Sanford Health and Fairview Health, two hospital systems in the middle of a long sought-after merger effort, once again have announced a delay in the process.
According to a joint statement, they’re pushing back the closing date until after May 31 following a request from the Minnesota Attorney General’s office.
They’ve agreed to give 90 days’ notice once the new date is set.
The health systems initially proposed a closing date of March 31. That was previously pushed back to May 31.
The statement also said the health systems remain confident a merger would benefit hospital users.
The plan has also received its share of opposition. The Minnesota Attorney General’s office has ordered a review of the proposal, and the University of Minnesota system has announced a plan to purchase on-campus Fairview facilities.