OakLeaf Medical Network Updates Western Wisconsin Action Response Plan

OakLeaf Medical Network Western Wisconsin Action Response Plan

Updated February 22, 2024

OakLeaf Medical Network (OLMN) in Action:

• OakLeaf Medical Network physicians initiated a response to the Health Care Crisis in the Chippewa Valley on 1/23/2024. We continue to meet daily and weekly to ensure the patients served by our vast network of physicians across 15 counties have short- and long-term community solutions, ensuring access to the same quality of care they have come to expect for over 30 years.
• Plans continue to be developed and implemented focused on increasing access, expanding capacity and services, and stabilizing services that are important for continuity of care. This includes working with local health systems to expand admitting privileges.
• OakLeaf Medical Network is actively recruiting, has added some and will be adding more physicians and support staff across clinics based on an assessment of needs and strategic direction.
• We continue to explore additional facilities for inpatient services to admit 33,500+ patients, and this assessment includes ongoing discussion with our regional partners.
• OLMN is actively evaluating several innovative options to provide essential services to fill gaps left by the HSHS exit from Western Wisconsin.

Expanded Services include:

Primary Care

With 30 primary care providers and 6 pediatricians caring for over 33,000 patients here in the Chippewa Valley, OLMN’s OakLeaf Clinics, Confluence Health and Sunrise Family Medicine have each expanded hours and capacity to accept new patients while providing the same level of care to existing patients.

Expanded Clinic and Lab Hours

Urgent care and extended hour planning is ongoing and will continue to be shared. Current extended clinic access includes:

• OakLeaf Clinics – Eau Claire Medical Clinic: 3802 W Oakwood Mall Drive,  Eau Claire, 54701
• OakLeaf Clinics – Chippewa Falls: 855 Lakeland Drive, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
• Effective March 4^th, 2024: Monday – Thursday: 7 a.m.–6 p.m.
• Lab services at both locations are available Monday – Friday: 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m. 

OakLeaf Direct – A Direct-to-Employee Primary Care Solution

OakLeaf Direct high-quality primary care solutions for self-funded employers have added significant capacity to accommodate employers that will be left without employer-sponsored direct primary care when Prevea closes its doors in Western Wisconsin. To meet the needs of this community, OakLeaf Direct is:

• Actively hiring and recruiting more advanced practice providers and clinical staff
• Extending business hours, as appropriate
• Adding Behavioral health services
• Assessing additional health service expansion to meet additional needs

Obstetrics

The OakLeaf Medical Network OB physicians have privileges at MCHS and courtesy privileges at MHS and are committed to continuing to care for all of our patients in those facilities.

• OLMN continues to seek privileges for all of our OakLeaf Medical Network CNM-Midwife, Family Practice, Pediatric, and OB/GYN providers to be able to continue to care for our pregnant mothers and babies in the remaining Eau Claire area hospitals. We have call coverage schedules in place, access to medical records in place, and will soon have full remote electronic access to records.
• OLMN is also developing obstetric triage capabilities in our clinic facilities.
• If we are unable to obtain privileges for all of our OLMN CNM/FP/OBGYN team, we have an action plan in place to create an new OLMN option for the hospital based care of our mothers and babies.
• As information, OakLeaf Medical Network physicians use a unique model of care based on individualized, personalized care that values continuity of care and knowing our patients.  These physicians are present over 90% of the time at the births of those they are caring for during pregnancy.  Our nighttime call system/answering service connects patients to the physician they see. Our OLMN mother and baby team is committed to continuing to provide this option for our communities in western Wisconsin despite the sudden and unexpected loss of our hospital facilities.

Outpatient Psychiatry/Behavioral Health

Nystrom & Associates is actively recruiting mental health professionals and psychiatrists.

A new phone line for patients impacted by the closures for easy access to scheduling.

• Call 715-506-5535
• Or fill out online form

Urology

Western Wisconsin Urology has increased pelvic health services with additional healthcare professionals and physical therapy services.

Surgical Services

Several OLMN surgical subspecialties are actively recruiting physicians and staff and will be extending business hours soon.

• Additional outreach locations are being explored across the Chippewa Valley.

Addition Exploration Underway

We continue to explore care options for the many gaps that will still exist, including:

• Access to wound care
• Access to transfusion services
• Access to dialysis services
• Access to oncology services
• Access to alcohol and chemical dependency programs

Conclusion

OakLeaf Medical Network physicians remain committed, as they have been for 30 years, to serving the Chippewa Valley and greater Western Wisconsin community with the best possible healthcare. In this time of instability, we are doing everything in our control to ensure healthcare services across the region are stabilized, to maintain patient physician relationships for continuity of care, and to plan for the long-term needs of the community.

Independent Community Hospital

OakLeaf Medical Network continues to champion the effort for an independent, not-for-profit community hospital that will provide care and governance locally.