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Sanford and Fairview Announce $14 Billion Merger

Minneapolis based Fairview Health Services and Sioux Falls-based Sanford Health have recently announced intent to combine and create a new health system. While the plan isn’t yet a binding agreement, the companies say their governing boards have both approved moving forward to organize as an integrated health system, which isn’t expected to be completed until next year. Post-merger, the system would continue to be called Sanford Health and ultimately result in Sanford president and CEO Bill Gassen retaining the same role in the combined system. “Our organizations are united by a shared commitment to advance the health and well being of our communities,” Sanford Health President and CEO Bill Gassen said in a statement. “As a combined system, we can do more to expand access to complex and highly specialized care, utilize innovative technology, and provide a broader range of virtual services, unlock greater research capabilities and transform the care delivery experience to ensure every patient receives the best care no matter where they live.” This is the second time Sanford Health is working toward a merger with Minneapolis-based Fairview Health Services. A similar deal in 2013 did not occur meeting serious legal challenges from then Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson. Since then both organizations have grown considerably and it is unclear if either state or federal resistance will arise. Sanford, based in Sioux Falls, serves more than 1 million patients and 220,000 health plan members across 250,000 square miles. The system encompasses 47 hospitals and 224 primary and specialty clinics. Fairview includes 11 hospitals and more than 80 primary and specialty care clinics. Sanford includes 47,000 employees, while Fairview has 31,000. Of those, Sanford has 2,800 physicians and advanced practice providers, and Fairview has 3,300. A 1997 affiliation agreement led Fairview to acquire the University of Minnesota Medical Center, and a new joint agreement was reached in 2018 among the university, the University of Minnesota Physicians and Fairview to create the brand M Health Fairview. The three are separate entities, however. Both agreements run through 2026, with an option for an early renewal in 2023, and discussions are underway with the university to talk about what this relationship will look like in the future.

PrairieCare and Newport Health Care Announce Service Integration Agreement

PrairieCare, one of the nation’s largest providers of premier psychiatric services in the Midwest, recently announced it has joined the Newport Healthcare family of programs. Newport Healthcare was founded in 2008 in Orange County, California as a six-bed facility for adolescent girls. From there they have grown rapidly to include facilities nationwide offering an integrated approach designed to balance the psychological, biological, social, educational, and spiritual needs of teens and young adults, treating the full and extensive range of behavioral health concerns they may face. The leaders of PrairieCare believe that expanding access to a full continuum of care is integral to meeting the increasing demands for mental health care. Newport and PrairieCare are two very highly regarded, well-established mental health treatment providers, united in their values and dedicated to compassionate care. Together, Newport and PrairieCare will provide expanded access to care across a full continuum of services, addressing the needs of a growing number of individuals with mental health issues in communities throughout Minnesota and beyond. The combined organizations have the capacity to positively impact countless lives, from free initial mental health assessments to residential care programs, partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), inpatient psychiatric hospitals, clinic services, and continuing care programs. PrairieCare will remain as a trusted Minnesota-based psychiatric health system steadfastly committed to providing the highest quality care to patients. PrairieCare operations will continue uninterrupted. Families will continue to receive the personalized psychiatric care they need and the attentive collaboration with patients, families, and clinicians that promote optimal treatment outcomes will not change. Newport Healthcare, which includes Newport Academy, Newport Institute, Center for Families, and the Center for Research and Innovation, provides evidence-based healing centers for teens, young adults, and families struggling with primary mental health issues. Newport offers a family-systems approach with individualized, integrated programs that combine clinical and experiential therapies with academic or career support. They have 53 residential treatment sites and 13 IOP/PHP sites in 15 metro areas and 11 states including Minnesota.   

Marshfield and Essentia Explore Merger

Recently, the Marshfield Clinic Health System and Essentia Health signed a written agreement to explore the logistics of forming an integrated health system. The health systems have complementary geographies and capabilities. If combined, the merged health system would include 3,500 providers, 150 care sites and 25 hospitals. Around 1,600 of those providers would come from Marshfield Clinic, along with 11 hospitals and 60 clinics. Essentia, meanwhile, has 70 clinics and 14 hospitals. Brian Potter, senior vice president of finance and chief operating officer for the Wisconsin Hospital Association, said there are many reasons health care systems merge. “There’s the basic economic reasons of scale and efficiencies and cost savings,” he said. “You can learn from each other. Different systems have different expertise and services. Some may have specialists that the other system had a hard time getting, so now they can coordinate that coverage.” Essentia CEO Dr. David Herman said, “I am truly excited to work together for the benefit of our patients and our colleagues. Through a new partnership, we can support the care models, services, research and technologies to ensure sustainable and thriving rural health care.” Marshfield Clinic CEO Dr. Susan Turney said, “This is an exciting opportunity for both our organizations and those we serve. These are two of the premier health systems in the country, looking to come together to serve rural communities and beyond. When I look at Essentia, I see an organization with world class expertise that complements our own. And I see their long, rich history of serving communities with a mission very similar to ours at Marshfield Clinic Health System.” By coming together, Marshfield Clinic Health System and Essentia Health will increase patient access to primary and specialty care and enhance health outcomes for the communities they serve. An integrated regional health care system that combines the strengths of both organizations will lead to more opportunities to expand needed services and provide high-quality care at an affordable cost with an excellent patient experience. Dr. Herman emphasized that the two health systems are fortunate to share common values and embrace a mission-driven approach to health care that extends beyond their facilities. He said, “Through a new partnership, we can support the care models, services, research and technologies to ensure sustainable and thriving rural health care.” The Memorandum of Understanding is the first step toward a potential merger.

