HSHS Prevea Healthcare Task Force pauses operations
Successes highlighted as healthcare market adapts
After more than four months of providing critical resources and achieving significant support for Chippewa Valley residents and businesses impacted by healthcare closures, and as the future healthcare market in the region continues to evolve quickly, the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce today announced that the HSHS/Prevea Recovery Task Force will pause its efforts.
“Along with over 125 community leaders, the Task Force was organized to help prepare for a new healthcare landscape in the Chippewa Valley and promote an open dialogue about how best to address future healthcare needs,” said Task Force co-chair Jerry Jacobson, President, Northwestern Bank.
The Task Force was created in response to the January 22 announcement that HSHS and Prevea would close their hospitals and clinics in western Wisconsin.
“The Task Force put a bright light on the pressing issue of providing rural healthcare in our state, and quite frankly, in our country,” said Task Force co-chair Bill Rupp, retired CEO of Mayo Clinic & Hospitals – Eau Claire. “Because of the advocacy and work that the Task Force completed, new providers began to look at our region and public agencies were able to quickly provide support to the impacted workforce.”
In addition to Jacobson and Rupp, the Task Force's Steering Committee included Jeff Halloin, President, Landmark Company, and Karl Hoesly, President, Xcel Energy-Wisconsin and Michigan.
Among the notable successes of the Task Force included:
• Working with 14 new providers interested in expanding here and helping them make connections with business leaders and elected officials.
• Supporting the Rural Health Innovation Alliance, an effort spearheaded UW-Eau Claire, to assemble health care providers, entrepreneurs and other partners and transform the Chippewa Valley into a rural health-care “epicenter” through the establishment of testbeds, microsites and other ways to reduce barriers to innovation.
• Committing with HSHS to ensure that money contributed by community members to the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis Foundation will stay in the region through a partnership with the Eau Claire Community Foundation and Community Foundation of Chippewa County.
• Creating a robust website and e-newsletter that provided consistent and timely information for the community to stay informed.
“We are all deeply grateful for the leadership of Dave Minor and the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce for being the catalyst to pull this group together and be a trusted resource of information and support,” said Jacobson.
"I want to recognize and thank my Menomonie and Chippewa Falls Chambers counterparts, Ashley DeMuth and Allyson Wisniewski. As we know, the healthcare industry is woven throughout the Chippewa Valley. As such, it would have been impossible to address this issue without their partnership and continued support," said Minor.
As the Task Force concludes its operations, the work of the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce will continue as it seeks to collaborate with its members and investors and advocate for a strong economy so that businesses can continue to thrive and succeed in the region.
Click here to read the full statement (HSHS Prevea Task Force)
HSHS/Prevea Recovery Task Force pauses operations (Leader-Telegram $)

UWEC Science Building groundbreaking will be June 13
Will strengthen regional economy, build upon healthcare innovation
UW-Eau Claire will hold a public groundbreaking ceremony at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, for the long-sought Science and Health Sciences Building.
With the final funding approved last year in the 2023-25 state budget, the $340.3 million project will provide contemporary research and education for students in high-demand STEM fields, continue UWEC's tradition as a national leader in undergraduate research, and become a catalyst for talent and workforce development for northwestern Wisconsin. The project includes a significant partnership with Mayo Clinic Health System.
Rural Healthcare Innovation Alliance
The new building further highlights the role UW-Eau Claire and its partners are playing to create a vision for improved rural healthcare. The University on May 23 announced the Rural Healthcare Innovation Alliance, which will assemble health care providers, entrepreneurs and other partners to find solutions to improve health care delivery in rural areas. Launched with with Chicago-based Health Equity Innovation Partners, the three-pronged goal is to improve rural health care access and outcomes while reducing costs.
“In many ways, this is a logical next step of the work on our workforce development grant,” UWEC Chancellor Jim Schmidt said, referencing the $9.4 million Workforce Innovation Grant UW-Eau Claire received in 2021 from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. UW-Eau Claire was awarded the grant to focus on strengthening the workforce to improve health and well-being in rural areas across northwest Wisconsin. The work also builds on UW-Eau Claire’s long history of collaboration with regional health care providers. These trusted relationships form the foundation of this expanded work and aspirational vision.
UWEC leaders say the Rural Health Innovation Alliance aspires to make the Chippewa Valley region the epicenter for testing innovative care models and global technology solutions for rural health care delivery, which, if successful, could become a national model.
More information:
Science and Health Sciences Building (UWEC)
Miron Construction awarded bid for UW-Eau Claire science college (The Daily Reporter +)
Mayo Clinic to rent spaces in UWEC’s new Science and Health Sciences Building (The Spectator)
UW-Eau Claire announces creation of Rural Health Innovation Alliance (UWEC)

More healthcare and university-related stories...

