MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU) — Marshfield Clinic Health System has announced that they are in discussions with Duluth-based Essentia Health to form a larger regional health system.
The two hospital systems announced today they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to evaluate how the two organizations might combine, meaning talks are underway but no plans are currently in place.
Essentia CEO Dr. David Herman said his company has always admired what Marshfield Clinic stands for. “Through a new partnership, we can support the care models, services, research, and technologies to ensure sustainable and thriving rural health care,” he says.
Marshfield Clinic CEO Dr. Susan Turney says the potential partnership could bring new opportunities to the upper Midwest. “These are two of the premier health systems in the country, looking to come together to serve rural communities and beyond. When I look at Essentia, I see an organization with world-class expertise that complements our own. And I see their long, rich history of serving communities with a mission very similar to ours at Marshfield Clinic Health System.”
Details such as what the potential combined health system would be called and what the leadership structure would look like are unknown. It’s unclear if the two entities have set a deadline for when those plans will need to be in place.
Wednesday’s announcement said further details will be released in due course.
Should the two hospital systems combine, they would cover more than two million people from North Dakota to the upper peninsula of Michigan with more than 150 sites of care including 25 hospitals. The network would feature more than 3,500 providers.
