Baldwin Discusses Funding for Rural Medical Care and Mental Health at ‘Delivering for Wisconsin’ Stop in Durand and La Crosse

WISCONSIN – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin continued her Delivering for Wisconsin Tour in Durand and La Crosse to discuss funding she secured in the 2023 federal budget to support emergency medical care and address the mental health crisis. In Durand, Senator Baldwin visited AdventHealth to learn how the $916,000 she secured will be used to expand and modernize their ambulance bay. In La Crosse, Senator Baldwin hosted a roundtable discussion on mental health and public safety, highlighting the $450,000 she brought home to Family and Children’s Center Wisconsin to allow them to serve more Wisconsinites. Senator Baldwin’s Delivering for Wisconsin Tour is highlighting her work to lower costs for working families, support the Made in Wisconsin economy, and bring home resources to keep Wisconsin communities safe and healthy.

In Durand, Senator Baldwin met with AdventHealth leadership and local officials to hear about the hospital’s critical role as one of the area’s only emergency health care providers. Senator Baldwin saw firsthand how the existing ambulance bay is too small for most current ambulances, resulting in some patients being transferred outside in the parking lot. The nearly $1 million Senator Baldwin secured will expand and modernize the ambulance bay to accommodate the larger modern ambulances and better serve those in emergencies.

“Our rural communities often have few options for emergency healthcare, and I am working to make sure that when Wisconsinites are in a time of need, they are confident they will get the high-quality care they need and deserve,” said Senator Baldwin. “I saw firsthand the desperate need for a new ambulance bay at AdventHealth in Durand and am proud to have secured the funding needed to upgrade the facility to ensure patients can get the care they deserve.

Senator Baldwin then hosted a roundtable discussion in La Crosse with health care providers, local health leaders, and law enforcement on addressing the mental health crisis and increasing public safety. The Senator delivered $450,000 in this year’s federal budget for the Family and Children’s Center Wisconsin to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder resources. The group also discussed how federal dollars are being used at the La Crosse Police Department to respond to mental health calls, at Viterbo University to recruit and train more professional counselors, and at the School District of La Crosse to increase awareness among students, staff, and families about mental health issues.

“The mental health crisis touches every community across Wisconsin, and I am committed to doing everything I can to help our family, friends, and neighbors in need,” said Senator Baldwin. “It was great to be in La Crosse to discuss how the federal resources I secured will help Family and Children’s Center Wisconsin reach more Wisconsinites in need of mental health care and substance use disorder help. “

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