St. Luke’s and Aspirus Health
We’re now a combined organization
We are excited to announce that St. Luke’s is now part of Aspirus Health!
As a combined non-profit health care organization, our focus is on being
a champion for the future of health care in our region. On March 1, 2024,
we celebrated the final milestone in the affiliation process that began
in July 2023.
The process
Both Aspirus and St. Luke’s have worked diligently since announcing a
letter of intent to affiliate last summer, including
signing a definitive agreement, completing due diligence and participating in a public forum with Minnesota
Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office in Duluth last fall. The
combined organization will operate nearly 20 hospitals and 130 outpatient
locations with nearly 14,000 team members, including 1,300 employed physicians
and advanced practice clinicians.
What this means for you
St. Luke’s and Aspirus will advance the level of care we bring to
patients and further enhance rural health care, which helps to build thriving
communities. We will grow and transform to provide excellent, compassionate
care to meet the changing needs of our region.
When will the affiliation be complete? ▼
The affiliation process was finalized on March 1, 2024. Aspirus Health
and St. Luke’s are now a combined health care organization.
Now that the affiliation is complete, have there been any significant changes
to the details announced earlier? ▼
This has been a thorough, intensive, thoughtful process, and there have
been no significant changes to what was already announced. The day-to-day
experience for patients and employees will be mainly unchanged. The organizations
together will focus on these specific areas to advance the quality of
care in the region:
- Aspirus will invest at least $300 million over eight years to fund St.
Luke’s strategic projects.
- Aspirus has committed to implementing Epic and other standard systems to
promote integration and efficiency within 24 months.
- Aspirus will expand the Aspirus Health Plan into St. Luke’s service
area within 24 months, subject to regulatory constraints and timelines,
to offer high-quality, cost-efficient insurance plans focused on improving
health through the effective delivery of health care services to its members.
Why is St. Luke’s affiliating with Aspirus? ▼
While St. Luke’s has been successful as an independent system for
140-plus years, we are affiliating with Aspirus to maintain and expand
services that are vital for the region and rural communities. We will
expand our impact and advance our goal of improving the health and well-being
of every patient we serve.
As part of Aspirus Health, we will be stronger. The decision to grow is
the culmination of a thoughtful and deliberate process to provide solutions
for health care challenges facing the industry. St. Luke’s will
become a major care delivery hub in the Aspirus system while growing,
improving and investing in care models throughout this expanded footprint.
What does this mean for patients? ▼
Patients can continue seeing their same providers to receive the same top-quality,
compassionate care they have come to know and expect. All locations and
phone numbers remain the same. We will continue to accept the same insurance.
All our services and locations can continue to be found at slhduluth.com.
How will this impact St. Luke’s Foundation? ▼
St. Luke’s Foundation will not change. Funds will always be used
as designated by donors.
Why is this affiliation good for the community? ▼
The strength of Aspirus Health will allow St. Luke’s to be more sustainable
in the long term, maintain competitive offerings for our communities and
expand our impact faster than we can on our own. Bringing our organizations
together allows us to grow while managing the cost of care and advancing
high-quality care and patient experiences. Joining Aspirus will be a value-add
for our patients, our staff and our broader network and will strengthen
the care and services that people can count on for generations to come.
What specific investments has Aspirus agreed to fund? ▼
Aspirus will make significant capital investments in the coming years,
including investing at least $300 million over eight years to fund St.
Luke’s strategic projects. Aspirus has also committed to implementing
Epic and other standard systems to promote integration and efficiency
within 24 months. Aspirus Health Plan will be expanded into St. Luke’s
service area within 24 months, subject to regulatory constraints and timelines,
to promote coordinated, cost-efficient and effective delivery of health
care services to its members. In addition, Aspirus will continue supporting
medical education in our region, including the residency program that
St. Luke’s has with the University of Minnesota Medical School in
Duluth. The agreement will also help each organization better recruit
talent, given the expanded services and opportunities that will exist
as part of a combined organization.
Are any St. Luke’s locations closing? ▼
The purpose of the affiliation is growth, and both systems are aligned
in this goal. The combined organization plans to grow the workforce, with
an emphasis on clinical roles.
How will Aspirus make St. Luke’s stronger? ▼
Sharing medical expertise and knowledge between Aspirus and St. Luke’s
providers will enable opportunities to collaborate, expand best practices
and build stronger teams. The purchasing power of two health systems for
pharmaceuticals, supplies, IT systems and more will lead to lower costs
and allow us to better manage the cost of care for our patients. Through
this agreement, we will be able to further support local medical education,
which is a key driver in supporting the necessary number of physicians,
nurses, and other health care workers.
We look forward to a bright future for our combined organization and the
communities we serve.
Read our joint press release.