(Bagley, MN) - Today the Clearwater County Board in Bagley, MN announced that they have signed a definitive agreement with Sanford Health to purchase the operations of Clearwater Health Services (CHS). This fall the two organizations announced a letter of intent to join and this is one of the final steps in that process. The agreement will be finalized effective Feb. 1, 2012, pending approval by the Sanford Health Board of Trustees.
“This is a time of great change in health care, but also a time of great opportunity. It is often what brings us to together, that sets us apart. Both Clearwater Health Services and Sanford have long legacies of providing care in northern Minnesota, says Paul Hanson, President Sanford Health of Northern Minnesota. “Together we can much more efficiently assess the healthcare delivery system in our region”
Clearwater Health Services will then be known as Sanford Bagley. Sanford Bagley includes Sanford Bagley Medical Center in Bagley, with the attached Sanford Bagley Clinic; the Sanford Bagley Ambulance Service; and the Sanford Bagley Clearbrook Clinic in Clearbrook, Minn. Sanford Bagley will have a total of 7 physicians and advanced practice providers and over 80 staff. Over the next few months a local advisory board will also be forming.
“Sanford’s philosophy is to provide access to quality healthcare for patients, close to home,” says John Nelson, Clearwater County Board Chair. “This partnership with Sanford will supply us with expertise needed and provide a stable environment for patients and staff in our communities.”
Sanford Health includes 34 hospitals, 116 clinic locations and more than 1,000 physicians in 70 specialty areas of medicine. With more than 20,000 employees, Sanford Health is the largest rural, not-for-profit health care system in the nation with locations in 112 communities in seven states. In addition, Sanford Health is in the process of developing international clinics in Ireland, Africa, Israel and Mexico. The healthcare system is experiencing dynamic growth and development in conjunction with Denny Sanford's $400 million gift in 2007, the largest gift ever to a health care organization in America. This gift is making possible the implementation of the several initiatives including global children's clinics, multiple research centers, eradicating breast cancer and finding a cure for type 1 diabetes. For more information, visit sanfordhealth.org.
