First staff excited for opening of Mondovi Clinic

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First staff excited for opening of Mondovi Clinic

Two nursing staff have a new place to call home following the closures of their care facilities in the Chippewa Valley earlier this year.

Kendra Edwards, RN, and Emilee Pfaffe, MA, were the first two nursing staff hired at the soon-to-open Emplify Health by Gundersen Mondovi Clinic - in a community they're already familiar with and for an organization expanding to meet patient needs.

The pull toward healthcare

Edwards, a registered nurse for the past five years and an LPN and CNA for four years before that, has always had jobs that worked with people. She grew up working for her dad's pizza restaurant in Mondovi, then she eventually gravitated toward cosmetology and owned and operated her own salon in town for 15 years. She also owned the local gym with her husband.

During that busy time of life, she recognized her ability to help people through the work she was doing. Eventually, once her children were old enough, Edwards went back to school to get her nursing degree - something she always knew she wanted to do.

"I'm a people person; I always knew I wanted to help people," she says. "Even though it may sound strange when you're doing hair, you're making somebody feel good about themselves, and that might be the only time they get to talk about their lives or feel like they're special."

Pfaffe has been a medical assistant for 11 years, seven of them at the very same clinic she's returning to in Mondovi. Her mother has dealt with health issues throughout her life, and she watched her go in and out of the hospital on a regular basis. Seeing the providers who helped her mom, Pfaffe knew she wanted to be someone on that helping end someday.

As an MA, she's getting to do just that, and with already having worked in Mondovi, she's gotten to know many of the patients.

"I was in urgent care for 3½ years. It was nice, but you treat them, and they leave, and you might not ever see them again," Pfaffe says. "Working in family medicine, you get to know people and build relationships. I like getting to help people, especially in your own community."

But for both women, that desire to help people in a medical setting hit a huge roadblock.

It came as a shock

In January, HSHS and Prevea announced they were making a complete exit of western Wisconsin, which included the closure of two hospitals and multiple clinics throughout the Chippewa Valley. Left in the wake were 1,082 HSHS and 325 Prevea employees without jobs.

That included Edwards, who worked at Sacred Heart Hospitaland the Prevea clinics in Eau Claire and Altoona, and Pfaffe, who was at Prevea in Mondovi. For both, the closure of their respective facilities came as a shock, which was quickly followed by fear of the unknown.

A new home, closer to home

That's why both women were excited to hear that the clinic in Mondovi was reopening under the Emplify Health by Gundersen banner, and they know how fortunate they are to have found a job near their homes that, so far, they're loving.

"I'm very excited to hopefully see some of the patients," Pfaffe says. "I do think there are some who've been waiting just to see what happens."

"I opened that clinic seven years ago," Pfaffe continues. "And then I had to pack it up and close it, so that was really sad. But now I get to open it again, so it's kind of exciting. A new name. A new beginning."

Adds Edwards, "It's new and exciting, and I think that makes the community excited, too. Since we are local with familiar faces, we hope patients are comfortable putting their trust in us with their healthcare needs."

Emplify Health by Gundersen Mondovi Clinic is part of Gundersen Tri-County Hospital and Clinics.The health system purchased the seven-year-old building following Prevea's closure. Gundersen Tri-Countyin Whitehall is 30 minutes away from Mondovi and includes 24/7 emergency and in-patient hospital services, with outreach specialty care if someone requires the expertise of a specialist, without traveling to La Crosse.

Visiting specialists from Gundersen Health System come to Whitehall on rotating schedules for consultations and follow-up care alongside nurses, pharmacists and other support staff from Tri-County. Now including Mondovi, you do not have to travel far to get the care you need when you need it. The clinic will open its doors on Dec. 16, with an open house planned for Dec. 11.

More local staff coming to clinic

Emplify by Gundersen Mondovi Clinic also recently hired two patient liaisons to assist with patient needs. Both are long-time residents of the area and bring a wealth of experience in healthcare.

Jackie Baumgartner lives in Durand/Arkansaw and has worked in healthcare for 13 years - 11 at Gundersen in La Crosse and two at Mayo Clinic before moving to Gundersen Tri-County three months ago. When the clinic in Mondovi opens, she looks forward to making a good change in people's lives and achieving success for both patients and the organization.

Amber White has been a Mondovi resident for 11 years. She, too, has worked in healthcare for 13 years, starting as a CNA and ER technician for Mayo Clinic and Sacred Heart in Eau Claire. Before coming to Gundersen, she worked in scheduling and registration at Mayo. She says she's excited to bring healthcare back to Mondovi and meeting the patients who walk through the clinic doors, helping to bring a smile to their faces, especially on hard days.