Gundersen Health System is celebrating another milestone in its pledge to provide care close to home with the dedication of the new Gundersen Tri-County Hospital in Whitehall. The state-of-the-art facility sits on the same site as the previous building on Lincoln Street.
To mark the occasion, hospital officials and local and state leaders will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 15 at the new hospital. Whitehall mayor Jeff Hauser, Independence mayor Robert Baecker, and Trempealeau County Board supervisors Kevin Adams and Jeanne Nutter were all in attendance, as were representatives from Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Rep. Derrick Van Orden’s offices. Following the ceremony, refreshments were served in the hospital’s Parkview Café.
“A ribbon cutting and dedication symbolizes a new beginning,” says Gundersen Tri-County administrator Joni Olson. “With Bellin Health and Gundersen Health Systems coming together, becoming Emplify Health, we continue our mission (our purpose) that together we inspire your best life by relentlessly caring, learning and innovating. We continue our vision (our aspiration) of leading with love as we courageously commit to a future of healthy people and thriving communities. We continue our values (our spirit) by belonging, respect, excellence, accountability, teamwork and humility.
The event is the culmination of a multi-year construction project and nearly six years of planning. The $51 million project broke ground in March 2022, with the first patients being welcomed into the facility on July 24, 2023. Olson calls the new hospital a positive step for rural healthcare, especially in and around Trempealeau County, with a population of about 20,000 in its service area.
“When you live 50 miles from the closest tertiary center, that emergency room care and critical care is of utmost importance,” Olson says. “It’s life-saving, many times.”
The new hospital is double the size of the previous building. It includes 24 beds, upgraded operating rooms, and private pre- and post-op rooms, as well as enhanced emergency room services and two trauma bays. Additionally, a new solar array will eventually provide for 50 percent of the hospital’s energy needs.
“Today, we are here to dedicate this building constructed of steel, concrete and glass – its heart, its essence, its purpose are its people,” Olson says. “The opening of this hospital represents a new chapter and a proud legacy of caring for our patients and local communities.”