Aspirus Family House grand opening celebrated

Aspirus recently held a grand opening to celebrate the completion of the Aspirus Family House.

Located  on the Aspirus Wausau Hospital Campus in Wausau, Wis., the Aspirus Family House will begin serving guests on February 10 by providing temporary housing for patients traveling for long-term outpatient specialty care, as well as families whose loved ones are hospitalized.

Guests of the Family House will be served by dedicated staff and volunteers. Community groups will provide additional support. 

The grand opening was a culmination of a project that began in the fall of 2018.

“With Aspirus being one of the top 15 health systems in the nation and Aspirus Wausau Hospital serving as the tertiary care center for a large geographic area, thousands of people travel to Wausau for care every year,” said Matthew Heywood, President and CEO of Aspirus, Inc. “Creating the Aspirus Family House allows us to ease the financial burden associated with travel for our most vulnerable patients and families, while fulfilling our commitment to transform to better serve the needs of those who entrust us with their care.”

The Aspirus Family House features 10 bedrooms with private bathrooms and shared living spaces designed as a home-like environment. The design is conducive to healing and support from our community and others going through similar health experiences.

With the Family House located on the Aspirus Wausau Hospital campus, it offers added convenience and peace of mind to patients, families and providers. 

“On behalf of the entire Aspirus family, I want to say a personal thank you to our community and medical partners for joining Aspirus to create this family house as a safe, affordable, temporary home away from home for patients and families traveling a significant distance to receive critical specialty care,” said Kalynn Pempek, Executive Director of the Aspirus Health Foundation.

The Aspirus Family House was designed with its guests in mind, but special attention was also given to the environment during the building’s renovation as part of Aspirus’ robust sustainability program. With the help of a grant from RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good initiative, photovoltaic panels were installed to reduce the building’s carbon footprint by utilizing clean, renewable, solar energy.

Go online to aspirus.org/familyhouse for more information on the Aspirus Family House.