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Small Street Journal: February 12, 2021

2/12/2021

 

​Offense can be the best defense when celebrating football’s biggest game of the season on Feb. 7

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Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, WI – To score the most points during football’s biggest game of the year on February 7, may mean scaling back your super Sunday plan.
 
As COVID-19 vaccinations continue to be given around the country, it’s important to keep CDC guidelines in mind during your game day celebration; including masking, social distancing and frequent handwashing.
 
HSHS Infection Prevention Manager, Sue Galoff said even if you’ve already received the COVID-19 vaccine, it’s unknown if you could contract the virus and spread it to others.
 
“We are still learning so much about this vaccine, and now there are new strains of Coronavirus showing up around the world, so now is not the time to penalize ourselves by becoming lax about the guidelines,” she said.
 
Galoff’s recommendation is to keep your football party small, and limited to only those who live in your household. Additional tips:

  • Opt for a more digital experience by watching the game together, virtually; Zoom is offering free football backgrounds for a limited time around February 7
  • Keep hand sanitizer in common areas like the kitchen and living room
  • Get outside for fresh air, and more social distancing, during halftime
  • Consider individual foods servings to avoid sharing utensils and passing dishes
  • If serving drinks, consider pre-mixing a few cocktails and serving from a pitcher to avoid everyone handling the same ingredients and bottles
 
Besides COVID-19 safety precautions, there are other things to keep in mind while celebrating on game day.

  • If you don’t feel well, stay home and away from others
  • Do not drink and drive; designate a sober driver if celebrating away from home
  • Always wear your seatbelt when traveling
  • Be mindful of putting extra stress on your heart
 
HSHS emergency room director, Robin Schultz said it can be easy to stress out or get really excited during the game.
 
“If you feel shortness of breath, chest pressure or chest pain, you need to get medical help right away,” she said.
 
The HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals emergency departments are safe and open 24/7 if you need care. For more information about heart care, visit our website.
 
 
About HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital
HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the Founding Institute, and it is an affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System. Since 1889, it has been meeting patient needs in western Wisconsin with the latest medical innovations and technology, together with a Franciscan whole-person healing tradition.

About HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the Founding Institute, and it is an affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System. Since 1885, it has served the people of the Chippewa Falls area with health care that is high tech and high touch. Known locally for the quality of the care it provides patients, the hospital has been recognized nationally for its outstanding patient satisfaction levels. 


About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our physician practices and 15 local hospitals in two states - Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries,  and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.


EDC Leaders Highlight CVTC’s Workforce Role

​Eau Claire, WI – When Charlie Walker, executive director of the Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation, hosts site selectors looking for locations for business expansion ventures, he tries to present the area in as positive a light as possible and avoid some pitfalls.
 
He wants Chippewa County, and the wider Chippewa Valley, to remain in the conversation as a company considers a location for a major project. Communities can lose out on opportunities for a lot of reasons, but there is one major factor that does not worry Walker. He has Chippewa Valley Technical College to brag about.
 
“The pipeline of trained labor is a major factor as site selectors look for reasons to cross locations off their list,” Walker said. “With CVTC, we have a facility that not only has a wide range of programs, but they also have advisory committees, so the employers have input as well.”
 
Walker is not alone in his assessment. “Having a technical college of the quality of CVTC with the broad offerings they have is extremely important,” said Aaron White, economic development manager for the city of Eau Claire.
 
White was quick to point out, though, that CVTC’s workforce development efforts are not the largest factor for a potential employer. “The number one factor is having a site that will meet their needs, with enough space for them to do their project,” he said. “Number two is always, ‘can you give us the workforce that is trained or trainable?’ If you don’t have that, they’re not coming to your community either.”
 
