Vernon Health is throwing open the doors to its brand-new MRI suite in Viroqua, giving residents a first look at a project years in the making before it starts seeing patients. The hospital will host a free public open house on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Vernon Health Hospital, with tours of the imaging department, a preview of the MRI suite itself, and chances to meet the staff who will run it.
The event, open to everyone in the community, will include light refreshments along with information about Vernon Health's broader imaging services, according to VernonReporter. As reported by the La Crosse Tribune, the open house is billed as a chance for the public to celebrate the upcoming opening of the in-house MRI suite at the Viroqua facility. The new suite is scheduled to open Nov. 1, with Vernon Health continuing to rely on a mobile MRI unit stationed at the Viroqua facility in the meantime.
A Permanent Fix for a Mobile-Unit Gap
Until now, Vernon Health has leaned on a rented MRI truck available only two days a week, a limitation that has made scheduling scans a challenge for a rural hospital system. The vernonreporter.com account of the project's groundbreaking noted that MRI scheduling at Vernon Memorial Healthcare climbed by an average of 8% a year over the past three years, then jumped 14% in the most recent year alone, a surge that underscored the need for a permanent, on-site option.
The hospital's own project page describes the goal in plain terms: advanced MRI imaging available right in Vernon County, cutting out the need for long-distance travel for scans. Per the same material, the new setup is also expected to give staff same-day access to scans, a change WEAU reported would mean patients get their results more quickly.
Groundbreaking Led to a Larger Expansion
The MRI suite is part of a larger hospital expansion that broke ground at Vernon Health in Viroqua on Nov. 5, 2025, as documented by the La Crosse Tribune. The project includes a 1,240-square-foot MRI suite, alongside 3,532 square feet of shell space in the main expansion and another 4,481 square feet of shell space on the lower level, according to details posted on Vernon Health's project page. The buildout is backed by a $2 million award from the Non-State Infrastructure Grant Program, with HSR Associates of La Crosse serving as the project's architecture firm.
Timelines for finishing the work have varied across reports. Vernon Health's own project page lists fall/winter 2026 for project completion and the start of patient care, while WEAU reported the suite and expansion were expected to be complete in the fall of 2026. An earlier report from News 8000 had said Vernon Health had not yet announced a completion date for the project.
Imaging Lineup Beyond the New Suite
Vernon Health already offers ultrasound, CT, mammography and standard X-ray services, along with bone density testing, in addition to MRI. The hospital's imaging services page lists both 2-D and 3-D digital mammography among its current offerings. The health system traces its roots to Vernon Memorial Hospital, which opened in 1951, before Vernon Memorial Healthcare and its clinic partners rebranded as Vernon Health in 2025.
Vernon Health CEO David Hartberg framed the expansion as the product of sustained local effort, telling WEAU it reflected “multiple years of work and collaboration within the community.” In a statement, Hartberg said Vernon Health is excited to invite the community to celebrate the expansion, adding that growing the health system's services supports its mission of providing compassionate care in the communities it serves. Residents can find more information about the open house and Vernon Health's imaging services at vmh.org or by emailing [email protected].
