History

 The History of Our Personal Care


Beginnings

After years of healthcare delivery by horse and buggy, the first Platteville-area hospital opened on February 12, 1900, with an expansion completed in 1914. The 25-bed hospital served southwest Wisconsin until 1950 when Platteville Municipal Hospital opened. A nursing home wing was added seven years later and an Obstetrics unit and Administration wing were added in 1963.

Collaboration and Consolidation

By the late 1970s, it became increasingly difficult for the organization to invest in facility infrastructure. The original building was in serious need of renovation. Action needed to be taken to reduce operational costs and provide a method of acquiring the new technology and equipment that was becoming vital to delivering high quality care.

At the same time, Cuba City Medical Center faced a similar challenge. The two hospital boards developed a plan to consolidate their facilities — the origin of Southwest Health Center as we know it today.

In 1985, the boards streamlined operations by housing acute care services in Platteville and long-term care services in Cuba City. Residents of the Platteville nursing home were relocated to the newly renovated Cuba City nursing home. The hospital began a multi-phase remodeling plan that was completed in 1991.

Relocation and Continued Growth

The hospital’s location — a converted assisted living facility nestled in a neighborhood several miles away from the main highway — remained a challenge for more than a decade. In 2004, the board determined the community’s best interest would be served by constructing a new hospital in the location it is today, adjacent to the new Highway 151.

The move opened the door to a new era for health care in southwest Wisconsin. One that today features more doctors and other health professionals than ever before with greater access to technology and the tools to help them save lives and improve health. Plus expanded programs, new services and treatments, improved comfort and privacy for patients and their families, greater access to care, and a workforce that is second to none.

In 2014, an additional 20,000 square feet of clinical space to house our Women’s Center and our Orthopedic Institute. Then, in 2016, Southwest Health partnered with the City of Platteville to elevate the local EMS services to paramedic level and construct a new 8,500 square foot facility to meet the needs of the region.

Today, Southwest Health continues to grow and to better serve the people of southwest Wisconsin each and every day. Certainly, our values driven personal  care continues to help those we serve get better faster. Yet our team’s steadfast commitment to excellence and to innovating in ways that improve the delivery of our care keep us on the leading edge.