Welcome to the Eau Claire Chamber Blog

At HeatherWood, we believe that elderhood is a time of growth.  We offer a vision of growing older that demonstrates how our elder years can be the best, richest, most meaningful time of our lives.  We believe you can begin this adventure whatever your age, physical or cognitive condition.

Here, it is easy to get to know others as you become part of a neighborhood of friends, companions and community members.  Staff and residents care for one another interdependently.  You and your family members will have peace of mind knowing that each person's needs are met: physically, socially, spiritually and emotionally.  We are more than an assisted living community - we are a family caring for on another.

​Thank you for your interest in HeatherWood Assisted Living and Memory Care.  We are honored to serve and care for the elder generation and we embrace and seek what they can teach and give back to us in their friendships and wisdom.

If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us any time at 715.552.5511 or visit our website.  We look forward to getting to know you and your family. 

​Atmosphere Commercial Interiors partners with clients to design and furnish spaces that are easy to manage, affordable, provide places for communities to grow, and support individual needs. Our solutions can also help resolve common workplace issues such as employee engagement, technology changes, and workforce diversity.
 
Workplace issues provide a unique opportunity to learn more about our clients’ corporate cultures and organizational purpose. We use this information during the design and specification process to ensure that the workplace creates conditions for success.

​Leading by Example
 
Our journey through this process recently resulted in a fully renovated headquarters WORKLAB in downtown Minneapolis and refreshed our showrooms in Madison and DePere. We redesigned the spaces using a Best Place strategy that accommodates our unique need to move throughout varied spaces several times per day.
 
Our business centers around teams and partnerships, and we need to transition fluidly between creative and collaborative work. “Our WORKLABs provide the ability to move between individual time and collaborative time, having that rhythm between coming together to think about a problem, and then taking time to allow those ideas to mature,” says Carlene Wilson, President and CEO.
 
As we were re-thinking our spaces, we applied the same tools and methods we use with our clients – meaning a focus that is first and foremost about the user’s experience. We analyzed our team members’ informal networks, gauged employee satisfaction with their current work environment using surveys and sought input on the workspaces needed now and in the future.
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“We believe organizations can increase engagement and drive growth by providing thoughtfully curated destinations designed to fuel creativity and innovation. Our WORKLABs showcase how people and the physical environment are enriched by purpose, and how a culture of creativity can give organizations a competitive edge,” says Wilson.

​We Blurred the Edges
 
Throughout our WORKLABs you’ll find art, ergonomic furniture and biophilia to stimulate employee wellness, and innovative technology that invites collaboration. The overall aesthetic of the spaces relies heavily on the resimercial trend, which ‘blurs the edges of the traditional office to create places people love to work,’ a concept championed by Steelcase.
 
The Only Constant is Change
 
Collaboration and creativity are critical to giving organizations the edge they need to stay competitive in today’s business environment. Disruptors such as technology and mobility, and issues such as a lack of employee engagement are challenging leaders to lead in new ways.
 
The new generation of workers places a premium on choice and control, mobility, and making connections online and offline. Our clients want their spaces to channel their brand and unique benefits to encourage engagement, and support recruiting efforts yet be resilient against the fluidity of the business landscape, headcount shifts and evolving generational differences.
 
Experiment and Flourish
 
Our new WORKLABs are designed to reflect Atmosphere’s culture and brand. The spaces feel truly shared by all inhabitants, creating a sense of access to leaders, and providing a feeling of community support, where co-workers are encouraged to interact regardless of discipline.
 
Future-Proofed
 
To accommodate diverse work modes, Atmosphere enacted a resilient real estate strategy, transitioning to a 50/50 split between Resident and Nomadic desking. People are encouraged to work wherever they feel most productive. This approach conveys the cultural support for experimentation, creativity, and innovation needed to drive the business forward.

Smart Space
 
Occupancy tools were added as a resource to help team members easily locate open workspaces. A real-time sensor system is connected to monitors that display maps of occupied and unoccupied areas, which are used to study usage patterns and analyze underutilized workspaces. “Putting data behind office occupancy ratios will allow us to increase operational efficiency,” says Jason Lund, Director, Information Technology.
 
