History

The Perfect Balance of Big-City Technology & Personal, Small-Town Care

Dr. J. S. Hess, Sr., founder of Hess Memorial Hospital, came to Mauston in 1883, set up his practice as a physician and surgeon. Dr. Hess served the people of Juneau County and the surrounding area for the next 42 years. For the first 19 of those years, he conducted his practice from an office. In 1902 he bought a store building and residence and remodeled it into what was known as the Mauston Hospital. Today the building houses a pre-school center and business offices on Division Street.

It wasn't until 1923 that Dr. Hess built the original Hess Memorial Hospital. Dr. Hess retired in 1935 and his son Dr. J. S. Hess, Jr. became the owner. In January 1959, the City of Mauston purchased the hospital and formed a governing board of directors consisting of eleven members.

In 1963, the need for a new hospital and beds for the elderly became obvious. Taking action, an association was formed and a fund drive organized. All but nine rooms of the old hospital were converted into a long term care facility. The new hospital building was constructed immediately adjacent and connected to the old building.

The hospital and long-term care facility shared management, heating, and maintenance and were serviced by one kitchen. The combined total of beds was 91 (46 hospital and 45 nursing home).

In 1963, the new Hess Memorial Hospital Association, Inc., obtained the hospital from the City of Mauston and directed all the hospital and nursing home operations. The original members of the board of directors were V.M. Griffin, M.D., president, William L. Rothe, vice president, Robert H. Jorgenson, secretary, and Mrs. Kurt Gebhardt, treasurer. Other members included W. Blumer, C.J. Laridaen, D.V.M., Lawrence Larsen, Reverend Emil A. Pedersen, Martin Roth, Sr., Phillip Walsh, and Henry Wells.

In 1969, the Hospital Association built a clinic for use by Hess Memorial Hospital's Staff Physicians. The clinic building, accommodating six doctors, was built with expansion in mind. Offices in the basement had plenty of storage space for the hospital and a meeting room, which was used by the hospital and the community. The hospital purchased all of the land in the block on which the hospital building was located with the exception of Butz's Drive-In Cleaners and St. John's Episcopal Church, for the purpose of future expansion of the facility.

By 1977 the need for expansion or a new hospital and long term care facility was apparent. Since the cost of renovating the old hosptial compared with that of building a new hospital was so high, a new site was chosen for a new facility and construction was underway.

Following a successful fund drive entitled "Project 80", a new hospital (Hess Memorial) and nursing home (Fair View Home) were erected across from the Juneau County Fair Grounds on Highway 58.

Moving days were December 27 and 30, 1980. Shortly after, in 1981, the physicians built a new clinic (Mile Bluff Clinic LLP) adjacent to the hospital. The entire complex; hospital, nursing home and clinic is now known as Mile Bluff Medical Center.

The hospital and nursing home have 100 (40 hospital and 60 nursing home) beds. Both facilities continue to share management, heating and maintenance and are still serviced by one kitchen.

Along with new and modern facilities, the hospital has enlarged its medical staff to 18 physicians, 9 Physician Assistants, 2 Nurse Practitioners and has also increased its consultant staff, thereby giving the community access to onsite specialty services. Both Hess Memorial Hospital and Fair View Nursing Home are fully accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals and Nursing Homes.

The old hospital and nursing home buildings were sold in 1981 and converted into an apartment complex. The old clinic building was sold in 1984 and is presently a dental and optometry clinic.

Building of the Terrace Heights Retirement Community broke ground on May 1992. The first renters moved in on November 20, 1992. Terrace Heights, an independent living community for persons 62 years of age and older, is owned and operated by Hess Memorial Hospital. Terrace Heights consists of 34 one or two bedroom apartments designed with features and services to provide a living environment which promotes freedom and independence. Services available include meals, bus transportation, scheduled activities, and emergency call system as well as maintenance of building and grounds.

In November 1991, the Elroy Family Medical Center opened in Elroy, Wisconsin. Dr. Moiya Murphy and Sam Williams, Physician Assistant, staff the clinic along with physicians from Mile Buff Clinic LLP, Monday through Friday.

In January 1995, The Necedah Family Medical Center opened in Necedah, Wisconsin. Physicians from Mile Buff Clinic, LLP, as well as physician assistants staffs the clinic Monday through Friday.

The New Lisbon Clinic is staffed by physicians, physician assistants as well as other medical staff from the Mile Bluff Clinic, LLP. Office hours are Monday through Saturday.

Podiatrist's Richard Langen and Chris Eckerman, and Audiologist Ann Raabe see patients at these clinics on a scheduled basis.

April 1996-July 1996, Hess Memorial Hospital began utilizing the newly completed expansion on the first and second floors, and in 1999, Fair View Nursing Home was extensively remodeled.

In 1999 a new dialysis unit was opened to care for the residents and visitors of the area.

A $6 million expansion of Mile Bluff Medical Centers' surgical area was completed in June 2001. The one-story addition provides 16,000 sq. ft. for three new operating rooms.

Crest View, a beautiful new home in New Lisbon, opened November 1, 2001. The new facility is a joint venture of Juneau County and Mile Bluff Medical Center. Crest View is owned and operated by Mile Bluff Medical Center. The 45,000 square-foot building can house 72 residents. Sixty of the beds are in the skilled nursing facility. Sixteen of those beds are located in the Woodland Wing which is designed especially to care for Alzheimer’s/dementia patients. Nursing staff provides intensive skilled care around the clock. Our comfortable rooms include individual windows and hookups for cable TV and telephone service. Nutritious foods are served at every meal. Specials diets, as prescribed by the resident's personal physician, are planned and prepared under direction of a Registered Dietician.

In the fall of 2002, Mile Bluff Medical Center purchased and installed a in-house MRI unit. With an in-house unit, verses the mobile unit used previously, more patients are able to be tested at the hospital.

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