Two Wisconsin community hospitals about 60 miles apart have joined forces to create a new system: Tamarack Health.
Memorial Medical Center, a 35-bed facility in Ashland, Wis., and Hayward (Wis.) Area Memorial Hospital & Water's Edge, a 25-bed facility, will become Ashland Medical Center and Hayward Medical Center, respectively. The system also includes a new specialty orthopedic clinic in Superior, Wis.
Under the umbrella of Tamarack Health, the hospitals will remain locally led, according to a Sept. 6 Facebook post. Although the names and logos are changing, no existing services will be affected. The hospitals already share some specialists and providers, and the closer alignment may help them expand care offerings, per a Sept. 12 news release.
The health system is named after a tree in the region, which represents community, resilience and growth.
"Our Tamarack Health name represents our independence and our ability to sustainably and responsibly grow and innovate in ways that allow those in our community to remain closer to where they live — and play — for the care they need to flourish," says the system's website.