Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/180153
insight on Economic By Mar yB eth Mat zek development Putting down roots Courtesy of ThedaCare ThedaCare begins construction of new Shawano hospital; entrepreneurs launch new beverage company C ome 2015, Shawano's health care scene will have a new look. That's when the new $50 million ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano will open on County B adjacent to the current ThedaCare Physicians-Shawano clinic. The new hospital replaces the 82-year-old Shawano Medical Center and will transform how health care in the community is delivered, says Dorothy Erdmann, CEO of Shawano Medical Center. "The new medical center will allow us to improve the quality of care in Shawano and also bring a lot of efficiencies, which will help lower overall costs," she says. ThedaCare operates three facilities 44 | Insight • O c t o b e r 2 013 The new ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano is slated to open in early 2015 and will be connected to the current ThedaCare Physicians-Shawano clinic. The new $50 million hospital was designed with input from local residents. in Shawano: the hospital, the clinic and a separate rehabilitation building. Bringing all three locations under one roof will make it more convenient for area residents, Erdmann says. "Having all of our services in one place takes away any confusion patients may have about where they need to go and it also allows all of our medical providers to be at one location, which improves patient care," she says. In addition, Erdmann says consolidating the facilities creates efficiencies. For example, there will only need to be one imaging department where patients can receive x-rays and CT scans. "It makes sense to be all together at one site and being right off of Highway 29 is very convenient," she says. "We are also bringing in a lot more specialists now from Appleton and patients are able to receive a lot more care locally instead of traveling to the Valley." Crews from The Boldt Co. began working in August on the new building, which was designed by HGA Architects and Engineers of Milwaukee based on input from local residents, patients and staff. With more than 600 workers, ThedaCare is one of Shawano's largest employers. Erdmann says the new hospital is a big economic investment w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m