Sonnentag Center One of the Things Blooming This Summer in the Valley (Volume One)

Sonnentag Center Will Be Home to Arena Football Team in 2025 (Volume One)
Eau Claire Arena Football info
Arena Football League website

Sonnentag Center now hiring (WQOW News 18)

Rural physician shortage addressed in federal policy outline (The Center Square)

US Senator Baldwin meets with business leaders
Last Thursday, US Senator Tammy Baldwin conducted a business issues roundtable at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce with local leaders from a wide variety of industries.
Participants included members from among the Chamber Board of Directors, Governmental Affairs Committee, and Advocacy Initiative Investors. Among the issues discussed were healthcare, education, energy reliability, infrastructure, immigration and border security, and the need to enact the House-passed tax bill.
In recent months, the Chamber has hosted similar roundtables with US Senator Ron Johnson, Congressman Derrick Van Orden, and Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez.
More information:
Sen. Baldwin meets with area business leaders (Leader-Telegram $)
Senator Baldwin meets with business leaders in Eau Claire (WQOW News 18)

June 3 filing deadline for fall election candidates
Monday, June 3, is the deadline for candidates for the fall election to turn in nominating petitions. To appear on the November 5 General Election ballot, candidates must first win the Partisan Primary on August 13.
The election will include competitive races for US President and Tammy Baldwin's US Senate seat. All eight Wisconsin Congressional districts will be on the ballot. Races for the legislature feature new districts, with all 99 Assembly seats and the even-numbered State Senate districts elected this year. To see your own district, click on the link to the maps below.
Legislative election information:
See the link below to the interactive map: Check the boxes at the upper left to select Assembly, Senate, and/or Congressional Districts. Zoom in to find your location and your district.
Link to 2024 legislative maps (Wisconsin Legislature)

Who's running and who's not?
We will know after today's filing dates which candidates will appear on the August 13 Primary ballot. Preceding the deadline, Wispolitics.com has been tracking the new districts and candidate announcements. See the links below:
Status of 2024 Wisconsin Assembly races (WisPolitics.com, with maps)

Status of 2024 Wisconsin Senate races (WisPolitics.com, with maps)

More election stories...

Nearly half of Wisconsin Legislature won’t run in old districts as new maps shake up state politics (WPR)

Democratic Campaign Committee adds Barca-Steil race to ‘Red to Blue’ program (WisPolitics.com)

GOP national convention delegates include former guvs Thompson, Walker (WisPolitics.com)

Listen: Senator Romaine Quinn On Upcoming Primary Elections, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ Vetoes (DrydenWire)

EC City Council confirms contract for PFAS treatment
At its Legislative Session last Tuesday, the Eau Claire City Council approved a $16.7 million contract with Miron Construction to construct a facility to use an ion exchange process to remove PFAS chemicals from city water. The city shut down seven of its wells in 2020 after testing found PFAS in the water. (See pages 94-95 of the Agenda Packet linked below.)
City officials also recently indicated they plan a series of public meetings to discuss potential locations of a proposed Day Resource Center to provide services for the population experiencing homelessness. Specific details on meeting dates are expected soon.
More information:
Eau Claire City Council
• Monday, May 27, Public Hearing (Canceled)
• Tuesday, May 28, Legislative Session Agenda Packet (158 pages)
  Link to videos of city meetings (City of Eau Claire)
  City Council Online Comment Form (City of Eau Claire)
  Contact information: City Council members (City of Eau Claire)
City of Eau Claire News Updates (including weekly City Manager's Update)
PFAS facility contract approved by city, what's next? (Leader-Telegram $)
Events to bring Day Resource Center information to community (Leader-Telegram $)

EC School Board expected to decide fall referendum question
   The Eau Claire Board of Education is expected to make a decision at its June 3 meeting regarding the size and scope of a fall referendum.
At its May 6 meeting, the Board reviewed the results of a community survey conducted by the Morris Leatherman Company as it considers plans for an operational referendum at the November 5 General Election. The survey examined public knowledge and attitudes about the district and its receptiveness for various levels of property tax increases that might be successful for the district.
More information:
Eau Claire Board of Education
• Monday, June 3, 6 p.m. closed session, 7 p.m. regular session
  Meeting and agenda info.
ECASD Referendum Committee information (ECASD)
ECASD looks at results of operational referendum survey (Leader-Telegram $)

Also meeting this week....

