North Memorial Health Merging With Sanford Health

North Memorial Health, which operates hospitals in Robbinsdale and Maple Grove, is merging with South Dakota-based Sanford Health to create a single nonprofit healthcare system.

The merger comes as North Memorial and other local health care providers have noted increasing financial pressures due to uncompensated care.

North Memorial’s Robbinsdale Hospital is one of two Level 1 trauma centers in the Twin Cities, and one of five in the state. It’s also safety net hospital that doesn’t turn away emergency patients that lack health insurance.

Likewise, their Maple Grove Hospital is the state’s largest birth center.

Sanford Health, which calls itself the “largest rural health system in the United States,” serves more than two million patients across the upper Midwest. 

“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.”

North Memorial Health, which operates hospitals in Robbinsdale and Maple Grove, is merging with South Dakota-based Sanford Health to create a single nonprofit healthcare system.

New Investment

As part of the merger, the organization will invest $600 million into the Robbinsdale and Maple Grove hospitals.

According to a press release, the funding will “modernize and sustain” the Robbinsdale Hospital’s trauma and emergency services.

Meanwhile, the organization aims to double the size of the Maple Grove Hospital, expanding emergency care and surgical capacity.

“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.”

This story was edited shortly after it was published to accurately depict the investment in both hospitals.

Robbinsdale | Twin Cities