By Joe Bachman

Aspirus Hospital stated in an announcement on Thursday that they will put $25 million into facility upgrades and expansions in Wisconsin Rapids.

According to Riverview CEO Todd Burch, the upgrades will bring the hospital up to date with state-of-the-art quality care which will include an expanded emergency department, a new family birthplace, and additions for the cardiovascular institute to be completed by the end of the year.

“This investment is a testament to Aspirus’ commitment to the community,” said Todd Burch, CEO of Aspirus Riverview. “The enhancements are necessary to meet the growing health care needs of the community and ensure that patients continue to benefit from state-of-the-art care.”

2017 is expected to see groundbreaking for the new family birthplace, which will feature hotel-like accommodations and wider space for privacy and comfort.

“The announcement is great news for our community on many fronts — new investment will bring new jobs both during construction and on a long-term permanent basis while also making our community a destination for expanded and improved health care services,” said Mayor Zach Vruwink. “We know health care spending has been leaving our community and this announcement validates Aspirus’ early belief that services can and should be delivered right here.”

Fifteen months ago Aspirus purchased Riverview  for approximately $100 million.