On January 22^nd, Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) and Prevea Health announced that they were exiting the Western Wisconsin market.  HSHS will close Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls, a total of almost 300 beds.  All Prevea Health Clinics in the Chippewa Valley will permanently close.  The hospital closures and most of the health clinic closures will occur on or before April 21, 2024.  Over 1400 people will lose their jobs.

What is the possible impact upon WHCA/WiCAL members?

• The services that you provide or depend on could be negatively impacted:  For example, these closures will likely lengthen Emergency Medical Services (EMS) response times.  We ask that you contact Rick Abrams, rick@whcawical.org , or Jim Stoa, jstoa@whcawical.org, immediately if you are experiencing any negative impact on the critical services that you provide to your residents or any negative impact on the critical services you depend on for your residents.
• Over 1400 clinical and non-clinical personnel will lose their jobs.  This occurrence not only presents an important opportunity to proactively and positively respond to your health care colleagues in need, it also presents an important opportunity to address the current labor shortage in long term care in a very positive and constructive way:
  • To this end, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) will be hosting two job fairs on Wednesday, February 7^th and Tuesday, February 20^th between 10:00 am – 6:00 pm.  The location for both job fairs will be Chippewa Valley Technical College – Energy Education Center, 4000 Campus Road, Eau Claire, WI 54703.
    • WHCA/WiCAL and our WisCaregiver Careers program will be participating in both events;
    • If your company/facility wishes to participate in one or both job fairs, please let Rick Abrams, rick@whcawical.org , know.  Please include which event or events you wish to participate in, a point of contact (POC) and his/her email and phone.  Rick or Kate Battiato, kbattiato@whcawical.org, will forward your information to DWD.  DWD will then respond directly with your POC.
    • Can’t attend but would like to have your company/facility represented?  Not a problem!  If your marketing materials are copyable, you can email them to Kate and to Rick.  We’ll make the copies.  If your marketing materials are glossies/cannot be nicely copied, please contact Kate for further assistance so that we can distribute them on February 7^th and February 20^th.

Questions? Do not hesitate to contact Rick, rick@whcawical.org / 516-241-2879 (cell/text).