Sanford Health and North Memorial Health today announced the organizations have finalized their partnership and are now one nonprofit integrated health system operating as Sanford Health. The combined organization will preserve Robbinsdale Hospital and its essential role as a Level I Trauma Center while making significant investments that improve care, expand access and build a stronger rural-urban network across Minnesota.<\/p>\n
\u201cHealthcare<\/a> is changing rapidly and meeting the needs of Minnesota\u2019s communities will require us to think differently about how we deliver care and work together,\u201d\u202fsaid Bill Gassen, president and chief executive officer of Sanford Health. \u201cThat\u2019s what this partnership makes possible. By bringing together North Memorial Health\u2019s deep roots in the communities it serves with Sanford Health\u2019s capabilities as an integrated health system, we\u2019ll strengthen and modernize Robbinsdale Hospital while building a more connected healthcare system that better serves patients across rural and urban Minnesota.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNorth Memorial Health has always been focused on providing exceptional care for the patients and communities who count on us,\u201d\u202fsaid Trevor Sawallish, chief executive officer of North Memorial Health. \u201cToday marks the beginning of our next chapter. Our focus is on turning commitments into action \u2014 protecting the care our communities rely on, supporting the people who deliver it every day and making meaningful investments that will allow us to serve Minnesotans for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n The partnership creates a first-of-its-kind, fully integrated health system in Minnesota, bringing together two nonprofit organizations with a shared commitment to locally driven care and a significant presence across rural and urban communities. The combined organization will deliver long-term investments and solutions that reflect the different needs of communities across the state. At a time when providers are navigating workforce shortages, reimbursement pressures and increasing demand for care, the combined system creates new opportunities to collaborate across rural and urban Minnesota while helping keep care as close to home as possible.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile every community across Minnesota is different, our approach has always been the same: partner with local leaders, understand what each community needs and make the investments necessary to strengthen care,\u201d\u202fGassen said. \u201cNorth Memorial Health brings exceptional expertise in trauma care, emergency medicine and specialty services, while Sanford Health has decades of experience expanding access through primary care, virtual care and integrated behavioral health.\u202fBy bringing our clinicians together and sharing expertise, we\u2019ll advance new models of care that neither organization could achieve alone.\u201d<\/p> As rural communities face growing challenges accessing emergency and specialty care, the partnership will create a more resilient emergency response network by combining North Memorial Health\u2019s nationally recognized expertise in trauma and emergency ground and air medical<\/a> transportation with Sanford Health\u2019s extensive rural footprint and AirMed program. Together, the organizations will help connect patients across Minnesota to lifesaving care when and where they need it most.<\/p>\n \u201cOur organizations share a deep commitment to serving patients, supporting our people and strengthening the health of the communities we call home,\u201d\u202fSawallish said. \u201cI\u2019m confident we\u2019ll build on those shared values while creating an even stronger future for our employees, our patients and the communities we serve.\u201d<\/p>\n Following a comprehensive regulatory review led by the Minnesota Attorney General\u2019s Office, Sanford Health formalized commitments that reflect the needs and priorities of patients, employees and communities, while supporting long-term investment across Minnesota. Those commitments include:<\/strong><\/p>\n