Our research project addresses health care equity in the Eau Claire Metropolitan Area (ECMA) at a precipitous time. In early 2024 the closure of two hospitals and 19 urgent care clinics in the ECMA eroded access to healthcare. Hospital closures in rural and urban regions exacerbate healthcare barriers for people in minoritized communities, increase ambulance transport times, and worsen morbidity and mortality for time-sensitive conditions (Niewijk 2024). To contextualize the impact of these closures we consolidated news stories into a timeline of events from January 2024 to the present. We also reviewed literature within medical sociology and public health to help us understand barriers to health equity in the ECMA. We will conduct interviews with city, health department, and healthcare-related organizational leaders in Summer 2025, and then analyze the data using MAXQDA, a qualitative software program. Our policy brief will summarize changes to healthcare equity since these closures and strategies for building a more equitable healthcare landscape in the ECMA. In Spring 2026 we will convene a university symposium with stakeholders to discuss health equity in our region.
