The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative, an independent nonprofit organization, has acquired the former St. Joseph’s Hospital building in Chippewa Falls, Wis., from Hospital Sisters Health System.
Last year, Springfield, Ill.-based HSHS closed St. Joseph’s and Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, Wis., terminating its presence in western Wisconsin. In March, the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative finalized a purchase agreement with the health system to purchase the building.
The building, now named Chippewa Valley Cooperative Hospital, will serve as an interim campus while the organization constructs a permanent state-of-the-art hospital in Lake Hallie, Wis., according to a July 1 news release. The hospital is slated to open by early 2028.
The newly acquired building will begin operations with select services in the fall and will expand to full hospital capabilities by summer 2026. The timeline allows the organization to begin serving patients immediately while securing necessary licensing and certifications that could not be received before it owned the building.
“We’re moving aggressively to close the healthcare gaps that have plagued the Chippewa Valley since HSHS departed, ensuring residents no longer face dangerous delays or long-distance transfers for essential care,” Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative Chairman Robert Krause said in the release.
The facility will employ more than 300 healthcare professionals by spring 2026, the release said.
