CommonSpirit Health and Essentia Health have signed a letter of intent to have 14 CommonSpirit Health hospitals and a network of other facilities join Essentia Health, potentially by summer.
The CommonSpirit facilities operate under the CHI "brand" and they include the 237-bed CHI St. Alexius Medical Center in Bismarck, North Dakota, as well as 13 critical access hospitals and affiliated clinics and eldercare facilities in North Dakota and Minnesota.
The facilities had been part of Catholic Health Initiatives, which merged with Dignity Health in 2019, to form CommonSpirit. CommonSpirit is a nonprofit, Catholic health system based in Chicago. The system has 139 hospitals and more than 1,000 additional health care sites in 21 states.
Dr. Cliff Robertson, senior vice president for CommonSpirit's Midwest division, said in a press release that the proposed deal between CommonSpirit and Essentia is intended to give patients access to a strong network of rural and tertiary hospitals, primary and specialty care and telehealth services. He said Essentia is well-positioned to integrate the facilities into a continuum of care.
Based in Duluth, Minnesota, Essentia has 14 hospitals and a network of other care sites in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota.
Some of Essentia's facilities are Catholic, including Essentia St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd, Minnesota; Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth; St. Mary's Hospital of Superior in Superior, Wisconsin; Essentia Health Holy Trinity Hospital of Graceville, Minnesota; and Essentia Health St. Mary's of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota.
Robertson said Essentia will carry on the Catholic heritage and mission of the facilities it is acquiring from CommonSpirit.
CommonSpirit Health facilities under consideration to join Essentia Health
NORTH DAKOTA CHI Friendship, continuum of care
CHI Health at Home – Fargo CHI Lisbon Health, Lisbon, a critical access hospital
C
HI Mercy Health, Valley City, a critical access hospital
CHI Oakes Hospital, Oakes, a critical access hospital
CHI St. Alexius Health, Bismarck
- CHI St. Alexius Health Bismarck Medical Center, Bismarck
- CHI St. Alexius Health Clinics, Bismarck
- CHI St. Alexius Health Carrington Medical Center, Carrington, a critical access hospital
- CHI St. Alexius Health Devils Lake Hospital, Devils Lake, a critical access hospital
- CHI St. Alexius Health Dickinson Medical Center, Dickinson, a critical access hospital
- CHI St. Alexius Health Garrison, Garrison, a critical access hospital
- CHI St. Alexius Health Turtle Lake, Turtle Lake, a critical access hospital
- CHI ST. Alexius Health Williston Medical Center, Williston, a critical access hospital
- PrimeCare Health Group clinically integrated network
CHI Living Communities – Riverview, part of CHI Living Communities eldercare system, Toledo, Ohio
MINNESOTA
CHI Lakewood Health, Baudette, a critical access hospital
CHI St. Francis Health, Breckenridge
- CHI St. Francis Health St Francis Medical Center, Breckenridge, a critical access hospital
- CHI St Francis Health St. Francis Home, Breckenridge, a nursing home
- CHI St Francis Health Appletree Court, Breckenridge, an independent living facility
CHI St Joseph's Health Park Rapids, Park Rapids, a critical access hospital
CHI St. Gabriel's Health, Little Falls
- CHI St. Gabriel's Health Alverna Apartments, Little Falls, an independent living facility
- CHI St. Gabriel's Health St. Gabriel's Hospital, little Falls, a critical access facility