Sanford Health and Marshfield Take Next Step Toward Merger | The Mighty 790 KFGO

Sanford Medical Center, Fargo

SIOUX FALLS, SD MARSHFIELD, WIS. (KFGO) – Sioux Falls-based Sanford Health and Marshfield Clinic Health System, a physician-led health system based in Marshfield, Wisconsin, serving rural Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, have signed an affiliation agreement to combine its assets and capabilities to create an integrated healthcare system dedicated to advancing world-class care in the rural Midwest, according to a statement from the providers.

Both organizations announced in July that they had signed a letter of intent to merge.

“This significant milestone means we are one step closer to bringing together our nonprofit, community-focused healthcare organizations,” said Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health. “We are excited to strengthen access to cutting-edge care and invest in new initiatives to meet the needs of patients across the rural Midwest, now and in the years to come.”

“In Sanford Health we have found a partner who closely aligns with our culture, mission and values, and we look forward to continuing on this journey as the leading rural health system in the United States,” said Brian Hoerneman, MD, interim CEO of Sanford Health System. Marshfield Clinic. “Our shared commitment to excellence, quality and safety, and to providing an exceptional patient experience to the rural communities we serve, makes this partnership a win for our patients and our dedicated teams who carry out our mission every day.”

Sanford Health and Marshfield Clinic Health System say the combined nonprofit system will improve patient outcomes through innovative new care delivery models, use each organization’s respective health plan to serve more than 425,000 members, leverage all The promise of technology, including virtual care, will expand the breadth and depth of research capabilities and enhance the ability to train, educate and support future physicians to promote the health of communities for generations to come.

The combination is expected to close by the end of the year, subject to regulatory processes and closing conditions. Sanford Health and Marshfield Clinic Health System remain two separate and independent organizations until closing.