Derrick Van Orden

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - Congressman Derrick Van Orden, along with Dr. Oz, the administrator for Medicare and Medicaid, were in town discussing healthcare throughout rural Wisconsin.

The two visited Marshfield Clinic in Eau Claire to meet with the hospital’s leadership team, and were given a tour of the facility.

Officials say they want to ensure health care remains accessible to communities across rural Wisconsin.

Dr. Oz said the Rural Health Transformation Fund, is a step in the right direction.

“By having that money coming in, not just this year but for the next five years in a row... it’s over a billion dollars to Wisconsin,” said Dr. Oz. “We are going to make sure that the badger state is taken care of, and that the funding that is required to improve rural healthcare in this state is at the level that it should be.”

Congressman Van Orden said listening to people apart of the Wisconsin healthcare system, is key to knowing what the next steps are.

“What we focus on is the delta, the difference between what we have and what we need,” said Van Orden. “Today, I was very impressed with the work these folks have done here, making sure that delta, that gap, is as small as possible. So we are bringing a few lessons learned back to D.C and we are going to continue plugging away at this.”

The two also paid a stop to Chippewa Valley Technical College, touring the Healthcare Education Center to highlight the workforce development for the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Democratic Third Congressional District candidate, Emily Berge’s campaign, sent WEAU a statement regarding Dr. Oz’s visit.

“It is sad and infuriating to watch Derrick Van Orden bring this snake-oil salesman to the district to try and distract folks from the fact that he has gutted healthcare in America. Representative Van Orden thinks that we don’t understand basic arithmetic; putting $50 billion into a ‘Rural Health Transformation Program’ after cutting $140 billion from rural healthcare doesn’t leave us whole. As a provider myself, I have helped our neighbors navigate the for-profit insurance world that leaves too many of our neighbors behind. I am the only candidate who supports universal healthcare to ensure that every Wisconsinite will receive the care they need; anything short of this will leave our neighbors and especially our rural communities behind.”