$15 million to address healthcare shutdown in limbo

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - $15 million meant to help address healthcare challenges brought on by the closure of HSHS services in Western Wisconsin is in limbo.

This week, HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital will be closing. Wisconsin lawmakers are looking to address this situation and in February, a bill providing millions of dollars was signed into law. Governor Evers added some line-item vetoes to that bill though, and Republicans and State Senator Jesse James of Altoona said those vetoes are causing problems.

“We drafted legislation with the primary focus of being Chippewa County and Eau Claire County,” James said. “Now, if we release these funds without any type of plan in place, the governor could disperse these beyond Eau Claire and Chippewa County.”

Co-Chair State Sen. Howard Marklein also sent WEAU a statement regarding the funding. He said, “The Governor is asking us to fund a bill that he vetoed. He is asking a committee of the legislature to rewrite legislation, change legislative intent, and fund something that he vetoed! Considering the fact that the Governor keeps suing the legislature, I don’t know why he thinks we should take a legal risk when he vetoed the bill that would have addressed the issue in the first place. If the Governor were serious about sending funds to Chippewa Valley hospitals, he would have signed the bill.”

The Governor’s vetoes allow the money to be used more broadly for services like OBGYN and mental health care but also allow the money to be used in counties outside of Chippewa and Eau Claire. WEAU asked Governor Evers to respond to concerns the money can be used too broadly and won’t directly help the Chippewa Valley. Here’s what he said:

“Who the hell should be making that decision other than the people here? That’s exactly the point,” Evers said. “This money would come to the Eau Claire area.”

On February 29, DHS sent a request to the state’s Joint Finance Committee, asking them to add this investment to their agenda. The Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee has yet to do so, with Co-Chair State Rep. Mark Born saying, “The committee will not support a proposal that redirects the funding from this high-need area to anywhere in Western Wisconsin.”

As of now, there is no timetable for the funds to be released as lawmakers disagree about the best use of the funds. They do agree though, there is a need to act now.

“Discussions are taking place and they were taking place even before the deadline got moved up,” James said.

“The critical thing is immediate and we have to get that money out the door and get it in the hands of the people that can make those decisions here,” Evers said.

Wisconsin’s DHS Secretary said the Department of Health Services is working closely with provers, including Marshfield Clinic and Mayo Clinic Health System, to make sure people will have access to the care they deserve as soon as Friday. That is when both hospitals are slated to close.