Attorney General Ellison to hold community forum on proposed acquisition of North Memorial Health by Sanford Health
May 22, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office is inviting members of the public to share their opinions on the proposed acquisition of North Memorial Health by Sanford Health at a community forum on Monday, June 8, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. The forum is open to members of the media and public, and the location will be shared with those who RSVP here. Those who wish to share their opinions about the merger are also asked to fill out this brief form.
The Attorney General will review the proposed transaction under the state’s health care transaction law (Minn. Stat. 145D.01), charities law, and antitrust law, to determine compliance, including whether the transaction is in the public interest. Under Minnesota law, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Department of Health, evaluates a health care transaction’s impact on patients and the health care workforce, including how the transaction may affect health care options, access, affordability. The Attorney General does not approve or deny transactions but can bring a lawsuit to block transactions that violate the law or are otherwise contrary to the public interest.
The Attorney General’s Office will consider all public input as part of its review. Submissions are generally treated as “not public” data under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. The feedback provided by the public will help in the Office’s evaluation of the proposed transaction.
Forum details:
- Time and date: Monday, June 8, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.
- Location: Robbinsdale, Minnesota. Exact location provided upon RSVP.
- To attend, members of the public and media must RSVP here.
- In addition to RSVPing, those who wish to speak must also fill out this form.
How to provide input, if you cannot attend the June 8 forum:
- Use the online Community Input Form.
- Call (651) 296-3353 (Metro) or (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota).
“My office is 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. “Part of that review involves hearing directly from the people of Minnesota about how this proposed transaction will affect them and their loved ones. I remain committed to using all the tools at my disposal to defend the people of Minnesota’s access to quality, affordable healthcare.”
Details of the Proposed Transaction
- On May 8, 2026, Sanford Health and North Memorial announced they had signed a letter of intent and affiliation agreement for North Memorial to join Sanford Health.
- Sanford Health is an integrated nonprofit health system headquartered in Sioux Falls, SD with 55,000 employees, serving over 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. Minnesota hospital locations include Bemidji, Canby, Jackson, Luverne, Thief River Falls, and Worthington.
- North Memorial Health is a Minnesota nonprofit corporation and independent health system with two hospitals, North - Maple Grove Hospital and North – Robbinsdale Hospital. The system has over 20 associated clinics including primary, specialty, and urgent care and an expansive statewide medical transportation division. North Memorial Health employs over 6,500 team members, serving over 55,000 patients per month.
- Under the proposal, North Memorial Health would maintain its corporate existence but become a subsidiary of Sanford Health becoming the Twin Cities Region of Sanford with designated representation on the Sanford Board.
