HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls marked an important milestone Sept. 1: The 10th anniversary of the hospital (formerly known as Community Memorial Hospital) officially joining Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS).
The hospital has been a part of the Oconto Falls community for more than 100 years. It first opened its doors in 1921 as Oconto Falls City Hospital at 125 S. Main St. Then, in 1954, it was moved to the former City Hall and named Community Memorial Hospital (CMH). The hospital moved to its current location at 855 S. Main St. in 1972.
In 2011, CMH entered into an affiliation agreement with HSHS, a Catholic health care ministry based in Springfield, Illinois, and with hospitals in nearby Green Bay and Sheboygan, to enhance physician recruitment, implement an electronic health record system and improve the delivery of care.
Three years later, on Sept. 1, 2014, Community Memorial Hospital joined Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) to become HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital. The name was chosen in honor of St. Clare, the Franciscan saint who devoted her life to solitude, prayer and service. Her legacy reflecting the commitment of the hospital to serving Oconto Falls and its surrounding communities for years to come.
Colleen Koski, chief administrative officer at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, and who has served in various leadership and nursing roles at the hospital since 2008, recently reflected on the hospital’s decision to join HSHS.
“Joining Hospital Sisters Health System provided our rural hospital greater access to the resources needed to enhance our quality of care and allowed us to grow and expand our health care offerings significantly,” Koski said. “The thought a decade ago was, ‘We are stronger together,’ and time has proven that we truly are.”
Today, telemedicine capabilities, added within the last decade as part of the hospital’s inclusion into the system, allow providers and colleagues at HSHS St. Clare to connect with St. Vincent and St. Mary’s hospitals in Green Bay, with just the touch of a button. HSHS St. Clare also has access to the system’s largest physician partner, Prevea Health, which over the years has deployed physicians and providers directly into the community to provide an array of care options – from primary care to orthopedics, podiatry, digestive health, urology, vascular care and more.
Today, Prevea providers care for patients at the HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Prevea Health centers in Oconto Falls, Gillett, Suring, Lena and Mountain, and perform surgery at HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital — keeping care close to home as possible.
Over the last 10 years, HSHS St. Clare has also established and expanded key services such as cancer, wound and dialysis care. It also introduced the Almost Home swing bed program, which allows local residents who may have had surgery or been treated at a larger hospital further away, to rehabilitate closer to home at HSHS St. Clare. The hospital’s on-site pharmacy in Oconto Falls, additional pharmacy in Gillett and prescription services offerings in Lena, Mountain and Pulaski also ensure patients have access to their prescription medication needs close to home.
“As a certified critical access hospital, one of the most important services we provide to this region is our 24/7 emergency care,” said Dr. Al Salmi, medical director of the HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Emergency Department. “In an emergency, seconds count. Having a strong presence, like St. Clare does, in a rural region where access to emergency care is limited, can mean the difference between life and death to someone.
“We are tremendously grateful for the rapport we’ve built with local emergency services agencies in the last 10 years. They are our true partners in caring for those who live, work, visit and travel within our northern communities.”
For information about HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital, visit www.hshs.org/st-clare/about-us.
St. Clare observes 10th anniversary with HSHS
