More than a year ago, leaders from Ministry Health Care, part of Ascension, and Medical College Physicians embarked on a journey to form a partnership to expand health care services in central and northern Wisconsin.
A key component of this partnership was the recruitment of Medical College specialty care physicians to bring their clinical expertise and services to Ministry Health Care facilities in Wausau/Weston and the surrounding metro area.

Leaders from the two organizations shared the success of the first year of the partnership with local leaders during a visit to Ministry Saint Clare’s Hospital in Weston on Tuesday, Jan. 10.
“We are pleased with the initial progress of recruitment and employment of Medical College Physicians who now live and practice in the metro Wausau area,” said John Rhee, MD, MPH, CEO of Medical College Physicians.
Since July 1, 2016, 11 Medical College Physicians have launched their specialty practices in Weston. Eight more are scheduled to come aboard in the coming months, with additional recruitment efforts ongoing. These additions have broadened the specialty services available at Ministry Saint Clare’s in key service areas like cardiology, pulmonary and critical care medicine, oncology, nephrology and surgery.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, gastroenterology and dermatology are key services that will be added in 2017 to further enhance clinician partnerships to deliver high quality, cost effective specialty care in Weston.
“These successful recruitment efforts and addition of specialty services are key components of our growth strategy to increase access to services at Ministry Saint Clare’s,” Bernie Sherry, Senior Vice President/Ministry Market Executive, Ascension Wisconsin.
As part of this growth strategy, Ascension is making a multi-million dollar investment in the Weston Regional Medical Center. This includes a 24 inpatient bed addition that will increase the intensive and critical care units; the addition of a hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber to launch a comprehensive wound healing program; a cancer center addition and a 38,000 square foot remodeling and expansion that will nearly double the size of the Weston clinic, which is home to the Medical College Physicians.
Recruitment of physicians in these key service areas has proven fruitful for a number of reasons.
Dr. Thomas Klinkhammer, a Medical College Physicians hematology/oncology specialist, was born in Wausau and grew up as a twin in a family of eight on a farm in the Wisconsin Rapids area.
“Returning to central Wisconsin has been rewarding for me both personally and professionally,” said Klinkhammer. “I am pleased to work in an environment that allows me to strive for the best possible outcomes for my patients.”
The partnership has also been expanded beyond the Wausau area, as Medical College oncologists are providing outreach to Ministry run cancer centers in Stevens Point, Merrill and Rhinelander. Cardiologists are also seeing patients in Stevens Point and Rhinelander.
Likewise, Medical College Physicians will be establishing outreach schedules at the new Ascension Medical Group at Westwood, which will be opening later this month. This 48,000 square foot clinic will provide the greater Wausau area with an array of services including primary and specialty care, lab, X-ray, pharmacy, occupational medicine, physical and occupational therapy, and will be the first Ascension Medical Group clinic in the nation.