New Chippewa Falls Aspirus Hospital to Break Ground Next Week

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis (WCFW) – Chippewa Falls residents will see a step towards restoring healthcare access next week with a groundbreaking for the Aspirus Health Hospital.

Chippewa Falls has been without a local hospital since the HSHS closures over a year ago. Residents have been forced to travel to Eau Claire for healthcare, leading to longer wait times and overburdening the remaining hospitals in the Chippewa Valley.

Soon after the closures, Aspirus Health announced their plans to build the new hospital. The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative also announced plans to build another new hospital in Lake Hallie and reopen the St. Joseph’s Hospital facility.

According to a press release, a groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled for the new Aspirus Health Hospital. Organization officials and local community leaders will gather at the roughly 22-acre Chippewa Crossing Boulevard site on August 14 to officially begin construction on the facility.

When completed, the new healthcare facility will feature 12 hospital beds, 18 exam rooms, two procedure rooms, and a lab area. Aspirus Health plans to staff 38 full-time employees and 17 part-time employees. Organization officials also say they’ve explored innovative construction methods that could allow them to open the new hospital even earlier than expected.

The first phase of construction will include a 27,000 square foot facility designed for further expansion. This phase could be completed as soon as the fall of 2026.

In the meantime, Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative officials say the reopened St. Joseph’s Hospital facility could be partially operational by the end of the year. They also expect the new independent community hospital in Lake Hallie to open in late 2027.