DULUTH, Minn. – Two major health-care chains, Minnesota-based Essentia Health and Wisconsin-based Marshfield Clinic, have calle doff a merger. In a joint news release the organizations said:
“We have decided that a combination at this time is not the right path forward for our respective organizations, colleagues and patients. We will continue to seek opportunities for collaboration as two mission-driven, integrated health systems dedicated to sustainable rural health care.”
The two systems had begun merger explorations in 2022. This July they signed an “integration agreement” for a new regional health system with facilities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Dakota. It is that plan that has been dropped.
Marshfield Clinic. Recent focus has been to build rural services.
Essentia. $90 million \ Duluth hospital opened 2023.
System profiles
Essentia Health. Based in Duluth. With 2,100 physicians and clinicians. Includes 14 hospitals, 70 clinics, six long-term care facilities, six assisted and independent-living facilities, and one research education institute. Predecessor St. Mary’s Hospital in Duluth founded in 1888.
Marshfield Clinic. Based in Marshfield, Wisconsin. With 1,200 physicians and clinicians. Includes 10 hospitals, 60 clinics, a medical research institute, and an education division. Founded in 1916.
Other mergers
Marshfield is not new to merger dances. Discussions with LaCrosse-based Gundersen fell apart in 2019. Some other regional consolidations have worked, some not. Gundersen and Green Bay-based Bellin merged in 2022. Talks between Gundersen and Rochester-based Mayo Clinic failed in 1994, and Mayo instead bought St. Francis Hospital in LaCrosse. This was after on-again off again merger talks between Gundersen and St. Francis failed to materialize.