More Details on Medcenter One Merger | Video

Michelle San Miguel | 7/12/2012

The Affordable Care Act isn`t the only big health care change in North Dakota. The leaders of Sanford Health and Medcenter One released more information on their merger at a news conference this morning.

The merger was made official last week. During the next several months, Medcenter One will be phasing out their name and going by Sanford Health.

"Today we are Sanford," said Sanford Health Western Region President Dr. Craig Lambrecht.

If you`re a patient at Medcenter One, Lambrecht says from here on out patient care will only get better.

"We realized as an organization to be by ourselves long-term was not a good place to be. With all the government regulation and the payer issues that are coming our way to stand alone in this environment is not a good strategic decision."

Over the next ten years, Sanford Health will be investing $200 million in health care services in Bismarck-Mandan and western North Dakota. That investment includes a new clinic in Dickinson, which will feature a walk-in-clinic and diagnostic services.

For Medcenter One`s roughly 3,500 employees, hospital officials say rest assured that employees will not lose their jobs, but their current jobs might change.

"We haven`t had a lay off or a roll back in wages or something like that in my 16 years in the organization," said Sanford Health President & CEO Kelby Krabbenhoft.

Since Medcenter One began, decisions have been made in Bismarck. While Lambrecht says corporate oversight will be new for him, he say`s he`s confident Sanford Health will provide the hospital with the support and resources it needs.

Sanford Health is headquartered in Sioux Falls and Fargo. Bismarck will now become Sanford`s third headquarters site. Sanford and Medcenter One say they hope this merger will increase the number of referrals in the state.

Healthcare providers in North Dakota lose about $200 million every year on patients who seek health care outside of the state.

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