Business

Merger between Gundersen and Bellin to take effect in December

Published

1 year ago

November 17, 2022

The Gundersen and Bellin health systems in Wisconsin will merge officially on Dec. 1, exactly six months after talks were announced in public.

The combined corporation will include about a dozen hospitals and over 100 clinics in the region, with offices continuing to operate in both La Crosse and Green Bay.

Merging Bellin and Gundersen is expected to provide patients of the combined company with more services and choices for medical care. Gundersen had previously made an attempt to merge with the Marshfield Clinic.

Merger talks between the two companies were publicly announced in June.

The two systems will retain their separate headquarters, with Gundersen CEO Scott Rathgaber appointed to head the entire system and Gundersen operating officer Heather Schimmers taking the post of regional president for the La Crosse area.

Brad Williams

A native of Prairie du Chien, Brad graduated from UW - La Crosse and has worked in radio news for more than 30 years, mostly in the La Crosse area. He regularly covers local courts and city and county government. Brad produces the features "Yesterday in La Crosse" and "What's Buried on Brad's Desk." He also writes the website "Triviazoids," which finds odd connections between events that happen on a certain date, and he writes and performs with the local comedy group Heart of La Crosse. Brad been featured on several national TV programs because of his memory skills.