“Using objective occupancy data to understand usage trends in a client’s workspace allows us to quickly identify opportunities and propose solutions that will make their space more cost-effective and their teams more efficient. The potential savings for our clients are huge, as our analysis of this data paired with our team’s insights into solving workplace issues helps us both identify and prioritize solutions with the greatest potential ROI in real estate costs and the engagement + productivity of their teams.”
 
Integrated Technology
 
Atmosphere also provided WiFi access throughout our facilities, dual monitors for high task-oriented work, and installed Microsoft Surface Hubs which allow employees to be creative and collaborate on the fly.
 
Connect the Dots
 
Atmosphere embraced the shift from conventional to creative to give our team members an inspiring work environment that fosters collaboration and innovative thinking, and connects the dots between our people, place, and purpose.
 
Contact our team in Eau Claire to learn how we can discover, plan, and deliver the right solution for your space and your organization.
 
Bonnie Krahn
bonnie.krahn@atmosphereci.com
715.379.2073
 
Laura Kegel
laura.kegel@atmosphereci.com
920.593.9441
 
About Atmosphere Commercial Interiors
 
For over 60 years, Atmosphere Commercial Interiors has partnered with leading organizations to create inspiring, high performing workspaces. We are proud to serve organizations around the globe of every size, from start-up to Fortune 500, and across corporate, healthcare, education, and hospitality industries. In addition, our focus on innovation and inspired solutions guides our partnerships with architecture and design, real estate and development, and technology industries.
 
With Steelcase, a global leader in workplace products and research, our comprehensive portfolio of products and services brings our clients’ spaces to life. In recognition of our ability to deliver the highest quality products, services and client experience, we are pleased to be a multi-year recipient of the distinguished Steelcase Platinum Partner Award.
 
Headquartered in Minneapolis, with offices in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Arizona, we are embedded deeply in our communities and passionate about providing world-class workspaces.
 
www.atmosphereci.com
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​“I’m alive today because of the treatment I received at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital.”

Those words from Lisa, a recent cancer care patient from Eau Claire, are ones that guide Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) Sacred Heart Hospital colleagues to provide quality and respectful care daily.
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Health care is dynamic. However, one thing remains the same – your health care is yours. You can choose your doctor and you can choose your hospital. HSHS Sacred Heart is here to guide the community through that process. When you entrust your health care to the HSHS family of dedicated and qualified team members, you can be assured that team will listen to provide care centered around your needs. That’s something HSHS has been doing for nearly 130 years, since the hospital sisters crossed the ocean from Germany and then traveled by horse and buggy to Illinois and Wisconsin to establish hospitals.

Exciting developments are currently happening throughout the hospital.
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Soon the newly renovated Prevea Cancer Center at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital will open to provide even more individualized treatments and support to those undergoing unfamiliar and uncertain times in their lives. Colleagues go to any length to make the reality of cancer easier to understand. Nurses, doctors and support staff work to take the worry out of chemotherapy and radiation.

“They made me feel like a person, not a number, and the assistance I received took away the stress and burden so I could focus on my health,” said Lisa.

The hospital is proud of its accreditation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer – an accreditation it has held for more than 50 years. In partnership with Prevea Health, a multispecialty provider group working with the hospital, the renovated Prevea Cancer Center at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital will be complete in September.

Outstanding care will continue through innovative technology, specialized treatments and enhanced services.
Georgia Smith, Executive Director of the Prevea Cancer Center at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital says cancer care is not just about medical care.

“From disease-specific support groups, to art therapy, music therapy, journaling and more, patients can choose whatever helps them undergo treatment,” she said. “Our oncology RN navigators, professional counselors, social workers and financial advocates are also here to assist with the complexities of cancer care, family dynamics and insurance questions. These services are provided for free because it’s just what we do.”

An expanded cancer center is just one of several exciting enhancements the hospital is proud to present to the community.
A beautiful, newly upgraded Women and Infants Center is now open. The birth of a baby is deeply personal. The nationally certified team of nurses and care providers feel the time spent at the hospital should also be personal. That’s why new birthing suites are accommodating families more than ever.

