Rep. Hurd applauds bill to return mental health services to region

During last Thursday’s floor session, the State Assembly approved Assembly Bill (AB) 388, which would require the Department of Health Services to award a onetime $10 million grant to Rogers Behavioral Health to assist with the construction of a new mental health facility in the Chippewa Valley. After the vote, Representative Karen Hurd (R-Withee) released the following statement: “Last spring, there was a seismic shift in the health care landscape of northwest Wisconsin with the closure of St. Joseph’s and Sacred Heart hospitals in the Chippewa Valley. The impact of these closures was felt far outside the Chippewa Falls and Eau Claire communities. The 33 psychiatric beds at these hospitals were a critical part of the mental health infrastructure for our region of the state.

“As a member of the Joint Finance Committee (JFC), I supported the efforts of my colleagues, Representative Moses and Senator James, to set aside $10 million to build a new mental health facility in the Chippewa Valley. I’m pleased to work alongside them to bring forward Assembly Bill 388 to award this funding to Rogers Behavioral Health.

“With $10 million in support from the state, Rogers will be able to build a facility that will not only serve the Chippewa Valley, but all of northwest Wisconsin. They will provide an array of behavioral health services that will significantly help meet the mental health needs of northwest Wisconsin. Once it is operational, Rogers’ facility will help relieve pressure on local emergency rooms, reduce long-distance law enforcement transports, and give patients and families a full range of options closer to home.”