Eau Claire to receive Department of Defense medical help

This morning Governor Tony Evers announced that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) will deploy approximately 45 U.S. Army medical personnel to assist the state’s efforts to combat COVID-19 in Wisconsin. One of the four cities receiving help is Eau Claire, which will receive help at the Marshfield Clinic. Although many of the COVID-19 trends in the state have been decreasing over the last few days, hospitals and clinics throughout the state are struggling with a shortage of beds, and more seriously, a shortage of staff due to the heavy case load and illness of the staff from the pandemic.

“Wisconsin’s healthcare system is strained, and our frontline healthcare workers are doing amazing work under extraordinary circumstances,” said Gov. Evers. “Many of them working back-to-back shifts in head-to-toe PPE, putting their health and safety on the line to take care of our vulnerable COVID-19 patients. This additional support is crucial and I thank the Department of Defense for providing these resources to the state.”

The incoming medical personnel will support Marshfield Medical Center facilities in Marshfield, Eau Claire, Beaver Dam, and Rice Lake. The Marshfield Clinic system has been utilizing volunteers from the Wisconsin Emergency Assistance Volunteer Registry (WEAVR), but the need for more staff to meet patient demand remains a challenge.

“We are deeply grateful for the support of the Department of Defense as we continue to deal with the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin,” said Dr. Susan Turney, Marshfield Clinic Health System CEO. “Because of the prolonged and intense nature of this crisis, many hospitals are near full capacity and medical staff is exhausted. Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen the importance of partnerships in meeting this momentous challenge. We look forward to partnering with military medical personnel to provide the care our patients need.”

The operation will be overseen by the U.S. Army North (ARNORTH), the Joint Force Land Component Command of U.S. Northern Command in support and coordination with federal and state efforts.