BRIDGE CLINIC’S MISSION

Bridge Community Health Clinic fills community needs by removing barriers to care, integrating medical, dental, and behavioral health services, and connecting patients and partners to resources.

BRIDGE CLINIC’S VISION

The care we provide and the connections we create improves the health of our patients and communities.

OUR HISTORY

We are a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that primarily serving Marathon, Lincoln, and Langlade counties. Bridge Clinic has been a trusted resource for primary medical care, preventive and restorative dental care, behavioral health care, and supportive services since 1995. Services are available to all patients, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, through sliding fee discounts and patient assistance programs. All patients have access to free support services such as care navigation, interpreting, health insurance enrollment, and transportation assistance when needed.

To learn more about what makes Health Centers special, CLICK HERE. Nationally, health centers provide care to over 32 million patients through 1500 health centers. Wisconsin’s 19 health centers provide care to 270,000 patients each year. Collectively, health centers care for 1 in 10 people in the US.  

Bridge Clinic was founded to ensure the availability of culturally appropriate care in the Wausau area. Our first patients were political refugees fleeing persecution and war in Laos and Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, the US recruited and trained young men to help fight the Communists of North Vietnam.  Because of their role aiding the US, Hmong and Laotian refugees resettled in Wausau, Minneapolis, and areas of California, beginning in 1975. Resettlement escalated in the 1980s after passage of the Refugee Act.

Today, Bridge Clinic serves all patients who choose us for their care. Insured, uninsured, employed, unemployed, housed, unhoused, English-speaking, non-English-speaking – our patients are as diverse as our teams. Patients choose Bridge Clinic because they can easily access all the support and care they need in a smaller, patient-friendly setting. Staff choose Bridge Clinic because of our mission-focus and the opportunity to deliver care and support without the silos of traditional healthcare systems.   

As a private nonprofit clinic, Bridge Clinic receives partial funding from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) and the State of Wisconsin to cover operational and support services. Health centers like us must meet 21 program requirements through oversite provided by the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC.) We are a nonpartisan healthcare organization that provides education to local, state, and national representatives on a host of community health, health equity, and healthcare access issues.

Nationally, health centers provide care to over 32 million patients through 1500 health centers. Wisconsin’s 19 health centers provide care to 270,000 patients each year. Collectively, health centers care for 1 in 10 people in the US.