Those who pass by the site of a new health campus in Oshkosh will notice a great deal of action. The combined health system of Froedtert ThedaCare Health, Inc. broke ground on the health campus in March 2024. The campus aims to expand convenient access to care for those living in Northeast and Central Wisconsin.
“It is encouraging to see the positive progress taking place at the Oshkosh campus,” said Jennifer Nikolai, vice president of new Community Hospitals in Fond du Lac and Oshkosh. “By creating this campus, we can continue improving the health of those living in the area by offering convenient care to more of our communities.”
The campus is located at 250 W. 6th Avenue on the Fox River in downtown Oshkosh, and complements the area’s major redevelopment and revitalization efforts.
Since the groundbreaking, construction partners including Hplex Solutions as the owner representative; HGA as the architect and engineer; Miron Construction Co., Inc. as the construction manager; and the Sigma Group as the civil engineer and landscape architect, have been actively working at the site.
For decades, the site was vacant due to soil conditions. Teams worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to learn more about this specific site in Oshkosh along the river.
“Despite some of the challenges the area presented, Froedtert ThedaCare Health, Inc. is committed to creating convenient access to care and meeting our patients and community members where they are,” said Nikolai .“For this campus in particular, we understand that nearly 73% of Oshkosh’s residents live east of Interstate 41, while most of the current health care services are located west of I-41, meaning east-side residents are more than 15 minutes away from a hospital or emergency room. We knew we should create a new health campus closer to where more people live.”
Structural Elements Included
Before construction began, partners worked with a geotechnical engineer to determine the best foundation system for the site.
“Each site is different and unique,” explained Rick Pell, senior structural project engineer with HGA. “Various factors impact how we develop, design and construct a building – including the history of the area. In this case, it was determined a deep system foundation would be best for the health campus in Oshkosh.”
To utilize the space, specialized structural elements were implemented in the design, construction and hospital plans. The deep system foundation included nearly 900 steel pipe piles totaling more than 22,300 feet, which were driven into the soil, filled with concrete, and capped. Piles are used in construction to support vertical structures and transfer their weight to deeper, stiffer soil layers. Then, structural beams were formed and poured with concrete so construction on the foundation slab could begin. The process for installing the piles at the Oshkosh site took about two months.
Additionally, a deep gravel subbase with geogrid material provides further support, and vacuum plumbing minimizes required space in the infrastructure below the floor slab, creating a more streamlined foundation for the unique campus.
Pell also noted it is important to put these measures in place, not just to complete the initial health campus, but to have the opportunity to make additions in the future.
“The work that is being done now allows our health system to plan for the future,” Nikolai said. “The steps we are taking allow us to continue adapting to the needs of the community, and adding services over time based on community need, for generations to come.”
All of the work is a testament to the commitment to keeping care local and ensuring every person has access to the care they need.
“When minutes count, it is critical to have local access to comprehensive care to support the best possible outcomes for our patients,” said Nikolai. “We are striving to create a campus that will provide the best experience for patients and their families.”
Health Campus of the Future
The smaller-scale, modern hospital is planned to offer easy, around-the-clock access to emergency and inpatient care in an inviting, highly efficient setting. It will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
When complete, the Oshkosh campus is projected to be approximately 85,000 sq. ft., with an estimated $84M investment. The hospital is expected to have emergency care, inpatient beds and 24/7 coverage. Hospital plans also call for 24/7 Computed Tomography scans, x-ray and ultrasound, in addition to mammogram, MRI and lab services. Also included in plans are a retail pharmacy, ambulatory surgery center with operating rooms and a medical office building for primary care and specialties.
The Oshkosh health campus is expected to be complete in 2025. Approximately 60 new jobs are expected to be created for caregivers and staff at the campus.
In addition to the health campus in Oshkosh, Froedtert ThedaCare Health, Inc. recently celebrated the groundbreaking of a health campus in Fond du Lac, which is also expected to be complete in 2025.
