CVHC acquires former St. Joseph’s Hospital, opening fall

July 21, 2025

CHIPPEWA FALLS – The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative (CVHC) has purchased the former St. Joseph’s Hospital building in Chippewa Falls from Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS). 

Robert Krause, chair of CVHC’s board of directors, said the facility – now named Chippewa Valley Cooperative Hospital – will serve as an interim campus while CVHC constructs its permanent state-of-the-art hospital in Lake Hallie, scheduled to open by early 2028. 

“This acquisition represents hope returning to our community,” he said. “We’re moving aggressively to close the healthcare gaps that have plagued the Chippewa Valley since HSHS departed, ensuring residents no longer face dangerous delays or long-distance transfers for essential care.”

Krause said the Chippewa Falls campus will begin operations in fall 2025 with select services, expanding to full hospital capabilities by summer 2026 – a timeline that he said will allow CVHC to begin serving patients immediately while securing necessary licensing and certifications. 

“Now that we have the keys, we are fast-tracking that process with the other organizations that need to be involved,” he said. 

The Chippewa Falls facility, Krause said, will employ more than 300 healthcare professionals by spring 2026, representing a significant economic impact for the Chippewa Valley region alongside improved health outcomes. 

Kamal Thapar – MD, Ph.D., board director for CVHC – said the recruitment efforts are in response to the “more than 60,000 patients [who] were left without easy access to hospital services when HSHS exited western Wisconsin.”

“With the Chippewa Falls campus of the Cooperative Hospital opening soon, more and more of these patients will have a ‘hospital home’ if they need one – close to home,” he said. 

While the Chippewa Falls facility addresses immediate community needs, Krause said CVHC’s analysis confirmed that long-term sustainability requires purpose-built infrastructure. 

The former St. Joseph’s building, he said, faces substantial deferred maintenance and design limitations that make it unsuitable as a permanent solution. 

“The cooperative’s Lake Hallie hospital represents our commitment to 21st-century healthcare delivery – modern, efficient and designed specifically for our community’s needs,” he said.

Krause said he, like the rest of the community, looks forward to that facility opening.

“Every day we accelerate this timeline is another day we can serve our neighbors locally rather than watching them travel hours for care that should be available in their own community,” he said.