Birthing hammocks help ease the pain of labor. Aromatherapy can calm the senses. Hydrotherapy tubs can be used for pre-labor and are also built for the delivery experience if moms choose a water birth. Being comfortable may mean connecting to the built-in sound system to play mom’s favorite music. The rooms are now larger as well to accommodate more family members, including a sofa sleeper so mom’s number one coach can always be close.

​Perhaps the most exciting feature of the new Women and Infants Center is the rooms themselves. Equipped with the comforts of home, and the birthing needs, rooms are designed to host every part of labor, including delivery, recovery and post-partum care. Gone are the days of wheeling mom into a second room for delivery, then another room for recovery, and yet a third room, a nursery, for newborns. Today, HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital allows families to stay together in one room to bond through the entire birth journey.
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HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital’s mission is to provide healing love for all people through high-quality Franciscan health care ministry. Taking care of you and your loved ones to the very best of our ability is the hospital’s focus. Colleagues, community advocates and hospital volunteers hope you choose HSHS for 24/7 health care.

​While Xcel Energy didn’t get its current name until 2000, customers in the Eau Claire area have been relying on the company for more than a century to provide safe, reliable electricity and natural gas to fuel growth in the Chippewa Valley.

Xcel Energy is a recognized industry leader in delivering renewable energy and in reducing carbon and other emissions, efforts that have put us on a path to a more sustainable energy future. Through a growing range of innovative solutions, we continue to empower our customers with industry-leading options and energy alternatives to support their goals and objectives.

​In a rapidly changing industry, we are taking a smart and thoughtful approach to how we produce and deliver energy, looking for better ways to serve our customers and ensure we are Leading the Energy Future. 

​Today, Xcel Energy powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern States – including 250,000 electricity and 109,000 natural gas customers in Wisconsin.
 
Our commitment starts with the basics — customers can count on us 24/7 to be there with safe, reliable and affordable energy. But, what we provide goes much deeper than that.
From our annual Day of Service to volunteering at food banks and schools, our employees, retirees and their families have a strong commitment to volunteer work. 

Xcel Energy National Recognition

• One of 37 companies named to Military Times' Best for Vets Index
• Recognized for two consecutive years by the Human Rights Campaign as a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality, achieving 100 points on the Corporate Equality Index
• Among Corporate Responsibility Magazine's 100 Best Corporate Citizens
• Honored on the Forbes' Global 2000 list of Top Regarded Companies
• Recognized with the Edison Electric Institute's Emergency Recovery Award for outstanding storm restoration efforts
  
  

For more information, visit our website at xcelenergy.com or check out our blog. 

The Aging & Disability Resource Center of Eau Claire County (ADRC) staff is celebrating our 10-year Anniversary serving Eau Claire County! Located at 721 Oxford Ave we are easy to find; our office is right off the main entrance. Encourage anyone to come and visit!

Our mission is to help people ago 60+ and adults with disabilities secure needed services or benefits, live with dignity and security and achieve maximum independence and quality of life.

The Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is a grant program through the Federal Department of Health & Human Services Administration on Aging, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the State of Wisconsin Department of Health Services. The grant program was developed to assist states in their efforts to create a single, coordinated system of information and access for all persons seeking long-term care support to minimize confusion, enhance individual choice and support informed decision-making.

There are no income requirements to utilize the services of the ADRC. ADRC's assist anyone age 60 and over as well as adults age 18-59 with disabilities. ADRC services are also available to family members, friends, caregivers and professionals working with these populations.

Website
Facebook Page

The incredible ADRC staff is knowledgeable on a wide array of resources including: 

• Information, Assistance and Long Term Care Options
• Counseling Information about housing, transportation, supportive home care and much more.
• ​Payment options including public funding.

​Associated Bank is the largest bank headquartered in Wisconsin, distinguished by consistent, quality customer experiences, built upon a strong commitment to our colleagues and the communities we serve. Personal service is our guiding principle, from providing products that meet and exceed individual customer needs, to doing the “little things” that make your experience with Associated a special one.
 
Associated offers a full range of banking services and other financial products and services:


CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL SPECIALTY

• Commercial lending solutions
• Commercial real estate lending solutions
• Deposit and cash management solutions
• Specialized financial services such as interest rate risk management, foreign exchange solutions and commodity hedging

COMMUNITY, CONSUMER AND BUSINESS

• Residential mortgage, home equity loans and other consumer lending solutions
• Business lending solutions
• Deposit and transactional solutions
• Investable funds solutions
• Insurance and benefits-related products and services
• Fiduciary services

 
Associated Bank, as we know it today, is the result of many mergers and acquisitions. The roots of our founding banks run deep in our communities. One of the most recent and notable is the merger with Bank Mutual, which was completed on June 25. As Associated Bank and Bank Mutual have become one company, Associated Bank has expanded into nearly a dozen additional communities, significantly enhancing our market presence in Western Wisconsin.
 
There are now six Associated Bank locations in the Chippewa Valley.
 
We have a longstanding commitment to strengthening our communities. From personalized service and customized financial solutions to corporative giving and employee volunteerism, we seek to make life better for all members of the communities in which we serve. Throughout our 157-year history, Associated Bank has been proud to plan an active role in helping our communities grow and prosper. Through our financial support, colleague volunteers and partnerships with nonprofit organizations, we work to help revitalize and strengthen our communities.
 
Associated Bank colleagues serve the local Chippewa Valley communities through a number of organizations including:

• Junior Achievement – we sponsor Lakeshore Elementary school’s curriculum and have 12 volunteers in 15 schools across the market. Ben Jaenke, assistant branch manager at the Clairemont Festival Foods in Eau Claire, has volunteered with Junior Achievement for the past four years. Each year, he spends time in the same second grade classroom at Altoona Elementary School, teaching students about Associated Bank and the services we provide in our community. Jaenke also taught the kids about how money is made, how it travels through the community and why we pay taxes.

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• Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) – Colleagues brought financial education to dozens of students at CVTC during Money Smart Week®. Taking place during Financial Literacy Month in April, this national initiative focuses on helping consumers better manage their personal finances. Theresa O’Neel, market manager, Associated Bank, said colleagues have previously partnered with CVTC to present in classes or participate on panels to teach entrepreneurship and business financials to students.
• Eau Claire Chamber Young Professionals Week – sponsored by Associated Bank.

 
In addition, Lambeau Field Live, a traveling exhibit from the Green Bay Packers presented by Associated Bank will make a stop at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair July 11-15 in Chippewa Falls. Fans visiting Lambeau Field Live can enjoy Play 60 activities, alumni meet-and-greets, a satellite Packers Pro Shop and Packers Hall of Fame, a Lambeau Leap wall and a one-of-a-kind virtual reality display. Associated Bank has been the Bank of the Packers since 1919.

ABOUT OUR FIRM
Since 1948, Market & Johnson has been providing Western Wisconsin with quality construction services. Our firm was founded on three basic principles, quality, dedication, and integrity. It is these same principles that have allowed Market & Johnson to grow and become one of the most respected contractors in the state.
 
Company History
Market & Johnson had operated as a family business until early 2001 when Dan Market offered ownership opportunities to four key employees, Steve Breitenfeldt, Ron Dulitz, Gary Carlson, and Don Carlson (all have since retired). Together they had over 150 years of combined construction experience and became involved with the day to day management of the firm. This new ownership team maintained our small town family atmosphere and added many years worth of experiences to it. In 2004, Jerry Shea also became a partner in ownership and in January 2012, Mike Seichter, Kevin Renley, and Jason Plante joined the ownership team.

Our mission statement, Adding Value to Everything We Do is the guiding policy that influences all our services. When you are engaged with the Market & Johnson project management team, you will find a group of professionals that will lead you through every step of the construction process. Our team of professionals will provide the highest quality services from start to finish such as:
 
The firm’s business philosophy is simple; we are in the business of building relationships. These relationships are based on trust, honesty, commitment to excellence, and a sincere desire to satisfy every one of our clients. We work together as a team with the owner and architect to make sure every project exceeds our expectations. Our firm has shown steady growth since we were established over 70 years ago; today Market & Johnson has an annual volume of approximately $300 million and operates offices in three locations—Eau Claire and La Crosse, Wisconsin and Oakdale, Minnesota. We employ over 400 field professionals that have the ability to perform concrete, masonry, carpentry, and steel erection. Our professional staff includes estimating, scheduling, LEED AP professionals, structural engineer, BIM coordinator, accounting/tax savings leader, as well as all project support staff.

Our markets include Industrial Manufacturing, Healthcare, Education, Governmental, Food Processing, Commercial & Retail, Frac Sand, Senior Living, and Religious.
 
Construction Management Expertise
Over 90% of our work is providing cost effective solutions by utilizing our construction management tools and resources. Once the referendum has passed, our professionals will take the lead in ensuring a cost effective project is developed, maximize the bidding opportunities for area subs, manage all construction activities and drive the schedule, quality and project safety on site. No other firm will provide a more hands-on approach to managing your project.

Cost Estimating
All projects, large or small, operate within a finite budget. Compromise, creativity, cost- cutting, and value judgments are a normal part of the design process. Finding the balance between creative design, quality appearance, durable construction, and value comes with experience and practice. Helping our clients make value judgments starts at the programming phase and endures until the building’s grand opening day and beyond. Our team has the unique ability to provide accurate preliminary estimates, backed up by a proven track record of creating project efficiencies resulting in real cost savings.

Bid Solicitation
Our philosophy is to assure you that all capable subcontractors, equipment providers, and material suppliers are knowledgeable of your project and invited to bid on their respective divisions of work. We utilize the various Builders Exchanges, Dodge Reporting Service, Market & Johnson’s own in-house “Bid Notification Software,” and direct phone contacts. As design nears completion, an appropriate list of bidders is identified, pre-qualified, and recommended.

Buying Power
As the area’s leader, Market & Johnson purchasing power from subcontractors and material suppliers is unmatched in the industry. This buying power is evident in not only our competitiveness but also our record of project savings.
Building Information Modeling (BIM). We are experienced and have the capabilities to do 3D Modeling, in fact, we often utilize 3D modeling on many of our projects and have found it to be a useful tool during planning and design, as well as during construction.
 
Value Engineering
As your construction expert, we will work closely with the project team to evaluate and develop different options, alternatives, and ideas on the best way to cost effectively complete your project. A building project is designed with hundreds of options to accomplish the project goals. Our role is to identify those options, provide accurate up front and life-cycle costing and allow the team to make educated decisions. We manage that process throughout the entire project, not just during the design as many good cost savings opportunities come when actual construction is going as well.

LEED and Green Initiatives
Market & Johnson has been practicing sustainable construction processes for many years. We employ four LEED accredited professionals and have completed dozens of projects that are either certified or are certifiable. We will work closely with the design team to incorporate LEED items that are cost effective and have a realistic payback period. We have found in our experience that it is easy to accumulate LEED points, but we pride ourselves in incorporating the items that are providing the largest returns for our clients in the areas of shorter paybacks, lower upfront costs, more durability, and better for long term maintenance.

Project Cost Controls
Controlling project costs is always an owner’s major concern. Our team is always on top of cost controls by performing weekly and monthly reports to compare the budgeted costs to the actual costs. This process acts as a proactive means to red flag any potential problem areas.

Project Scheduling
Market & Johnson is known for completing projects on time by developing realistic schedules and then adhering to them. Our success is a direct result of thorough scheduling and planning up front, and consistent schedule monitoring during all phases.
 
Project Safety
Our full-time safety director leads a very proactive safety program that produces positive results and creates safe projects. Our safety program is based on continual training, on-site evaluation, site specific plans and a motivational incentive plan. Preplaning is also a major component of our program. By proper planning, we can create plans for those activities that possess a safety risk. We then can develop a specific training for that activity ahead of time.

Project Communication
Market & Johnson has developed a tool that is web-based, available 24 hours a day and is easy for clients, subcontractors, and architects to use. Our system provides access to all project data, schedule, budgets, RFI, PR, meeting minutes.

Project Close Out
The project close-out phase may seem rather small when compared to the scope of your entire project, but we feel very strongly that this phase is vitally important to bringing a project to a satisfactory completion. Our team will work diligently to accomplish items such as punch list items, system start-up, and testing, and explore potential extended warranties.
As an added precaution, an Eleventh Month Inspection will be completed where our team will review the entire project, looking for anything that may fall within the minimum one-year warranty period. This time frame allows us the opportunity to make any needed corrections and have them fall within the minimum one-year warranty period.

EC Moving & Storage, Inc. ,  Atlas interstate agent
 
EC Moving & Storage, originally Eau Claire Moving and Storage, has been in the area assisting families and businesses since 1988.  This will be their 30th year here in Eau Claire!
 
They pride themselves in Customer service and strive daily to make relocation and storage needs easy for all.  With over 100 years of experience in our office alone they can help with any logistical, storage or relocation challenges you may have.  
 
EC Moving & Storage performs local, long distance and international moves and is a stockholding agent of Atlas World Group.  From helping move furniture to get new flooring in your home to moving to Germany they can assist and help with the stress of moving.
 
EC Moving & Storage also has warehousing and delivery services to fit the needs of everyone.  From remodel projects small and large to daily deliveries to solve your space and logistics needs they can help.
 
At their facilities, they also have a large records management division to track and store data for companies of all sizes.  With scanning capabilities in house and our bar coding software let them manage your records and create space and efficiency for your office. 
 
If you have a relocation, storage or logistical need for yourself or your business please give them a call.
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www.ecmoving.com​

​Marshfield Medical Center – Eau Claire is a fully integrated medical campus that will provide comprehensive inpatient and outpatient health care to residents in the Chippewa Valley. The campus is located at the corner of Clairemont Avenue and Craig Road in Eau Claire.
 
Advanced care hospital
The 44-bed, full-service hospital will include a wide-range of advanced care services, including:

• Interventional catheterization and cardiovascular surgery.
• Advanced spine surgery.
• Pulmonary and critical care medicine with full respiratory and vent capabilities.
• Comprehensive women’s and infant care program.
• Full scope of general and orthopedic surgery services.
• 24/7 emergency department staffed by fellowship-trained and board-certified or board-eligible emergency medicine physicians.
• Comprehensive cancer care services including inpatient and outpatient care.
• Inpatient and outpatient physical therapy, rehabilitation and occupational therapy.

 
Marshfield Clinic Cancer Care – Eau Claire
In addition to hospital inpatient care, Marshfield Clinic Cancer Center – Eau Claire Cancer Center, which opened in 2017, offers comprehensive outpatient adult and pediatric cancer care to Chippewa Valley residents.  The center includes the same familiar faces –nurses, staff and physicians you’ve gotten to know and trust in a modern facility featuring cutting edge technology, treatment modalities and access to National Cancer Institute clinical research trials not available through other cancer programs in the area.  As a patient within Marshfield Clinic Health System’s integrated system of care, you will continue to have access to our full spectrum of subspecialists, genetic resources, stem-cell transplant, gamma-knife and specialty pharmacy services that coordinate and compliment the care we provide here in the Chippewa Valley. 
 
Marshfield Clinic – Eau Claire Center
More than 150 physicians and other health care professionals provide outpatient care in more than 35 primary and specialty care area including:

• Audiology
• Cardiology
• Bariatric Surgery
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology
• Ear Nose Throat - Otolaryngology
• Internal Medicine
• Gastroenterology
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Orthopedics
• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Pain Management
• Pediatrics
• Plastic Surgery
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Rheumatology
• Sleep Medicine
• Spine Care (or Surgery)
• Sports Medicine/Physical Medicine
• Urgent Care
• Urology

 
Eau Claire Physical Therapy Center
​​​​​​​​​​Eau Claire Physical Therapy Center has 12,000 square feet of space to accommodate an array of physical therapy services, including general outpatient orthopedics, sports therapy, women’s health, industrial and vestibular rehabilitation, lymphedema and sports performance and conditioning programs.   
 
