Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers was in Eau Claire on Monday to call on state republicans to release emergency healthcare funding.

In the wake of the announcement that all HSHS and Prevea facilities in the Chippewa Valley would be closing, state lawmakers passed legislation to reallocate $15 million to emergency departments in the area. Governor Evers used line item vetoes to make those funds more flexible, prompting the Joint Finance Committee to hold up the release of the funds.

Governor Evers criticized the delay in releasing the funds, drawing attention to how desperately the money is needed in the area. He also highlighted the efforts made in the Chippewa Valley since the announcement.

“My administration and I got to work right away,” said Governor Evers. “We hosted job fairs in partnership with the local workforce development board to get folks connected to local employers in the area who are looking to hire dedicated healthcare workers. We’ve been working around the clock to make sure folks retain their healthcare coverage and that critical healthcare services are not disrupted any further than they already have been.”

In addition to efforts on the state level, local providers have also stepped up their healthcare offerings to help bridge the gap for patients. Governor Evers was hosted for a tour at a soon to be open NorthLakes Community Clinic in Eau Claire. CEO of NorthLakes Reba Rice says they had originally planned to use the space for their dental and behavior health practice. However, following the closure announcement, their plans for the space changed.

“When we heard the announcement then we started to explore whether medical would be useful,” said Rice. “So now the plan is that we’ll be offering medical, full spectrum family medicine, which will include OB and regular family medicine and medication assisted treatment. And then behavioral health which will include individual and group therapy and the medication assisted treatment.”

The NorthLakes Community Clinic is scheduled to open on April 29th.