La Crosse, Wisconsin - Health Care

Health Care

Two major regional health care facilities are located in La Crosse: Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center and Mayo Clinic Health System Franciscan Health Care.

Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center is a regional health care facility located in La Crosse that is also an ACS nationally certified Level II Trauma Center. It is the primary hospital associated with the Gundersen Clinic medical group and the location of the Western campus for the University of Wisconsin Medical School. The Gundersen Lutheran Health System, headquartered in La Crosse, manages 23 locations throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa with nearly 6,000 employees. Since 2005, the system has annually been ranked by Thomson Reuters Healthcare in the Top 100 National Hospitals, as well as received HealthGrades 2011 5-star rating award.

Mayo Clinic Health System Franciscan Health Care is an affiliate of Mayo Clinic. Franciscan Skemp, which was the first western Wisconsin hospital to open its doors in 1883 as St. Francis Hospital, was started by the Catholic Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, who still are associated with the medical center. In 1995, Franciscan Skemp merged with Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Rochester, Minnesota, located only 60 miles away. A new trauma and emergency department, helicopter pad, and surgery wing recently opened in 2007.

The Health Science Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse campus, is a combined effort of both medical centers, UW–La Crosse, Viterbo University, Western College, the School District of La Crosse, and various government educational groups. The purpose was to prepare and train students for advancement in the medical field.