That a trained workforce is extremely important to employers should come as no surprise to anyone, but Walker points out another factor that people may not realize.
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UW - Eau Claire News

​Blugolds help native Spanish speakers better access health care in the Chippewa Valley

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​Two Blugolds are making it easier for Spanish-speaking people to access health care in the Chippewa Valley.
During the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s 2020 fall semester, Erin Fitzgerald and Breida Torres Berumen began translating some of the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic’s written materials into Spanish, helping the region’s fast-growing Spanish-speaking population better access medical services in the local community.
​
“We are providing a resource that can help native Spanish speakers understand the services the clinic provides, which helps them obtain the medical care they need,” says Fitzgerald, a biology major and a health science and Spanish for health professions minor from Woodbury, Minnesota. “This is important to me because I think having access to medical information in a person’s native language is something many of us take for granted and should be available to everyone.”

Breida Torres Berumen knows their translation project will help native Spanish speakers get the health care they need.
For Torres Berumen, a pre-physician assistant student with a major in biology and a minor in Spanish for health professions, the project was personal.

The UW-Eau Claire junior grew up in Mexico, moving with her family to Maiden Rock when she was in high school.

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Leading the state in research-based innovation: Liz Glogowski

​It can be easy to forget that the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire’s often-celebrated faculty members once were eager new graduates themselves, searching for that perfect institution at which to build their careers.

Dr. Liz Glogowski, associate professor in materials science and engineering, was a newly minted Ph.D. in polymer science and engineering in 2009 and knew that she wanted to work at an undergraduate university after completing a post-doctoral program. 

“I only applied to primarily undergraduate schools. I was really excited about the prospect of UW-Eau Claire, and what looked like a great opportunity for balance between teaching and research,” says Glogowski, who joined the faculty in the fall of 2011.

In just 10 years, Glogowski has proven to be a standout research mentor, not only on campus but across the state, garnering multiple awards as a teacher-scholar. She was recognized in 2016 with the Emerging Mentor Award from UW-Eau Claire's Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and in March 2020 with the UW System Regents Scholar Award for her innovative student-faculty research into polymers used in architectural coating products.
​
Most recently, Glogowski was named the 2020 Innovator of the Year by WiSys, a nonprofit organization supporting the UW System, dedicated to academic technology transfer, intellectual property protection and commercialization of UW System-born innovations.
Read Full Story

UW-Eau Claire research team studies effects of alcohol on older people

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​While many senior citizens assume that having two or three drinks is harmless, a University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire research team has found that alcohol significantly affects older brains in ways that may threaten their health and well-being, including increasing their risk of falling.

As people age, they feel the effects of alcohol differently than when they were younger, says Dr. Doug Matthews, a professor of psychology who has studied the effects of alcohol on the aging brain for several years.

“Something changes in the brain as we age,” Matthews says. “The older brain is fundamentally different, and the difference makes it more sensitive to alcohol. What is different, we do not know. That’s a wide-open question that we are actively pursuing.”

Matthews and his student research team were studying the effects of alcohol on adolescent brains when, out of curiosity, they included a group of aged animal brains in their work.
​
What they found was so significant that it changed the course of their research, Matthews says.
Read Full Story

Board of Regents approves Haas Fine Arts Center renovations

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​Haas Fine Arts Center music spaces will undergo major renovations as part of a more than $6.7 million project approved on Friday, Feb. 5, by the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.

Renovations to the 50-year-old UW-Eau Claire building include remodeling rehearsal spaces and classrooms to improve acoustics and sound isolation. Poor acoustics in some existing spaces disrupt classes in adjacent rooms, says Dr. Gretchen Peters, professor of music history and chair of the music and theatre arts department.

“When you walk into Haas Fine Arts Center, you often hear music coming from all sorts of places,” Peters says. “While OK, and even charming, for a while, the music becomes disruptive for instructors and students trying to focus on classes, lessons or other rehearsals.”

The renovations will take place in two stages during summer 2021 and summer 2022.

The extensive renovation project centers around two large rooms that are used throughout the day for choral and instrumental rehearsals. The rooms will be gutted and rebuilt to provide better and safer acoustics, Peters says.

