FENNIMORE, Wis. — An area health center this week announced plans to build a family practice clinic in Fennimore.
Grant Regional Health Center will break ground this summer on the 8,000-square-foot clinic at 1525 LaFolette St., next to Fennimore Smiles and across from the Southwest Wisconsin Technical College campus, according to a press release.
It states that the facility will feature primary care providers available five days per week for scheduled and walk-in appointments, laboratory and radiology services “that any area clinic can utilize” and rehabilitation services, including physical and occupational therapy, with a gym/treatment space.
Health center leaders said the move was prompted by demand from area residents.
“Fennimore is a growing community, and we have seen an increase in patients from this area come to our Lancaster clinic,” said Dave Smith, health center president/CEO, in the release. “That increase in volume prompted us to consider bringing these important services to their community.”
He later added, “Our market-share data indicates there is still a large number of people traveling out of the area for primary care in addition to other ancillary services.”
Mayor Ryan Boebel described the coming clinic as a “dream” scenario.
“Since the day the (City) Council decided to split the lot in our business park to allow for the construction of a dental clinic, I had envisioned how great it would for the community if a health care provider would be willing to build on the remaining portion of the lot,” Boebel said in the release. “I was elated the day Mr. Smith and I had the discussion of his desire for a Fennimore project, as this was exactly the dream I had in my head.”
High Point Family Medicine, which leases Grant Regional’s existing clinic building at 1255 11th St. in Fennimore, plans to lease a clinic space in the new facility, the release states. High Point’s clinic operations will remain the same until the new clinic opens and then it will relocate to the new location.
“This isn’t just important for patients seeking care — it’s important for the entire Fennimore community,” Smith said of Grant Regional’s new facility. “When we can keep health care local, it translates into keeping people in their community for other services as well. If they leave town to access care elsewhere, they inevitably stop, shop, purchase and support other businesses, which ends up affecting the local economy — not to mention the time and cost savings for patients who choose to support local health care. It is sure to have a big impact overall.”