Gundersen St. Joseph's receives state economic development grant for new Elroy clinic

The Wisconsin Department of Administration has awarded Gundersen St. Joseph's a $4.2 million healthcare infrastructure grant to go toward a new clinic in downtown Elroy. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers presented leaders with the grant on March 8. It is funded through federal funds given to Wisconsin through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. It's meant to develop healthcare infrastructure, reducing healthcare service disparities in areas disproportionately affected by the pandemic. The Evers administration also gave more than $2 million to the city of Elroy to make downtown infrastructure improvements to support clinic construction. 

The roughly 10,000 square foot downtown clinic replaces the current facility located on the edge of the city. It will be staffed by three primary care providers, offer behavioral health and chiropractic services, and allow for more than 3,700 patient visits a year. Moving the clinic to downtown Elroy will also give an economic boost to the city.

"This project isn't even about building a new clinic- it's about rebuilding Elroy's downtown economy," says Gundersen St. Joseph's Administrator Kristie McCoic. "We hope that our presence, including the staff and over 100 patients per week, will provide opportunities for other businesses to grow downtown."

The new clinic will feature an EV charging station, geothermal and solar equipment, and will generate 100% of its energy on-site. There will also be a community conference room and a tele-pharmacy. Construction is expected to be completed later this year.