Work on new hospital could start in six months

Oconomowoc Focus, August 31, 2006

Gabe Wollenburg, staff writer

City of Oconomowoc - Aurora Health Care officials are hopeful that a groundbreaking for the new medical center planned for the Town of Summit's portion of Pabst Farms could take place in as soon as six months.

And that the final hospital might be a bit different from the ones first pitched in 2001 and 2004.

Sue Ela, the healthcare firm's director of its Kettle Moraine region, told a reporter during a recent interview that the firm is reviewing its plans for the proposed 88-bed facility, which will also house a replacement facility for the aging Wilkinson Clinic.

The new healthcare center will likely be a mere two miles from Oconomowoc Memorial Hospital, which has historically opposed the construction of the Aurora facility.

Officials from ProHealth Care, OMH's management network, told reporters last week that the firm would not seek to block the Aurora hospital in the courts.

"We are not considering any litigation regarding the construction of the Aurora hospital in Summit, nor would we support others in such a litigation attempt," said Sandra Peterson, a ProHealth spokeswoman.

ProHealth is not giving interviews or discussing the settlement of a 5-year-old lawsuit with the City of Oconomowoc. The firm released a statement Aug. 16 that said curtly: "ProHealth Care will continue, as we have for almost a century, providing high-quality care at the most reasonable cost, and we're confident we will remain the provider of choice in the communities we serve."

Much like ProHealth, Aurora is looking toward the future. Ela said Aurora is reassessing the plans for the Pabst Farms hospital it has been trying to build since it was first announced in 2001.

Lake Country Publications recently had a short phone conversation with Ela, and thought it would be enlightening to share that conversation with readers in question-and-answer format:

Lake Country Publications: It looks like the hospital's on its way.

Ela: We have a number of steps to complete until we receive a building permit from the Town of Summit, but we feel very hopeful that we will be able to work through all the steps that it will take to receive that building permit. The settlement was an enormous first step forward in that process.

Obviously you know the details of the settlement. We think that it benefits the (City) of Oconomowoc and Summit and Pabst Farms and Aurora, but I think most importantly it really benefits the people of Western Waukesha (County).

LCP: But it's not a slam dunk at this point. It still has a process to go through?

Ela: Right, and that process is actually outlined in the agreement, in terms of the things that have to happen, beginning with Oconomowoc exercising their extraterritorial zoning rights. So, that is the first step, and that was started at the Oconomowoc City Council.

That was the process that was begun there. We are really looking forward to when we can break ground for the new medical center.

LCP: Let's talk about that. What's the timeline?

Ela: We're hoping that that can be started in the next six months. We have had the plans under development for a number of years. We will have to revisit those plans in relation to the original programs that we had planned there and compare them with what the needs are now in Western Waukesha County, because, again, that hospital was designed years ago. We need to revisit it and make sure those plans are, in fact, complete. Then we will break ground as we receive that building permit.

LCP: How do you go about fostering a feeling of healing in the community? This was such a divisive issue.

Ela: I think what's most important is that we remember, and we hope that other people realize, too, is that we currently care for 40,000 people in Western Waukesha County. Our Aurora Wilkinson Clinic has been part of the community for over 100 years. We are out in the community already. We hope to build on those excellent relationships, and, I think most importantly, when care is being provided (at the new facility, that care) will provide a great deal of healing, That's what this is all about really, in the end, is caring for people.

We have an excellent reputation of high-quality, compassionate care for people. We think that will be the most important part of the healing process.

LCP: How about healing between the formerly cooperative relationships with ProHealth? (Can things ever go back to the way it was) in the 1990s when Wilkinson doctors practiced at ProHealth hospitals?

Ela: What we have found, in every community we're a part of, is that competition in healthcare is healthy. We know that the same will happen in Western Waukesha County.

LCP: Is there anything else? Any surprises?

Ela: I don't think so; we just appreciate the leadership that's been shown by the mayor and town chairman in Summit to help this reach a resolution. They've shown a lot of leadership in getting this resolved.