Proposed Hospital System Transactions

The Attorney General reviews certain health care transactions under the state's health care transaction law (Minn. Stat. 145D.01), charities laws, and antitrust laws to determine compliance, including whether the transaction is in the public interest. Under Minnesota law, the Attorney General evaluates a transaction's impact on patients and the health care workforce, including how the transaction may affect health care options, access, and affordability. The Attorney General doesn’t approve or deny transactions, but can bring an action in court to block or unwind a transaction that violates charities or antitrust law or is otherwise not in the public interest.

Sutter Health and Allina Health

On March 17, 2026, Sutter Health and Allina Health announced they had signed a letter of intent for Allina to join Sutter Health.  While the precise details of this proposed transaction have not yet been finalized, the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General anticipates the transaction will be subject to Minnesota’s Health Care Transaction Law.

• Sutter Health is a nonprofit integrated health system headquartered in Sacramento, CA, with 27 hospitals and more than 200 clinics, imaging centers, surgery centers, and home health services. It employs about 57,000 people, including over 14,000 clinicians, serving more than 3.5 million patients primarily in Northern and Central California. 
• Allina Health is a nonprofit health system headquartered in Minneapolis, serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin.  It operates 12 hospital campuses, more than 60 primary care clinics, 20 same-day/urgent care centers, and over 100 specialty sites. It employs about 27,000 people, including 6,700 providers. 

Under the proposal, Allina would become Sutter Health’s Upper Midwest Division while retaining its name, brand and regional headquarters in Minneapolis.  Lisa Shannon would remain Allina’s President and CEO. Sutter’s President and CEO Warner Thomas would lead the combined organization. 

Sanford Health and North Memorial Health

On May 8, 2026, Sanford Health and North Memorial Health announced that they had signed a letter of intent and an affiliation agreement for North Memorial to join Sanford Health. This transaction is subject to Minnesota’s Health Care Transaction Law and review of the proposed transaction has begun.

• 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 2 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.

Community Input Opportunities

The Attorney General is interested in hearing how these and other proposed transactions may affect Minnesotans. The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office uses the information submitted by the public to evaluate the proposed transactions under existing laws, as well as to determine opportunities for changes or improvement to public policy, regulation, or state or federal law. Comments or information that members of the public submitted as part of these civil investigations are generally treated as “protected nonpublic data” under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.

Community Input Form and Phone Option

Individuals can complete this Health Care Transactions Community Input Form to provide written feedback. Members of the public are encouraged to contact the Attorney General’s Office about this proposed transaction and other health care transactions through the Community Input Form or by phone at (651) 296-3353 (Metro area) or (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota).