Welcome to the Eau Claire Chamber Blog

Five Star Telecom has been a trusted local provider for over 40 years. "We’re Your Connection" is more than a slogan, it’s a promise – our promise that we will connect you to the best services in the industry.
 
We develop strong relationships and provided solutions to our clients and friends with unique services.

Join us on Wednesday, March 20th from 3pm-5pm at the Florian Gardens Conference Center for our Cloud Migration event.
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​Networking Social Hour will follow with food and beverages.
Register for this event at www.5startel.com 
We will see you there!

The best in community banking from a local institution.  Making More Possible.  

At CCFBank, we strive to:

• Make more possible for our customers by developing personal relationships and meeting your financial objectives;
• be your trustworthy partner to provide financial products and solutions;
• provide financial education for the communities we serve.

United Bank is merging with CCFBank.  The combined organization will make your banking experience even better.  

​PASSIONATE ABOUT WELLNESS AND PERSONALIZED CARE
We’re dedicated to bringing you the highest quality of health care and a personalized approach to managing your wellness. Our patient-centered style of care empowers you with the resources to become a strong advocate for your own health and make decisions with your health care provider.
 
FIND US IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
We offer a broad range of primary and specialty health care services with locations in Altoona, Arcadia, Augusta, Chippewa Falls, Cornell, Eau Claire, Ladysmith, Menomonie, Mondovi and Rice Lake. For a complete list of medical specialties and providers, visit prevea.com. We are also a proud partner of HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls.
 
THE RIGHT CARE AT THE RIGHT TIME
It’s easy to access our services when you need them. Need to schedule an appointment for a routine exam or with a specialist? Call (888) 277-3832 or schedule your appointment with select providers at prevea.com. Maybe you are looking for a new doctor. No problem. We’ll guide you through the process.   

As a better way to serve you, visit prevea.com/urgentcare to check out our estimated wait times or “save your spot” by making an online reservation.

​Prevea Care After Hours
If you have an injury, illness or medical question after our health center is closed, use Prevea Care After Hours. It’s a 24-hour phone service staffed by our experienced medical professionals who will answer your medical questions after our health centers are closed. Call (888) 277-3832

​Rhom Construction LLC has been serving Northwestern Wisconsin with superior commercial construction services since 2004.  Our company values of dedication, integrity and honesty play a significant role and are the roots of success for Rhom Construction.  We are locally owned and managed by Nicholas Mohr.

​Some recently completed and current projects are: Celebration of Life Center, Prevea-Rice Lake & Ladysmith, CCF Bank, EC Super Wash, Fairfax Pool, Toppers, Cardinal Glass, McDonalds-Spooner, Black River, Merrill & Turtle Lake, Church of Notre Dame, Chippewa Falls Fire Station, Northside Pet Hospital, and many area schools

​The past few years, we have been very fortunate to grow our business within the Chippewa Valley.  Our completed projects range from public works to private entities including government, education, retail and businesses. Watch for our trucks and trailers around the Chippewa Valley​!

Mission Statement: ​“Rhom Construction LLC provides commercial construction services that focus on dedication, integrity and honesty.  Our professionals utilize their strong work ethic, powerful communication skills and trade knowledge to create a professional environment & satisfaction to all customers”
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Check us out on Facebook, LinkedIn and www.rhomconstruction.com

​The Alliance offers network savings and access for self-funded employers

For employers who self-fund their health benefits, The Alliance represents network savings and access, solved.
The Alliance is a not-for profit cooperative of more than 240 organizations who self-fund their health plan through our extensive network of providers in Wisconsin, northern Illinois and eastern Iowa. Member organizations range in size from 60 to 8,700 employees, with an average of about 400 employees.
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The Alliance was founded in 1990 by seven Madison-area employers looking for solutions to their rising health care costs. Together, they created a cooperative that continues to take aim at the health benefit issues dragging down the bottom line.
Today, members save an average of 39 percent and buy $780 million in health care in a 12-month period.

Expanding Network of Providers in Your Area
The Alliance network is a flexible platform that allows employers to innovate and customize based on their priorities and needs. Our approach varies by region because each community is unique.
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Within the Chippewa Valley we have more than 75 health systems to offer organizations in that area for their health care benefit needs. The Alliance network includes:

• HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital
• Marshfield Clinic
• HSHS St Joseph’s Hospital
• Prevea Health‘s Western Division
• OakLeaf Surgical Hospital
• And many more.

Overall, The Alliance network includes about 120 hospitals, 500 chiropractic clinics, 10,000 doctors and 5,500 medical clinics. To view a full list of in-network providers, visit the-alliance.org and click on Find a Doctor.   

​Alliance Membership Benefits 
The Alliance also offers employers:

• Educational Events: Training and insights to create better health benefits and better health for your employees.
• Bundled Pricing & Steerage: Opportunities to steer employees to high-quality care for surgeries and tests with bundled pricing and warranties through QualityPath® and other network providers, including Twin Cities Orthopedics in Minnesota and NOVO Health in Appleton, Wis.
• Vendor Partnerships: Strategic partnerships – for pharmacy, dental, vision, workers’ compensation and more – add value to your health benefits.
• Flexibility: You can design a plan to match the needs of your employees and your organization.
• Support: A dedicated team of self-funding experts are available to answer your questions and guide you to self-funding success. 

The Aging & Disability Resource Center of Eau Claire County (ADRC) staff is celebrating 10 years 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 age 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.

Visit ADRC's website
ADRC on Facebook

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
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October is Co-op Month
Eau Claire Energy Cooperative engages members and the public
Since the first member home and farm was energized in 1938, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative has encouraged Co-op consumer-members to be engaged in their co-op and the communities they live in. They currently do this through many programs including energy efficiency incentives, Focus on Energy, Evergreen and MemberSolar programs as well as their elected Board of Directors, volunteer Member Advisory Council and high school Youth Ambassador Program.
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In addition, every two years during the election cycle since 2002, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative has organized the Candidates Energy Forum which features a panel of area state legislative candidates. Sixteen Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly candidates from the surrounding Chippewa Valley have been invited to participate. The event is co-sponsored by Eau Claire Energy Cooperative, Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce, Eau Claire Economic Development Corporation and the Chippewa Valley Home Builders Association. It’s the cooperative way! Please join us at The Florian Gardens on Wednesday, October 3. Refreshments will be available and the public is invited.

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.