Aspirus

Aspirus Health will acquire Accension hospitals, physician clinics and medical transport services across Central and Northern Wisconsin.

The transfer will include Eagle River Hospital in Eagle River, Sacred Heart Hospital in Tomahawk, and St. Mary’s Hospital in Rhinelander.

That’s in addition to four other hospitals, 21 physician clinics and the Ascension Wisconsin Spirit Medical Transport.

Aspirus Health Care has partnered with Northcentral Technical College to offer a paid Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Training Program to those in Central Wisconsin.

The accelerated 5-week program will allow participants to receive the education and experience needed to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, with added financial support to help guarantee success.

When accepted into the program, participants receive paid tuition, course materials, scrubs and a stipend that will allow them to dedicate full-time attention to training for their new career.

In the next year, Aspirus will pour $14 million into a major expansion of its Rhinelander clinic.

The healthcare provider broke ground on the project on Friday morning.

“We’re out of space,” Aspirus Regional Clinic Director Robb Fabich said of the current facility.

But by next October, the clinic will be ready to open an additional 21,000 square feet of space.

Planning for the expansion has been in the works for months, according to Fabich.

Aspirus MedEvac has announced they will provide ambulance and emergency medical services (EMS) coverage in Watersmeet, Michigan beginning Saturday, March 5 when residents call 911 and need patient transport.

Ambulance services for Watersmeet previously were provided by the Conover EMS.

Due to a contract dispute concerning an operating deficit, Watersmeet officials declined to renew the contract with Conover, effectively ending the service as of March 5.

Aspirus Wausau Hospital has again been recognized as one of the Top 50 cardiovascular hospitals in the country by Truven Health Analytics,(tm) a leading health care data tracker.

This achievement marks the ninth time Aspirus has been recognized with this honor. No other hospital in Wisconsin has been named a Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospital as many times. Dr. German Larrain is medical director of Aspirus Heart & Vascular. He says Truven looks at specific areas of performance...

Aspirus At Home has been named among the top quarter of  home health agencies in the U.S.

The agency formerly was known at Aspirus VNA Home Health. An organization called HomeCare Elite ranks the home health agencies and it marks the seventh time Aspirus has been in the top 25 percentile of providers in the nation.

Spokesperson JoAnn Borchardt says they provide skilled home nursing care for a variety of ages and needs. She sees this type of care will be more common in the future...

Aspirus and Marshfield Clinic Health System leaders have signed a non-binding letter of intent to pursue joint efforts across their service areas.

Officials point out this is not a merger or acquisition. Aspirus and Marshfield Clinic will continue to be independent organizations with separate boards, cultures and brands.

One of the points being explored is for Asprirus to allow Marshfield Clinic a minority interest in Aspirus Riverview Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids.

Residents in Ontanagon County Michigan will soon have more access to medical transport.  Aspirus MedEvac is establishing a paramedic ambulance service near Ontanagon Hospital. 

SONCO Ambulance will continue to serve the area. 

But as Aspirus EMS and MedEvac Operations Manager Robert Kirkley explains, the new paramedic services offer a higher level of care when the situation calls for it.

Rhinelander School District has landed two sizable grants to help pay for a new athletics trainer position at the high school. 

Ministry Medical Group and the Aspirus Clinic have each donated $15,000 to the school district’s athletic program. 

Athletics Trainer is a role that Rhinelander native Eric Prom has been filling for a few years now, but until now he’s been employed by Marshfield Clinic.  Now he’ll be an employee of the school district.              

Aspirus Wausau Hospital has a new president, and it's the same person currently filling the position.

Darrell Lentz has been interim hospital president since last November. Prior to that, he was Aspirus Vice-President of Finance. Aspirus' Chief Executive Officer is Matt Heywood. Former CEO and President Duane Erwin retired last June.

A native of Maine, Lentz has been in health care and finance for 16 years.