Van Orden Statement on Western Wisconsin Hospital Closures

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03) released the following statement today after Hospital Sisters Health System announced the closure of two of their hospitals in western Wisconsin and all Prevea Health facilities in the Chippewa Valley:

“I am very disappointed to see the closure of Hospital Sisters Health System’s Sacred Health and St. Joseph’s hospitals in Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, and Prevea Health’s closure of all its facilities throughout the Chippewa Valley. Rural communities are continuously left on the sidelines when it comes to accessible healthcare, and these hospital closures will only make it more difficult for Wisconsinites to get the medical care they need.

“Rural healthcare systems across the nation are struggling under crippling inflation driven by the Biden administration’s poor economic policies. Now, over 1,000 western Wisconsin healthcare workers are without jobs and rural Wisconsin families are without accessible medical care. This directly impacts the wellbeing of the Third District, and I am working closely with Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls officials to help folks maintain their access to care through alternative sites, including telehealth, and make sure that rural Wisconsin is not forgotten about.”