A recording control room between the two rehearsal rooms is being renovated and new recording equipment installed “making all sorts of recording projects and pedagogical experiences available to students,” Peters says.

Acoustics also will be addressed in three additional classrooms adjacent to the rehearsal rooms that currently cannot be used during the school day, Peters says. The acoustics improvements will make more effective use of space for rehearsals.

“It has been a real challenge to find enough appropriate space for students to rehearse in chamber groups during the day, not because we did not have the actual space, but because the sound bleed between rooms was so bad,” Peters says. “We could not have a rehearsal next to a music theory class because of the lack of sound isolation between rooms.” 

Peters says the building’s practice room suite, which has about 40 small rooms, will undergo a significant renovation so students will have quieter spaces in which to practice.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning infrastructure is being upgraded, Peters says, because humidity levels need to be controlled to maintain the musical instrument collection.

“A major challenge since I joined the department over 20 years ago is how all the students and faculty can make music in the building safely and without driving each other crazy,” Peters says. “This acoustic renovation will help solve the problem. 
​
“As a retired instructor used to say, ‘There is no such thing as a private tuba lesson.’ That is true for many music activities in this building. Better acoustics will help create important opportunities for faculty and students.”

UW-Eau Claire pianist to perform two recitals featuring underrepresented composers

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​A University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire pianist who often includes pieces written by underrepresented composers is playing two virtual recitals in the coming weeks that celebrate equity, diversity and inclusion.

Dr. Nicholas Phillips, professor of music-piano, is playing a February recital that honors Black History Month and another in March in celebration of Women’s History Month.

“Playing these recitals during months that tie into Black History Month and Women’s History Month is a way that I can contribute to an awareness of the great piano music that exists by women and African American composers,” Phillips says.
​
In his February recital as a guest artist at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Phillips is featuring works by African American composer Florence Price, including her miniatures, a suite and her Sonata.
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​WNB Financial Announces Promotions of Chad Anderson and Latonia Schmitt

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​WNB Financial is pleased to announce the recent promotions of two employees: Chad Anderson and Latonia Schmitt

Anderson has been promoted to Senior Lending Manager. With over 20 years of banking experience, he oversees the strategic initiatives for both the Business Banking and Mortgage Departments. Anderson’s vast experience with serving as a trusted financial advisor, enhancing systems, and overall management skills create a natural fit for his leadership position. He’ll continue to serve Business Banking clients in Winona.

Schmitt has been promoted to Mortgage Manager. While continuing to serve as a mortgage originator in Winona, she now supports the Bank’s overall mortgage lending efforts in all markets, with a key focus on enhancing the customer experience. Schmitt’s enthusiasm and commitment to excellent service are instrumental in driving the success of WNB Financial customers and the community as a whole.

​“Chad and Latonia provide outstanding leadership and dedication to their responsibilities, and they’re very deserving of these promotions,” said Erica Jerowski, WNB Financial Senior Vice President and Chief Credit Officer. “Their commitment to our Mission, Vision, and Values, coupled with their new and expanded roles, will help advance our team and the Bank as a whole to higher levels of performance and service.”
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​Don’t get chilled to the bone this weekend as temperatures drop to dangerous levels

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​Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls, WI – With the weather forecast predicting wind chill temperatures well below zero this weekend and into next week, HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals remind everyone that the risk of cold-related injuries increases as the temps drop. The most common cold-related health issues are hypothermia and frostbite.
 
Robin Schultz, emergency department director said while many people can and should stay indoors when the temperature drops to dangerous levels, some people’s jobs require them to work in the cold.
 
“Those who work outside in cold temperatures should be aware of how quickly hypothermia and frostbite can set in and they should take steps to prevent these potentially serious issues.”
 
