draw The results of the blood test will not be known for several weeks as it will be sent to the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email Wisconsin farmers and supporters addressed concerns over tariffs and economic uncertainty caused by recent state and federal changes during a … The Chippewa County Executive Committee has recommended Andy Albarado as the next county administrator More details have emerged on the new Aspirus hospital coming to Chippewa Falls after the city council approved a land sale to Aspirus Health t… A farm-raised deer in Eau Claire County tested positive for chronic wasting disease according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources… Two Chippewa Valley women have been arrested in Lake Hallie for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia V1 Staff | December 10 Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls could reopen – at least temporarily – as early as next fall the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative announced Monday The cooperative said it has signed a letter of intent with Hospital Sisters Health System just 60 days after HSHS announced it would be closing the hospital A reopened St. Joseph’s would serve as a “bridge strategy” to providing healthcare to the region, the co-op said, while the group works to build a new hospital in Lake Hallie “The Cooperative has until early April 2025 to conduct thorough due diligence to determine if reopening the hospital is financially possible,” the organization said in an announcement Monday Joseph’s facility has significant deferred maintenance that may need to be addressed before the hospital can be reopened.” The nonprofit Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative was formed last February in response to the closure of the two hospitals and 19 affiliated clinics in the region we’ve been singularly focused on making high-quality healthcare accessible and affordable for Chippewa Valley residents as fast as possible,” said Robert Krause “The new facility we’ve planned in Lake Hallie is fundamental to the long-term sustainability of the hospital Joseph’s facility in 2025 will help us serve patients faster and doesn’t impede our plans or ability to open the new hospital.” The co-op announced last week that it intends to build a “full-service Read more about the new announcement on the co-op’s website. Volume One produces annual printed guides for all kinds of seasonal activities Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInLAKE HALLIE (WEAU) - The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative is announcing River Valley Architects has been awarded the Architectural and Engineering Design Services assignment for the hospital that it plans to build in Lake Hallie “The review process was extremely competitive We were impressed with many of the presentations and frankly had several great options This is a testament to the experience and healthcare knowledge that RVA brings to the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative’s team We also appreciate that they sharpened their pencils to drive down their cost without cutting any corners in their service,” Thomas Larson who co-led the architecture review process According to a press release from Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative the proposed site is located in Lake Hallie on the west side of Highway 53 between Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire The Cooperative expects to open the doors of the new hospital in late 2027 Eau Claire and Lake Hallie will host the Wisconsin PPA Challenger Series Pickleball Tournament This highly anticipated event will take place at Lake Hallie Pickleball at Gower Park and Northstar Middle School bringing professional and amateur players together for competitive play Watch players battle it out on the court in this exciting stop of the premier pickleball tour Whether you're a seasoned player or just love the energy of live sports    Lakes across Wisconsin this time of year are dotted in ice shanties bonfires and bundled people brave enough to face the cold They hang out in their huts all day long and throw the occasional ice fishing tournament these events remind her of another famous festival The Black Rock Desert in Nevada hosts Burning Man every summer on what used to be an ancient lakebed Anyone who’s been there will tell you it’s not a “festival” but a temporary metropolis created every year by “Burners” who come to assemble giant art installations or to appreciate them it seems like we host “Freezing Man” each time a group of anglers comes out to ice fish He recently showed me a photo he took from his front porch of five guys huddled on the back side of their pop-up ice shelter are in the midst of their second winter on Lake Hallie They notice things us old timers no longer do Ken Smith deemed the annual gathering of ice fishers “Freezing Man.” Photo by Ken Smith a temporary village materializes on Lake Hallie Ours involves dudes in Pac boots and Carhartt gear on four wheelers and snow machines surrounded by Eskimo-brand shelters that are a bit like grown-up pup tents Anglers adhere to the Burning Man mantra “leave no trace,” though I’ve noticed the occasional too-small blue gills left on the ice which bring neighbors like me to our windows with binoculars Burning Man is held in an extreme environment individual expression and creative collaboration in a community Burning Man’s experiment in “temporary community” goes back to the San Francisco Bay area, 1986, when a small group set fire to a wooden structure in the shape of a man. Freezing men on Lake Hallie go back to the 1840s when Blue Mills loggers might have gathered around a small fire more for utility than an artist’s statement Burning Man