MDH Creates Chronic Pain Resource Guide

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has recently created a new tool to assist residents statewide who deal with chronic pain. An online resource guide, the NO PAIN MN map, features several services that have been demonstrated to reduce chronic pain and improve quality of life, including psychotherapy, acupuncture, yoga, massage therapy, chiropractic care, and physical therapy. These alternative pain management options can provide treatment with no risk of substance misuse, while improving quality of life. The new resource will make it easier for Minnesotans experiencing chronic pain to find safe, opioid-free treatments, to help with healing, working, socializing and managing daily tasks. Chronic pain can be debilitating and affects about 20% of U.S. adults, according to the CDC. An important goal of treatment for people experiencing chronic pain is to provide options to help improve quality of life and function. “There are many ways to effectively manage pain that do not rely on opioids, but many people don’t know what those options are or how to access them,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm. “This statewide map is a great step to increase awareness about the safe and effective alternatives that are available in Minnesota.” Directing people to alternative pain management strategies could address the reliance of opioids in Minnesota. Data released earlier this year shows overdose deaths in Minnesota involving opioids increased from 685 deaths in 2020 to 924 deaths in 2021. The website is intended for both health care providers and patients. Providers can find a menu of patient care options and can make referrals to practitioners of non-pharmacological and non-opioid pain management. Patients can locate providers, identify resources for self-management and discuss treatment options with their medical providers. Each listed service includes contact information, addresses and descriptions so anyone can explore treatment options and contact providers directly. “The listed treatments are evidence-based and found to be effective in reducing chronic pain,” said Jennifer DeCubellis, CEO, Hennepin Healthcare. “This is a useful tool to both patients and providers looking for treatment methods that are safe, reliable and effective for managing pain and healing patients.” Explore the MDH Non-Narcotic Pain Management Mapping and Demonstration Projects page to learn more about resources near you. Visit the NOPAINMN.org to learn more about this mapping project.

Mayo Research Shows AI-Screening Use Improves Cardiac Care

Recent research from the Mayo Clinic shows artificial intelligence can improve diagnosis and treatment for cardiac patients, but first the AI-enabled clinical tools have to be easily available and used. A study showed that clinicians who were high adopters of an AI-enabled clinical decision support tool were twice as likely to diagnose low left ventricular ejection fraction as low adopters. The study, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, found wide variation in the rate of adoption of AI recommendations. Clinicians who were high adopters tended to be less experienced in dealing with patients with complex health issues, but age, gender, years of experience and number of patients cared for were not significant factors. “It was surprising to see the significant difference in the rate of diagnosis between high adopters and low adopters,” says David Rushlow, M.D., a Mayo Clinic physician and chair of Family Medicine for Mayo Clinic in the Midwest. “The tool is extremely helpful, but we did not expect to see a full doubling of the diagnosis rate of low ejection fraction as compared to low adopters.” Ejection fraction measures the percentage of blood that leaves the heart each time it contracts. Low ejection fraction can be caused by heart muscle weakness, such as cardiomyopathy, as well as heart valve problems, uncontrolled high blood pressure or damage caused by a heart attack. Early diagnosis and treatment in patients with low ejection fraction is critical to reduce the risk of symptomatic heart failure, hospitalization and mortality. “AI decision support tools have the potential to be very effective in aiding the diagnosis of serious health conditions before the onset of usual clinical symptoms, and may outperform traditional diagnostic approaches,” Dr. Rushlow says. Clinicians at 48 Mayo Clinic primary care practices in Minnesota and Wisconsin participated in the randomized controlled trial, which involved 358 physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants. “Clinicians who were most likely to follow through with the recommendations of the AI decision aid tended to be less experienced in dealing with complex patients,” says Dr. Rushlow. “This demonstrates the importance of AI systems that integrate seamlessly into the workflows of clinicians. Given the technical nature of AI in health care, it often is initiated and developed in academic specialty practices. To maximize AI’s benefits, more collaboration is needed between specialty practices and primary care.” 

Allina Opens New Heart Surgery Center 

Allina Health is recently opened Minnesota’s first cardiovascular ambulatory surgery center. Located in the Centennial Lakes Medical Office Building in Edina, the new Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute (AHMHI) Surgery Center provides cardiovascular procedures in a convenient, outpatient setting and features two operating rooms equipped with state-of-the-art imaging, diagnostic and interventional equipment. Physicians from the Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute will provide Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology and Vascular procedures, including Right Heart Catheterization, Coronary Angiography, Implantable Pacemakers, Endovascular Ablation, and more. “As our population ages, the incidence of cardiovascular disease is growing,” said William Katsiyiannis, president Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute. “We are proud to bring this unique offering to the Twin Cities market to provide more access to procedures for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease in our community. The AHMHI Surgery Center gives patients another option for their surgical care needs in a high-quality, convenient, outpatient setting.” The AHMHI Surgery Center is grounded in Allina Health’s commitment to significantly expand its ambulatory surgery platform to enable efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality consumer-centric care. Increasing its surgery center offerings is part of Allina Health’s organizational vision of a high value, integrated complex care coordinator for the community. “Our investment in ambulatory surgery centers, which has rapidly grown from one center to nine centers over a short period of time, is part of Allina Health’s larger population health strategy and Whole Way to Better journey,” said Dave Slowinske, senior vice president of Operations at Allina Health. “The Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute Surgery Center solidifies our commitment to deliver surgical care in all settings from complex surgery in a major metropolitan hospital to same day surgery in a community-based setting. Providing accessible and affordable care that is closer to home is aligned with our value-based care strategy to lower the total cost of care for our communities while maintaining the superior quality our patients have come to expect when they entrust Allina Health with their health care needs.”