UW Health Wausau Family Medicine Clinic Looks to the Future

On May 30, UW Health Wausau Family Medicine Clinic broke ground for their new building which will house both clinical and educational services. The new building on the Aspirus Wausau Hospital campus will enable the clinic to use a new patient-centered approach to clinical care. The clinic design was based on national studies of patient preferences. Clinic services will include patient-driven ideas like:

• Open scheduling
• Group visits
• A patient advisory group to guide future enhancements

Location, parking, transportation and accommodations for patients with disabilities have all been improved to give better access to care. The clinic can count on using the most current space and technology resources to meet the health needs of Central Wisconsin and beyond.

In addition to improved space for patient care, the new clinic will be home to a new Medical Education Center (MEC). The MEC will have many features that mirror newer facilities at other University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health sites such as:

• Video-conference rooms
• Digital x-ray
• Simulation suites
• Electronic medical records

This means that incoming classes of residency physicians will gain experience with the most current medical and educational tools and be able to participate in educational programming with medical colleagues in many locations.

The MEC will also increase education opportunities for medical students, mid-level providers and other medical professionals. Educational space will be shared with other trainees and continuing medical education programs. As the residency has demonstrated, training programs help the region recruit needed health personnel.

One of the most exciting opportunities offered by the MEC will be the chance for greater involvement in health education with the community through health seminars, special screenings and collaborative projects. The residency is open to working with students, businesses or other groups interested in health related programming.

This new facility will enable UW Health Wausau Family Medicine to meet their goals of continued success in recruiting family physicians to the region, improved access to primary care, increased health education opportunities and increased service to the community through collaborative health improvement initiatives.