attracts upwards of 40,000 participants at $400 a pop. I had to do the math twice. A cool $16 million. Since 1980, the Lake Hallie Sportsman’s Club annual ice fishing contest the first Saturday in February brings out maybe a hundred You buy a dollar raffle ticket to enter or 6 tickets for $5 Ice fishers take a break to skate on Lake Hallie Burning Man attendees must bring along all supplies including food your best bet is to make friends with your neighbors On ice fishing contest Saturdays this is exactly the culture on Lake Hallie or jump through a hole cut in the Mississippi This year it’s minus 1 degree on Lake Hallie when the first vehicles arrive for the Sportsman’s Club’s contest though the competition technically doesn’t start for another five hours neighbor Kim makes a crowd-sized batch of chocolate chip cookies She’ll package them in Ziploc bags to give away at the registration tent and I watch the port-o-potty unloaded from a truck bed Bruce poses the question of the day: just how cold is that toilet seat An ice fisher uses an auger to make a hole on a foggy Lake Hallie ‘Evergreen’: Contemplating mortality — and the trees — on the family land Wisconsin Life: Blackbird Creative Lab at Yerkes Observatory Art meets astronomy at revitalized Yerkes Observatory ‘And they call it deer hunting’: Appreciating nature in the midst of the wait pickleball players in western Wisconsin are now enjoying a new outdoor court complex “The courts are packed by 8 a.m.,” said Bill Bethke Bethke, an avid pickleball player, told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that the 18-court complex opened at the end of July in Lake Hallie Rainy weather over the spring season delayed groundbreaking for months “We ended up starting late in the blacktop,” he said “We had a tournament two days after the courts were done.” He added that the village of Lake Hallie and local donors funded the $300,000 project. Today, the Chippewa Valley Pickleball Club maintains the outdoor pickleball complex Since 2020, pickleball has remained the fastest growing sport in America, according to USA Pickleball.  “It’s a game you can learn very quickly,” he said.  Bethke spoke with “Wisconsin Today” about park construction happening this fall as well as what the future holds for pickleball in western Wisconsin The following has been edited for clarity and brevity.  Courtney Everett: How did the idea of this 18-court system come about Bill Bethke: It started really about a year and a half ago The Lake Hallie playground was pretty dilapidated and the softball field was barely used.  why don’t you turn it into a pickleball court?” So Dave Markquart and myself worked together on getting those first six developed into permanent pickleball courts.   how many more courts can you fit in this park?” That’s where the story began CE: What do you hope to accomplish by building a new pavilion this fall BB: Six of the 18 courts are lit. In order to control and generate power, we need a building. That was part of phase two. I reached out to Market and Johnson and they gathered soil samples to break ground (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible bathrooms CE: You say you’re considering building an indoor pickleball center in the Chippewa Valley What can you tell us about that?   I had a meeting earlier with a group about possibly building an indoor center here in the Chippewa Valley We were talking about 12 indoor pickleball courts going also in Lake Hallie that are very close to the existing 18 courts The company just finished building an indoor center in Madison The same company plans to build in Green Bay and Milwaukee CE: What do you hope this new pickleball complex brings to western Wisconsin next year as far as tournament play we’re going to be hosting one tournament per month starting in May We have a big national tournament that we are going to be hosting at the end of July which will be bringing pro athletes to the Chippewa Valley and it will be the biggest outdoor tournament in the state.  Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board McKenna Scherer, photos by Andrea Paulseth | August 4 the Lake Hallie Pickleball Courts at Gower Park are officially open and have already hosted locals and out-of-state players The $500,000 project – funded by a variety of backers including the Village of Lake Hallie and the Chippewa Valley Pickleball Club (CVPC) – only took about seven months to construct after breaking ground at the beginning of the year thanks to unseasonably warm weather Adding these 12 courts to Gower Park’s original six have resulted in an 18-court complex making it not only the largest in the Chippewa Valley but in the entire state the expanded complex had already hosted a tournament the weekend before A five-day tournament is currently being planned to take place next July The new courts are individually fenced to help players control balls while playing They also include light posts to illuminate some of the courts once the sun goes down A permanent bathroom facility was also added Pickleball is America’s fastest-growing sport for the third year running and is popular across several age groups. According to the Association of Pickleball Professionals, there are roughly 36.5 million pickleball players across the nation CVPC frequently hosts Intro to Pickleball classes at local courts, and hosts a variety of pickleball leagues and events from Round Robin nights to mixed leagues and more The Lake Hallie Pickleball Courts (located at the corner of 115th Street and 17th Avenue) are free to use • Interested in the Chippewa Valley Pickleball Club? Visit their website The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative officially approved the details for a new full-service nonprofit community hospital in