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OakLeaf Medical Network continues to expand in the Chippewa Valley, opening a new urgent care facility in Eau Claire on Tuesday.
The organization opened its third urgent care facility on the south side of the city, hoping to address gaps in care caused by the departure of HSHS and Prevea from the region. The new W. Oakwood Mall Drive facility will offer services for patients who need immediate care but are not in life-threatening danger.
According to a WQOW report, the facility will have full lab services and imaging capabilities on site. OakLeaf officials say the new clinic should help alleviate some of the pressure that’s been placed on emergency rooms in the area, especially as respiratory viruses like the flu and Covid-19 begin to spread again.
The clinic will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will provide services for patients ranging from cold symptoms to broken bones.
Earlier this year, OakLeaf Medical Network also opened urgent care facilities in Chippewa Falls and Menomonie. Those two locations were opened with the same goal of providing the urgent, but not life-threatening healthcare patients need while reducing the stress on area emergency rooms overwhelmed after the HSHS departure.
Other healthcare organizations like Mayo Clinic and Marshfield Clinic have also opened new facilities in the region. Health officials from various organizations say in addition to the increase in emergency room visits they’ve seen, the number of deliveries they’re performing have also grown significantly.