Chippewa Valley Cooperative Hospital Opens New Cancer Center in Chippewa Falls
CHIPPEWA FALLS, WI – November 4, 2025 – The Chippewa Valley Cooperative Hospital (CVCH) has opened its new Cancer Center, located in the renovated former St. Joseph’s Hospital campus in Chippewa Falls. The Cancer Center began seeing patients on October 13 and started medical oncology treatments on November 3, closing a critical gap in cancer treatment care that was created when HSHS shuttered its cancer center in 2024.
The Cooperative’s new Cancer Center is part of the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative’s plan to reopen the former hospital as an interim full-service facility while it builds its permanent, community-owned hospital in Lake Hallie by 2028.
Restoring a Critical Lifeline for Chippewa Valley Cancer Patients
When Hospital Sisters Health Systems (HSHS) exited Western Wisconsin in March 2024, more than 300 patients in active cancer treatment were displaced. While other local cancer treatment facilities did their best to accommodate these patients, the vast majority were forced to travel 1 ½ to 3 hours one way for their treatments, lab work, checkups, and follow-up care. Since then, hundreds of other cancer patients have not been able to access the care they need close to home.
“It’s been very hard for hundreds of Chippewa Valley cancer patients over the last 18 months who couldn’t get the care they need close to home,” said Angela Quick, Director of Cancer Services for the Cooperative Hospital. “Some have been traveling hundreds ofmiles each week while fighting cancer. Bringing these services online in Chippewa Falls means a lot to our patients and their families – it restores significant access to care for the region, and dignity and community for our patients.”
Mihailo Lalich, MD serves as Medical Director of the Cooperative’s Cancer Center. He previously served in a similar role at the Prevea Cancer Center at Sacred Heart Hospital.
In addition to Dr. Lalich, the Cancer Center has a staff of 12 oncology professionals, including oncology-certified nurses, pharmacists, navigators, and patient support specialists, with additional hiring planned as services expand.
“Our mission is simple,” said Dr. Lalich. “To ensure that no one in the Chippewa Valley has to leave home to receive the excellent care they deserve. We’re combining clinical excellence with compassion, and local access and accountability.”
The new Cancer Center will provide:
- Medical oncology and infusion therapy
- On-site specialty oncology pharmacy
- Coordinated laboratory for faster care
- Patient navigation and survivorship programs
- Radiation therapy is being fast-tracked for 2026.
Modern Care in a Renewed Facility
The Cancer Center occupies a completely renovated area of the former hospital. The Cooperative moved quickly after it purchased the facility in July to build out the new center with significant infrastructure and patient care upgrades, including:
- A full interior remodel with new infusion bays, procedure rooms, and nursing stations
- Upgraded air handling and electrical systems for modern medical equipment
- New patient family areas designed for comfort and privacy
- Refreshed interiors, reflecting the Cooperative’s commitment to healing spaces
The Cancer Center is about more than cancer treatment, according to Quick.
“The Cooperative is rebuilding a place of hope. We’ve created a healing environment where patients will feel seen, supported, and cared for right here at home,” she added.
First of Many Health Care Services at the Cooperative Hospital
The Cancer Center is the first department to open in the Cooperative Hospital’s phased reactivation of the former facility. Work is underway now to open additional services this year. Full hospital services, including inpatient care, emergency, surgery, and labor and delivery are scheduled to launch in 2026.
Ultimately, the Cooperative Hospital in Chippewa Falls will employ over 300 medical professionals. More than 100 board-certified physicians have committed to caring for patients in the Cooperative Hospital.
A Community-Owned Model for the Future
The Cooperative Hospital is a service of the Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative, a nonprofit, community-owned healthcare organization governed by local members. The Cooperative’s model ensures that healthcare decisions remain local, resources are reinvested into patient care here, and long-term stability replaces corporate cost-cutting.
“Restoring cancer care, and other critical health services in the Chippewa Valley is exactly why the Cooperative exists,” said Robert Krause, Chair of the CVHC Board of Directors. “We can do amazing things quickly when a community comes together. We solve problems, we bring care back home, and we do it with compassion and accountability.”
About the Cooperative
The Chippewa Valley Health Cooperative is a community-owned healthcare organization accountable to the people of Chippewa Valley and dedicated to providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality medical services to residents of the Chippewa Valley region. Any resident in the 18-county Chippewa Valley region at least 18 years can join the Cooperative here.