Lake Hallie Plans for the new independent and locally-governed hospital have been in the works since the creation of the cooperative following the closure of HSHS St Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls and HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire Nearly one year following the announcement of those closures the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative has released the final plans for a new hospital According to a press release the new hospital will be a 144,000 square foot facility with 48 hospital beds and critical features like an emergency room and cancer center Officials with the cooperative expect the project to cost a total of $158 million dollars and open in late 2027 Officials also say the new hospital will have over 400 full time employees not including medical staff with OakLeaf Medical Network providing that medical staff The 20 acre property will be located in Lake Hallie along the Highway 53 North-South corridor near Interstate 94 and County Highways 29 and 12 Since the hospital closures earlier this year the Chippewa Valley healthcare field has struggled to keep up with the increased demand While a number of healthcare organizations have opened new clinics or expanded their services in the region replacing the full offerings of two hospitals is a long-term issue Contributing to that long-term solution, Aspirus Health recently announced plans to open a new hospital in Chippewa Falls as well. The organization intends to announce a location for that facility in the coming weeks. Officials say they have already completed the preliminary plans for the hospital, and it could open in as little as 18 months once they obtain the necessary approvals. Want More Local News?We've got you. Scan it to get it. News Ethics and Standards | Privacy Policy McKenna Scherer, photos by Andrea Paulseth | December 5 If you’ve somehow missed the quickly growing hype around pickleball on the national and local levels let this be your sign that the Chippewa Valley is all-in on the sport The first-ever Wisconsin Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Challenger tournament is being held in Lake Hallie and Eau Claire next summer and expects to host hundreds of pickleball players The debut event – slated for July 24-27 2025 – was announced in early December by collaborators Visit Eau Claire The Lake Hallie Pickleball Courts at Gower Park is the largest pickleball complex in Wisconsin and were a major factor in bringing the PPA tournament to the Chippewa Valley “The PPA is aiming for 400-600 participants in the debut event.” Between the 18-court facility at Gower Park and Northstar Middle School’s 12 courts the pickleball tournament is expected to bring hundreds to the area “It is difficult to gauge (the exact number of estimated participants) because it’s a first-time event but the PPA is aiming for 400-600 participants in the debut event,” Visit Eau Claire’s Luke Alexopoulos said “We’ve been excited to create more grassroots opportunities for amateur players as well as a structured pathway to the Carvana PPA Tour for aspiring professionals and we have done just that with the Challenger Series Powered by JOOLA,” said Connor Pardoe “This new tour will not only elevate the level of play but also inspire and motivate amateurs to reach new heights in their pickleball journey while bringing the PPA Tour’s brand of electric pickleball action to new levels of intensity.” While player registration is expected to open in the next few weeks spectator passes are already on sale for $15 per day of the tournament (kids ages 8 and under are free) Some of the Wisconsin PPA Challenger action will also be streamed live on the Tennis Channel app Keep up with the Professional Pickleball Association on Instagram and its website for future updates about registration and more The Wisconsin PPA Challenger tournament will be held July 24-27 The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative expects to employ more than 400 people and have a multi-million dollar economic impact when it opens a new community hospital in Lake Hallie Cooperative officials project the hospital will be profitable by its third year “That was a relatively conservative estimate or projection and so that would mean we're cash flowing positively and have a sustainable operating plan,” said Mike Sanders managing director of 1100 Partners and former CEO of Monroe Clinic speaks Tuesday at the Pablo Center at the Confluence during the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative meeting The new hospital will hire over 400 employees initially “The impact on the community is probably -- with salary and benefits for all those people -- over $40 million,” he said While the new facility is planned and built the organization plans to reopen the shuttered St Joseph's facility to begin offering services on a shorter timeline Sanders was one of many who shared plans on Tuesday for the new hospital and updates on the former St Joseph’s hospital building during a Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative meeting at the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire Attendees arrive for the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative meeting at the Pablo Center at the Confluence on Tuesday evening Bringing back health care jobs to the area is a top priority after the region saw about 1,400 health care workers affected by the closures of multiple facilities in 2024 Joseph’s in Chippewa Falls closed the same day as HSHS Sacred Heart in Eau Claire Numerous Prevea Health clinics and Chippewa Falls’ substance use treatment and detox center also shuttered last spring HSHS officials stated ahead of the closures that the decision was driven by prolonged operational and