First Ascension Medical Group opens for patient care in Wausau
WAUSAU, Wisconsin – Central Wisconsin is home to the first Ascension Medical Group facility in the country. Located on Wausau’s west side, Ascension Medical Group at Westwood marks the beginning of the naming transition of Ministry Health Care hospitals and clinics to Ascension, a transition that was first announced in September 2016. Ascension Medical Group and Ministry are part of Ascension, the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system.
Ascension leadership and associates joined with local dignitaries and members of the Wausau Region Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the historic occasion with a ribbon cutting on the first day of patient care Tuesday, January 31.
The 48,000-square-foot clinic, located at 1901 Westwood Center Blvd. at the intersection of Highway 51 and Bridge Street, provides the greater Wausau area with an array of services, including primary and specialty care, laboratory, diagnostic imaging, pharmacy, occupational medicine, and physical and occupational therapy.
“With the opening of this facility, I am proud and honored that Ascension Wisconsin is playing a leading role in a national effort to develop regional care that will best serve our patients, clinicians and caregivers,” said Tim Dowd, MD, chief clinical officer, Ascension Wisconsin. “Our vision for Ascension Medical Group is to bring high-quality care close to home and to make the patient experience easy, from start to finish. Most importantly, our clinicians are committed to treating the whole person – we take the time to listen and understand what our patients are saying to best address their individual needs.”
Local residents as well as Ascension Medical Group staff will benefit from a facility designed to enhance the patient experience with a warm and inviting atmosphere. They also will have access to an electronic medical record that enhances patient care and allows for online scheduling.
“In an effort to deliver exceptional health outcomes, an exceptional experience for the people we serve, and an exceptional experience for clinicians, at an affordable cost, several years ago Ascension embarked on a goal to establish a national provider group,” said Patricia A. Maryland, Dr.PH, president, healthcare operations and chief operating officer, Ascension Healthcare. “Working in concert with our colleagues from across the country, we have come a long way in a short amount time. The opening of Ascension Medical Group at Westwood marks a significant milestone in our efforts to further our promise to provide compassionate, personalized care in communities around the country.”
In addition to delivering increased access to primary and specialty care, Ascension Medical Group at Westwood will provide a variety of diagnostic and support services all under one roof. The pharmacy will be the first retail pharmacy to open with the Ascension name. The pharmacy, on the ground floor, will operate as a full-service outpatient pharmacy and also provide mail order and specialty pharmacy services to anyone who wants to have prescriptions filled at this new and convenient location.
The pharmacy will be staffed by a full-time, board-certified, licensed pharmacist and pharmacy technicians who will offer assistance with any pharmacy needs, including co-pay assistance programs that help reduce the cost of medications for patients who qualify. The pharmacy also will offer a range of over-the-counter and self-serve items.
Convenient diagnostic services at Ascension Medical Group at Westwood include a main floor laboratory and blood draw station, providing easy access directly from primary and specialty care treatment locations. The ground floor diagnostic imaging facility offers general X-ray, mammography, bone density screening and ultrasound services. A second floor rehabilitation services department provides easy access to outpatient physical and occupational therapy services.
Employers from throughout the area will find a variety of services at Ascension Medical Group at Westwood. Occupational medicine clinicians will augment their on-site clinic services at contracted companies in the area with near-site services at Westwood to include drug screens, Department of Transportation physicals, audiograms, pre-employment physicals, workers’ compensation injury management, and several additional services that meet the needs of employers.
For the convenience of its patients, Ascension Medical Group at Westwood will offer extended hours, including evening and weekend appointments. For more information, please visit ministryhealth.org/westwood.
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About Ascension Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, Ascension operates 24 hospitals and hundreds of related healthcare facilities that together employ more than 23,500 associates. Across the state, Ascension provided more than $230 million in community benefit and care of persons living in poverty in fiscal year 2016. Serving Wisconsin for 169 years, Ascension is a faith-based healthcare organization committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. Ascension is the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system, operating 2,500 sites of care – including 141 hospitals and more than 30 senior living facilities – in 24 states and the District of Columbia. Visit ascension.org/wisconsin.
About Ascension
Ascension (ascension.org) is a faith-based healthcare organization dedicated to transformation through innovation across the continuum of care. As the largest non-profit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system, Ascension is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to all, with special attention to persons living in poverty and those most vulnerable. In FY2016, Ascension provided more than $1.8 billion in care of persons living in poverty and other community benefit programs. Ascension includes approximately 150,000 associates and 36,000 aligned providers. Ascension’s Healthcare Division operates 2,500 sites of care – including 141 hospitals and more than 30 senior living facilities – in 24 states and the District of Columbia, while its Solutions Division provides a variety of services and solutions including physician practice management, venture capital investing, investment management, biomedical engineering, facilities management, clinical care management, information services, risk management, and contracting through Ascension’s own group purchasing organization.
