WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. – Effective today, Aspirus Riverview Hospital is a member of the Aspirus health system. After four months of approvals, due diligence and collaboration, leaders from both entities signed documents that made the Wisconsin Rapids hospital part of Aspirus, Inc., a not-for-profit health care system based in Wausau, Wisconsin.
The alliance achieves two significant benefits to the community:
- An even more robust Riverview hospital, backed by the resources of a strong regional health system.
- A new foundation endowed with more than $100 million to serve the health and the general needs of the Wisconsin Rapids area for years to come.
Aspirus President and CEO Matthew Heywood said Riverview is a tremendous addition to the Aspirus family.
“Riverview has a long, proud history of serving this community with excellence and compassion,” he said. “We hope to build on that legacy by investing in the workforce and enhancing the services available locally.”
While there eventually will be some visible changes – such as new building signs – visitors to Riverview will still receive the great care they have come to expect. And patients will see the same familiar caregivers and staff.
Peggy Ose, Chief Nursing Officer and Interim Chief Operating Officer, is excited about the future. “The health care industry is changing, and we are well positioned to evolve with it,” she said. “By affiliating with Aspirus, we are expanding our ability to provide coordinated, effective and efficient care to our community. That’s a great feeling for those of us who work and live here.”
Like other Aspirus hospitals, Riverview will remain active locally, and will be guided by a separate board of directors with strong local representation.
About Riverview
Aspirus Riverview Hospital was organized by community leaders in 1912 to operate a local hospital and fill the health care needs of Wisconsin Rapids, South Wood County and the surrounding areas. Aspirus Riverview Hospital employs 650 people and includes a hospital, the UW Cancer Center-Riverview, three physician clinics and a community dental center.
About Aspirus
Aspirus is a non-profit, community-directed health system based in Wausau, Wisconsin. With more than 7,000 employees, Aspirus serves communities throughout northern and central Wisconsin, as well as the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated system includes four hospitals in Michigan and four hospitals in Wisconsin, 50 clinics, home health and hospice care, pharmacies, critical care and helicopter transport, medical goods, nursing homes and high-quality affiliated physicians.