Sanford-Fairview Merger Closing Date Delayed to May 31

The closing date for a merger between Sanford Health and Fairview Health Services has been delayed until the end of May.

Sanford and Fairview said in a joint statement Friday that they have voluntarily extended their planning date for completion of the merger to May 31. The original deadline was March 31.

Last November, the two health systems announced a proposed merger that would create one of the largest health systems in the Upper Midwest with more than 50 hospitals and some 78,000 employees. The state Attorney General’s office recently held several public forums to gather feedback on the possible merger, including one in Bemidji in January, and one of the concerns raised was that the merger was scheduled to happen too soon.

John Stiles, the deputy chief of staff for Attorney General Keith Ellison, said in a statement Friday that Sanford and Fairview have not yet fully complied with “repeated requests” for information by the Attorney General, and that they are considering all options available to secure compliance.