Marshfield Clinic’s plans to build a 12-bed hospital in Minocqua cleared its first hurdle Tuesday with a favorable recommendation from the Minocqua Plan Commission.
Marshfield Clinic’s Dr. William Melms outlines what the public can expect of the $35 million facility that it wants to build adjacent to its clinic and ambulatory surgery center in Minocqua:
“To be clear, this is a 72,000-square-foot facility, single story. ... There was some question at the time of the last meeting by some of the people in the audience as to whether or not this was a hospital. ... It has 24-hour emergency department, there is a surgery center within the hospital, medical imaging, lab, medical surgical beds, labor and delivery within this hospital. It is certainly a hospital by any definition.”
Dr. Melms challenges claims by Howard Young Medical Center officials that another hospital would hurt healthcare delivery in the community.
“I can tell you that this will not destabilize healthcare in the community, although it certainly will change the face of healthcare in the community by providing people with options for their healthcare.”
Howard Young Medical Center President Sandy Anderson said the plan commission vote was a “disappointment.” Ascension Health Care, which owns Howard Young, plans to spend millions of dollars to upgrade their Woodruff facility.
"We announced we will be putting our hammers in the wall by June 1. That is still our plan. We have met now with our nursing directors who gave us feedback on the overall scope of the plan. The architects and engineers are now putting those into the plans. ... We just had some more feedback from some of the OR nurses, that we’ll be getting those in the plans and getting everyone back together ... in the next few weeks.”
Marshfield Clinic's conditional use permit request now goes to the town board, then to the county, for review.