financial stress related to lingering impacts of the pandemic local market challenges and other industry-wide trends Kamal Thapar is a member of the Physician Advisory Council for the cooperative who said working through the closures has left him angry and frustrated but grateful to still be here “After the year that we've had — still standing sounds like an accomplishment worth mentioning,” he said Thapar showed a photo of the former Sacred Heart hospital to the crowd while speaking from a spotlit stage Tuesday this was a sanctuary; a beacon; a place where babies took their first breath,” he said “Now it stands as a monument to abandonment as if the lives once saved there no longer matter.” A physician on call sign stands outside HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire the day before the hospital closed for good in March 2024 He looks at the building as a symbol of what happens when a health system forgets its purpose “This is what failure looks like when local priorities are overruled by distant boardrooms,” he said Thapar emphasized how the new community hospital in Lake Hallie is different from what already exists in the area beginning with the current CVHC board members We are building what's never been done before in this region,” he said built intentionally and run by people that it serves.” He said the Chippewa Valley is still reeling from the loss of the hospitals which left behind “an absolute wake of chaos.” a member of the Physician Advisory Council for the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative speaks Tuesday at the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire It came from outsourcing decisions to people whose priorities are far removed from the Chippewa Valley,” he said “The cooperative was formed to be the storm — a storm of accountability a storm of courage and a storm of change.” occupational and speech therapies will be offered The cooperative is also in discussions with behavioral health providers to explore partnerships The 144,000-square-foot hospital will be built on the west side of the Highway 53 north-south corridor between Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire It is projected to cost $120 million for the building with a total project cost of $158 million It's expensive to build a hospital and run a hospital We are going to fund that through community philanthropy,” Sanders said The Lake Hallie hospital is projected to open in late 2027 or early 2028 The health cooperative is an independently governed locally rooted nonprofit serving residents of the 18 counties in the Chippewa Valley region said the board was advised by experts at UW-Extension last year that a cooperative hospital could be a way to keep local control — a running theme in the CVHC public pitches “We're going to be owned by the members of the co-op you have to live in the 18-county area that the independent doctors serve,” Darley said Nobody can come in and buy out the hospital.” While the cooperative pursues building a new hospital it has also devised a temporary measure to serve patients in Chippewa County speaks about health care needs in the Chippewa Valley Tuesday at the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire The cooperative expects to announce in June its plans for the former HSHS St The cooperative has completed its purchase agreement with Hospital Sisters Health System for St with the goal of using it as a temporary site while the new hospital in Lake Hallie gets built cooperative board chair Robert Krause said the board isn’t sure speaks Tuesday night about cooperative plans at the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire I think we're going to get so busy up there we can't close it down The cooperative is finalizing its work to determine whether reopening is feasible “We’re trying to bring services back for the thousands of thousands of patients that have lost a hospital,” Krause said it would offer the following services: 25 hospital beds radiology and cardiac rehabilitation therapies The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative now has an executed purchase agreement with Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) for the St The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative has chosen the architects for its new hospital in Lake Hallie which is set to offer 48 beds plus emerg… The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative has signed a letter of intent with HSHS to purchase the St Joseph's Hospital in Chippewa Falls to prov… HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and HSHS St Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls closed on March 22 The Executive Director of the Chippewa County Housing Authority has resigned after allegations of misconduct were made against her Two Chippewa Valley women have been arrested in Lake Hallie for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia Wednesday when a Lake Hallie Police Officer observed a green Toyota Camry without a rear license plate on South Joles Parkway at Farm & Fleet The officer stopped the vehicle at the Goodwill Store according to a Friday release from Lake Hallie Chief of Police Edward Orgon gave inconsistent explanations of the ownership of the vehicle “Lechleitner wasn’t making sense during the conversations with the officers and displayed indicators of possible drug use,” the release says the officer located a small baggie with crystal-like residue inside a pocket of Lechleitner's purse the officer found a black Radnor sunglass case under the front passenger which contained two small plastic baggies containing approximately two grams crystal like substances a used smoking pipe and two burnt pieces of straw which based on the officer’s training and experience was suspected