Attorney General Ellison seeks community input on proposed acquisition of North Memorial Health by Sanford Health
May 8, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office is inviting public comments on the proposed acquisition of North Memorial Health by Sanford Health. Members of the public can submit information through an online Community Input 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.
“As we have done and are currently doing with other healthcare transactions, we are conducting a thorough review of this potential acquisition to ensure it complies with the law and is in the public interest,” said Attorney General Ellison. “Proposed health care consolidation requires careful examination. As long as I am Attorney General, I will use the full range of regulatory tools to protect Minnesotans’ 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.
How to Provide Input
- Use the online Community Input Form.
- Call (651) 296-3353 (Metro) or (800) 657-3787 (Greater Minnesota).
The Attorney General's Office plans to host a public meeting to obtain input on the transaction as part of the review, at a date to be determined.
