The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative in Eau Claire, Wis., has signed a letter of intent with Springfield, Ill.-based Hospital Sisters Health System to purchase and reopen Chippewa Falls, Wis.-based St. Joseph's Hospital to provide healthcare services while it builds a new hospital.
HSHS closed both St. Joseph's Hospital and Eau Claire, Wis.-based Sacred Heart Hospital in late March.
The cooperative shared plans to build an independent nonprofit community hospital and emergency department in late May, which is expected to open in the fall of 2027.
Under the agreement with HSHS, the cooperative has until early April to determine if it is financially possible to reopen the hospital, according to a Dec. 9 news release.
"The St. Joseph’s facility has significant deferred maintenance that may need to be addressed before the hospital can be reopened," the release said. "If it’s feasible, the cooperative could open its doors at the St. Joseph’s campus as early as fall 2025."
The onsite evaluation process of St. Joseph's begins the week of Dec. 9.