Essentia Health
Essentia Health is an integrated healthcare system with facilities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.[1][2] As of December 2024 it has over 15,600 employees, including 971 physicians, 1,421 advanced practitioners, and 4,876 registered nurses & licensed practical nurses.[3] The network includes 14 hospitals, 79 clinics, six long-term care facilities, six assisted and independent living facilities, and one research & education institute.[1][4][5][6] Essentia Health was accredited as an Accountable Care Organization by the National Committee for Quality Assurance in 2013.[1][4][7][8]
History
[edit]Essentia Health was formed in 2004, as the parent company of the partnership between the Benedictine Health System and St. Mary's/Duluth Clinic Health System (SMDC).[9] Essentia Health acquired Dakota Clinic/Innovis Health in January 2008.[10] In 2010, Essentia Health integrated the resources of all of its member organizations – SMDC Health System, Innovis Health, Brainerd Lakes Health, Essentia Community Hospitals and Clinics, and Essentia Institute of Rural Health – and united them under the one name, Essentia Health.[11][12][13]
In 2022, Essentia Health acquired Mid Dakota Clinic.[14] The merger gave Essentia Health four facilities, 25 advanced practitioners, and 280 additional staff members.[15] In October 2022, Essentia Health and Marshfield Clinic Health System announced merger discussions. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed to evaluate how the two organizations might combine to form an integrated regional health system.[16] After almost two years of discussion, the merger was called off in January 2024, although the leaders did not rule out future collaboration attempts.[17]
Essentia Health has more than two dozen Catholic-sponsored clinics, hospitals, and other facilities.[18][19] The roots of Essentia's Catholic facilities trace back to a group of Benedictine nuns who established St. Mary's Hospital, Essentia Health's oldest hospital, in Duluth in 1888.[18]
Vision Northland
[edit]In 2018, Essentia Health announced plans to build a new medical facility that would be replacing the current St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. The project was initially set at $800 million, but an additional $100 million was required to add an additional patient floor and outpatient care spaces. Changes in market conditions were also a cause for the increase. The building early 2023, with 98% completed in February.[20] In July 2023, they completed the moving of patients from the old location.[21] The new facility includes 344 patient rooms, 16 operating rooms, and a pneumatic tube system. The 942,000 sq. ft. building includes 500 miles of data cable, high-efficiency plumbing that is 20% more efficient than LEED V4 baseline, and took over 2.8 million union worker labor hours to make it all possible. [22]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c NCQA Accountable Care Organization Accreditation Early Adopters. National Committee for Quality Assurance.
- ^ Find a Clinic/Hospital. EssentiaHealth.org.
- ^ "Facts & Figures". www.essentiahealth.org. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ a b Clark, Cheryl. "NCQA Issues First ACO Accreditations". HealthLeaders Media. February 19, 2013.
- ^ "Essentia Health Facts & Figures". www.essentiahealth.org. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ "Facts & Figures". www.essentiahealth.org. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ Gamble, Molly and Heather Punke. "100 Accountable Care Organizations to Know". Becker's Hospital Review. August 14, 2013.
- ^ "Two ACOs First to Earn NCQA's Highest Grade". States News Service. September 25, 2013.
- ^ "SMDC parent to buy hospital in Montana". Duluth News-Tribune. January 27, 2006.
- ^ Robeznieks, Andis. "Essentia Acquires Dakota Clinic/Innovis". Modern Healthcare. January 7, 2008.
- ^ Lynn, John. "Essentia Health Selects Health Care DataWorks' Business Intelligence Solution To Support Integration of Member Organizations". EMR, EHR and Healthcare IT News. March 14, 2011.
- ^ Lee, Michelle. "Introducing Essentia Health". Healthy Living. November 24, 2010.
- ^ "Innovis Health to change its name". Grand Forks Herald. September 2, 2010.
- ^ "Mid Dakota Clinic officially joins Essentia Health". www.essentiahealth.org. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ "Mid Dakota Clinic Officially Joins Essentia Health". Midwest Medical Edition. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
- ^ "Essentia Health, Marshfield Clinic Health System announce merger discussions". www.essentiahealth.org. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Deneen (January 4, 2024). "Planned merger of Marshfield clinic and Essentia health called off". Wisconsin Public Radio. Wisconsin Educational Communication Board. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ a b "Benedictine Roots". EssentiaHealth.org.
- ^ "Catholic Health Care in Minnesota". Catholic Health Association of the United States. March 2013.
- ^ "Vision Northland/Duluth Building Project". Essentia Health. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
- ^ Matt, Anthony (July 30, 2023). "Essentia Health completes transfer of patients to replacement St. Mary's Medical Center". Essentia Health Newsroom. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
- ^ "vision-northland". www.essentiahealth.org. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
