Combined organization to invest $600 million to strengthen safety-net hospital in Robbinsdale, double size of Maple Grove Hospital to meet growing community needs
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. and ROBBINSDALE, Minn.— Sanford Health, the nation’s leading rural nonprofit health system dedicated to transforming the health care experience, and North Memorial Health, a nonprofit health system based in the Twin Cities focused on empowering patients to achieve their best health, have signed a definitive agreement to come together as a single nonprofit health system – advancing their shared commitment to improving health, ensuring long-term financial sustainability and broadening access to care throughout the region.
“Today marks an important step forward as we build on and expand the care we provide across Minnesota – creating more choice for patients and connecting them to a broader network of providers, services and specialized expertise,” said Bill Gassen, president and chief executive officer of Sanford Health. “By coming together as one nonprofit health care organization, with shared Midwest values and a deep commitment to the communities we serve, we will deliver more coordinated, regionally connected care – ensuring patients can access the right services, in the right place, at the right time.”
“Guided by our charitable mission, we are committed to meeting the evolving health care needs of the region – including sustaining Robbinsdale Hospital as a critical safety-net provider of Level 1 trauma and emergency services and investing in expanded capacity and outpatient care at Maple Grove Hospital to meet rising demand in one of the metro’s fastest-growing communities. Our approach is to partner with local leaders, understand community needs and invest for the long term. Together, we will strengthen locally driven care for generations to come,” Gassen added.
“When we first met Sanford Health, it was clear we share the same values – rooted in our communities, putting patients first and being straightforward about the realities health care faces,” said Trevor Sawallish, chief executive officer of North Memorial Health. “We’ve been open about the financial and regulatory pressures and the rising costs that make it harder to protect access to care on our own. Through a deliberate national search, Sanford stood out as a partner who understands our true value and shares our belief that better – not just bigger – is what matters. This partnership is about staying strong for the long term – so our patients can keep getting the care they need close to home and our teams have the support they deserve.”
“As one system we will be better equipped to invest in expanded services and new technologies, navigate unexpected headwinds and build a stronger workforce pipeline,” Gassen added. “Our history of combining with like-minded health systems has shaped who we are today – and demonstrates how we can learn from one another to improve care, strengthen resilience and deliver greater impact for patients and communities.”
Sanford Health has a long-established commitment to serving communities across Minnesota. Today, the nonprofit health system cares for nearly 300,000 patients annually and employs close to 10,000 team members in the state. Sanford Health operates or has affiliation agreements with 20 medical centers and 74 clinics across the western third of the state – from International Falls to Bemidji, Thief River Falls and Worthington.
By coming together, the single nonprofit health system will:
- Modernize and sustain Level 1 trauma and emergency services at North Memorial Health – Robbinsdale Hospital, a critical safety-net hospital and a cornerstone of care in the community, where financial pressures threaten long-term sustainability. Both organizations bring deep expertise in trauma care – collectively operating three Level 1 trauma centers – and, as one system, will ensure continued access to these essential services for the underserved and underrepresented populations who depend on them.
- Double the size of North Memorial Health – Maple Grove Hospital, growing Minnesota’s largest birth center, expanding emergency care and adding inpatient and surgical capacity, while improving access to cardiology and interventional radiology to support minimally invasive procedures. To meet rising demand in the northwest metro and central Minnesota, the combined system will also expand campus access to primary and specialty care for patients of all ages.
- Serve as the backbone of Minnesota’s EMS system connecting patients across rural and urban communities to lifesaving care when and where they need it most – by bringing together both systems’ Level I trauma centers, North Memorial Health’s statewide, hospital-based ground and air EMS program and Sanford Health’s AirMed transport.
- Expand convenient access to expert care, connecting patients to the right specialists at the right time through Sanford Health’s $350 million virtual care initiative across 80 specialties – reducing barriers to care such as travel, time away from work and caregiving responsibilities.
- Expand access to critical mental health services, includingintegrating behavioral health specialists into primary care and offering self-scheduling options for virtual behavioral health visits, ensuring patients receive timely care when it matters most.
- Accelerate clinical innovation and new care models by advancing personalized medicine – including genetic testing and counseling – to identify and treat cancer and chronic disease earlier, tailor care and improve health outcomes.
- Expand access to cutting-edge therapies and treatments through more than 1,000 active clinical trials led by Sanford Research.
- Deliver greater impact through community partnerships that address social drivers of health – including housing, transportation and access to healthy food – supporting underserved populations and improving health across rural, urban and Indigenous communities, with initiatives like wellness pantries in primary care clinics to address food insecurity.
- Improve affordability by expanding future coverage options through Sanford Health Plan, a nonprofit provider-aligned plan focused on simplifying care, improving outcomes and lowering costs.
- Attract, develop and retain top talent in Minnesota by serving as an employer of choice – fostering a strong culture, investing in well-being and leadership development opportunities and expanding career pathways across the state and the broader organization.
- Train the next generation of physicians and clinicians through Sanford Health’s 40 graduate medical education programs and building on the strong training partnerships at North Memorial Health – growing the workforce locally, with many choosing to stay and practice in the communities where they train.
- Work in close alignment with independent and affiliate providers who play a critical role in delivering specialized care for patients, while fostering a shared sense of purpose and commitment to high-quality patient care.
Post-closing, the single health system will remain a nonprofit charitable organization committed to improving the health of communities.
North Memorial Health will become the anchor of a new care delivery region for Sanford Health in the Twin Cities. The region includes:
- Two leading medical centers, including one of five Level 1 Trauma Centers in the state of Minnesota
- Best-in-class programs in areas such as birth, stroke and trauma care
- Expansive care delivery network of more than 22 clinics offering primary care and more than 45 specialties
- 450 physicians and advanced practice providers and 6,800 team members
Local physician leadership will remain central, with structured representation on governing boards, ensuring clinicians have a strong voice in how care is delivered and the autonomy to shape standards, care pathways and professional practice matters.
The Twin Cities region of Sanford Health will continue to be led by Trevor Sawallish, chief executive officer of North Memorial Health, with a local board of directors representing the broader community to provide oversight, including medical staff matters.
Two North Memorial Health board members will transition to serve on the Sanford Health Board of Trustees, the governing body of the combined system. They include Charlie Weaver, a seasoned executive, attorney and public policy leader who served for 20 years as executive director of the Minnesota Business Partnership, and Reuben Moore, a longtime health care executive who currently serves as president and chief executive officer of Minnesota Community Care, one of the largest federally qualified health centers in the state.
Sanford Health President and CEO Bill Gassen will continue to serve as president and chief executive officer of the combined organization, alongside the current executive team.
The partnership is expected to close sometime this year, subject to completion of regulatory processes and other customary closing conditions.
Images of Sanford Health and North Memorial Health can be accessed using this link.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 55,000 employees and serves more than 2 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 58 hospitals, 289 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. More than 400 residents and fellows are trained each year through graduate medical education with Sanford Health fully funding and supporting 29 of the 40 available programs. Sanford Health also includes Lewis Drug, a pharmacy and retail chain with 60 locations in three states and nearly 190 pharmacists. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
About North Memorial Health
North Memorial Health delivers unmatched patient experience and empowers its patients to achieve their best health. With specialty and primary care clinics, urgent and emergency care offerings, medical transportation services and two hospitals in Maple Grove and Robbinsdale, North Memorial Health provides access to high-quality, low-cost care in the Twin Cities, across the broader state of Minnesota and surrounding states. The North Memorial Health system includes 1,400+ medical staff and 6,500+ team members who are dedicated to delivering a more connected experience for our patients. Learn more at northmemorial.com.
