About Our Community
Whether you’re looking to live and work in a small town or a medium-sized city with metropolitan attractions, Northeast Wisconsin has a community to suit you. Affinity’s home is the Fox Cities and Oshkosh area—a series of vibrant, growing communities with a total population of about 375,000.
The Fox Cities
The Fox Cities area of Wisconsin consists of 11 cities, villages and towns along the Fox River between Green Bay and Lake Winnebago, including Appleton, Kaukauna, Little Chute, Kimberly, Neenah, Menasha and more. The Fox Cities bring you big-city dynamics with small-town spirit.
From a past rooted in agriculture and the paper industry, the Fox Cities area has grown to include many types of businesses and industries. A strong economy, new business opportunities, four-season recreation and growing cultural diversity continue to draw new residents to the area. Plus, the Fox Cities area ranks among the safest metropolitan areas in the nation.
Appleton, the largest of the Fox Cities, has the conveniences you’d expect to find in a major city, without big-city hassles like traffic jams or high cost of living. Entertainment, recreation and shopping opportunities abound, from downtown’s Fox Cities Performing Arts Center to top-rated golf courses to national retailers at the Fox River Mall.
Affinity’s History in Appleton and the Fox Cites
Appleton is the home of St. Elizabeth Hospital. Affinity’s St. Elizabeth Hospital, founded by four Wheaton Franciscan sisters in 1899, is a cherished piece of the community’s history and continues to provide state-of-the-art health care today. The Affinity Medical Group clinics throughout the Fox Cities, originally known as La Salle Clinic, have a nearly 70-year history of keeping our community healthy.
Oshkosh
Just to the south of Appleton and the Fox Cities is the city of Oshkosh, named for a Menominee Indian chief. Oshkosh combines culture—the Grand Opera house, museums and a symphony all make their home here—with waterfront recreation and entertainment. Plus, Oshkosh is home to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, the third-largest UW campus.
Affinity’s History in Oshkosh
The nursing tradition in Oshkosh stems from the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, who founded Mercy Medical Center in 1891. Mercy Medical Center consistently ranks as one of the nation's leading orthopaedic centers. One of Mercy's outstanding affiliations is with the Kennedy Center for the Hip & Knee, located just inside Mercy’s main entrance.
Nearby Destinations
The Fox Cities and Oshkosh area is close to a variety of other Wisconsin destinations. Green Bay, home of the Green Bay Packers, is about 30 minutes from Appleton. Door County, a popular vacation area on Lake Michigan, is a short scenic drive away. Wisconsin’s two largest cities, Madison and Milwaukee, are both within easy day-trip reach and offer major universities, professional sporting events, annual ethnic festivals and more.
