Injunction to Delay HSHS Hospitals Closure Denied by Judge

An injunction to delay the closure of the HSHS Hospitals in the Chippewa Valley was denied by an Eau Claire County Judge.

The injunction request was filed by Chippewa Valley Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, arguing that the closure of Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls was a breach of a 180 day agreement between the organizations.

Judge Sarah Harless ruled that the HSHS Hospitals closing did not reach the level of irreparable harm to Chippewa Valley Orthopedics and Sports Medicine required to order the injunction.

In a statement following the decision, Chippewa Valley Orthopedic and Sports Medicine officials said they knew it would be a difficult decision for the court. The statement also said “We stand ready to work collaboratively with HSHS to address our concerns and hope they will accept our invitation to resolve our differences outside of protracted litigation so we can focus our attention on what matters most: caring for our patients”

In their statement, HSHS and Prevea Health officials said “We’re pleased with the outcome of the hearing and will continue to follow our thoughtful wind-down process, as planned.”

The HSHS Hospitals and all Prevea facilities in the Chippewa Valley are currently slated to close by June 30th at the latest. A number of other healthcare providers in the region have announced they will step up their services in an effort to minimize the impact to the community. The Wisconsin State Legislature also approved the reallocation of $15 million dollars originally earmarked for HSHS to support other emergency departments in the region.