BEMIDJI – It’s been two weeks since
Sanford Health and North Memorial Health announced their partnership,
merging together as one nonprofit health system operating as Sanford Health
As a follow-up to this announcement, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison paid a visit to Sanford Bemidji on Monday, garnering an inside look at the operations and stories of its frontline workers
Ellison’s visit follows a comprehensive regulatory review of the merger by his office, after which
Sanford Health
formalized commitments that reflect the needs and priorities of patients, employees and communities, while supporting long-term investment across Minnesota
Sanford Health operates as the largest rural health system in the U.S., with headquarters in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as well as health plan members across the Upper Midwest. Minnesota locations include Bemidji, Detroit Lakes, Canby, Jackson, Luverne, Thief River Falls, Tracy and Worthington
North Memorial Health is a Minnesota nonprofit with two hospitals — Maple Grove Hospital and Robbinsdale Hospital — and more than 20 associated clinics. North Memorial Health operates the largest hospital-based air and ground emergency transportation system in the U.S
The combined organization will preserve Robbinsdale Hospital and its role as a Level I Trauma Center while making significant investments that improve care, expand access and aim to build a stronger rural-urban network across Minnesota
Other commitments of the merger include:
- Investing approximately $100 million to strengthen and modernize Robbinsdale Hospital, addressing deferred maintenance needs and facility and equipment upgrades while making the ongoing investments needed to sustain operations and preserve essential services for the long term.
- Expanding mental health services statewide, including embedding behavioral health therapists in North Memorial Health primary care clinics across the Minneapolis metro area, building on Sanford Health’s established model of making care easier to access in settings patients know and trust.
- Investing approximately $500 million to expand Maple Grove Hospital to meet increasing demand in one of the Twin Cities’ fastest-growing regions by expanding emergency, inpatient, surgical, and specialty care capacity while supporting continued growth at Minnesota’s largest birth center.
- Building Minnesota’s future healthcare workforce by investing in graduate medical education and training programs, including the trauma residency program and strengthening existing collaborations with Minnesota healthcare providers.
- Maintaining and strengthening community benefit and financial assistance programs to help ensure patients can access medically necessary care regardless of their ability to pay, including proactively identifying patients who may qualify for financial assistance and connecting them with available coverage and support.
Highlighting healthcare
A particular focus of Ellison’s visit was potential benefits of the merger for rural healthcare facilities; honing in on this, his Bemidji stop followed previous visits to facilities in Morris, Moorhead, Fergus Falls and Mahnomen
“Sanford has tremendous capacity in rural health, but yet, Maple Grove is a suburban community; Robbinsdale is an urban community, a first-ring suburb,” Ellison said, “so there’s a lot that everyone can learn from each other through this collaboration.”
Ellison zeroed in on differing approaches to healthcare in rural spaces compared to urban, approaches that he’s hopeful will continue
“What gives me optimism about rural healthcare is that people are really starting to focus on the importance of it, recognizing that it has not been getting the attention it really needs,” he said. “Now, you’re seeing our medical schools training doctors on rural health. We’re getting away from the cookie cutter – assuming that all health is what’s done in some large metropolitan area, because it isn’t. We’ve got to learn how to do the best we can in rural communities, as well.”
Monday’s visit encompassed tours and discussions with staff in Sanford Bemidji’s emergency, cardiology and maternal care departments. Topics discussed throughout the morning included navigating workforce shortages, reimbursement pressures and increasing demand for care, and methods of solving these problems
“(Ellison’s visit) really highlights the interest there is right now in rural health and the disparities that exist,” Sanford Bemidji President and CEO Jason Caron said. “We’re able to highlight the great work that we’re doing here and really show them what has happened with our merger
“Having been here prior to (the merger), it’s been great to be able to see the change that has happened, and I think we’re able to show them some of the benefits of that affiliation.”
Caron hopes to maintain the momentum with regards to Sanford Health’s recruitment this past year – a product of greater interest in improving rural healthcare access, he contends – alongside growth in all facets of care
“With our legislators and elected officials showing up … we’ve been able to recruit much more effectively,” Caron left off. “There’s a kind of buzz around rural healthcare, and that buzz, in the end, is going to help us establish greater re.”
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