methamphetamine and items used to smoke methamphetamine,” the release says Lechleitner was arrested for felony bail jumping possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia Herfel was placed under arrest for possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia Both were transported to the Chippewa County Jail Herfel turned over a small plastic baggie containing approximately three grams of crystal-like substance from her person to jail staff,” the release says A Chippewa Falls woman was arrested on Saturday for driving a motor vehicle while intoxicated-fifth offense and for possession of methamphetam… CHIPPEWA FALLS — A Chippewa Falls man has been placed on five years probation stemming from a fight in his home last October Two people were injured in a house fire in Chippewa Falls early Sunday morning The Chippewa Falls fire and police departments are investigati… A man was arrested Sunday after police said he opened his front door to a Lake Hallie police officer while holding a loaded firearm and then pointed it at the officer The officer and the man struggled before he was taken into custody identified as Lake Hallie resident Scott Brun called 911 and an officer responded around 9:23 p.m to an address in the 4000 block of 131st Street “Brun gave little information and quickly ended the phone call,” a release from Police Chief Edward Orgon says The officer was in full uniform with a marked patrol vehicle when he knocked on the front door “Brun came directly to the door while armed with a fully loaded handgun in his hand Brun opened the door without saying anything and aimed the handgun directly at the officer,” the release says The officer “was unable to announce his presence and was unable to complete a sentence before noticing the firearm being pointed at him” after Brun opened the door A struggle ensued and the officer was able to push the gun away secure the 59-year-old's hand with the gun in it and drew his firearm and pointed it at Brun The officer gave verbal commands and verbally identified himself as a police officer Brun dropped the gun and was taken into custody and had a very strong odor of an intoxicating beverage emitting from his person,” according to the report A preliminary blood test showed Brun had a 0.24 blood-to-alcohol ratio Brun was arrested on charges of intentionally pointing a firearm at law enforcement officer He was taken to the Chippewa County Jail for processing Menomonie mourns the loss of four residents who died in a single-engine plane crash in Illinois while returning to Wisconsin from Nashville on… Emily Berge is hoping to win over voters in her campaign for the 3rd Congressional District seat The Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association (CVHBA) has expanded its territory to now include Barron and Rusk counties Greg Hoffman has retired as mayor of Chippewa Falls after 17 years in office McKenna Scherer | March 3 After securing a 20-acre site in Lake Hallie in December, the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative announced it is moving forward with Eau Claire-based River Valley Architects for the design process of what will be a 144,000-square-foot According to a March 3 media release from the nonprofit cooperative – formed in February 2024 in response to Illinois-based Hospital Sisters Health System’s closure of Sacred Heart in Eau Claire and St Joseph’s in Chippewa Falls – the group is aiming for a late 2027 opening Located on the west side of Highway 53 between Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire (map shown at bottom of article) the site was chosen due to its “convenient access to emergency and inpatient services for patients from across the entire region as well as flexibility for future growth,” the media release stated The hospital will include 48 hospital beds with a 12-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) medical-surgical services and an emergency department WE'VE BEEN SINGULARLY FOCUSED ON MAKING HIGH-QUALITY HEALTHCARE ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE for chippewa valley residents as fast as possible CHIPPEWA VALLEY HEALTH COOPERATIVE CHAIRPERSON While moving forward with the new hospital the cooperative also recently announced its intention to reopen the St Joseph’s facility if due diligence proved it a financially sound decision The group will begin its onsite evaluation process this week and has until early this April to make an official decision we’ve been singularly focused on making high-quality healthcare accessible and affordable for Chippewa Valley residents as fast as possible,” Chair of the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative If the cooperative decides to reopen the St it would immediately offer healthcare services with 25 hospital beds The cooperative would also add cancer treatment services to the site "There is no silver bullet to solve this situation sustainably for the long term This important work takes considerable time and resources." The Cooperative has hired recognized experts in hospital administration and operations and is well supported by University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension specialists in trauma care Mike Sanders, managing director of 1100 Partners and former CEO of Monroe Clinic has been working closely with the cooperative since its formation early last year “There is no silver bullet to solve this situation sustainably for the long term This important work takes considerable time and resources it will be an important bridge strategy to help close the healthcare gap residents are experiencing now as the new hospital is being built,” Sanders said the nonprofit cooperative is also in discussions with a variety of behavioral health providers to explore the potential