About Us

Committed to Excellence

At Spooner Health, we are committed to excellence—excellence in patient care, employee satisfaction, and meeting the health needs of the communities we serve.

Spooner Health is a licensed 25-bed critical access hospital with a wide range of services from emergency and inpatient care to outpatient therapy, surgery, and diagnostic imaging. Spooner Health is dedicated to providing high-quality healthcare with excellent service.

When you need healthcare, Spooner Health is here for you with local access to the services you need.

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Mission

To provide high quality healthcare.

Vision

To become the recognized leader in providing quality healthcare in an expanding range of progressive services.

Values

The Person

We can make a difference by valuing each individual through respect, compassion, and honest communication.

Integrity

Serving our customers with a respectful approach by doing the right action when no one is looking.

Confidence

Providing care and service with self-assurance, certainty, and respect.

Excellence

To always exceed expectations through knowledge and growth.

Enthusiasm

To work as a team to inspire others to a new level of excellence.

Fellowship

Respect for each other and for the diversity of the community we serve.

How We're Different

Service, People, Quality, Finance and Growth

Spooner Health began our Commitment to Excellence journey in 2009 when we partnered with the Studer Group (Now known as Huron)—an outcomes-based healthcare consulting firm that works with over 800 organizations to implement tools and tactics to achieve and sustain clinical, service, and operational excellence. They help guide us to create a culture of service excellence in everything we do.

As part of our commitment to excellence, we operate under five pillars: Service, People, Quality, Finance, and Growth. These pillars provide the foundation for setting goals and direction for achieving service and operational excellence.

History

1955

A 25-bed, single story, community hospital opens in Spooner, Wisconsin.

1964

An addition is complete that provides a new solarium to aid in patient recovery.

1965

A 50-bed nursing home complex is built adjacent to the hospital with connecting rooms housing administrative offices.

1969

Plans are started for a new and updated hospital building.

1971

The new, two-story hospital building is open, and the original facility is converted into a 90-bed, long-term care complex.

Late 1980s

Plans are made to update the nursing home through remodeling the existing facility as well as building new wings.

1992

The nursing home renovations are complete.

Mid 1990s

Major remodeling and additions are completed at the hospital, including:

  • New operating room suites
  • A new emergency room entrance and treatment rooms
  • Relocating the administrative offices
  • Physical therapy and x-ray services are moved to the more accessible ground floor
  • All diagnostic equipment is updated
  • Downsizing of acute care inpatient rooms to allow for an increase in the size of the outpatient care department
  • Hospital is connected to the on-site family practice clinic.

1996

The hospital name officially becomes Spooner Health System.

2004

Spooner Health System collaborates with the Department of Health and Family Services, Bureau of Quality Assurance and the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health to become a critical access hospital.

2008

New Memory Clinic opens.

2009

Spooner Health System begins a Commitment to Excellence journey by partnering with the Studer Group.

2011

Spooner Health System begins leasing the operations of the nursing home.

2014

Spooner Health System breaks ground on new replacement hospital.

2016

Spooner Health System changes its name to Spooner Health and moves into it's new facility at 1280 Chandler Drive.

Board of Directors

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Jamie Morales, Chair

Jamie Morales lives in Spooner with his wife, Amy, and their three active boys—Jesse, Max and Morgan. Jamie attended college at UW-LaCrosse and has been in the financial services industry for more than twelve years. He is currently employed by Community Bank. Jamie joined the Spooner Health Board of Directors in 2013. He is very active in the Spooner community serving on the board for the Spooner Area Chamber, Spooner Education Foundation as well as coaching and/or helping out with his children’s sports and activities. Jamie enjoys spending his free time camping, fishing, hunting and attending professional sports events.

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Dr. Mark Van Etten

Dr. Mark Van Etten was an active physician in Spooner from 1983 until his retirement in 2021. Prior to his retirement, he was a Diplomat of the American Academy of Family Physicians with a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Geriatrics. He has been on the Board of Directors for Spooner Health since 2003. Dr. Van Etten and his wife, Dr. Beverly Bohac, have two adult daughters and one granddaughter. He enjoys being outdoors and is an avid cross-country skier having completed more than 30 American Birkebeiner races. In the “off-season” he enjoys walking, running, and biking. Dr. Van Etten currently serves on the governing board of the Washburn County Aging and Disability Resource Center and is a member of the Health Care committee of the Wisconsin State Dementia Plan.

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Matt "Vern" Thompson

Matt "Vern" Thompson joined the Spooner Health Board of Directors in 2021. He was born and raised in Spooner and came back to the area after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2005 with a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance. Vern has two children with his wife Hillary and is very active in the community by being involved on several non-profit boards and coaching youth sports.

In his free time, he enjoys fishing, hunting, golfing and spending time with his family.

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Dr. Brian Gaskill

Dr. Brian Gaskill joined the Spooner Health Board of Directors in 2016. He is a board-certified Family Physician whom started full-time practice at Essentia Health - Spooner Clinic in 2008. He attended medical school at Oklahoma State University - College of Osteopathic Medicine and earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in 2005. Dr. Gaskill currently serves as chief of staff at Spooner Health.

Outside of medicine his time is spent with his wife, Julie, and cultivating his 6 children - instead of growing grass in his yard. He is active in church as a youth leader of Northern Lights Christian Center and also serves as a board member for the Winged Freedom Raptor Hospital in Spooner.

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Tim Reedy

Tim Reedy joined the Spooner Health Board of Directors in 2019. He has been a small business owner in Spooner for the past 15 years. He and his wife Tammy have three children - Ben, Nick and Kate. Tim completed his Bachelor of Accounting degree at University of MN - Duluth, and his MBA at Illinois State University.

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Sue Churchill

Sue loves entertaining and has been called a social magician - at home, at The Dock Coffee and at Round Man Brewing. As owner of these two businesses her greatest point of pride is to serve her community in the company of her whole family. A Rochester, MN native, Sue and her husband moved to Spooner in 2014 after her retirement from the Mayo Clinic with nearly 30 years of management in Transfusion Medicine.

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Nicole Tims

Nicole Tims is the Washburn County Treasurer, serves on the Shell Lake School District Board of Education and has a Bachelor of Accounting Degree from Liberty University. She has lived in the area since 2000. Nicole and her husband Rich have four children: Allison, Hadley, Raegan and Gavin. She loves spending time with her family and friends, reading a good book, and being involved in music.

Senior Leaders

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Michael Schafer
CEO/Administrator

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Rebecca Busch
Chief Financial Officer

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Cindy Rouzer
Human Resources Director

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Clint Miller
BSN Chief Nursing Officer

Testimonials

We couldn’t have asked for a better team to come and help with our father. Thank you so much for having such wonderful, kind and caring staff.

Thank you for your commitment and dedication to your patients. You have made our difficult journey a lot easier!

We have been thinking about relocating but were reluctant to move away from our larger health system. After a visit to your facility, I have no fears about relocating – I was very impressed with the service and care I received.