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• VA opens temporary clinic in Rice Lake

By Mike Simonson, Wisconsin Public Radio

Just five days after a private contractor closed Veterans Administration clinics in Hayward and Rice Lake, the VA said it will open a temporary facility in a Rice Lake hotel Monday.

When Corporate Health and Wellness of Kentucky closed the clinics without warning Monday, more than 900 veterans were left with two alternatives: Travel the extra miles to VA outpatient clinics in Superior or Chippewa Falls for medical care or go without.

Now, VA spokesman Ralph Heussner said they'll have a third choice. On Monday, they'll take four rooms at the AmericInn Hotel in Rice Lake and turn it into a temporary clinic.

"These are VA certified physicians and nurses. This is not a CH&W clinic. This is a designated operation under federal guidelines that allows us to take emergency action," he said.

Heussner isn't sure how long the temporary set-up will last, but he estimates they'll be serving 100 veterans next week.

"We will continue to act aggressively to establish the full-time operation in Rice Lake and Hayward. For the patients who were to go to Hayward, we acknowledge it is still an inconvenience to go the trip from Hayward to Rice Lake. We will do whatever we can as far as providing transportation if they need it," Heussner said.

Meanwhile, Corporate Health and Wellness insists the VA required more expensive equipment than the clinic bid called for, causing them to lose $26,000 a month and forcing them to close the clinic doors.