If you must be outdoors during frigid temperatures:
  • Dress in layers and wear insulated clothing that allows for evaporation and minimal absorption of perspiration. 
  • Take breaks. Be sure to warm up inside when needed. 
  • Eat a balanced diet.
  •  Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. 
  • Avoid alcohol. 
 
Hypothermia
Schultz explained, “When exposed to cold temperatures, your body starts to lose heat faster than it can be produced. Long periods of exposure will eventually use up your body’s stored energy, which results in hypothermia.” 
 
Hypothermia occurs when the body's core temperature falls below 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Warnings signs include shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), if you feel someone might have hypothermia:
  • Get the person into a warm room or shelter.
  • Remove any wet clothing.
  • Warm the center of the body first — chest, neck, head, and groin — using an electric blanket, if available. Or use skin-to-skin contact under loose, dry layers of blankets, clothing, towels or sheets.
  •  Provide warm, nonalcoholic beverages to help increase the body temperature.
  • Keep the person dry and wrapped in a warm blanket, including the head and neck, when his or her body temperature increases.
  •  Get medical attention as soon as possible.

Frostbite
Frostbite is caused by freezing and most often impacts the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes. Symptoms of frostbite include: an area of white or grayish-yellow skin, skin that feels unusually firm or waxy, and numbness. 

The CDC recommends that if you have signs of frostbite, but no sign of hypothermia and immediate medical care is not available
  • Get into a warm room as soon as possible.
  • Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk on frostbitten feet or toes—this increases the damage.
  • Immerse the affected area in warm—not hot—water. (The temperature should be comfortable to the touch for unaffected parts of the body.) Or, warm the affected area using body heat. For example, the heat of an armpit can be used to warm frostbitten fingers.
  • Do not rub the frostbitten area with snow or massage it at all. This can cause more damage.
  • Don’t use a heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat of a stove, fireplace, or radiator for warming. Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned.
  • Follow-up with your health care provider.
 
“Preparation is your best defense against these types of cold-weather injuries,” said Schultz.
 
“Dress appropriately if you do need to venture out into the cold. Tell someone where you are going, when you expect to arrive and let them know when you get there. Keep warm clothes and boots in your car, just in case it won’t start or breaks down.”
 
More information can be found at cdc.gov/disasters/winter/staysafe/hypothermia.html
 
 
About HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital
HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the Founding Institute, and it is an affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System. Since 1889, it has been meeting patient needs in western Wisconsin with the latest medical innovations and technology, together with a Franciscan whole-person healing tradition.

About HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital
HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the Founding Institute, and it is an affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System. Since 1885, it has served the people of the Chippewa Falls area with health care that is high tech and high touch. Known locally for the quality of the care it provides patients, the hospital has been recognized nationally for its outstanding patient satisfaction levels. 


About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our physician practices and 15 local hospitals in two states - Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries,  and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.


​An update about Prevea COVID-19 testing in the Eau Claire region

​Eau Claire – Beginning Saturday, Feb. 13, COVID-19 testing through Prevea Health will be provided by appointment at two locations: Prevea Family Medicine, 617 W. Clairemont Ave., and the Prevea Altoona Medical Office Building, 3119 Woodman Dr.
 
The current Prevea Health COVID-19 testing site at 950 W. Clairemont Ave. in Eau Claire will close Friday, Feb. 12 at 4 p.m.
 
COVID-19 testing with Prevea Health is free to anyone experiencing one or more of the following symptoms: Cough; fever; chills; repeated shaking with chills; muscle pain; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; headache; sore throat; runny nose; new loss of taste or smell. It is also available to anyone who has been exposed to someone confirmed to have COVID-19.
 
Those who wish to be tested must sign up on Prevea’s online patient portal, MyPrevea. You do not have to be an established Prevea patient to set up an account on MyPrevea or to access a free test. MyPrevea can be accessed at www.myprevea.com or downloaded as an app on Apple or Google Play. It takes just minutes to set up an account, complete a short assessment, and register for a test at one of the many Prevea Health COVID-19 testing site locations across the state. For a list of locations and more information, please visit: www.prevea.com/COVID19
 
Test results are available within 2 to 4 days on the patient’s MyPrevea account which is safeguarded to ensure patient privacy and confidentiality.
 

