HISTORY

Read about the individual highlights from our service timelines:

BUILDING TIMELINE:

February 1966 Capital campaign begins
August 15, 1966 Construction begins with $2,132,400 in funding from three sources:
- A grant of federal funds from the Hill Burton Program
- A bond from the city of Black River Falls
- Donations from more than 2,000 local citizens (hospital employees donated over $17,000)
March 1, 1968 Black River Memorial Hospital opens.
2008 Grand opening held to celebrate $23,000,000 construction project.
2012 Nortman House purchased to house medical students.
2016 B-Home Services & Supplies opens at 311 County Road A, to house our services and supplies for the home, including hospice, homecare, palliative care, and a store that sells home medical equipment.
2017 Medical Records and Financial Services building built on 8th Street to help patients with records and billing questions and to make room for additional patient services to be added at the main campus on Adams Street.
2018 BRMH's 50th anniversary. A ground-breaking is held in July for a $14.3 million expansion. Physical medicine and rehabilitation, surgical services, urgent care, lobby, nutrition services, and a clinic will improve access to care for our community.
2018 BRMH purchases 17.31 acres on County Highway A as part of a long-term facility plan allowing for expansion opportunities.
2019 Continuation of various phases of construction that began in 2018.
July 2020 Completed construction project and opened Black River Healthcare Clinic.

SERVICE TIMELINES:

Black River Healthcare Clinic behavioral health patient room

Black River Healthcare Clinic behavioral health patient room

Black River Healthcare Clinic

July 2020: Clinic opens, offering primary care and behavioral health services
October 2022: Clinic earns Rural Health Clinic (RHC) Accreditation
April 2023: Clinic launches new Care at Home service line

Community Education

1974: Education programs begin for prenatal care, AODA, diabetes, smoking cessation, and CPR
1987: First Community Seniors' Health Fair held
Community education classes on joint replacement, urinary incontinence, sinus procedures, digestive disorders, and chronic pain occur regularly
2019: Mental health first aid training occurs in partnership with the Greater Black River Area Safety Council and the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health
2023: Advanced directives education event offered in honor of National Healthcare Decisions Day

Dialysis

2007: A 12-bed dialysis unit opens, operated by Gundersen Lutheran Hospital staff until it closed its outreach clinics in Richland Center and Black River Falls in 2019

Emergency

1972: Hospital supports development of Black River Falls Ambulance Service
1996: First full-time physician coverage in Emergency Department
1999: Hospital begins to employ its own physicians
1997: Urgent care services become available
2007: New helipad built to be closer for Emergency Department access
2008: Trauma rooms added
2018: New emergency room areas built
2019: Relocated registration area, a private dictation area for providers, a new waiting room, and vending area for patient comfort

Construction of ambulance bay

Construction of ambulance bay

Hospice, Homecare, Palliative Care

1982: “Hospice Touch” begins in Black River Falls
1993: Expanded hospice services become available, and do so again in 2003
2006: BRMH becomes licensed to provide homecare
2009: Homecare begins telehealth monitoring
2016: B-Home Services & Supplies opens
2019: End-of-life doulas added to hospice program
2023: Home health services are redesigned and moved under the Black River Healthcare Clinic. Be Home Retail transformed to solely offer respiratory and mobility items on main campus. Exited the Calhoun Building on County Hwy A while dissolving the Homecare Hospice service line.

Infusion Center

August 2020: Chemotherapy is offered as a new service line. Other infusion services such as administering antibiotics, biologic, and other medications move from the Med/Surg area to the new Infusion Center space.

early lab equipment

Early lab equipment

Laboratory

1988: Autologous transfusion program begins
1995: Alcohol and drug testing for area businesses begins
2011: Molecular testing begins
2016: Weekend drug testing begins in partnership with Ho-Chunk Healing to Wellness Court and Jackson County Drug Court
2017: Multiplex molecular testing for several pathogen panels begins
2018: Outreach lab program begins
2018: Upgraded equipment including higher capacity chemistry and immunoassay instruments is introduced

