Altru is Committed to Devils Lake, Asks for Community’s Support

Grand Forks, N.D. - There is no question that the future of local healthcare in Devils Lake is at-risk. Common Spirit is seeking to divest its hospitals in North Dakota, including CHI St. Alexius. A recent effort to sell to Minnesota-based Essentia was called off. What remains is an opportunity to bring the ownership of all healthcare in Devils Lake back to North Dakota and create a unified delivery model that brings the clinic and the hospital together. Altru Health System seeks to do just that.

Altru is deeply committed to the healthcare of the Devils Lake region, now and into the future. We have invested 20 million dollars in our clinic to-date and will continue to expand our services to ensure the residents of Devils Lake receive the care they deserve. We, and especially the team of physicians and staff at Altru Clinic, are committed to this community and intend to remain for the long-term.

There is a substantial opportunity and immediate need to enhance healthcare services in Devils Lake. A community owned, Altru managed hospital is the ideal choice for the Devils Lake community. In this model, 100 percent of the current hospital and clinic staff would retain their jobs, the community would own their healthcare decisions and the funds raised by the hospital would remain local, while care between the hospital, clinic and specialized care needs remains part of a unified system managed by Altru.

Altru feels strongly that this opportunity is best addressed with a commitment to a unified care model. Key attributes of a unified care model include;

• Physicians and care teams working seamlessly across the clinic and hospital
• Strong physician recruitment and coordination of capital re-investment to ensure expertise in care delivery and meeting evolving technology and community health care needs.
• Utilization of a single medical record

The future of the hospital is imperative to the success of Devils Lake’s healthcare and economy. We believe that the Devils Lake community will be best served by local, North Dakota ownership. Local ownership means that;

• Local decision making occurs, and those decisions are made with the unique needs of the residents of Devils Lake in mind.
• Funds are kept locally to provide direct benefit to the patients and community of Devils Lake.
• A local workforce improves the economic development of the community.

We are seeking the community’s support to pursue this healthcare future in Devils Lake. Healthcare is a cornerstone of any community, and impacts not only the health of its residents, but also the vibrancy of the community itself. A locally owned, integrated health system ensures our residents can access the world-class care they deserve right in their community, well into the future.

Altru will hold community listening sessions at Lake Region State College to hear from our residents on the future of local healthcare. These will be led by the leadership and physicians at Altru Clinic in Devils Lake and Altru Executive team members. Dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

Sincerely,

Steven Weiser, MD | President

Dave Molmen | Interim CEO

Stephanie Foughty, MD | Chair of Altru Clinic Devils Lake

Amber Stokke | Manager of Altru Clinic Devils Lake

About Altru Health System

Based in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Altru Health System is a physician-led, multispecialty group practice with an acute care hospital, Level II trauma center, specialty hospital, more than two dozen Grand Forks and regional practice locations, and a large home care network. Altru Health System was the first member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, extending Mayo Clinic knowledge and expertise to the patients we serve. For more information, visit altru.org.