This month marks the two-year anniversary of the Merrill community’s partnership with Aspirus Health System.
Over the past two years, Aspirus has invested more than $1.6 million to support improvements to Aspirus Merrill Hospital (AMR) to help ensure the highest quality health care for patients and the community, Aspirus representatives said. Additionally, nearly $250,000 from the AMR Foundation has been used to support needed new equipment and services. Investments and improvements include:

• A significant refresh of the hospital’s main entrance, emergency department entrance, and same-day surgery entrance area
• Vital updates to the hospital’s heating and cooling system
• Implementation of a new internal communications system
• New equipment for the hospital’s surgical unit, emergency department, physical therapy department, laboratory, and medical imaging
• Establishment of a Wound Care Clinic, including new furniture and equipment, to provide a needed new service for the community
  Further, Aspirus has helped to support the local economy with 83 employees and approximately $5,000,000 in annual payroll that gets reinvested in the community.
  “These are needed investments in our community that we have been able to provide because of the support we receive as part of the Aspirus Health System, as well as philanthropic gifts we receive from generous donors,” said Dawn Gapko, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for Aspirus Merrill Hospital. “We are thankful to be part of an organization that places such a high value on rural health care, and grateful for the generous hearts of our community and their continued commitment.”
  

Based in Wausau, Aspirus Health assumed ownership of the former Ascension Good Samaritan Hospital in August 2021 as part of an acquisition that included 6 other hospitals, 21 physician clinics, and air and ground medical transport services in north and central Wisconsin.
Aspirus Health is a non-profit, community-directed health system based in Wausau with 11,000 employees focused on improving the health and well-being of people throughout Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Aspirus serves communities through 4 hospitals in Michigan and 13 hospitals in Wisconsin, 75 clinics, home health and hospice care, pharmacies, critical care and air-medical transport, medical goods, nursing homes, and a broad network of physicians. For more information, visit aspirus.org.