WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Family Health Center of Marshfield has received a significant boost in funding in the form of a $3,000,000 state grant, which will be used to build a Wisconsin Rapids Health Center (WRHC) designed to improve access to healthcare services for the community.
Family Health Center Executive Director Greg Nycz said there is a lack of proper healthcare in the Wisconsin Rapids community.
“We know that there are a whole lot of people in the greater Wisconsin Rapids area who really need access to dental care and addiction treatment. And we know that because many of them are traveling to our Neillsville Dental Clinic and our Marshfield Dental Clinic to get dental care. One year, we figured out that there were 1,600 people [from Wisconsin Rapids treated at other centers]. One thousand went to Marshfield and 600 went to Neillsville. We figured that was like 150,000 miles of travel.”
Nycz emphasized the role of legislators in addressing local issues like gaps in healthcare coverage.
“Our representatives, when they're aware of a problem in their district, they can be helpful with grabbing some funds to help make that project come true. That's the whole idea behind it, and that congressionally-directed spending is best made by people closest to the problems, which are the representatives.”
The WRHC will function as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), a specific type of Community Health Center (CHC) that meets strict federal criteria.
This qualification grants benefits like cost-based Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement and access to 340B drug discounts.
CHC is a broader term for any community-based clinic focused on serving underserved populations with affordable care, which may or may not be an FQHC.
Nycz said the land for the center, which will be located at 220 24th St. S, Wisconsin Rapids, is to be donated by Executive Director of The Legacy Foundation of Central Wisconsin Mike Bovee as part of a regional redevelopment effort.
The WRHC is planned to include a 24,000 square foot facility with dedicated spaces for dental, behavioral health and primary care.
The center is expected to break ground in fall 2026, pending USDA approval.
Beyond the physical structure, there are plans to utilize modern technology.
Nycz said the center will integrate telehealth services, which will enable broader patient reach, especially for those in rural or underserved locales or those unable to travel.
The proposed center is an expansion of local healthcare, but is also poised to create new jobs.
“[The WRHC] will also have a community development aspect, because we're going to be hiring a good number of people who will work there, and that'll help stimulate the ongoing growth opportunities for the Rapids community,” Nycz said.
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