ThedaCare offers convenience, accessibility with new location

ThedaCare Medical Center officially opened its new clinic on Jan. 19 with an approximately $84 million investment providing more services, jobs, and access to area residents. With Oshkosh having two full-service hospitals, the ThedaCare Medical Center is designed to be a “micro-hospital,” targeting a smaller community and bringing convenient care to people on the east side of the city. 

Dr. Seon Yoon Chung, a dean of the College of Nursing, Health Professions and STEM at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, believes that the location of the new hospital opens  new job opportunities for people in the community.

“ThedaCare Medical Center-Oshkosh is a game-changer for our students, the city of Oshkosh, and the entire Fox Valley region,” she said. “This new health campus, located less than a mile from our own riverfront campus, perfectly epitomizes the interconnection between UWO and ThedaCare.”

Froedtert ThedaCare was built at 250 W. 6th Avenue for a specific purpose. Chung said that building along the Fox Valley River downtown stimulates the city’s economic development and provides work for those ready to dive into the healthcare field. 

 “From our innovative rural telehealth initiative to the dozens of recent graduates joining ThedaCare’s dedicated care teams, we are proud to power the workforce pipeline that keeps our community healthy and economically secure,” she said. “This new facility will provide even more vital, real-world experiential learning opportunities, ensuring our Titans continue to lead and serve right here in Oshkosh.” 

The collaboration between UWO and ThedaCare allows specific opportunities like telehealth for nursing students. 

“Our partnership already helps ensure that nearly 82% of our students who use university career services land their first professional opportunity before even finishing college, with healthcare being a top industry for these early career starts,” Chung said. 

UWO’s College of Nursing, Health Professions, and STEM is dedicated to developing the high-quality, ‘brain-gain’ talent that local healthcare leaders like ThedaCare rely on. 

The new hospital is referred to as a ‘mirco-hospital’, having it being significantly smaller in size than other hospitals in the city. Dr. Jason Mott, a tenured professor of the School of Nursing and Health Professions, believes that smaller hospitals are great for small town settings and reduce need for larger facilities. 

“ThedaCare has done a great job in the past with smaller hospitals,” he said. “They have hospitals in Berlin, Waupaca, New London, Shawano, and now Fond du Lac. These are great for providing the services that most patients would need in their hometown, rather than having to drive to the bigger hospitals.”

Karl Buelow, Oshkosh Common Council member, agreed that ThedaCare’s size does not cause a problem but rather provides many opportunities. 

“A smaller-size hospital that still allows for ER and Urgent Care will also be perfect for patients seeking routine care and much easier to navigate and find their provider within the smaller building,” he said. 

Buelow hopes that ThedaCare would be a great alternative for the two bigger hospitals in Oshkosh. 

“This location is much closer to our most dense parts of the city and the lowest income neighborhoods, which makes it easier for those with limited means to receive healthcare,” he said. 

Buelow believes that this location is suitable for local people who are interested in working in the medical field.

“I think the number is close to 70% of Oshkosh residents live on the east side,” he said. “What this means is that it will be much more efficient for students to want to work there. The center is much closer to North, Lourdes, and Valley Christian High School, and also West.”

The location of the hospital allows most of the city’s population to have emergency care more convenient to them. Mott sees this as an opportunity for accessible healthcare services. 

“It will provide access that is closer to home for those who use Thedacare,” he said. “Instead of having to drive to Neenah or Appleton, they can stay right in town,” he said. 

Buelow addresses his own experience in emergency care while working in Oshkosh, highlighting the location of the hospital as essential for the community. 

“I was the director of operations at Day by Day Homeless Shelter, and when we had a medical situation there, the unsheltered guest would need to be taken by ambulance all the way to Aurora or Mercy. Then when they were released, it was often very difficult for them to get a ride or walk back to the shelter due to distance,” he said. 

Buelow said that for the future of the hospital, kindness and dedication to the job are key.

 “If I can get an X-ray in any hospital, it will come down to the staff that creates the feeling of difference, professionalism, and warmth,” he said.  

by Yui Watanabe

Published February 9, 2026

Oshkosh West Index Volume 122 Issue IV