EAU CLAIRE (WQOW) - Healthcare is a headache for some and for those in rural counties, access is even more challenging. Now, there is a new initiative to try and help.
UW-Eau Claire, the State of Wisconsin, and the Mayo Clinic partnered with healthcare startup Momentum West to discuss a new plan that could boost rural healthcare services in northwestern Wisconsin at an event Thursday.
The ticketed luncheon at UW-Eau Claire featured a panel discussion with five experts about the plan.
The plan will use $9.4 million of state grants to increase the number of healthcare workers in the region.
Wisconsin Tech Council President Tom Still said partnerships like these are lifelines for rural towns.
"Some of the workforce talent divides are starker in parts of the state that might be harder to access and whether it's healthcare, whether it's other professions, those areas need that kind of talent to survive and thrive as they move ahead," Still said.
The first-of-its-kind grant was funded by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.