The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office announced on May 8 that it is seeking public comments regarding the proposed acquisition of North Memorial Health by Sanford Health. Members of the public are encouraged to submit their views through an online Community Input Form.
The review will be conducted under Minnesota’s health care transaction law, charities law, and antitrust law to determine whether the transaction complies with state requirements and serves the public interest. The Attorney General’s Office said it will assess how the deal may affect patient care, access, affordability, and options for both patients and health care workers. While the office does not approve or deny such transactions directly, it can file a lawsuit if a transaction is found to violate state laws or run counter to public interest.
Public feedback submitted during this process will generally be treated as non-public data under state data practices regulations. The Attorney General’s Office said all input received from residents will be considered in its evaluation of the proposed deal.
“As we have done and are currently doing with other healthcare transactions, we are conducting a thorough review of this potential acquisition to ensure it complies with the law and is in the public interest,” said Attorney General Keith Ellison. “Proposed health care consolidation requires careful examination. As long as I am Attorney General, I will use the full range of regulatory tools to protect Minnesotans’ access to quality, affordable healthcare.”
Sanford Health and North Memorial announced on May 8 that they had signed a letter of intent and affiliation agreement for North Memorial to join Sanford Health. Under this proposal, North Memorial would keep its corporate existence but become a subsidiary within Sanford Health as its Twin Cities Region with representation on Sanford’s board.
A public meeting is planned by the Attorney General’s Office at a future date so residents can share additional input about this transaction.
