Duluth Forum Set on HealthPartners-Essentia Deal

Minnesota's attorney general will take public comment on the proposed HealthPartners acquisition of Essentia Health.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Healthcare

Brick and stone building on a hillside above a grey Lake Superior shoreline under overcast northern daylight, with a bare tree in the foreground. — Minnesota's attorney general will hold a Duluth public forum on Nov. 23 on HealthPartners' proposed acquisition of Essentia Health. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you think the HealthPartners and Essentia hospital merger would be good for your community?

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will hold a public forum in Duluth on Nov. 23 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the proposed acquisition of Essentia Health by HealthPartners, which the two systems announced in late September.

Why it matters

State regulators are reviewing the deal under Minnesota antitrust, charity, and health care transaction laws, and the attorney general's office can sue to block deals that harm the public interest, though it does not formally approve or deny mergers. Residents' input will inform how the review weighs effects on patient care, medical costs, and health care workers.

If completed, the combined HealthPartners-Essentia network would operate more than 20 hospitals and 170 clinics across Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin. The review's outcome and any conditions regulators may impose remain unannounced.

The players

Keith Ellison

Keith Ellison is the Minnesota Attorney General, whose office is reviewing the proposed acquisition and hosting the public forum.

HealthPartners

HealthPartners is a Bloomington-based health care organization that would acquire Essentia Health if the deal is completed.

Essentia Health

Essentia Health is a Duluth-based health system that would be taken over by HealthPartners under the proposed agreement.

The details

Bloomington-based HealthPartners would take over Duluth-based Essentia Health if the deal is completed. Attendees must register online in advance to receive the meeting location and must complete an online form to speak; residents unable to attend can submit written comments through the attorney general's website or call the office directly.

Late September 2026: HealthPartners and Essentia announce their merger agreement.
Nov. 23, 2026, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Public forum in Duluth on the proposed acquisition.

Healthcare Landscape

The review proceeds under Minnesota's antitrust, charity, and health care transaction laws, which give the attorney general authority to sue to block deals that harm the public interest. The proposed combination would extend a single health system across Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin.

Patients in Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin could see changes to hospital and clinic options if the deal is completed. Residents who want their views on patient care, costs, and workforce effects considered can attend the forum or submit comments in writing or by phone.

The takeaway

Residents who care about how a merger could affect local hospital access and prices have a window to be heard before the review concludes. Registering early for the Duluth forum or submitting written comments are the most direct ways to add a voice to the process.

What happens next

The Duluth public forum takes place Nov. 23, 2026, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and written comments may be submitted through the attorney general's website.