News

Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital has been awarded the contract to provide a medical and dental clinic on the campus of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore. Prairie du Chien Memorial Health Clinic - Fennimore will be open to the public beginning March 3rd and will be located in the Health Sciences building.

Nurse Practitioner Peggy Barton, a Linden resident, will serve as the clinic’s primary provider. Barton has worked 32 years in nursing and has 19 years of experience as a Nurse Practitioner, certified in Women’s Health and Family Care, with an interest in Diabetes. Primary care services offered at the new clinic beginning in March include annual health and wellness visits, health promotion and maintenance, disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, general consultation and referral. Dental services and behavioral health services will be added later in 2014.

“This newly forged partnership will provide experiential opportunities for students in our multiple health programs on campus,” stated Katie Garrity, Southwest Tech Dean of Health, Education, and Public Safety. “The clinic will also provide much needed on-campus health and wellness services to our community, students, faculty, and staff. We are excited to have this opportunity located right on our main campus.”

In November 2013, Southwest Tech distributed a Request for Proposal (RFP) inviting all qualified health care providers to submit proposals for rental of the medical and dental clinic space located in the Health Science Building on the Southwest Tech Fennimore campus. The proposal required prospective parties to contribute to the mission of Southwest Tech through the provision of clinical experiences for health occupations students. Proposals were evaluated based on qualifications, relevant experience, responsiveness to the request for proposal, fees offered and fit to the career and technical education mission of the College.

As a rural hospital, Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital is ranked in the Top 100 of all Critical Access Hospitals in the nation. Since the 1970s, Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital has been a partner with Southwest Tech, in support of its health occupations programs. Currently, an average of 25 students per semester, in a variety of health occupations programs perform clinical practicums through the hospital. The relationship between Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital and Southwest Tech has not only provided valuable clinical experiences but, in many cases, students have found employment locally.

“We look forward to furthering our strong partnership with Southwest Tech,” added Bill Sexton, Chief Executive Officer at Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital. “In addition to being a needed healthcare resource for faculty, the students and area residents, the clinic will offer even more hands-on learning opportunities for the students, right in Grant County.”

A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Prairie du Chien Memorial Health Clinic – Fennimore is planned for April 2nd. Anyone having questions regarding the Health Clinic may call 608-822-2940.