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 of North Memorial Health and Sanford Health is moving forward.

That’s after the health systems and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Friday that they’ve reached a 

Terms of the agreement include $600 million in investments in North Memorial’s Maple Grove and Robbinsdale hospitals, and maintaining the Level 1 trauma center in Robbinsdale for at least 10 years.

Among other terms, it also includes commitments to honor all collective-bargaining contracts, maintain a corporate presence in Minnesota and maintain air and ground ambulance services in Minnesota.

The oversight agreement also states that the combined health system “shall not reduce the scope of reproductive health care and gender-affirming care services” at its Minnesota locations as of the closing date of the merger, “to the extent consistent with applicable law and regulations.”

The agreement follows a review by Ellison’s office of the merger plan, 

“We have a ground-breaking agreement to protect Minnesotans," Ellison said in a news release. “The commitments and expressions of strong intent that Sanford Health and North Memorial Health have made to make significant investments in facilities and people and maintain key services in Minnesota — and their willingness to be held accountable to those commitments in an oversight agreement for 10 years — are in the public interest.”

The agreement calls on Sanford Health leadership to hold quarterly meetings with the Minnesota attorney general “to discuss integration, operations, and adherence to the terms of the oversight agreement” for 10 years.

“As one nonprofit health system, we will preserve essential care at Robbinsdale Hospital, expand access to specialty care, invest in our people, create a more resilient emergency and trauma network and strengthen care across rural and urban Minnesota,” Bill Gassen, president and chief executive officer of Sanford Health, said in a news release.

In addition to its two hospitals in Robbinsdale and Maple Grove, North Memorial has clinics, urgent and emergency care throughout the Twin Cities, as well as medical transportation services in Minnesota.

Sanford Health is the largest rural health system in the U.S, operating hospitals and clinics across the upper Midwest, including Minnesota.

The two health systems had previously said they planned to finalize the merger this year, pending state and federal approval.

This is a developing story; check back for updates.

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Terms of the agreement include $600 million in investments in North Memorial’s Maple Grove and Robbinsdale hospitals, and maintaining the Level 1 trauma center in Robbinsdale for at least 10 years.


Minnesota AG announces oversight deal allowing North Memorial-Sanford Health merger to advance

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