Donate

Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative Chooses Architect For New Hospital

Mar 3, 2025

Due Diligence on Interim Facility Continues; Exploring Partnerships for Behavioral Health Services

CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI – March 3, 2025 – The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative today announced that, after a competitive review process, River Valley Architects (RVA) has been awarded the Architectural and Engineering Design Services assignment for the state-of-the-art hospital that it plans to build in Lake Hallie, WI. RVA, headquartered in Eau Claire, WI, has been providing Architectural Design services for healthcare facilities since 2008.

RVA scored the highest among a highly qualified pool of recognized architects across criteria including design, experience, references, fees, and local building codes and requirements expertise. In addition, RVA brought its local partners to the table to demonstrate its ability to hit the ground running with a complete team experienced at working together for excellent outcomes.

“The review process was extremely competitive,” said Thomas Larson, member of the Cooperative’s Board of Organizers, who co-led the architecture review process. “We were impressed with many of the presentations and frankly had several great options. RVA won on an objective point-scoring process which included many different reviewers. This is a testament to the experience and healthcare knowledge that RVA brings to the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative’s team.

“We also appreciate that they sharpened their pencils to drive down their cost without cutting any corners in their service,” added Larson.

The proposed site is located in Lake Hallie on the west side of Highway 53 between Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire. This location was chosen for the new hospital because it provides convenient access to emergency and inpatient services for patients from across the entire region, as well as the flexibility for future growth.

The Cooperative’s new 144,000-square-foot state-of-the-art hospital will be a flexible facility including 48 hospital beds, with a 12-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Emergency Department, Medical-Surgical services, Labor & Delivery, critical care units, a comprehensive Cancer Center with diagnostic services including laboratory, radiology, and cardiology. The new hospital will also offer physical, occupational, and speech therapies.

The Cooperative expects to open the doors of the new hospital in late 2027.

Due Diligence Continues for Interim Facility

In addition to moving forward on the new hospital, the Cooperative is making considerable progress in its due diligence in assessing the financial feasibility of reopening the St. Joseph’s campus in Chippewa Falls as an interim facility while the new hospital is being built.

“We’ve made good progress in our due diligence process in the last 60 days,” said Robert Krause, Chair of the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative. “So far, what we’ve seen is encouraging, and we are fast-tracking the rest of the required due diligence now.”

The Cooperative board believes that most of the investment required to reopen the St. Joseph’s facility will be transferrable to the new hospital.

“If financially feasible, our plan is to optimize the Interim Facility with an eye towards moving as much of the equipment, technology, and infrastructure to the new hospital,” said Mike Sanders, Managing Director of 1100 Partners and former CEO of Monroe Clinic, who has been working hand-in-hand with the Cooperative since it was formed. “As a short-term solution, we hope the St. Joseph’s facility can fill a critical need and give us a leg up on the new future-forward hospital.”

Exploring Behavioral Health Service Partnership

The Cooperative is also in discussions with various behavioral health providers to explore partnership opportunities so that it can provide behavioral health services for the Chippewa Valley region as soon as possible.

“Our community urgently needs robust mental health services here so that patients aren’t sent hours away during crises and for rehabilitation,” added Krause. “We are working in earnest to be able to help close the significant mental health gap with a strategic partnership at our facilities.”

About the Cooperative

The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative is an independently governed, locally rooted nonprofit organization committed to making high-quality healthcare accessible and affordable for the residents of the 18 counties in Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley region. Focused on patient-centered care, prevention, and education, the Cooperative strives to make a lasting, positive impact on the Chippewa Valley’s health and well-being for generations to come. Formed on February 29, 2024, the Cooperative is a Wisconsin Chapter 193 cooperative and a registered 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit organization. More information at www.chippewavalleyhealthcooperative.org.

Become a Member Today!

