Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire will be closing earlier than expected following a press release from HSHS.

In the press release, HSHS announced that Sacred Heart Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital will now both close on March 22nd. Sacred Heart had previously been expected to close around April 21st along with the majority of Prevea facilities in the Chippewa Valley.

Prevea Western Wisconsin residency clinics and the University of Wisconsin-Stout location will continue to provide care until June 30th.

HSHS officials say they’re coordinating with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to plan the transition of patient care as other providers look to expand their services to fill in the gaps. President and CEO of Sacred Heart Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital claims the changed closing date was “based on our top priority: our commitment to maintain safe, quality care for our patients.”

As HSHS announces the earlier closure, other providers and local leaders continue to scramble to cover the anticipated shortage in care options. Marshfield Clinic and Mayo Clinic have both announced they will expand their services, and OakLeaf Medical Network is still hoping to turn the hospital properties into independent community hospitals.

Additionally, $15 million that had been originally marked for HSHS to expand its psychiatric bed capacity has been reallocated to other emergency departments in the area following the signing of legislation by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers.

While interested parties begin to implement these short term solutions to maximize the amount of available healthcare in the area, officials continue to work on developing a long-term strategy.