New Aurora Fond du Lac hospital looks to expand essential health care services in the area

FOND DU LAC (WLUK) -- Aurora Health Care's Fond du Lac hospital, the company's 18th in Wisconsin, will open May 6. Officials held a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate.

"Busloads of people coming and wanting to check out what we have to offer and I think that's a testament of people wanting a different opportunity to receive care within this community and experience what Aurora can bring to town," Hospital President Jeff Bard said.

The expansion of Aurora's existing clinic started in 2022. At over $70 million, it's a project company leaders say will bring more essential services to the area. The facility includes an eight-bay emergency department, 10 overnight stay beds, as well as an operating and recovery area.

"Ever since I've been a part of Fond du Lac, we've heard that there's been an appetite to have a choice in the health care delivery that occurs here within this community and our experience is that choice does provide heightened quality and care for patients," Bard said.

It adds another hospital to a city that already has one -- the SSM Health St. Agnes. And earlier this year, ThedaCare broke ground on it's new hospital, which is expected to open sometime in 2025.

"It's fantastic," Fond du Lac City Manager Joe Moore said, "The options this facility provides that it didn't before, the specialty care, it's going to provide care to people to may have been leaving the city previously to get that care."

Moore said the investment in Aurora is a great one.

"When people are considering where they're going to live, they have considerations not only for themselves but their children and often times now their parents or their in-laws, and that's really important to be able to meet those needs locally," Moore said.

The site also includes a pharmacy, diagnostics area and lab. Bard said there's also space to expand, and he hopes to do soon.

The hospital is expected to bring roughly 100 new jobs to the area.