About Prevea Health
Founded in Green Bay, Wis. in 1996, Prevea Health is a health care organization that provides high-quality, primary and specialty health care in 80+ locations across Northern, Eastern and Western Wisconsin in clinic and hospital settings. It is partnered with six Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) hospitals across Wisconsin to provide patients a system of highly-coordinated care, close to home: HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay; HSHS St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan; HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls; HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire; and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls. For more information, visit www.prevea.com.

Wisconsin Logging Museum Welcomes New Director

Eau Claire, WI (February 9, 2021) - The Eau Claire area welcomed Rachel Lange as the new director of the Wisconsin Logging Museum as of January 2021. Ms. Lange has expansive experience in the museum industry along with a Masters of Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Public History and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies. She also did her undergraduate work at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where she played rugby, a hobby she continues to enjoy, along with reading and knitting. Ms. Lange most recently worked at the Pabst Mansion and Guardian Fine Arts Services in Milwaukee.   

In 86 years the Wisconsin Logging Museum has grown from two buildings to a campus of four historic buildings, a machine shed, and an interpretive center. The timber from the Northwoods of Wisconsin not only built towns across Northern Wisconsin but was used to build cities across the United States. In 2019 the Museum began work on converting the machine shed into a 4,000 square foot exhibit space to better put the work of the lumbermen into the context of their time and the impact that industry had in our community, our state, and across the country. The museum has grown beyond the buildings of the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp and so in 2020, the museum became the Wisconsin Logging Museum.
 
Rachel’s fresh eyes and new ideas will bring life to many current planned projects such as a new permanent exhibit as well as bring the Museum into 2021 with new technology, marketing, plans for exciting virtual options, as well as a reopening.

​Women In Law Enforcement In Western Wisconsin On Wisconsin Public Radio’s “The West Side” Feb. 12

Eau Claire, Wis. – The expanding role of women in law enforcement in western Wisconsin will be the subject of “The West Side” at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 12 on The Ideas Network stations of Wisconsin Public Radio: 88.3/Menomonie-Eau Claire and 88.7/River Falls. 
 
Host Dean Kallenbach welcomes Kelly Bakken, chief of police for the City of Altoona; Colleen Etzbach, program director and associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout Criminal Justice Department; Heather Pyka, program director and reentry coordinator at the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office; and Riley McLennan, public information officer for the Eau Claire Police Department.
The Eau Claire Police Department made news last month when it sent out its first all-female patrol shift. Yet nationwide, fewer than 13% of all law enforcement officers are female. The program will explore the impact female officers have on their departments and their communities.
“The West Side” is broadcast each Friday at 10 a.m. on The Ideas Network stations 88.3/Menomonie-Eau Claire and 88.7/River Falls and via an online live stream on 88.7 WRFW-FM via wrfw887.com/listen-live.html. Listeners may call in with questions and comments during the program at (800) 228-5615. Archives of “The West Side” are available at wpr.org/programs/west-side.
  
About Wisconsin Public Radio
 
For over 100 years, Wisconsin Public Radio has served the people of Wisconsin with quality news, music, talk and entertainment. On air, online and in the community - we work for Wisconsin. WPR is a service of the Educational Communications Board and University of Wisconsin-Madison. Listen, learn more and donate at www.wpr.org.

​Dr. Deborah Kerr Has Largest Fundraising Haul of any Candidate in Recent Public Filing

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CALEDONIA - Dr. Deborah Kerr, candidate for Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction, today issued the following statement regarding her strong fundraising numbers in the most recent public filing:

“Democrats, Republicans, and Independents from across our state are with us, and that’s because they believe in our message: there’s no room for politics in education.