Eau Claire Plan Commission
2024 Work Plan
• Monday, June 3, 7 p.m. Agenda Packet

More local stories...

Home sales rise significantly in region (Leader-Telegram $)

Altoona's Perseverance Park to be finished this summer (WQOW News 18)

Community group advocates for biodiverse changes in EC's Century Code Update (Leader-Telegram $)

Northwestern Bank Celebrates 120 Years (Volume One)

CF Shared Ride expanding to Eau Claire for medical visits (Leader-Telegram $)
Chippewa Falls to expand shared rides to Eau Claire (WQOW News 18)

Wisconsin Policy Forum Report
Recovery continues for restaurants and bars
According to a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum, the state's restaurant and bar industry has rebounded, with more businesses operating than before the pandemic and strong recovery in both employment and sales. Some pandemic impacts linger, however, as many restaurant and bar owners maintain reduced hours of operation and struggle to attract and retain staff. Workers are earning higher wages and consumers are paying higher prices, but those increases appear to have slowed as demand for workers, inflation, and supply chain issues have eased.
More information:
Report: Recovery Continues for Restaurants and Bars (Wisconsin Policy Forum)
Wisconsin restaurants in recovery: more staff but fewer diners (The Cap Times)

More state and regional stories...

Wisconsin sales tax collections up 3.1% year over year for April (The Center Square)

Wisconsin launches $100M Wisconsin Investment Fund (The Center Square)

Gov. Evers Appoints Three Regents to the UW Board of Regents (Office of the Governor)
Evers appoints replacement for University of Wisconsin regent who refuses to step down (AP)

Pay raises for Wisconsin prosecutors and public defenders have slashed vacancies (Wisconsin State Journal +)

Wausau Chamber recognized with Main Street Award for Best Historic Restoration Project (Wausau Pilot & Review)

The Hop’s Milwaukee streetcar lines Will Merge For Easier Summerfest Service (Urban Milwaukee)

America's richest self-made woman grew up on an Osseo dairy farm—now she has a net worth of $20.9 billion (NBC 5 Chicago)

Twin Cities - A tale of two Green Lines: 10 years after ‘Central Corridor’ light rail transformed University Avenue (MinnPost)

National and economic stories...

The Fed’s preferred inflation measure rose 0.2% in April, as expected (CNBC)
Euro zone inflation rises to 2.6% in May, but bloc still seen heading for interest rate cut (CNBC)

Trump guilty on all 34 counts in hush money trial, historic first for a former U.S. president (CNBC)
In divided Wisconsin, mixed reactions to Trump guilty verdict (Journal-Sentinel +)

From glee to anger, Wisconsin officials react to Donald Trump's guilty verdict (Wisconsin State Journal +)
RNC in Milwaukee moving ahead as scheduled, despite Trump felony conviction (WPR)
Donald Trump Has Been Convicted. What’s Next? (The Dispatch)

Van Orden visits HV Acres farm to meet with farmers, discuss 2024 Farm Bill (Leader-Telegram $)

Joe Manchin leaves the Democratic Party, files as independent (Axios)

A Conversation With Paul Ryan and Harold Ford Jr. (Detroit Regional Chamber)
Paul Ryan talks misinformation, polarization and pitfalls of Democrats and Republicans (Michigan Advance)

Food for thought...

To drive revenue, cities turn to tech to fix their parking problems (Route Fifty)

COVID-19 Resources:
Eau Claire County COVID-19 Information Hub (Eau Claire City-County Health Department)

Mark your calendar:

Eggs & Issues
• Friday, June 21
• Friday, July 19
• Friday, Aug 23

Business After Hours
• Monday, June 10

Golf Day in Eau Claire
• Monday, Aug 5

Partisan Primary Election
• Tuesday, Aug 13

"Bravo to Business" Awards
• Wednesday, Oct 23 (new date)

31st Annual Chippewa Valley Rally
• Wednesday, Mar 5, 2025

Public Meetings Calendar
Click the link above for the our regularly updated schedule of public meetings.

Thanks for reading this issue of Business Advocate. If you have comments or questions, contact Scott Rogers, Vice President Governmental Affairs, at 715-858-0616 or rogers@eauclairechamber.org