Marketing

1986: Public Relations department added
1998: New website established at brmh.net
2011: Volunteer Services and Marketing splits into separate departments
2015: New facility logo developed incorporating “B” droplet
2020: Navigate COVID pandemic with newly hired PIO
2020: New advertising agency hired
2020: Revamping of Momentum quarterly publication
2021: Rebranding of B-Home Services & Supplies, Homecare and Hospice, gift shop and Café
2022: New website featuring blog and branded sections launches
2023: Launch of new BRMH foundation, Gifts of Gratitude

Medical / Surgical

1975: Specialized coronary care units become available
1985: BRMH reduces number of patient beds from 70 to 51
2004: BRMH designated as Critical Access Hospital, and patient beds were reduced to 25
2012: Hospitalist program developed
2018: New family waiting room built

Nutrition Services

1970: Menu selection for patients begins
2008: Room services menus added for patients
2014: Marks the 20th anniversary of BRMH serving Meals on Wheels
2019: Complete overhaul of kitchen with new equipment, a new dining space with additional seating, and state-of-the-art servery for both patient and customer convenience

Cafe on Adams dining room

The new Café on Adams

Ophthalmology

1989: Ophthalmology services begin for procedures such as cataract removal or intravitreal injections and are performed by visiting specialists

Orthopedics

1983: Orthopedic surgery provided by visiting specialists has been offered at Black River Memorial Hospital since this time

Patient and Family Services

1973: Social worker added to staff
1986: Life-Line (now called PERS) established
1991: Advance Directive Program developed
Where services once were limited, Patient and Family Services now has social workers who provide discharge planning seven days a week

Pharmacy

1970: First full-time hospital pharmacist hired
The pharmacy has changed locations multiple times, moving from the lower level to the third floor in 1970, then to the first floor, and then in 2005 to its present location on the second floor
2007: Second full-time pharmacist hired, and the third in 2016

Black River Healthcare Clinic physical therapy and rehab room

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation gym

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

1994: Rehabilitation department expands to include physical, occupational, and speech therapy, which now are offered to help patients recover from an injury or surgery
2012: Visiting specialist begins providing services to patients who require custom orthotics, braces, and prosthetics.
2018: Health Works partnership with Krohn Clinic begins, offering customized services in occupational health, health and wellness, educational training, and infection prevention
2018: Occupational Health & Wellness program begins to assist athletic training health and wellness
2018: Marks the addition of larger gym, additional exam rooms, and equipment such as electric parallel bars and suspension ceiling lift.
Following 2018 construction, cardiac stress testing, pulmonary function testing, nutrition counseling, occupational health, and EMG testing move into this area

Podiatry

Our podiatric team has provided treatment for plantar fasciitis, bunions, hammertoes, sprains, arthritis, diabetic foot care, and more since the early 1980s.

Respiratory

1978: Respiratory therapy service added
2009: Two-bed sleep lab, pulmonary rehabilitation, and pulmonary function lab are added
2012: Better Breathers Support Group begins

Sleep Lab

2002: One-bed sleep lab established
2009: Additional sleep lab opens
December 2018: Sleep Center receives accreditation from American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Specialty Services

1983: Specialists begin visits that included care for cardiology, urology, neurology, orthopedics, psychology, and ophthalmology
1985: Helicopter services from Mayo and UW-Madison begin

Transitional Care (Swing Bed)

1985: Transitional Care Program begins
2019: Team approach provides doctors; nurses; nutrition services; physical, occupational, respiratory, and speech therapies; pharmacy services; and social work services that provide daily care to patients to improve their strength and ability to return home
2023: Redesigned Transitional Care webpage

Volunteer Services

1967: Forty-four charter members bring an auxiliary organization to BRMH
1978: Tele-Care program starts
1986: Love Light Tree Fundraiser begins
2010: Pet Therapy program begins
2011: Volunteer Services Department forms to encompass volunteers for hospice, transportation needs, and Partners
2011: Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) replaces Lifeline Program
Fifty years later, the name has changed but the vision remains the same. Partners of Black River Memorial Hospital give freely of their time with skill and energy supporting the hospital and its mission.
2023: Gift shop closes to accommodate respiratory DME space. Partners is dissolved and volunteers are included in the organizations new foundation, Gifts of Gratitude

Wound Care Center

2020: Wound Care Center opens to care for people with complex, non-healing wounds