Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative to Share Hospital Plan in June

The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative says it intends to make a final decision on reopening St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls in June.

The organization, founded in response to the closure of St. Joseph’s Hospital and Sacred Heart Hospital last year, has been exploring the feasibility of reopening the Chippewa Falls facility for months. Last month, the cooperative announced it had executed a purchase agreement with Hospital Sisters Health System for the property.

The purchase agreement gave the organization 90 days to conclude their due diligence on the site. Officials are working to determine if reopening the hospital is financially feasible. If they determine that it is, St. Joseph’s Hosptial could begin accepting patients again by the end of the year.

At a public meeting on Tuesday, organization officials shared the timeline for their final decision. The cooperative plans to announced that decision in mid-June. If they do find the project feasible, they intend to construct a new building at the site to ensure it can continue operations for decades to come. They also say outpatient services could start almost immediately.

The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative is also planning a new independent community hospital in Lake Hallie. Last month, the organization selected the architects for that project. The planned Lake Hallie facility is currently scheduled to open in late 2027.

Organization officials also noted that plans for a new Aspirus Health Hospital in Chippewa Falls will not affect their plans for St. Joseph’s. They say St. Joseph’s will be a full service hospital while the Aspirus Health facility will focus more on the emergency department with some inpatient services.