OCONTO FALLS — On Sept. 1, HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls marked its 10th anniversary of the hospital officially joining Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS).
HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital was formerly known as Community Memorial Hospital.
The hospital has been a part of the Oconto Falls community for more than 100 years. It first opened its doors in 1921 as Oconto Falls City Hospital at 125 S. Main St. Then, in 1954, it was moved to the former City Hall and named Community Memorial Hospital (CMH). The hospital moved to its current location at 855 S. Main St. in 1972.
In 2011, CMH entered into an affiliation agreement with HSHS, a Catholic health care ministry based in Springfield, Ill., to enhance physician recruitment, implement an electronic health record system and improve the delivery of care.
Three years later, on Sept. 1, 2014, CMH joined HSHS to become HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital. The name was chosen in honor of St. Clare, the Franciscan saint who devoted her life to solitude, prayer and service.
Colleen Koski, chief administrative officer at HSHS St. Clare, has served in various leadership and nursing roles at the hospital since 2008. She reflected on the hospital’s decision to join HSHS.
“Joining Hospital Sisters Health System provided our rural hospital greater access to the resources needed to enhance our quality of care and allowed us to grow and expand our health care offerings significantly,” said Koski. “The thought a decade ago was, ‘We are stronger together,’ and time has proven that we truly are.”
Today, telemedicine allows providers and colleagues at HSHS St. Clare to connect with HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center in Green Bay with the touch of a button.
HSHS St. Clare also has access to the system’s largest physician partner, Prevea Health, which over the years has deployed physicians and providers directly into the community to provide an array of care options — from primary care to orthopedics, podiatry, digestive health, urology, vascular care and more.
Today, Prevea providers care for patients at the HSHS St. Clare Memorial Hospital Prevea Health Centers in Oconto Falls, Gillett, Suring, Lena and Mountain, and perform surgery at HSHS St. Clare — keeping care as close to home as possible.
Over the last 10 years, HSHS St. Clare has also established and expanded services, including cancer, wound and dialysis care.
HSHS St. Clare also introduced the Almost Home swing bed program, which allows local residents who may have had surgery or been treated at a larger out-of-town hospital to rehabilitate at HSHS St. Clare.
“As a certified Critical Access Hospital, one of the most important services we provide to this region is our 24/7 emergency care,” said Dr. Al Salmi, medical director of HSHS St. Clare’s Emergency Department.
“In an emergency, seconds count. Having a strong presence, like St. Clare does, in a rural region where access to emergency care is limited, can mean the difference between life and death to someone,” he said. “We are tremendously grateful for the rapport we’ve built with local emergency services agencies in the last 10 years. They are our true partners in caring for those who live, work, visit and travel within our northern communities.”
In 2022, HSHS St. Clare was recognized as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the United States by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, which is part of the nation’s largest independent health care advisory firm, The Chartis Group.
In 2023, the firm also awarded HSHS St. Clare with a Performance Leadership Award for its work in the areas of health care quality, outcomes and patient experience. The hospital was also the recipient of Press Ganey’s Human Experience Guardian of Excellence award in 2023, recognizing the hospital’s efforts in physician alignment and experience.
“We provide care to patients from all over Oconto County and beyond,” said Paula Bake, nursing manager of the Emergency and Medical Surgical Departments at HSHS St. Clare.
“Having a hospital here means so much to them, especially since many come to Oconto County to retire and do not want to travel far,” she said. “We often get to know our patients on a personal level. They like seeing a familiar face, especially during a stressful time. I love coming to work here because the colleagues in all departments work together as one united family. We are here for our amazing patients and are thankful they put their trust in us. Together, we are proud to provide safe and amazing care each and every day.”
HSHS St. Clare’s care of the community expands beyond its hospital and clinic walls. In recent years, the hospital supported the addition of a walking trail system and community garden in Oconto Falls.
The hospital also hosts a drug take-back event each year to safely dispose of unused and expired medications in the community.
“The engagement and commitment to the HSHS Mission and the community at HSHS St. Clare is palpable,” said Deanne Ziemer, nursing manager of Surgical and Outpatient Services at HSHS St. Clare, and 20-year employee of the hospital. “I am so thankful for our presence in the community and our ability to provide care here.”