of providing such services for the Chippewa Valley region "as soon as possible." Read the full March 3 media release online. Learn more about the cooperative’s memberships and its proposed plans at chippewavalleyhealthcooperative.org Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application died peacefully at Mayo Hospital in Bloomer Jim was born to Edward and Grace (Wallin) Morrell in Menomonie James graduated from Chippewa Falls Senior High School with the class of 1947 He attended the University Wisconsin Eau Claire where he studied business and commercial art James served his country with the US Army until his Honorable Discharge in 1953 Jim then married Darlene Rasmus; they spent 62 wonderful years together while also completing his Commercial art degree He also designed the logo banner for the Ad-Delite that is still being used today He was always working on a project and tinkering with something in the garage or basement While Jim lived and long and fruitful life he will be dearly missed by his family and friends Julie (Pete) Lea and John (Julie) Morrell; grandchildren Nick and Parker Morrell; great-grandchildren Patricia Brown and Virginia Nunke; sister in-law He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers; John with a visitation one hour prior to the service Military Honors will be conducted by the Chippewa Falls Patriotic Council the interment will be in the Scandinavian Cemetery Pederson-Volker Funeral Chapel & Cremation Services Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter Thank you for completing the form, here is your download: "+jQuery("body").attr("docName")+" Thank you for completing the form, here is the link to your on-demand webinar: On-Demand Webinar Link — Plans for a new hospital that would be built along the U.S 53 corridor in Lake Hallie are moving forward The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative announced Wednesday it is constructing a “full-service The decision came after exhaustive research to determine the optimal configuration and long-term sustainability requirements for a new independent hospital in the Chippewa Valley.” The Cooperative’s new 144,000-square-foot state-of-the-art hospital will be a flexible facility including 48 hospital beds The new hospital would also have a comprehensive therapy unit to offer physical The projected cost for the new hospital is $120 million The Cooperative evaluated many different locations throughout Eau Claire and Chippewa counties for the new hospital ultimately choosing a 20-acre parcel in Lake Hallie on the west side of U.S with access to both Highway 29 and Highway 12 The Cooperative has entered into an agreement with Dave and John Markquart to purchase the land “This ideal location is optimally situated for easy access to the hospital for patients and emergency services from the entire region,” said Peter Hoeft “The decision was based on extensive and detailed modeling of traffic flow this location is easily accessible for emergency services,” the press release states The Cooperative is also exploring ways to bring behavioral health services to the community “Our community and our research have made it abundantly clear that our growing region needs access to more local and affordable healthcare services in many critical areas,” said Robert Krause chair of the board of organizers for the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative “The Cooperative’s new full-service hospital will provide a wide range of healthcare services here not a long ambulance or helicopter ride away.” The hospital will employ more than 410 full-time employees The medical staff will include qualified and accredited physicians from throughout the region the largest independent network of physicians and clinics in Western Wisconsin OakLeaf Medical Network clinics care for over 55,000 local primary care patients just six weeks after HSHS announced it was exiting western Wisconsin “With the goal of transforming the healthcare landscape in the Chippewa Valley and ensuring the local community is not solely dependent on hospital services owned by and accountable to organizations outside our region the Cooperative has moved quickly to be able to help close the significant healthcare gaps the community is experiencing today,” the press release states “We have moved as fast as we could without cutting corners with due diligence to determine the size and range of healthcare services we need to put in place to ensure that our community has access to exceptional cost-effective healthcare for generations to come,” Krause said “No longer will out-of-town hospital systems control the destiny of all hospital services for our community.” The Cooperative conducted a wide range of research working with University of Wisconsin Extension specialists a nationally recognized expert in healthcare to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study for the new hospital The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative is a nonprofit organization and independent who are residents from the 18-county greater Chippewa Valley region as well as physicians and other medical professionals who are accredited and licensed to practice in Wisconsin Independent hospitals are not owned by health systems or integrated delivery networks both of which prioritize caring for patients in their own “ecosystems” of clinics and physicians There are over 1,500 independent hospitals in the United States More information is available at chippewavalleyhealthcooperative.org (c)2024 the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.)Visit the Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wis.) at www.leadertelegram.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. 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