5 October 2023
The Minnesota attorney general’s office will host a hearing on the proposed separate mergers of two Duluth-based health care systems with Wisconsin-based systems.
The public can weigh in on the proposed mergers between Essentia Health and Marshfield Clinic Health System and between St. Luke’s and Aspirus Health at an Oct. 25 meeting from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the University of Minnesota Duluth Kirby Center’s Rafters Room.
The public can also comment on the mergers online or by calling 651-296-3353 (metro area) or 800-657-3787 (greater Minnesota).
The office, led by Attorney General Keith Ellison, was given additional authority under the state’s new health care entity transaction law to consider whether a health care transaction is in the public interest. If he determines that it is not, he can seek court intervention.
“Every Minnesotan deserves high-quality health care that they can afford, access and depend on, and every Minnesotan deserves the opportunity to provide input on health care transactions that affect them,” Ellison said in a news release Tuesday. “As I review these mergers to ensure they comply with state and federal law, I want to hear from the public, because Minnesotans’ thoughts and concerns are an essential part of our review.”
Essentia and Marshfield began discussing a potential merger a year ago, and signed an agreement to move the merger forward at the end of July. The new system will have 150 sites of care (25 of which are hospitals) across Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Also in July, St. Luke’s and Aspirus signed a letter of intent to merge. The combined organization will operate 19 hospitals and 130 outpatient facilities in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula.
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