Community Discussions will Help Shape Space and Capabilities for the Future
The ThedaCare Board of Trustees this week approved a long-term exploration of facilities throughout the ThedaCare nine-county service area, and their ability to meet the communities’ expectations for outstanding health care into the future. This includes the possibility of bringing together the system’s two Fox Cities hospitals into one premier, regional health care destination that provides the highest quality health care at the lowest cost for generations to come.
“We’re starting from a very high point with a rich history of high quality, low cost care,” said ThedaCare President and CEO Dean Gruner, MD. “Appleton Medical Center and Theda Clark were voted best in the area for the 14th year in a row last year, and Medicare recognized ThedaCare as providing the highest quality, lowest cost care in the country. But with a 58-year-old hospital in Appleton and a 107-year-old hospital in Neenah, it’s about time to engage the community in a discussion about how we continue to provide leading-edge care into the future.”
That future will likely require different space and capabilities to match the changing needs in healthcare. For example, patients who need care at a hospital are more critically ill, with more complex issues such as unusual infectious diseases, and require more intensive care than in the past. And in the clinics, patients need different levels of more comprehensive care, such as diagnostic services or treatments in the same location. As healthcare evolves, our emerging view is that healthcare is a combination of people and technology – beyond facilities – to deliver exceptional care at a more affordable cost. The journey to begin answering how to best transform began about 18 months ago, with explorations by a group of people that included community members, doctors, nurses, and ThedaCare leaders.
“This exploration really belongs to the whole community,” said ThedaCare Board Chair John Davis. “There are many questions and unknowns for us to tackle together. We must carefully assess how our facilities will meet the future needs of healthcare in our area, confirm what patients and our communities expect from ThedaCare, and continue to be good stewards of our healthcare resources. The Board, together with outstanding staff and doctors, remains committed to providing the highest level of care for everyone. It’s an exciting time for ThedaCare, for all of us.”
Next steps include engaging additional community members, business leaders and ThedaCare employees in discussions on expectations, needs, and the future of healthcare through task forces, community conversations and other events. Community input, combined with our ability to make decisions locally, will lead us to the best solution, Davis said.
“No matter how the discussion evolves over the next months and years, our focus remains the same: to provide the highest quality healthcare at the lowest cost for patients now and to come,” Dr. Gruner said. “We’re excited for everyone to join us in open conversations about the future of healthcare in the communities we serve.”
To join in the conversation, please email journey@thedacare.org or go to www.thedacare.org.
About ThedaCare
For more than 100 years, ThedaCare™ has been committed to finding a better way to deliver serious and complex healthcare to patients throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The organization serves over 200,000 patients annually and employs more than 6,800 healthcare professionals throughout the region. ThedaCare has seven hospitals located in Appleton, Neenah, Berlin, Waupaca, Shawano, New London and Wild Rose as well as 35 clinics in 14 counties. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving our specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a non-profit healthcare organization with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs as well as a foundation dedicated to community service. The ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center in Appleton opened in February. For more information, visit www.thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.
