OakLeaf Clinics Ladysmith L. Dr. Runstrom, M. Dr. DeKrey, R. Amanda Crabb, NP
Rusk County Purchases Clinic Facility and Leases to OakLeaf Clinics to Keep Area Access to Community Healthcare in Place to Serve Rusk County
LADYSMITH, WI – May 1, 2024 – Local Ladysmith, WI physicians Joel DeKrey, DO, Samantha Runstrom, MD and Amanda Crabb, NP, and their medical staff have joined OakLeaf Clinics, the largest clinic in OakLeaf Medical Network, to create OakLeaf Clinics Ladysmith. Rusk County voted to purchase the Prevea Clinic building and land on March 12th and voted on March 19th to lease the facility to OakLeaf Clinics for five years. The arrangements keep access to high quality healthcare in Rusk County in place by the doctors who’ve been caring for patients there in the wake of HSHS’s and Prevea’s exit from Western Wisconsin.
OakLeaf Clinics Ladysmith opens today, May 1, 2024, at 1101 Lake Ave, West, Ladysmith, Wisconsin 54848.
OakLeaf Clinics Ladysmith offers the same primary, family medicine, women’s health, physical therapy, and Xray services as the previous Prevea clinic did. In addition, OakLeaf Medical Network clinics will be offering Endocrinology, Cardiology, Urology, Ob/GYN, General Surgery, and Podiatry outreach services at the Ladysmith clinic.
“Prevea’s announcement of widespread clinic closures in January came as a shock to Rusk County. Almost immediately, the County recognized the impact this would have on residents and identified the need to look for a solution to keep healthcare options intact,” said Ashley Heath, Administrative Coordinator for Rusk County. “We were able to move quickly to purchase the Prevea Clinic building and secure a lease with Oakleaf Clinics to operate out of that building. The County is elated that Oakleaf Clinics is opening the Ladysmith Clinic with the same dedicated doctors, nurses and staff and we look forward to new healthcare options coming to our community.”
In deciding how to move forward in the community despite HSHS’s exit from the region, the Ladysmith Clinic leaders considered different scenarios to keep their practice in place for the people of Ladysmith and Rusk County including joining existing practices in the area as well as maintaining our current clinic footprint under the OakLeaf Medical Network.
“We are excited to move forward as independent physicians within OakLeaf Clinics where we can freely recommend the best healthcare options to meet the needs of our patients both inside and outside of the OakLeaf Medical Network,” said Dr. Runstrom. “We are even more elated to continue to be able to support our patients medically inside the walls of this clinic, yet also have more opportunities to meet our patients out within the community to facilitate positive change by supporting community-based programs.”
The OakLeaf Medical Network is Western Wisconsin’s largest network of board-certified independent physicians who are free to care for their patients with the patient’s needs, preferences, and requests in mind.
“With their personalized and holistic approach to their patients’ health, the doctors and staff of the Ladysmith Clinic are a perfect extension of OakLeaf Clinics,” said Chris Longbella, MD, President of OakLeaf Clinics. “We are happy that we’ll be able to offer continuity of care for the Ladysmith Clinic’s patients with the local doctors and medical staff who have such great relationships in the community.”
About OakLeaf Clinics
OakLeaf Clinics, the largest clinic in the OakLeaf Medical Network, provides primary and specialty care through its 11 clinics in Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Cornell, Ladysmith, Menomonie, Rice Lake, and outreach clinics in Altoona, Amery, Baldwin, Black River Falls, Cumberland, Shell Lake, Stanley and Turtle Lake.
About OakLeaf Medical Network
OakLeaf Medical Network, comprised exclusively of independent clinics, is the largest independent physician association in Western Wisconsin, with over 350 medical providers (130 physicians) with 40 specialties working across 31 clinics in 15 counties. Over 33,500 primary care patients are served by OakLeaf Medical Network providers. Originally founded in 1994 by a local group of physicians committed to preserving the unique values of independent medical
practices including personal care, continuity of care, and easier access to care, as a “clinic without walls,” the organization has evolved and grown over time.
Today the clinics under the OakLeaf Medical Network include: OakLeaf Clinics (founded in 2015) with its 7 divisions, Buffalo River Clinic, Chippewa Valley Anesthesia Associates, Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic, Chippewa Valley Eye Clinic Chippewa Falls, Chippewa Valley Neurosciences, Chippewa Valley Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, Confluence Healthcare, DeFatta ENT & Facial Plastic Surgery, Diagnostic Radiology Associates, Eau Claire G.I. Associates, Evergreen Surgical, Foot and Ankle Clinic, Hesse Foot & Ankle Clinic, Interventional Pain Specialists of Wisconsin, Medical X-Ray Consultants, Merrick Plastic & Hand Surgery, Northwest Radiation Oncology Associates, Nystrom & Associates, Pathology, SC, Plastic Surgery Clinic of Eau Claire, Sunrise Family Care Clinic, Thomas Peller, MD, Western Wisconsin Urology, Winding Rivers Counseling, and Wisconsin Brain & Spine Center.
OakLeaf Medical Network clinics are in the following counties: Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Trempealeau, and Washburn.