“When I first announced my candidacy, I made it clear that I would bring everyone to the table to have discussions about how to move our state forward. And it’s the same way I will be as State Superintendent.

“Our coalition stretches far and wide. From Kenosha to Eau Claire, Janesville to Green Bay, and everywhere in between, we're transcending traditional party lines and building a base of Wisconsinites who are ready for real action to achieve true equity. That’s why I’m honored to say that, of the seven candidates running in this election, our campaign raised the most money for the filing period of January 1 through February 1 - $28,229.

“It's no secret that working with both parties is nontraditional, but it's the only way we can truly create the world-class education system that Wisconsin deserves. For too long we've put party and ideology above what's best. But our campaign is bringing people together on this single issue so we can focus on the coming years ahead.

“The people who are funding our campaign are Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. There has been no greater honor than to be able to bring people together and work toward a higher goal rather than partisan politics. With your support, we can do what's best for our kids because there's no room for politics in education.”

​Dr. Deborah Kerr has 40 years of experience in education, having spent 21 years as superintendent of rural and suburban districts. She proudly served for 13 years as Superintendent of Brown Deer Schools, a majority-minority district with 80% students of color and 50% in poverty. She is the Co-Chair of the UW System Task Force and past President of National and State Superintendent Associations. She is running to be the Wisconsin State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The primary election is Tuesday, February 16, 2021. For more information, visit kerr4kids.com Authorized by Kerr For Wisconsin Kids​


​New president and CEO named at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital

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​EAU CLAIRE, WIS. – HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, Wis. has named Andy Barth, MHA, as the next president and CEO. He will begin serving in this role on March 29, 2021.
 
Mr. Barth is a Wisconsin native who has worked in health care organizations serving Wisconsin, Indiana, and Colorado, including key markets in Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Denver, and most recently in central Wisconsin at Aspirus Health.
 
In his role at Aspirus Health, he has served as president and chief executive officer for the northeastern Wisconsin region with additional assignments across the system and southern region. While at Aspirus, Mr. Barth has overseen the development and implementation of regional strategy and operating plans to enhance patient care. He is credited for advancing key measures across mission, quality, service, people, growth, and finance initiatives.  He has an extensive background in hospital and ambulatory management, physician alignment and strategy, and operational excellence which is valuable experience to bring to his new role at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital.

“I am truly grateful to be welcomed into such a united mission to serve across the Franciscan Order, HSHS and Sacred Heart,” Mr. Barth said.  “The dedication to the ministry of St. Francis and commitment to Sacred Heart’s heritage of care in Eau Claire and the surrounding communities is why I am excited to join this expansive and talented team. I am honored for the opportunity to serve during these unprecedented times and help shape the next chapter in the history of Sacred Heart.” 
 
Mr. Barth has a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Healthcare Administration and Informatics from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Master of Health Administration from the University of Iowa.
 
Mr. Barth and his family are avid outdoor enthusiasts and enjoy exploring by ski, bike, and foot.  Andy and his wife have three children and are very excited to join the Eau Claire community.
 
Mr. Barth will be replacing Sandy Anderson, who graciously served as interim president and CEO at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital for the past year. 
 
About HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital
HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the Founding Institute, and it is an affiliate of Hospital Sisters Health System. Since 1889, it has been meeting patient needs in western Wisconsin with the latest medical innovations and technology, together with a Franciscan whole-person healing tradition.

About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our physician practices and 15 local hospitals in two states - Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries,  and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.


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101 N Farwell St, Ste 101
Eau Claire, WI 54703
 Phone: (715) 834-1204
Fax: (715) 834-1956
​information@eauclairechamber.org 
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101 N. Farwell Street - Suite 101, Eau Claire, WI 54703
Phone: (715) 834-1204 |  Fax: (715) 834-1956  |   information@eauclairechamber.org
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