What Mayo Clinic is doing in the wake of upcoming HSHS/Prevea closures

EAU CLAIRE (WQOW) - Mayo Clinic Health System is anticipating a 50% increase in the number of births at its locations and is working to increase capacity in its family birth center.

Officials also told News 18 Friday they're looking at ways to expand their emergency and urgent care departments at all of their sites across Northwest Wisconsin.

How and when that will happen was not shared with us.

Related article: 'Complete exit from western Wisconsin': HSHS, Prevea closing area hospitals permanently

Mayo said it's helping in other ways since the closure announcement, too, including establishing a dedicated team to answer phone calls from people who may want to set up new primary care.

They're also adding more clinical hours for nursing students so they can join the workforce sooner.  In addition, they've joined the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce's new task force to address this closure.

Below is a full list Mayo sent News 18 of what they're working on.

Mayo Clinic Health System is actively working to identify opportunities to safely increase our ability to serve more patients. We are committed to continuing to provide safe, high-quality care to those who need us.

We are working on:

• Increasing capacity at all our Critical Access Hospitals in the region. These are located in Barron, Bloomer, Menomonie and Osseo.
• Investigating ways to expand Emergency Department and Urgent Care capacities across all sites. 
• Significantly increasing the capacity of our Family Birth Center.
• Virtual care options - Primary Care On Demand is a new mobile app that gives patients and community members 24/7/365 access to care, including video visits with a physician, for various urgent medical needs.
• Establishing a dedicated team that is answering phone calls from people looking to establish themselves as Primary Care patients. 
• Collaborating with Mayo Clinic Health System sites in Southwest Wisconsin for additional access for patients who can travel for care.  
• Expanding the capacity of the Advanced Care at Home program, which allows some patients who would otherwise need to be hospitalized to receive comprehensive, high-quality virtual and in-person care at home.
• Prioritizing placement and recruitment for current openings in high-demand service lines.  
• Adding more than 10,000 clinical hours for nursing students and other learners who need practical experience to complete their education and join the healthcare workforce.
• Participating in the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce Recovery Task Force.