Emplify Health by Gundersen Wabasha Hospital opens eye clinic

Emplify Health by Gundersen Wabasha Hospital opens eye clinic

For Bob Wooden, getting to his eye appointments in Winona had become a challenge.

"It's impossible for me to go anywhere," he said. "I broke my neck a year ago. I can sit with a high back rest for a while, but a while isn't a long time. And from here to Winona is a long time, especially when you have to come back."

That, among other reasons, is why Wooden and others who've had to travel for eye care were excited for the Jan. 6 opening of Emplify Health by Gundersen Wabasha Hospital's new eye clinic - a comprehensive service that offers a retail optical area, three exam lanes, a testing room and a specialty room dedicated to patient education.

Construction on the 340-square-foot space across from the clinic pharmacy began in September, and before opening day, hospital leaders held a ribbon cutting and open house on Jan. 5.

Keeping care local for more than a century

"For 127 years, St. Elizabeth's has been dedicated to serving the health needs of the region, and today, we take another step forward in fulfilling the mission of bringing care close to home, expanding services to include comprehensive optical care," said hospital administrator Jim Root said. "We believe that quality eyecare is essential to overall health and wellbeing."

For Wooden, who will be one of the first patients at the new eye clinic, its opening is extra special. For more than 20 years, he's served on the St. Elizabeth's Community Development Foundation Board and, along with the hospital's Auxiliary Board, helped raise money to support the opening of the new clinic. That's thanks to a generous community that's always supported the hospital.

"The hospital has been here for over 125 years, and that says something," Wooden said. "People have recognized its value."

Filling a need for eye care services

The impetus for the addition, Root said, is that the town's only optometrist in private practice recently retired, leaving the need for eye services.

"For us, it's trying to see the need and bring something back to the community; this is a good first step," he said.

And part of that first step was securing the services of optometrist Jennie Tomlinson, OD, who has been practicing at the Emplify Health by Gundersen Winona Campus three days a week. She'll continue doing so, while seeing patients on Tuesday and Thursday at the Wabasha Clinic.

The goal, however, is to build her patient load so that eventually, she can practice in Wabasha five days a week. Once established, Root said the hope is that patient volumes will eventually justify adding cataract surgery to the menu of eye services.

Both Root and Wabasha Mayor Emily Durand, who is also chair of the hospital board, say having these services available in town is important. As mayor, she sees it as an addition to the community.

"I see this as a new business, which is wonderful," Durand said. "This is technology and facilities that our community needs, along with the services provided here. … It's just so critical to see this organization flourish."

Root says the demographics of the population that Wabasha serves require total eye care, and keeping people in the community to get that care is important - especially as rural healthcare has seen divestures in other communities.

"Our system looks at the rural communities as great opportunities to serve them and have them support our system when needed," Root said. "But I think it's really that care close to home that our system tries to live out every day."

Schedule your next eye exam in Wabasha

Eye clinic hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Tomlinson, call the clinic at or schedule through MyChart.