 

Communications

Sign up for News Updates
FAQs

FOLLOW US

Media Contact

Email:

Lcaraher AT double-forte.com

Kamal Thapar

Kamal Thapar, MD, PhD., FRSC, FAANS, FCNS

is widely respected by patients, their families, and their doctors. Dr. Kamal Thapar has served the region for more than two decades. He maintains one of the largest private neurosurgical practices in Wisconsin and provides the full spectrum of advanced neurosurgical care. Dr. Thapar has held leadership roles at Marshfield Clinic, Sacred Heart Hospital, and Chippewa Valley Orthopedics. He specializes in minimally invasive and reconstructive spine surgery, brain tumor surgery, pituitary tumor surgery, and skull base surgery.
Erik Dickson

Eric Rygg

President of 4th generation Silver Spring Foods and Huntsinger Farms, lives in Eau Claire with his wife and three children. Among his volunteer community service, Eric has served as Host and Executive Committee member for the 2021 Wisconsin Farm Days, and currently serves on Eau Claire Confluence Arts/Pablo Center, and the Culinary Advisor Committee for Chippewa Valley Technical College. He earned his BA from Middlebury College, and an MBA, Food Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University – Erivan K. Haub School of Business.
Erik Dickson

David Nelson

Retired after 30 years as a health system finance administrator with five national and regional health systems and five years in public accounting focused on healthcare companies. Dave Nelson dedicated his career to not-for-profit organizations providing health services for local communities. Active in the community, he has served on numerous nonprofit and private boards of directors, including as the Past Chair and Emeritus Board member of the American Red Cross of NW Wisconsin. He is also Disaster Assistant Director for the Red Cross, responding in leadership roles to over 25 disasters.

Erik Dickson

Mickey Judkins

is the CEO of Details, Inc. and a recognized business and entrepreneurial consultant. She has served on many boards in the Chippewa Valley and Madison, including as President of the Eau Claire Economic Development Corporation, and as a director of the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce board. She also served on Business Forward’s Local Leadership Council in Washington, D.C., working to bring the small business perspective to the President’s policy making. She was active on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Advisory Board for Chancellors Mash and Levin-Stankevich. In 2007, Governor Jim Doyle appointed Mickey Executive Director and Administrator of the Investment and Export Division of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. She graduated magna cum laude from UW-Eau Claire with a BA in Sociology. She lives in Eau Claire with her husband Jeff Rochon.

Erik Dickson

Peter Hoeft

is CEO and Owner of Hoeft Builders Inc, a 40-year-old construction management firm he has led for the last 20 years. Raised in Eau Claire, Peter attended Regis High School, where he met his wife, Jill; they have twin boys. Peter has served on many community boards including Chippewa Valley Airport Commission (current), WNB Bank (current), Children's Museum of Eau Claire, Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce, and the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Committee. He holds a B.S. in Construction Management from Colorado State University.

Erik Dickson

Erik Dickson, MD

has provided medical care to the people of Chippewa County for more than 25 years. As a family medicine physician at OakLeaf Clinics in Chippewa Falls and medical director for the Urgent Care locations in Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, and Menomonie, he has worked on the front lines of local healthcare—helping families through everyday challenges and urgent needs alike. Dr. Dickson also works as a first responder and EMS Medical Director in Chippewa County. In addition to his clinical practice, he serves as the medical director for several area nursing homes, where he works closely with our senior population to ensure continuity, compassion, and dignity in care. Dr. Dickson’s affiliations with organizations such as the American Academy of Family Physicians and the National Association of EMS Physicians reflects his deep commitment to best practices and physician leadership. He is board-certified in Family Medicine with the American Board of Family Medicine.
Robert Krause

Kyle Dettbarn, MD

has called the Chippewa Valley home for more than two decades. Since moving here in 2003, he has served this community as a physician specializing in pulmonary, critical care, internal medicine, and sleep health. Today, he serves as Board President of the Oakleaf Medical Network—a network that has remained committed to patient-focused care for over 30 years.

Robert Krause

Patti Darley

Vice Chair
retired, from Xcel Energy’s Customer Service Department and before that Cray, Inc.’s Technical Training Department. Patti is a long-time resident of Chippewa Falls, and is well known for her volunteer service in the community. She has been an elected or appointed member of the board of directors of HSHS St. Joseph’s and Sacred Heart Hospitals, the Community Foundation of Chippewa County, and Give Chippewa County, as well as in many other volunteer organizations. She has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University.