North Memorial, Sanford Health merger: $600M investment coming to Minnesota hospitals

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. (FOX 9) - A major healthcare merger is now official — and it could change how Minnesotans get care close to home.

Minnesota-based North Memorial Health has finalized its merger with South Dakota-based Sanford Health, and representatives from North Memorial Health brought the news to the Maple Grove City Council's work session Monday night. 

North Memorial, Sanford merger

What we know:

North Memorial Health representatives said Monday night they hope the partnership benefits both healthcare workers and patients. The deal comes as the health system faces real pressure on its services.

"Our emergency departments are full, our labor and delivery, operating rooms and that's not the best care we can provide for the community," a North Memorial Health representative said.

Representatives also emphasized that local care remains a priority under the new partnership.

"Care is intrinsically local, right? So, care closer to home matters and that's very much what we are trying to make sure we create and instill to better meet the needs of the community we proudly serve," a North Memorial Health representative said.

What's next for patients and workers

What we don't know:

As part of the agreement, Sanford Health will keep core services in place and protect existing union contracts, according to officials. Sanford Health will also invest more than $600 million in Minnesota hospitals as part of the deal. That includes $500 million to expand Maple Grove Hospital, and $100 million to modernize Robbinsdale Hospital. The investments were also announced as part of the agreement with the Attorney General's office.

The new combined healthcare system says it has 61,000 workers and serves 2.5 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across 60 hospitals in the Upper Midwest.

Attorney General Keith Ellison's office reviewed and approved the merger.

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