Comfort and Recovery Suites – Eau Claire
 Comfort and Recovery Suites - Eau Claire is a licensed skilled nursing facility that offers restful, comfortable recovery from surgery or a procedure for patients. Service includes 24-hour access to care and medical staff, including physicians and nurses. Patients typically spend three to five days recovering from surgery and other medical conditions needing short term rehabilitation.  The facility offers patients a place they can rest comfortably in private rooms, like suites, with their families for exceptional recovery.
 
Marshfield Clinic Health System’s goal is to improve outcomes and the patient’s experience while making care more affordable over time for the Chippewa Valley.We are advancing that effort by completing Marshfield Medical Center – Eau Claire, a fully unified medical campus with the new hospital opening this summer. 
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Please join us for a community tour of the hospital on June 14th from 4-7pm. The tour is self-guided and includes several stopping points of interest and education throughout the hospital. No registration is required. 
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As much as she’d like to forget it, Sept. 15, 2016, is a day Julie George will never be able to erase from her memory.
The Eau Claire woman’s 21-year-old son, Dylan Walling, was riding his motorcycle on state Highway 93 en route to his grandmother’s house in Eleva when the unimaginable occurred.

A slow-moving manure spreader had caused a traffic backup. Walling, wearing a helmet but traveling an estimated 79 mph at the time, passed three cars before colliding with the farm vehicle as it began to turn left into a field. The right side of his body took the impact, leaving him seriously injured with a kidney laceration, liver split in two, head injury, right femur fracture, right forearm fracture, right ankle injury, collapsed lung, broken foot, torn heel pad and toes broken so severely that he almost severed them.

“It was literally the worst day of my life,” says George, fighting back tears.

Walling was transported by Mayo One helicopter to nearby Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, a Level II trauma center, where he remained for the next month — the first 10 days in a coma.

Doctors quickly assessed the severity of Walling’s injuries and determined his probability of survival to be just 20 percent. His most life-threatening injury was his liver, and the 2013 Elk Mound High School graduate advanced to the operating room within 14 minutes of his arrival to the hospital.

“Dylan had a total of 14 different surgical procedures over the course of about two weeks, most of them in the first couple of days,” explains David Ciresi, M.D., a general and trauma surgeon, and trauma medical director in Eau Claire. “The initial one that we did was to open his abdomen up, in what we call a laparotomy, to control the bleeding from his liver.”
Dr. Ciresi performed three of Walling’s surgeries — two on his abdomen and one on his trachea — and was 1 of 40 providers in a variety of disciplines to care for Walling during his hospitalization. Dr. Ciresi doubts Walling would have survived had he not come to a multidisciplinary, defined trauma center.

“No way, no how. He would’ve been dead within an hour and a half,” Dr. Ciresi says. “It was because of the coordination of care, and the multitude of different treatments that we have to offer that he survived and did as well as he did.”

A plastic surgeon was brought in for an intraoperative consult early on, when it was still unknown whether Walling’s right leg would need to be amputated. Doctors debated whether the limb could be salvaged or, in light of his infections, fever and other medical issues, the safest course was to remove it.

Following his month-long critical care hospitalization at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, he spent three weeks rehabilitating at another Eau Claire hospital. Later, a two-step surgical procedure was used to apply a skin substitute over Walling’s exposed bone and tendons to create a dermis or deeper layer of the skin. The substitute is covered by a silicone bilayer that stayed on for four weeks, after which time the wound was healed enough to put a skin graft over the area to further cover and repair it.

He received weekly physical and occupational therapy and, according to his care team, has made remarkable progress and is expected to make a full recovery.

“I feel pretty good,” says Walling, who remembers only a small portion of the day of his crash and only segments of his hospitalization. “I’m walking; not like normal, but I’m walking with very little pain.”

George marvels at how far her son has come and says she’ll be forever thankful to his medical team.

“They were completely amazing, and the nursing care that he received was phenomenal,” she says. “For how unbearable the situation was, they just made it so much easier to get through. They not only took care of Dylan, but they took care of the family.”