The La Crosse County Board of Trustees is set up to oversee the general operations of the county owned health care institutions. The board is made up of La Crosse County citizens, County Board members and institution administrators. The two institutions currently dealt with by the board are the Hillview Health Center and the Lakeview Health Care Center. A third institution, Oak Forest, was phased out in 1981.
Oak Forest was called Oak Forest Sanatorium when it was constructed in 1918. Its sole purpose was to treat tuberculosis patients up until the mid 1960's when Oak Forest became a nursing home as well. When the new addition to the Hillview Health Center was completed in 1981, Oak Forest was phased out of operation and razed the same year.
Hillview began in 1895 as the County Poor House. Later it became known simply as the County Home. In 1938 an infirmary was added on and in 1953 another infirmary was built adjacent to the older buildings. Sometime in the late 1950's or early 1960's the institution was named Hillview Home for the Aged. In 1968 the name was changed to just Hillview. A new addition was built in 1981 and the original structure was then razed.
The Lakeview Health Center had its beginnings when the La Crosse County Insane Asylum was constructed in 1887. Eventually it became known as the County Hospital. A 210 acre farm was part of the original institution and is still part of Lakeview, being a 550 acre farm at present. In 1968 the name was changed from County Hospital to Lakeview. In 1975 a major addition was built and the old section was razed in the fall of 1976.
The Lakeview Farm Committee is made up of members from the County Board of Trustees, the County Board of Supervisors, citizens of La Crosse County, and Lakeview Farm administrators. The job of the Committee is to oversee the operation of the farm that is part of the Lakeview Health Care Center. The farm has been owned by the county since 1886 when land was purchased for the construction of the La Crosse County Insane Asylum. The farm was originally 210 acres but was expanded to 582 acres when the county purchased the adjoining J.D. McDonald farm in 1938. Currently the farm is 550 acres in size and raises hogs and cash crops. The farm's dairy herd was phased out in 1987.
